Without a stable of big names to draw the attention of loyalists or much in the way of press, burgeoning Hamburg imprint Liebe*Detail has instead built a solid reputation over the last few years with consistently high-quality output. Its split singles sometimes feature producers as eminent as Gabriel Ananda and Lawrence, but more often raise the status of erstwhile unknowns such as Move D, Lee Jones and Nick Höppner from My My, Ndru, Efdemin, Jichael Mackson and a host of others. Their fifteenth and latest release finds deep house producer and prolific radio DJ Lars Behrenroth sharing wax real estate with Ripperton, whose micro-textured minimal house and techno tunes have garnered the Swiss producer a positively swelling reputation. Here Behrenroth sheds his signature soulful sound for more minimal arrangements, while Ripperton fleshes out the aesthetic he's used so effectively in previous works.
Behrenroth's 'Organism' is more exacting and restrained than many of his previous productions for labels Foreplay or Trax of Interest, retaining a human touch without the full-throated divas. The tune's patient growth, built around a two beat, one note melody palpitating throughout the track, scores the gestation of its eponymous entity. Gentle, drawn out tones stacked on top of one another and resonating lazily are eventually pushed to the background by agile syncopations, swirling counter melodies and stinging pad progressions, which make for a crushingly sweet climax.
On the flipside, '10a' manages to sound lushly detailed with only a handful of elements, thanks to Ripperton's masterful construction and keen ear for choice timbres. Setting the tone with soft sixteenth notes trickling through hushed, wind-like howls, '10a' gets folks on the floor with its off-beat broken chords bounding through the tune and keeps them dancing with a wide angle, stuttering melody emerging halfway through. Ripperton's drum programming is just as compelling, constantly rearranging itself in subtle ways or dissipating almost entirely at strategic points to spotlight the blushing melodies.
While '10a' gets my nod for the superior track, I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear both of these fine tunes pouring from the speakers on the same night.
Published /
Fri, 30 Mar 2007
Tracklist: Lars Behrenroth/Ripperton - Organism/10a
A Lars Behrenroth - Organism
B Ripperton - 10a | 
