[Music Man Records]

Quince, aka Bram Sluiter (he’s also released a pair of singles as Quinn), follows up his “Expanding Contracting EP” on Delsin with a three-tracker on Music Man that further mines the pure electronic techno sound that’s been brought back into vogue of late. With a clear, cold eye on the floor and an icy, near-metallic feel, Quince works with the classic Detroit template injected with a bit of frigid European funk. Charted by the likes of Marcel Dettmann, the Genetrix EP produces pure techno elegance with an atmospheric feel, massaging the vibes rather than banging them out.

Opener “Omnium” is pure class, with a bouncing beat eventually succumbing to a circular bell riff and an infectious clapping rhythm, all soaked in some subtle ambient chords and some nifty knob twists that bring the pot to just barely a boil before cooling things down again. It might not work in peak time, but as a warm-up or a cool down, it’s heavenly. On the flip, the title track is a bit harder and funkier, with an electro edge informing the low-key bass riff and a set of interwoven loop-de-loop melody lines. Closer “Theme for a Dream” is a classic Motor City rubber bounce that sprinkles shimmering space chords over clattering percussion loops that keep it from being a more paint-by-numbers homage. As the deep house/techno fusion continues in earnest, as does the minimal backlash, artists like Quince certainly bear watching, especially if he continues to deliver releases as consistent and rich as this one.