Maayan Nidam – Habe Ich Gewonnen?

Cult label hosting a very well established, if often under-the-radar proponent of the heads down, party-starting but intelligent side of house and techno. Doesn't sound like the worst combination in the world, in many ways Habe ich Gewonnen? is indicative of Maayan Nidam's studio progression, an artist who has long toyed with sounds similar to this EP while building a strong back catalogue on more 'straight up' imprints such as Perlon and Cadenza. Across four tunes things are resolutely non-conformist but instantly engaging and accessible. The loose, jazz-hued broken joy of 'Ice Bear', the jerky, off-kilter minimal lunge of 'In Reverence', pared back percussive wobble on the title track, and the post-punk styled 'Le Petit Mort' are all exceptional pieces, packed with musicality and ideas that go well beyond where many dancefloors stop.