Angel Wash
Under Silver Cloud

Other than being one of the affable fellows behind the counter at Berlin record store Bikini Waxx, Norwegian expat Alexander Skancke is an active DJ around town and runs the new Quirk imprint - which is now into its third release. QRK 003 features some dusty deep house that is perfectly geared towards the afterhours as heard on "Spooky Luke", while something more funked-up and energetic is catered for on the infectiously swinging B-side cut "Shotgun". Skancke gets back to the early morning program, again, on the B-side's hazy and disorienting microhouse jam "Twelve" (In The Morning) with its nice Rominimal vibe.

Margaret Dygas may be based in Berlin but her unique sound can't be tied down to any one city or scene, as she proves on her latest 12" across three tracks for the consistently exciting Half Baked label. Not that there's anything half done here, of course, with A-side tune 'Butterfly Effect' a prime slice of groovy. resonant techno that's understated and restrained enough to gain comparisons to Jaydee's 'Plastic Dreams' classic. 'CC Is 33' is warmer, with nicely slidy, jazzy organ chords and itchy technofunk rhythms, with the most minimal of the three tracks, the static-infused, atmospheric 'Subliminal 20A7', coming last but by no means least. A great showcase for a great, original talent.