[Culprit]

On first contact, I thought SECT was a box-fresh new kid on the block armed with some seriously heavy skills, making one hell of a debut on the ’til-now digital only label Culprit. Further examination (helped along by the download of “Thieve $crilla”) procured some more vital statistics in the area of identity, namely that SECT is in fact somewhat of a producer supergroup, comprised of Soul Clap, Tanner Ross (from spooky techno duo Voodeux), and Sergio Santos (who has worked with the three other producers on various projects). Armed with this information it is less surprising that their Man Of Wisdom EP is as good as it is. It’s a three tracker of mid tempo house cuts on the deeper end of the spectrum, but still packing some serious heat for the feet.

The title track is the business for fans of the Ethio-Jazz sound, updating Mulatu Astatke’s legacy in a modern but tasteful manner. Over the first half of the track, those sultry African horns slowly weave their way to the fore of the mix, muted and filtered at first, becoming brighter, then eventually unfurling to their full melodic grandeur. The ethnic brass is complimented by a well rounded bottom end which rolls on and on through the track like an endless stretch of sand dunes cresting all the way to the hazy, shimmering horizon. “Hi-Fi All Round” squeezes out curled, boogie bass lines like soft serve ice cream, injecting every so often a brief sample that breaks down the beat to a half speed Baltimore break. The attention of all three tracks seems to lie in the swelling bass lines, using them as rudders to steer the direction and feeling of each track. Coupled with the repetitive, tripped out sounds employed, the EP as a whole carries a substantial trance-inducing feeling. The layers of swirling hypnotism reach their zenith on “SECTsy,” with the spaced out keys orbiting around echo-chamber percussion, firing out deep, vaulted bass grooves and trippy vocal snatches (I believe something about Victoria’s Secret models makes it in there somewhere). Let’s hope this SECT project is an ongoing concern so that we may sample more fruits of their labor.