Tiefschwarz

The third record by Tiefschwarz (and the first on their label, Souvenir) emphasizes simple sounds and arty deviation: a couple keys on the piano, a gentle, slowly changing drumbeat, one word morphing from "Crest" to "Craft" to "Graft" and back again (on "Kraft"). The music of Berlin's Ali and Basti Schwarz adheres to an inventive style that's technically in check, stumbling to and from house and techno, with subtle undertones of jazz, hip-hop and classical. The album kicks off with "Home," where there's a unique adjacency between the weird techno beats and deep, tender vocals by Daniel Wilde. "Home" demonstrates that the duo deliver far from commercial or common sounds. "Trust Alternative Version" lays down jazzy clarinet, cool percussion and Seth Troxler's aloof vocals and concerned spoken word about a loss of trust. "What You Want" moves using spacey, airy sounds perceptively with a simple vocal track. Both "The Whistler" and "12am" will have you searching out your dancing shoes. These beats are fresh.