[4 Lux]

Looking back over a year where 90s revivalist house hit home the hardest, Nicholas consistently displayed a maturity and understanding of the sound in a way that few others did. His acute and balanced perception of groove defines his craft, making it of little surprise that he and seasoned Dutch producer Gerd have cultivated such a healthy professional symbiosis in recent years. Indeed, the Italian producer released his debut LP through Gerd’s 4 Lux Black in March of last year and now kickstarts 2013 with a five-track EP on 4 Lux, the historically more eclectic wing of the 4 Lux enterprise. This latest EP sees Nicholas advance from his obsession with finding and manipulating old vocal samples to actually working with a live singer.

“Things Of The Past” comes in two parts: the original mix is a lively, vibrant slice of vocal deep house, with Nicholas laying down a steady bed of thick, warbling bass, feather-light pads, and classic, if slightly affected, stabs. Stee Downes — of Lovebirds fame — performs calmly and confidently, riding the track’s many dips and tricks with effortless, soulful ease. The “NYC Club Mix” sees Nicholas add several kilos of punch to each kick, accentuating the clarity and centrality of the stabs in favor of pushing the vocals further back in the mix. Consider it when your sets require that injection of forceful intent. “Forever Feel It,” meanwhile, lies at the other end of the dance-floor spectrum, cutting a light, sensuous silhouette. A sprightly rolling groove adds some gravitas to the floating exterior, while rich, sweeping strings and yearning vox almost give it the feel of a calmer, more subdued take on Andrés’ “New For U.” Again, the remix adapts it for the dance floor, stripping away the strings in lieu of greater thrust on the kick and bass combo and some altogether more intense, suspenseful programming. “Now Is The Time” rounds things off neatly, occupying that territory between the two sonic spheres. The beats, hi-hats, and claps may hit hard, all set against a shadowy funkster of a bass line, but the chirpy synth licks and buoyant musings stop it from ever becoming anything other than perky, warm-up house. This is classy, solid stuff that continues to cement Nicholas and Gerd as one of house music’s least talked-about but most talented and consistently prolific partnerships.