The deeper sister to Tic Tac Toe, Connect Four is back with a new EP from German producer Dub Taylor aka Tigerskin aka Alex Krüger. He has been crafting away in this warm, deep house realm for years under a number of different aliases, always weaving plenty of liquid grooves with a steady house pulse. The two original tracks served up here continue in that fine tradition. Opener ‘So Called Life’ is thick with rattling; rumbling synths and a deliciously underlapping house rhythm that sweeps you up every time it breaks. Some obscured, indecipherable male vocals lurk in the shadows to add an air of mystery and it’s a track you may well have already heard in sets by the likes of German tastemaker Till Von Sein and many others. On remix duty is Paneoh, a fast rising DJ and producer aligned with labels like Bedrock and Ellum Audio. His mix is just as deep, but stands a little more upright and kicks that bit firmer. Swirling synth landscapes colour in the background as sexy handclaps keep you dancing in the foreground – classy stuff, for sure. ‘Heart of Iron’ pairs allsorts of odd and quirky little sound designs – tearing paper, glassy tinkles and more – with a mid tempo house kick that eventually gets joined by some fully dubwise, Jamaican influenced chords. The result is beautifully off kilter and refreshing. Finally, Denmark’s Blagger strips back the track to a warm wind tunnel of sound that glows with a long, thin future-facing pad forever in the background. The slinky hi-hats add bite and the Moodymann like keys add plenty of emotional resonance. Staying true to its mission to release deeper, more stripped back sounds, Connect Four has lined-up another easily lovable release here.
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