[Aus Music]

“When it all comes together and your [sic] grooving over a beat that came out of nowhere,” Laurie Osborne told Sonic Router last year, “that’s the best feeling ever! I find that hard to get on my own.” Anyone who’s followed the man known as Appleblim since his and Shackleton’s legendary Skull Disco label closed up shop in 2008 probably figured as much. Osborne’s greatest solo contribution to dance music in the last few years has been Apple Pips, where he has routinely A&R’d some of the most interesting, genre-bending tunes on the circuit. But perhaps working with so many brilliant bedroom producers has made him skittish about his own knob-twiddling chops. He’s shared the production credit with someone else on every release since 2007, when “Vansan” graced the A-side of Soundboy’s Ashes Get Chopped Out And Snorted. The downside of this genius-spreading is that I have no idea what he sounds like anymore; the upside is that no matter how obscure the other half of the marquee may be, I feel pretty confident I’m in store for some quality music.

Osborne’s policy of compulsory collaboration has been especially fruitful, if not career-making, for Alec Storey. As Appleblim & Al Tourettes (or Al Tourettes & Appleblim, as they’re billed this time out), they’ve turned in standout remixes for Phonica Record’s debut release and Planetary Assault Systems. “Lipsmacker,” for Aus Music, is the duo’s first 12″ of wholly original music. Though it maintains Appleblim’s reputation for musical sophistication and stylistic ineffability, “Lipsmaker” is not one of the strongest examples of this or any of his collaborations. It’s mostly a matter of the sounds themselves. Appleblim collaborations don’t typically fear tech-house, but the title embraces the aesthetic’s least interesting attributes with discomfiting enthusiasm, especially for a duo whose sound usually veers closer to straight techno. Micro-percussion (replete with flaccid kick-drum), teensy vocal samples, and digital effects abound, amounting to something about as inviting as a just-cleaned (albeit snazzily designed) public restroom. It does the job, but I’m not sure I want to spend anymore time in there than I have to. “Mr. Swishy” thankfully evokes vintage Al Tourettes & Appleblim: the kick once again finds its full strength and penchant for being nowhere you’d expect, and the synth programming — sassy in the bass bass and off-kilter in the mid-range, with a razor-sharp dulcimer holding things down up top — is rather magical. Aus labelhead Will Saul sticks to the UK for remixes. Linkwood seriously smooths up “Mr. Swishy” in his vaguely vintage deep house style, and Deadboy of the Numbers crew offers a digital-only 2-step rework of “Lipsmacker” that doesn’t do much to redeem the flawed original. Appleblim buy-on-sighters — a guy this good likely amasses many of them — will find plenty to love in “Mr. Swishy,” but the set as a whole falls short of essential. Let’s hope he’s got better and more distinctive work in the pipeline.