Over the course of his career, Scott Monteith (a.k.a. Deadbeat) has taken a stylistic path that has often—especially in recent years—taken its share of unexpected turns. The Infinity Dubs Vol. 1 is the latest such deviation into new territory, as the one-time Montreal, now Berlin-based producer launches a new series of singles set to offer elongated productions which end in locked grooves. Vol. 1‘s pair of efforts make an excellent case for the appeal of such a series.

There’s an art to making tracks that run for 10 minutes and are built with only a handful of loops. Aside from the strength of the actual loop material presented, a mix of subtle movement and modulation, attention to detail, and a sense for sonic space are essential. In his decade-plus-long career, Monteith has made his best music while exercising his command of this particular skill set, and to The Infinity Dubs‘ advantage, this craft is at center stage on both of its patiently driving tracks. While the simply titled “ID1” and “ID2” incorporate different moods—the former is an unmistakably housey production, while the latter offers more of the dub-techno ilk with which Deadbeat usually concerns himself—they otherwise take on essentially the same shape as full-bodied, sustained rollers. Throughout their runs, neither track builds or dismantles its momentum; instead, the songs maintain their chugging flow for large chunks of time. One might fear that the tunes would become stagnant, but the gradual tweaks made to the floating chords and flickering percussion provide the necessary amount of evolution to keep the tracks moving forward without falsely leading the listener to believe that something grander is on the horizon.

Labelling the offerings on The Infinity Dubs, Vol. 1 “simple” would do them a bit of a disservice, but they certainly are not complicated either. “ID1” and “ID2” find strength in their efficiency and tunnel vision—the groove is the focus, and it goes virtually untouched for 10 minutes per side. Fortunately, due to the expert craftsmanship with which Deadbeat develops these rolling excursions—not to mention the compelling elements he uses to create them—they make for exceptionally enthralling pieces of dance music.