01. DJ Bone, “Sect 1″ [Sect Records] (buy)
This enigmatic three tracker defies placement in space and time, with a sound well versed in classic methods but as fresh as anything else out there. Here’s hoping whoever sent “Sect 1″ to me is prepared to share its wealth with a much larger audience.

02. dOP, “Cum With Me” [Milnor Modern] (buy)
When dOP goes on to greater success (it’s coming; I can see it already), critics will look back to their “God Bless the Child EP” as a watershed moment for the trio. Bursting through genre boundaries like French Kool-Aid guys, dOP experiment with Malian kora music and lithe, funky house songs (“Cum With Me”) without skipping a beat. Watch this space for more from dOP later this week.

03. Osunlade, “My Reflection” (Deetron remix)
[D:vision Records] (buy)
What I love about Deetron’s “My Reflection” remix is how he mixes spikey analog stepping stones and fluid synth whirls to chart a decadent path for Divine Essence’s quixotic lyrics. That Sam Geiser can maintain a deep atmosphere with a techno toolkit is impressive, letting Osunlade’s soulful expressions shine through while wholly owning the track. Deetron strikes again!

04. The Mole, “Baby, You’re the One” [Wagon Repair] (buy)
As on his forthcoming album, As High As the Sky, Colin de la Plante (aka The Mole) whips up a cyclone of frantically looped samples on the lengthy house mover, “Baby, You’re the One.” But this is no natural disaster; The Mole’s clever programming keeps listeners of all stripes stuck in “Baby”‘s groove as it mutates across 13 minutes.

05. Luke Solomon, “People, Places, Thoughts And Faces” (Ajello Remix) [REKIDS]
I have to admit, I’m late to the party on Luke Solomon, but his forthcoming “Robots” EP for REKIDS certainly alerted me to what I’ve been missing. While the package also contains an incredible Prins Thomas diskomiks, it’s heretofore unknowns Ajello whose piano-led, Black Devil-esque remix is stuck on repeat here at LWE HQ.

06. Intrusion, “Intrusion” (Model 90 Reshape) [echospace [detroit]] (buy)

07. Tadeo, “IO” (Cassy Moving On Mix) [Apnea] (buy)

08. Henrik Schwarz & Kuniyuki, “The Session” [Mule Musiq] (buy)

09. Pitto, “Sex Vibe” [Arearemote] (buy)

10. Kawabata, “Persuasion” (Serafin’s Back to New York Re-Interpretation) [Drumpoet Community] (buy)

[Drumpoet Community]

Although Switzerland has been turning out quality producers and DJs for some time now, more recently it seems DJs and fans alike have been clamoring for Swiss exports like they were free chocolate bars — Serafin/Rozzo/Mountain People, Quarion, Deetron, Agnès, Ripperton and Michal Ho are a few who come to mind. Like his countrymen, DJ/producer Alex Storrer only recently garnered much attention after an eight year career spanning a hip-hop album, down-tempo tunes as Lexxodus, and a host of disco cuts and edits for the Bear Entertainment family. Now rechristened as Kawabata (not to be mistaken for Makoto Kawabata of Japanese mind-melters, Acid Mothers Temple), Storrer has found his niche with the Zürich-based Drumpoet Community for his single, “Persuasion.” To complete the Swiss circle, Serafin pops up for another “New York” styled re-interpretation.

“Persuasion” wades into the deep end at a respectable mid-tempo, its chubby synth mumbles growing wider when plied with reverb and struck by sharp and grainy stabs. Aside from vocal samples urging dancers to “move!” Kawabata treads lightly to maintain the relaxed vibe invoked by the tune’s title and its many, many more influential predecessors. Serafin, by contrast, seems eager to start a stir with his “Back to New York Re-Interpretation.” As with his Marcel Wave remix of the same name, Serafin locks together opaque tones of slightly varying shades into a tight groove, revealing melody only as small tones bounce off its glistening hide. It’s hardly a flashy track, but Serafin seems content to sink his attention into deep details like varying hi-hat timbres, grandfather clock chimes and an acrobatic kick drum instead of easy hooks for online browsers. Not that there’s anything wrong with hooks (lord knows I love ‘em), but as the Swiss know well, sometimes it’s what you hold back that’s worth the most.

01. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, Serenity
[Ostgut Tonträger] (buy CD)
On Serenity, Achim and Murat deftly avoid the pitfalls of making anachronistic music while crafting stylistically faithful floor jackers. I’m enthralled with its full-bodied, Chicago-styled intonation and true emotional depth; it’s all too rare to personally identify with a house track these days. Remind me to take those guys out for deep dish pizza when they finally make it to the Windy City.

02. Lee Jones, “Aria” (Tiger Stripes remix) [Aus Music] (buy)
So glad that one of my favorite producers is back and being remixed by another favorite. Jones taps into the minimalized deep palatte which made Gaiser’s “Withdrawal” such a winner, and dots this tune’s subtle ideas with perfect chiming pitches. Tiger Stripes streamlines “Aria” from there and the end results lands right in my crate. Why it’s taking so long for this gem to hit stores on our shores, I don’t know, but I’m absolutely clamoring for a copy.

03. Basic Soul Unit, “Tunnels” (Sebo K & Metro remix) [Mule Electronic] (buy)
Further confirming my suspicions that Sebo K’s remix and DJ skills greatly surpass original production skills, his and Metro’s tidying revision of “Tunnels” evokes subterranean deep house motifs with modern fixtures. Because the pair produces with the DJ in mind above all else, “Tunnels” glides perfectly in and out of mixes — a welcome balance of floor-filling melodies and utility. However Sebo K does it best, I’m with him.

04. Marcel Wave, “27 Holton” (Serafin’s Back To New York Re-interpretation)
[Freerange Records] (buy)
Whether as part of Mountain People or solo, Serafin has had quite a streak of powerful releases of late, and his remix of Marcel Wave is no exception. This one works a pumping house rhythm brushed in a muted tonal slate, reminding me of 2000 And One’s “Work” and Kerri Chandler, if a bit more warped. Now for him to release those tantalizing tracks up on the Mountain People Myspace.

05. DeepChord Presents Echospace, “Untitled” [Modern Love]
Leave it to Rod Modell and Stephen Hitchell to put a spacey dub opus gleaming with only the edges of dulcet resonance on a single-sided 12″ limited to 500 copies. In a maelstrom of humid static clouds pulses amorphous dub patterns flush with warm tones. Its human touch stands out in delayed tambourine samples among Modell’s distorted field recordings. “Untitled” might not want to make much of its existence, but its aural embrace is hard to forget.

06. Matthew Dear, “Sunday Adventure Club” [unreleased]
Now that he’s shown his rocker side, Matthew Dear is ready to infuse minimal techno with a searing, highly filtered 303 vamp that recalls the blistering leads of Funkadelic visionary, Eddie Hazel. The Bar25-referencing “Sunday Adventure Club” is lean enough to be layered with other tracks and compelling enough to blaze its own trail. How long we’ll have to wait before it see official release is to be seen, but I’ll be wearing it out in the meantime.*

07. Brendon Moeller, “One Man’s Junk…”
[Third Ear Recordings] (buy)

08. Jimpster, “Dangly Panther” (Joris Voorn remix)
[Freerange Music] (buy)

09. Luke Hess, “Believe & Receive EP”
[Kontra-Musik] (buy)

10. Francesco Tristano, “The Melody” (Carl Craig remix)
[Infiné] (buy)
With pianos once again en vogue only a truly well written chord progression stands out from the pack of rudimentary exercises. Tristano’s rambunctious lead on “The Melody” is infectiously catchy while maintaining a sophisticated air. Carl Craig’s remix is shockingly gentle, its singular patterns and hushed drones simply adding texture for the sparkling chords to poke through. Bonus points for the beatless version as well, a tool I plan to employ often.*

*Borrowed from my Get the Curse playlist.