[Novel Sound]

Dance music enthusiasts of all kinds were treated to a wide variety of tracks from Levon Vincent last year: minimalist peak-time anthems (“Solemn Days”), vocorded house jams (“I Owe You Everything”) and dub-techno freak-outs (“Games Dub”). With his newest release on his own Novel Sound, the wonderfully titled Double Jointed Sex Freak, I find myself returning to an increasingly common question for each LV release: What the hell is this? With the help of his muse Rebecca (“a true athlete”) Levon has managed to out freak himself, taking the varied sounds of his breakout year and throwing them into one big messy pile of dance-music bliss. Other producers might provoke skepticism by claiming “It is the best record I have ever made — my proudest moment!”, but Levon’s enthusiasm rings true; and even compared with his top notch back catalog, it’s hard to argue Double Jointed Sex Freak is anything less than the work of a man realizing his full potential.

Split into three sections, Double Jointed Sex Freak isn’t a single track, but rather multiple iterations of a single concept. “Part 1” takes up the entire A side as a glorious long-form experiment in “ass-shakery.” With an ornery kick, brushed reverberating noises and half-whispered onomatopoeia, the first part storms in and forces dancers to get moving in its rush of energy. Contorted vocal sounds lend curious quirks not often found in Levon’s work, and rhythmic jabs jump in and depart whenever they please. “Part 2” is slightly but noticeably more restrained. Their shared origins are apparent but each diverges wildly as they take shape. A subdued guitar riff winds along the underbelly of “Part 2,” and with rumbling bass and steamy hi-hats in tow gives its predecessor a run for its money. “Part 3” wraps up the EP in fine form, reprising the vocals (if they can be called that) from “Part 1” and simmering down the first two parts into a short but sweet epilogue.

What distinguishes Vincent from many of his peers is his free-form approach to crafting dance tracks. Double Jointed Sex Freak doesn’t seem concerned with what a dance record should do, and yet its commanding arc of tunes compels listeners to find their own rhythm inside its wealth of textures and tangled progressions. No longer a rising star, Levon Vincent has arrived, and that many are just now catching up to Double Jointed Sex Freak proves he is still a couple steps ahead of the rest.