[Tsuba Limited]

Thus far, Tazz has been one of those mysterious, quiet deep house producers known more by the name printed on the label of misty humid Underground Quality records than as any concrete personality on his own. But 2011 marks a first for the Montreal-based producer, stepping away from Jus-Ed’s label for a turn on the UK-based Tsuba Records, and while the track titles signify a continuation in the “Underground” series of tracks, these two see him abandoning his usual smeared canvas for something more particulate.

“Underground 07” starts hobbling on a dulcet, bottom-heavy thud that’s weighty enough to completely level a room before breaking out into a chugging big-room progression, but filtered through the permanently heavy-lidded haze that smokescreens his productions. Marking a real breakout for the producer, however, “Underground 12” deserves the most attention. Though made up of familiar elements — sustained strings, stock drum machine sounds — the track charges forward with an irreverent energy, with Tazz switching up his percussive sounds every few bars. It’s almost like having a live drummer, and the frequent changes of the expert improvisation keep the track’s increasingly lively momentum at peak level, breaking up the shifting liquid synths below. A producer that only shows more and more potential — whether it be the quiet elegance of “Acid Love” or the steady thrust of “Underground 12” — Tazz deserves more attention and it’s heartening to see other labels start to take notice.