[Hello? Repeat]

For close to fifteen years Marcus Manowski, aka Daze Maxim, has proven himself to be a stalwart of underground techno and house music. Underground in the sense that despite having recorded EP’s for Harthouse, Jakpot, Serial Killers Haircut and Story, and having consistently appeared on influential compilations and mix CDs, his is a name that has eluded the popular stature of some of his peers. His own Hello? Repeat label, which he runs with Jan Krueger, tells a story of quality over quantity with less than twenty releases notched up over the past five years. Manowski’s latest EP, Tomorrow Universe, is only their second for 2010.

“From Hear To There” is a considered, graceful divide between house and techno. Its slight maneuvers evoke comparison to Bruno Pronsato’s “Nobody Calls,” also released by Hello? Repeat last year, but with flecks of pizzicato strings and rolling, bassy undertones this is a more languid, supine track. It sounds an awful lot like Maxim had been listening to old Rob Hood cuts before he made “Heaven Raw”; the heavily treated horn stabs are reminiscent of some older Monobox or Floorplan, though for this burst of kinetic techno, the bass line and overall tone of the rest of the track is strictly a deep house affair. It’s an odd disparity that works surprisingly well, Maxim showcasing his ability to effortlessly straddle the line between styles. The title cut finds a swarm of droning synths hovering over a malaria infested groove; monkeys yelping while wooden blocks and deep log drums are slowly, rhythmically beaten. With subtle percussive turns and a gradual tension building, Maxim takes to the microphone as a scratchy, gristly vocal piece appears near the end of the track. “Tomorrow Universe” is, like the other tracks here, not trying to pack too much into it, working the key sounds in a way that highlights how some of the most effective club cuts don’t need to do too much at all to succeed.