Eiger Dreams - (7:03) 136 BPM
Review: Hard-working experimental dubstep types Downliners Sekt are masters of the deep, woozy, claustrophobic groove. This third full length - their first for acclaimed French imprint Infine - is jam-packed with such moments of smoky goodness, all soft-focus rhythms, dubwise chords and long-drawn out pads. It's intoxicating, all right, and evokes hazy memories of sitting in smoke-filled rooms early in the morning, feeling strangely in tune with the bubbling, off-kilter rhythms seeping from the speakers. Highlights are pleasingly plentiful, from the jumpy dreaminess of "This American Life" and vintage Hyperdub deepness of "Eiger Dreams", to the cascading pianos and field recordings of "Junior High" and tough, dancefloor-focused "Once Mercurial".