Dubbyman: Dubless EP
Yore

Trackleton: Jump
Yore

Dubless by Spain's Dubbyman upholds Yore's superb batting average with four tracks whose late-night, down-tempo house grooves are as beautiful as they are deep. “Loveless” opens the EP on a high note with a smoldering, bass-heavy pulse Dubbyman infuses with funk swing and deep house voices, specifically an anchoring male motif occasionally joined by a soulful female flourish. In his “Loveless” remix, Dubbyman's brother Above Smoke (the siblings' Deep Explorer Music label caters to deep house lovers) gives the tune a slightly more driving and clubbier feel without sacrificing the original's warmth and dreaminess. Also appealing is the alluring track's sing-song keyboard theme which repeats throughout while the female's voice echoes into the distance. The alluring late-night strut “La Influencia” pulls jazzy piano flourishes into its stepping orbit, and Dubbyman cranks up the sub-bass for this semi-stomper, bolstering its enticing dance feel in the process. The B-side's closer “Tear Zone” perpetuates the jazzy vibe with the bleat of a tenor sax roaring amidst the vocal wails and silky smooth pulse. All praise to Yore for continuing its commitment to timeless house music with this spendid set.

The coyly-named Trackleton makes a first appearance on Yore with a slick debut EP that's aptly titled as its clubby tech-house cuts exhibit more than their fair share of jump. The A side's given over exclusively to “When My Sequencer Gently Weeps,” an irrepressible Detroit-influenced groover whose wiry synth melodies and smooth pads chart intricate pathways amongst the track's rhythmically funky flow. On the flip, the cheekily-titled “Traditional Folk Song” is actually a solid slab of old-school tech-house splattered with a healthy dose of acid. Here too the tune grows progressively more dance-floor oriented as the seconds tick by, and the skipping percussion patterns and off-beat synth stabs only strengthen its infectious swing. “Let's Do It” opens on a slightly mellower tip but eventually pulsates as royally as the other two and positively broils once it's in full swing and the synth layers swell to mammoth proportions. Jump may not chart new directions but it's still nother solid addition to the Yore catalogue.

February 2009