- Dorisburg, real name Alexander Berg, is a master of functional deep house. That might sound like faint praise, but it isn't. Berg is one half of Genius Of Time, a DJ and production duo who have put out some of the best party anthems of the past two years, namely "Houston, We Have A Problem," and their even better (if less overplayed) rework of "Love Thang" by First Choice. Working solo, Berg takes a subtler tack, crafting wintry cuts of seductive deep house.
Smuts is the first release on a new label called Bossmusik, and it shows Berg doing what he does best, but with a murkier aesthetic than usual. The title track is fat and smudged, with a groaning bassline, foggy chords and a slightly seasick swaying motion. "Studs," which is made up entirely of drum sounds, is an exercise in groove assembly. That's always been Berg's strong suit, and here he pushes the envelope, piling staccato rhythms on top of each other until the track is almost too busy, then breaking into a cleaner gait. Both make the artist and the label one to watch.