[Innervisions]

Any time Henrik Schwarz, Âme and Dixon all grace the same slab of vinyl, chances are it’s going to be a big deal. This precedent was set in 2006 with the quickly canonized “Where We At,” capturing the warily optimistic zeitgeist with a prescient Derrick Carter vocal sample which hung above stirring (and label-defining) underpinnings. In 2007 the supergroup reconfigured as the Innervisions Orchestra to remix Underworld’s “Crocodile” to popular effect; and separately, Dixon has a way of subtly reshaping his friends’ material to best suit the occasion (his “Mifune,” “I Exist Because Of You” and “Headphone Silence” edits come to mind). Two years after setting the bar so high, the Innervisions triad is back and offering two broad strokes of Chicago-inspired house with “D.P.O.M.B.” And once again this meeting of minds/ears/hands is cause for celebration.

The elements used will be familiar to Âme and Henrik Schwarz fans, but the soul-singeing energy coursing through both versions may take some by surprise. Beginning with a simple throb, wordless vocal and raw hi-hats, “Version 1” ratchets up the tension as bongos, claps, bittersweet synth counterpoint and a characteristic string whine crowd the frame. (But unlike Laurent Garnier’s “Back to My Roots,” which attempted something similar, there’s ample room for each element to swing freely.) Within six minutes, the monster has torn away its layers to rebuild again atop Wild Pitch ostinato jabs. More refined than ferocious, “Version 2” finds Moondog-tinged flute/clarinet/horns piercing the rapid synth chatter to flutter and stretch gracefully, as if delicate dancers riding a roiling piece of earth. Compared with the barreling headfirst charge of “Version 1,” which could easily slide into a techno set, “Version 2” is multi-faceted and perhaps more memorable, as it best represents the organic textures and thrumming minimal energy loved by each artist. The “D.P.O.M.B. EP” is indeed a momentous occasion, both as heartfelt homage to Chicago and DJ Pierre and as the successor to “Where We At.” I won’t be shocked if this one to stays in DJs’ crates nearly as long.

By the way, this is our 500th post. Yay LWE!