[Trouw]

I was somewhat surprised to learn that the Hamming 12″ from Nuno Dos Santos is his first proper release. Despite a discography that stretches back to 2006, up until now the Portuguese-born Dutchman has been known for his collaborative work with TJ Kong and, to a lesser degree, Patrice Bäumel. Though his remixes for people like Darko Esser, Estroe, and production partner TJ Kong have hinted at the latent solo talents of Dos Santos, Hamming — on the Trouw label — is the first time we see them come to the fore.

Working within the palette employed on his collaborative tracks, “Hamming” is a warm, rhythmic tech-houser. Its simple, deep bass line and hovering shakers build on swelling strings and echoing synth stabs, slight percussive flourishes heightening the elementary formula. Dos Santos uses these components together well, and further embellishes the track with glissando-type touches; it’s nothing too cerebral or flashy, just a solid dance floor track that will connect with heads and feet. Donato Dozzy takes care of the cerebral part with his stunning remix of “Hamming” that feels like it’s been double-dipped in the lysergic waters of his recent Voices From The Lake album with Neel. Creating a wonderfully subtle phasing effect with some delaying shakers, Dozzy builds the remix around an constant chord, some rising pads, and a delicious bass line burrowing so deep you start to wonder if it’s really there or if it’s just your subconscious making it up. “Ottil Part 2” returns to dance floor-oriented business, with a live drum break and slap bass offering a more organic groove than “Hamming.” With its added vocal drum samples and a constant stream of percussive fills, there’s a playful, bouncy feel to the track, but it’s definitely relegated to B-side status next to the more solid original of “Hamming” and the incredible Dozzy rework.