Brussels-based imprint Maloca welcomes Australian native, London-based club mainstay Will Hofbauer (Wisdom Teeth, Optimo Music, AUS, Rinse, Rhythm Section) to the label for the first time.

Somewhere Between brims with the percussive, club-focused energy Maloca is renowned for, and is aptly titled - simultaneously brittle and fluid, hazy yet raw, the EP demonstrates Hofbauer’s juxtaposing, left-of-centre sensibilities.

Moving playfully across the club spectrum, the release is laced with a sense of humour. Drunken oscillations stagger through ‘Bed Bubble’, liquified dub sirens squelch out across ‘Don’t Change the Snake’, while the quacks of ‘A Methane Oak’ raise the age-old question:“is that really a club track with a duck in it?” Even with such eccentricity, Somewhere Between is firmly built for the dance floor - a six-track treasure-trove for every stage of the night.

‘Mongoose’ opens proceedings in the lower tempos. Gravel-toned percussion locks with hand drums as chimes and metallic twangs glimmer in off-kilter counterpoint. Its hypnotic rhythm and arid, windblown atmosphere steadily draw the listener into Hofbauer’s singular sonic space.

‘Somewhere Between the Shovel and the Egg’ ups the energy, with viscous percussion driven by a rapid 4/4 pulse. A whirring bassline glides through the octaves while high-end glitches ripple overhead, combining into a frenetic yet playful workout designed to ignite the floor.

On ‘Kelapse’, chugging breakbeats are layered with shimmering rides and dubbed-out atmospheres. Feedback loops linger like a constant fog, while drum shots and melodic glissandos pierce through the haze, crafting one of the EP’s most transportive moments.

‘Don’t Change the Snake’ takes a sharp pivot into electro. A punchy groove of rimshot fills and liquified textures is underpinned by a deep, unwavering sub. Stripped-back yet relentless, it highlights Hofbauer’s skill in extracting maximum impact from minimal components.

‘A Methane Oak’ pulls the EP into stranger terrain. Washed-out drums echo through a surreal environment where duck-like calls collide with a haunting bassline. Balancing humour and unease, the track blurs the line between the absurd and the ominous.

Closing track ‘Bed Bubble’ rises on sine zaps that climb skyward before collapsing into a stark world of glimmering arpeggiations and clipped drum machine stabs. Both playful and spectral, it completes Hofbauer’s skewed journey through Maloca’s percussive universe.