[Something]

A decade after Matthew Herbert released his Let’s All Make Mistakes mix for Tresor comes a worthy addendum to the art of doing things incorrectly from Stephan Laubner. This release is no bolt out of the blue however, and with the exception of some brief dalliances with labels like Smallville, the German producer has devoted his releases on Something to the offbeat, awkward and sometimes just plain wrong. Therefore, while it would be inaccurate to say Mistakes is just more of the same, it does follow a loosely-based narrative created by Laubner’s previous releases on Something.

Lead track “Fast Forward” embodies this healthy disregard for perfection and precision: the beats are skippy and raw and the brittle percussion makes it that little bit more engaging, but its stop-start nature and the fact that Laubner is constantly adding and subtracting elements — a rumbling bass here, melancholic chords there — ensures his sonic misadventure doesn’t sound samey. Laubner’s overall approach is the same on “Juggle It” and “Easy Morning,” but he taps otherworldly jazz riffs and uses rasping bass lines to create a more swinging sound. “Seductive Temptation” sees Laubner deliver a more ominous sound, as a prowling bass line and spooky chords are merged with his crunchy beats. But despite his predilection for awkwardness, Laubner’s music is at times also utterly charming, as evidenced on the gloriously melodic synths of “The Something Like.” If you like house that comes delivered with grimy thumb marks instead of polished surfaces, this release is for you.