A free-wheeling, fun-loving, genre-bending electronica outfit whose records are just as likely to recall improvisatory 1920s Parisian jazz blow-outs as 21st century electro-house or (so-called) “minimal” techno, Nôze comprises the duo of stepbrothers Nicolas Sfintescu and Ezechiel Pailhès. Pailhès is a classically trained pianist who studied at the Academy of Music in Paris, while Sfintescu, who also performs under the name DJ Freak, is a founding member of Circus Company, a techno label that’s home to like-minded artists Ark (a frequent Nôze collaborator), Mossa, and Dave Aju, among others. Following several 12″s, Nôze’s full-length CD debut for Circus, Craft Sounds and Voices — an eclectic blend of free jazz and vocal-heavy techno featuring guest musicians from Paris’ improv, jazz, and experimental music scenes — appeared in 2005. In live performance — the duo’s favorite medium — their combination of electronic and live instrumental elements carries over into sweaty, rambunctious shows that have won over audiences worldwide, most notably in a career-making set at 2005’s Sonar festival in Barcelona. A flurry of 12″ activity continued into the next year, both on Circus and other labels (most notably the quirky, semi-narrative “Kitchen,” which appeared on Trapez in 2005), with 2006’s How to Dance CD compiling most of their vinyl releases to date an