French producer Keumel makes a poised vinyl debut on the Inner Balance imprint, with three originals of fine skipping house and a remix by Imprints head Domenico Rosa. “Laïka” is an afternoon space-walk in the vein of vintage Derek Carr, its synths, hats and mid-track acid line surfing light and breezy over a scudding, bumping bassline. Rosa’s remix strikes a more contemplative note by placing a soft breakbeat under the acid line and airborne pads. “No Chill” is a fast-tempo stripped-down house jam that kicks to the sound of the label’s father figure Chez Damier and his contemporaries. “Space Birds” rounds out the EP by building a slowburn groove out of which a lightly-warped acid line slinks part-way through.

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