The Present Tense is the inaugural release from Houndstooth, the new label offshoot of London club Fabric which features Rob Booth—the man behind the consistently on-point Electronic Explorations podcast series—on A&R duties. It comprises four tracks of murky, club-focused techno from Berlin-based producer JR Seaton (a.k.a Call Super), who has previously released impressive, albeit noticeably more electro-leaning, EPs on Five Easy Pieces and Throne Of Blood.

From the get-go, The Present Tense sounds moodier and more adventurous than anything we’ve heard from Call Super before. Here, Seaton does an excellent job of bridging the gap between Actress-style rhythmic experimentation and the type of shadowy floorfillers his native Berlin is known for. “Threshing Floor” is a patchwork of droning synths and metallic noises, built upon the backbone of a propulsive, no-nonsense techno kick. It’s an intricate sonic curiosity full of unexpected layers, yet it packs the sort of low-end punch that would make it a credible addition to a proper eyes-down warehouse set. “Siglo Gray Vision” follows a similar, albeit somewhat toned-down path; again, a relatively straight 4×4 rhythm drives the track, but this time, Seaton builds upon it with delicate percussive noises and an oddly catchy sub-bass lick.

It’s the EP’s two more rhythmically experimental cuts that provide the highlights though. “Leosengor” weaves syncopated reversed drum hits around an understated synth and bass loop. On several occasions, it threatens to break into a more straightforward club beat, only to sink back into rhythmic peculiarity. Closing track “No City Of Choice,” meanwhile, sounds like a melodic dance track that’s been sliced up into loops and then reassembled in a completely random, unpredictable order.