Gran Riserva

Using the same exotic, sly production style that made 2000's impressively resourceful Freaks & Icons such a hoot, Dzihan & Kamien's Gran Riserva is filled with sensual, unpredictable sounds and the occasional ass-shakin' beat. After a remix record that further explored the Freaks material (the hit-or-miss collection Refreaked), D&K have emerged with an entirely new set that slips and slides all over the map of trip-hop, lounge, house, and jazz. While the sunny, sexy "Basmati" plays around in the surf, other tracks, like "Drophere," live in a quieter, ambient space. In fact, the duo seem to have a hard time bringing their tone back up after breaking out the excellent but mellow vibe of "Where's Johny Sabatino." Happily, the gorgeous blip-pop loops of "Gutenmorgenduft" come along to give the record a sweet coda, though the track cries out for an extended remix. Mixing Kruder & Dorfmeister-like inventiveness with a restrained up vibe, Dzihan & Kamien create deep, thoughtful music that's fun at the same time. --Matthew Cooke