Sidewalk Romeos EP by Christopher Rau, Marieu

Germany's Out Er Records has been resting on the fringes of house and techno ever since their release back in 2011. The majority of the label's output has come from European artists, most of them from the Berlin-school of dance music. This time it's a head-to-head between Smallville's Christopher Rau and Analogue Cop, Marieu. The pair got in the studio together and have produced four solid, and gritty house stompers with plenty of masterful sampling and musical arrangements. "Grip Aux" is a perfect blend of deep house and more cavernous machine funk, while "Sidewalk Romeos" contains that inimitable Restoration vibe. On the flip, "General Fail" is a wonky bit of broken house, and "Virginatlantic" is a lush 90's reminiscent bombshell with a driving groove and solid percussion work.