[Mirau]

Erdbeerschnitzel uses samples differently than most producers. What others might make obvious centerpieces, the man born Tim Keiling assembles into hazy collages. It’s like the difference between constructing a building around an old facade and making a totally new one out of recycled bricks. Accordingly, the German’s productions have an instantly recognizable quality. On his second record for Tensnake’s Mirau, Keiling shows this MO has changed little these past three years, once again offering up pleasantly sluggish house. “Through The Night” is a heady mixture of caramel-smooth crooning and steely funk bass. Unlike, say, Tiger & Woods or Tensnake, hooks, crescendos and even sharply defined groove are de-emphasized in favor of the aforementioned haze. In other words, the track’s soft-snapping drums and springy chords don’t really move anywhere, but the lush sense of stasis sure is nice.

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On the flip, a wetter-sounding set of percs underline “Confused.” They’re one part of a more tender whole. This time, a constellation of giddy R&B vocal samples act as framework for nimble neon blips and serrated bass. Apart from a bleary breakdown, things feel similarly content to hover on the spot. And this seems a good metaphor for the record as a whole: if you’re an Erdbeerschnitzel fan, or even just a slo-mo house lover, it’s not going to provide much that’s new. But then, you probably won’t care, because without being mind-blowing, it pushes all the right buttons, in that inimitable Erdbeer way.