NU ZAU Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Those with a penchant for sleek Romanian minimalism are already locked in to the output of Guy From Downstairs. He is the latest in a long line of producers to emerge from that scene and has released on a range of labels before kicking off his own GFD outlet. This is a repress of its latest outing. Same Hood EP Part 2. The first two tunes are next to Nu Eau - 'Den Sing' is all bubbling bass and supple lines with a tripped-out cosmic feel, then 'Vibe Shift' gets more gritty with its basslines while smooth chords soothe the soul. Nu Zau then goes it alone on a kaleidoscopic cut awash with melody. He goes solo to close down with the rasping and rolling 'Enerjaeo'.

Review: Romanian label Lok has described Nu Zau's first appearance on the imprint as a "cutting edge masterpiece". While that may be a touch on the hyperbolic side, it's true that the Bucharest-based producer has delivered a fine three-tracker in his distinctive "Ro-minimal" style. A-side 'Synthetic', a typically off-kilter slab of trippy minimal house marked out by surprisingly funky clavinet sounds, mind-mangling vocal snippets, locked-in drums and impeccable sound design, is our pick of the bunch. Elsewhere, 'Traumatised' sees Nu Zau make great use of mangled, warehouse-ready rave riffs, raw acid lines and crunchy drums, while 'Get Out' is deep and dubby in tone, with bursts of jazz fills, rubbery bass and woozy chords.