- Adrian Niculae might be minimal's new king of shuffling loops. Best known for his work as Priku, this Bucharest native has been churning out addictive, groove-led tracks for more than five years. At times, his functional and positive sound isn't far removed from Barac's perennially charming aesthetic. Niculae's latest release under his birth name comes via Atipic, a new label he's launching with this two-track 12-inch.
Atipic 001's track names—"001.1" and "001.2"—are dryly titled but the music is full of character. The A-side is the pick of the record: built with a bassline that becomes increasingly trippy, shuffling percussion and a collage of pleasantly abstract synth snippets, it's the kind of track that, despite being on the mellow side, would stand out in any well-considered set. Like the most effective minimal, "001.1" features all kinds of strange sounds you can't quite put your finger on, but is also easy to find warmth in. B-side "001.2" is more trancey and less original. It, too, would send a dance floor into a daze, but it doesn't match the subtle ingenuity of its counterpart.