Henrik Schwartz Live

Few artists fuse genres (or better yet, gleefully ignore them) as adroitly as Berlin’s Henrik Schwartz. Composed almost entirely of his own productions, collaborations and remixes, Henrik Schwartz Live melds dance-floor jazz and melodic techno for a sound that’s unique to the Berlin-based DJ. Part of that Schwartz ambience comes from a peculiar, hollowed-out buzz that permeates many of the tracks, but—more important—his style mainly stems from an innate feel for the funk. The opening segue, with Sun Ra’s “Lullaby for Realville” echoing into Kuniyuki’s “Earth Beats,” exemplifies that talent, but it’s killer tracks such as the Afro-flecked “Leave My Head Alone Brain” that seal the deal.

—Bruce Tantum