Powder's Thinner Groove label operates in another dimension. Quirky, surreal, abstract, and very personal, its records are glimpses into an inner world operating under its own logic. In what feels like a somewhat predictable landscape of new dance releases, it's a pleasant surprise to be surprised. Thinner Groove also has charm in bags.

The a-side comes from Lemmi Ash, comprising Powder's longtime friend and collaborator Samo DJ and Martinou. Both artists are simpatico to the Thinner Grooves modus operandi, music that is both weird and weirdly accessible. 'Presence' is no exception. Naive melodies, skittish breakbeats, and a vaguely celestial atmosphere - club tracks for those liminal moments, where dusk turns to night or morning's first light makes its presence felt.

The b-side is handled by KOOLMFL and SW, aka Sonic Weapon, both from Japan's 'motor city' Nagoya. 'atonbow' is kooky, kooky, kooky, a clicky, minimal groove, abstracted bleeping, and a haunting spoken word part. This has been stuck in my head since first hearing it. 'HOMIE' takes its cues from dub techno, but the vibe is more intimate and welcoming - a funky fluctuating groove with a pleasingly organic and supple inflection.

It's always a pleasure to be invited back into Powder's headspace, a topsy-turvy, funtime place where we're happy to be wrong-footed and delightfully disorientated. A strong start to 2024!

'& . ' is out in March on Thinner Groove