[Metamorphic Recordings]

Hakim Murphy may be a relatively new artist, but his latest release, “Black Robots Having Sex,” recalls the jack, swing and shuffle of classic Metamorphic Recordings and some of Dan Curtin’s own mid-90’s productions. Of course, it’s not that simple: the title track unfolds to familiar lo-fi, hissing percussion, but soon veers into dark, enveloping chords and chilling strings that draw references from Sean Deason or Carl Craig in brooding Landcruising mode.

These moody elements are counterbalanced by a surging analogue bass, but there are no such checks and balances on “Jupiter Poop,” where Murphy opts for a less direct, more off-kilter groove, its lopsidedness conjoined with foggy, textured sounds. “Nikki Muscles” sees Murphy toughen up again, with a stripped back drum track augmented by crashing snares and noisy, droning bleeps — again reminiscent of vintage releases on the label or the more DJ-friendly end of Curtin’s Time Undefined project. Finally, Morgan Geist contributes a remix that, despite its functionality and undoubted charms, is surprisingly the weakest link in this new take on an older, and quite clearly timeless sound.