V.A. Va#1

SBIRE begins. The newly founded label is curated by Swiss artists Isolated Lines, known for his edgy and razor sharp productions (on Tommy Four Seven's 47, among others), and Gaspard de la Montagne, who has been perfecting his sculptural and curiously optimistic vision of techno through his EPs on Creaked. SBR001 is a well-rounded compilation from their inner circle spanning from Grime over Raw House to Techno.

The opening transmission is from La Vie C'est Facile: A colourful and unpredictable, broken-beat cut that fuses elements of instrumental grime and hip-hop with a striking melody and spacious production. Gaspard De La Montagne (as GDLM) takes a more direct approach: His track builds slowly with a swing to the beat, leaving cavernous bass reverberations and stretched out, droning pads to pull you further in.

Isolates Lines' 'Lift' picks up where the A-side left off, mining a similar groove to GDLM's 'Larson' to equally stirring effect. The drums skip around a rubbery bassline as the track phases with sleight of hand progressions. Ockham & Soloporunbesso's fine contribution brings a Detroit edge to the record, closing it out on the crunch and sci-fi squelches of 'Hanche'. It ends a bold and neatly-executed EP that promises high quality and signals to the diverse intentions of the label.