Sexy and a little spooky, this is house music for the darkest dance floors

The masked Berlin house producer Claptone proves a masterful mood-setter on his debut album, riding slinky beats and minor keys deep into a world of midnight intrigue. He favours singers with smoky voices and a soulful, bluesy touch, and his grooves move outward from deep house's sweet spot. "The Music Got Me" folds in snaky New Wave and synths, and "Party Girl" bounces atop rubbery Italo-disco bass; melancholy acoustic guitar and a spooky vocal turn from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah make "Ghost" a forlorn highlight.