Pen & Paper Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Berlin house hero Hauke Freer takes time out as one half of esteemed power duo Session Victim to fly solo here on the third edition of their new Pen & Paper imprint. Higher State Of Confidence features two smooth executions in deepness: from the A side cut "Part 1" which is a bittersweet affair with lo-slung bass, hypnotic congas and steel drums that's perfect for an island dream. On the flip, "4G" is a balearic neon-lit affair that's perfect for summertime drifting.

Review: This 12" marks the debut of Session Victim's new label Pen and Paper, an imprint that appears almost ten years to the day from the duo's first 12" release. Title track "Puzzle" is a little darker, woozier and more intense than much of their work, with ricocheting percussion hits, moody chords and jazzy, jammed-out electric piano motifs rising above a locked-in, late night groove. It's accompanied on side A by a deliciously deep, Twin Peaks-goes-deep-house remix by Giegling regular Vril. Iron Curtis takes control on the B-side, serving up two fresh reworks of Puzzle. Choose between the breakbeat-driven, Balearic-minded deep house positivity of the Broken Flowers mix (B1) and the tactile, spacey and synth-heavy bounce of the classic Detroit techno influenced Passagen Mix.