For its second release, Chicago label Tasteful Nudes turns to rising Portuguese duo Sabre for a pair of eclectic and colorful house tracks. Both “Bali” and “Ging” blend robust warehouse rhythms with larger-than-life melodic elements; encompassing the sounds of classic hardware driven techno, world percussion elements, and vibrant synth work, they form a pair of dance tracks stuffed full of warmth and personality.

A-side “Bali” is a little all over the map, but manages to hold things together around the backbone of a solid, summery 4×4 groove. Thick fuzzy chords jostle for space in the mix amongst loops of bell-like percussion and warped synth melodies that bear a distant resemblance to electrofied sitars and steel pans. Whether it was Sabre’s intention or not, the resulting meld of vying Eastern and Western influences comes across like a fitting aural representation of the track’s Indonesian namesake. Ultimately, the more traditional house impulses win out, as the production builds toward a final climax of bright, off-beat hats and driving synth chords.

On the flip, “Ging” is a slightly more straightforward house cut built around delayed synth melodies and a classic, meaty 303 bassline. There are notable nods to the sounds of both ’80s Detroit and ’90s Berlin in the collision of squelchy synths and minimal kick-and-hat rhythms, but Sabre keeps things rooted in its own relaxed house style by dropping the pace to a carefree, sluggish stomp and layering in a hazy, washed-out chord progression. Both tracks here are excellently produced though, combining some serious moves acquired from classic dance tropes with plenty of subtle creative touches and a really natural, melodic warmth.