V.A. Amam / Mama

Gathaspar has been making a name for himself based on his productions for labels like Thema and Freude am Tanzen as well as his live sets ('I'm not a DJ') in some of Berlin's most respected spots like Panorama Bar and Watergate. AMAM can't resist his detail-oriented grooves, either, so now we're jumping in on the action, releasing the Vaporizer EP.

The title track is a twisting, churning concoction with low-end murk swirling underneath pristine percussion to form a whirlpool on the dancefloor. Although it's built on subtlety, 'Vaporizer' is as threatening as its name implies, ready to zap you into a gaseous state at any moment. Next, 'Ocelot 29' turns up the heat a notch, offering more overt, guttural oomph as well as a familiar human voice to latch onto. But make no mistake, there's nothing basic about this track, with its atypical rhythmic patterns that unfold over unpredictable chord progressions.

If those two cuts aren't weird enough, check out the remixes: Playhouse veteran Lowtec delivers a mangled version of 'Ocelot 29' that sounds like a melting VHS cassette, suggesting a new subgenre, Quaalude House. Then OstGut Ton stalwart Tobias. transforms 'Vaporizer' into a different beastly species, formulating jacking rhythms that pop out of the speakers. Finally, as a digital bonus, AMAM mastermind takes it even deeper with mangled chords and dubby squiggles. Get vaporized!