Massai vinyl

On previous outings, Lars Bartkhun has expertly shuffled between techno-soul, dreamy deep house, and the kind of luscious, club-ready electronica that defies easy categorization. On the impeccable "Massai (Part 1)" he subtly doffs a cap to Early Sounds Recordings types Mystic Jungle and Nu Guinea, melding jazzy guitars, dreamy chords and vibrant synthesizer lines to a loose, Afro-influenced jazz-funk groove. At nearly 11 minutes in length, it's something of an epic, but one that stands up to repeat listens (it does ebb, flow and build rather magnificently). Turn to the flipside for the warm and gently unfurling ambient house bliss of "Massai (Part 2)", which sounds like the kind of thing you'd find tucked away on a DFC release from 1989.