Christian Jay / Rob Amboule NSR 004

After previously helming the second NorthSouth release alongside Bilal, Berlin-based minimal house maverick Christian Jay returns to the burgeoning label with more of his distinctive grooves that draw as much on bass-heavy garage and dubstep as they do on stripped back 4/4. The tempo is ramped up on "Reform," which features a plethora of wriggling sound design flourishes to accentuate the subtle swing on the track, while "Deactivating HAL" places the same sound palette in a more crafty 2-step framework that ranks among the most distinctive tracks Jay has produced to date. On the flipside. Rob Amboule follows up strong turns on 20:20 Vision, Nixwax and OSMAN with his own deep-diving dancefloor constructions. There's an irresistible insistence to the drums on B1 cut "Something For Thomas," while "Swedgin On The Corner" switches stance for a dreamy yet uptempo trip loaded with misty-eyed pads and other such cosmic delights.