Swayzak

Talk about courting preconceptions: On top of admitting that their group's handle pays tribute to Patrick Swayze, the British duo of David Brown and James Taylor (not that James Taylor) named their 2002 album Dirty Dancing. Nevertheless, the two are more interested in au courant danceability than pop-culture tributes. For proof, check out last year's Loops From the Bergerie, throughout which Brown and Taylor refuse to conform to a single style. "My House," featuring guest crooner Richard Davis, melds moody pop with modernistic production touches; "Keep It Coming" layers random samples and Brown's own deadpan vocalizing atop an entertainingly retro groove; "Jeune Loup" and "8080" add ambient textures to the template; and "The Long Night" gives off an erotic buzz, thanks to a burbling beat and the persuasive purring of French chanteuse Mathilde Mallen. The resulting mix works just as well for vertical listeners as horizontal ones, in part because it doesn't give off the slightest whiff of camp. In other words, no one puts Swayzak in a corner.