With a clever take on juke and footwork sounds, Atlanta duo Broodlings offers two cuts of syncopated dancefloor material tinted with coy dynamism, making for a compelling listen in or out of the dance. “Rough Landing” b/w “Two Three” is produced with the wit and awareness necessary to keep dance material fresh and interesting (especially in the vein of the often loopy footwork/juke category); this is a release more about progression than impact.

“Rough Landing,” ironically, offers very smooth material; there’s a hypnotic, almost ambient feel to the proceedings, something that can be attributed to the slow blending of elements and a single, hanging chord. Nodding somewhat to electro and breaks of yesteryear, heavy, droning kicks underscore a straight but busy beat while an increasingly buzzy synth loop pushes its way to the foreground. Taking a left turn just after the halfway mark, the backing drone pitches down, introducing a simple refrain and revitalizing the energy behind the drumwork. This is the kind of tune that plays splendidly at 4 a.m. when the crowd needs a breath of fresh air—it’s invigorating and heady.

“Two Three” picks up the tempo and marks a more stridently footwork sound with emphasis-shifting drum phrasing. A meandering pad interplays with these syncopated sections, again creating a potent atmosphere for the track’s markedly strong percussion programming. When all the elements marry together under the hooky vocal clips, a very subtle lead adds an almost indecipherable touch—it hangs on one note, pushing forward and back with ebbs and flows of the composition. The effect is subtle, yet it provides the sort of gentle push over the edge that makes “Two Three” more than the sum of its parts.