For his second release on the label Hector employs a classic House Music bassline and offsets it against crisp drums, unsettling notes and a variety of smoky vocal snippets. A solid, heavy-duty production for sure, but one which also develops a more hypnotic side by the later inclusion of undulating synths. Remixes come from the recently reformed H-Foundation whose pulsating tribal beats give the track a menacing edge, which they augment with an array of sounds and play out over some eight minut...

Diving headlong into the future Zee & Eli’s animated title track sees grainy drums and fuzzy bass stabs ignite the room along with fashionably detuned vocals adding the almost human touch. Never a dull moment as the production is peppered with creative sounds and a hard-hitting arrangement, as indeed are the rest of the EP’s four remaining tracks. ‘Need Ya Back’ continues the theme with brighter, less sinister, synth chords, while ‘The Ghostly Track’ repays the compliment with yet more elect...

Reflecting the trio’s particular range of influences this latest installment of Late Night Tales sounds that bit more contemporary than Metronomy’s previous selection, but is no less telling. In this case the music spans the sexy Disco of Joe Simon’s ‘Love Vibration’ via Dennis Parker’s heavenly ‘Fly Like An Eagle’, but as the series is as much about tangents as anything else the mood eventually alters to induce Stereolab’s beautiful hippy-esque ‘The Black Arts’ and Grouper’s tastefully melancho...

Words to effect of, ‘To prove that we are medically capable to fly’ form part of the opening gambit to ‘Back To Flight School’ and I guess if this is something akin to a concept album then permission is formerly granted. You don’t have to look any further than the opening ‘Flight School’ to describe Miguel Campbell’s effortlessly cool reimagining of P-Funk and Imagination’s bass lines, coupled with more than a nod to eighties rhythms and production values, although of course all replayed with a ...

http://www.facebook.com/clicksnwhistleshttp://www.facebook.com/SymbolsRecordings After establishing their take on bass music using trap and juke influences, with releases on labels such as Embassy, T & A and Party Like Us, the Charlotte , North Carolina duo, Clicks & Whistles, drops some fresh vibes on their latest EP. On “2 Much Higher” we hear a somewhat deeper and moodier sound than their previous efforts, with elements of drum n’ bass sneaking in here and there. This deeper style is...

The Berlin based duo surpasses themselves with this excellent selection of all that is deep and lush for the twelfth episode of ‘Body Language’. If any proof was needed that House can acknowledge its past while looking forward then this is surely it - Clay & Deller's Industry Standard Dub Plate Mix of Gant ‘All Night Long’ is obviously a case in point. Straight from the word go Catz ‘N Dogz aka Greg and Voitek impress you with their subtle blend of mood-enhancing sounds, which pulsate hard e...

Ellum Audio’s excellent follow-up to ‘Love Somebody Else’ doesn’t rely upon past glories to push the envelope forward, as this latest invigorating production from Maxxi Soundsystem certainly testifies. ‘Stella's Way’ sits somewhere in between the innovative sounds emanating from American and European right now combining effortless, funky percussion alongside fuzzy electronic intensity and timely, classic vocals. The more you listen, the more enticing this proves to be. Huxley then goes and remix...

Both Terry Farley and Stretch Silvester have been synonymous with UK music over the years, and their wealth of influence now joins forces on this killer House cut for Manchester’s equally notable Paper Recordings. The classic, punchy keyboard sounds and early nineties referencing vocals work each other into a frenzy of expectation on what can only be described as a first rate production. All of this comes complete with tension building breakdowns, and an even more atmospheric Dub to show off all...

Ahead of this year's I Love Techno, taking place in November in Ghent, Erol Alkan steps up to deliver this absolute stormer of a compilation. To be honest it's a blast from start to finish, packed with big, booming bass and high energy levels. There are references to techno new and old as Alkan keeps things pumping, with the low voices that exhort the listener to 'move your ass' or 'get up off it' having precisely that effect. Tracks from L-Vis 1990, Duke Dumont ('Street Walker'), Bad News ('Rea...

As colourful as its cover, Annie Mac's new double compilation proves that she is definitely one of dance music's leading ladies. She manages to get an energy in to her sets that few people manage to achieve, and she does it in a way that is totally natural, the aim simply to have one massive party. As a result the first mix flies out of the blocks, with some thrilling gear changes later on when Netsky's 'Love Has Gone' takes centre stage. A few high profile remixes are included, with Calvin Harr...

Wrongtom is one of those artists who finds his strongest creativity by bouncing off other people. It worked a treat with Roots Manuva, and now he's teamed up with long time friend Deemas J for an album that blends reggae, dub and dancehall. Not knowing much about these areas of music, I have learned that it can be dangerous to mix these elements - but what emerges here is a strongly positive piece of work that looks at getting the positivity of London across. The bass heavy 'Riot Ting' deals wit...

This is the third solo album from former Slowdive and erstwhile Mojave 3 frontman Neil Halstead, and it finds him in a logical new home over at Sonic Cathedral, who acknowledge that their whole take on music would not exist without him. This album exists in a state of beautiful warmth, channelling the spirit of Nick Drake through songs that speak with direct and unforced emotion. That's not to say the record is a comfortable one, for 'Wittgenstein's Arm' tells the story of the American concert p...

A new Kid Koala album is always cause for celebration, and never proves anything less than entertaining, yet there is something more profound than normal in his work with 12 Bit Blues. For it he deviates from his style of scratching, taking old blues records and using them as the basis for this material. It works really well, for the impish DJ's humour comes through now and again, but he treats each sample with unusual reverence, so that the works become really affecting. By doing this he comple...

A lot of musicians will identify strongly with this album, which was recorded over the scope of eight years, and which contains exactly what its title implies - the sound of living, breathing construction. If I said that listening to this was like being close to a building site then you would probably run for the hills, but there is a strange sort of ambience at work here too, that means once the ear has adjusted to the concept and its execution the whole album becomes part of the middle foregro...

LA producer and rapper Thavius Beck is definitely a name to keep an eye out for - but then it's not a name that proves easily forgotten. The same is true of his music, for 'The Most Beautiful Ugly' is an ambitious and daring album that takes hip hop beats as its blueprint, but works in a much more expansive style. The intro, 'Eye Of The Beholder', sets out the widescreen sound, orchestral in scope and with massive beats that give the music weight. Vocals are at a premium but are profound when us...

With all the creative force that remains in Detroit, it was perhaps inevitable that sooner or later an album would emerge dealing with the city's slide in to disrepair. Happily the last year has provided signs that a recovery is possible, and that notion comes across powerfully in this exceptional techno album. Levels of musical excellence in Detroit have barely ever dipped, but even for Robert Hood this is a record that could end up defining the very best of his solo output. There are many spec...

Once again, time flies with the twenty year anniversary of one of Dance music’s milestones getting a timely revisit via Skint. The Original version helped define a generation of records from the early nineties with those rolling snare drums and irresistibly funky grooves sounding every bit as good now as yesterday. Perhaps it’s a tall order to rework this classic into 2012, but Eats Everything does so in style with fresh new nasty bass and tough insistent drums giving it all a reinvigorated acid...

The initial release on Oli Furness and Angus Jefford’s brand new Manchester imprint sees Dutch duo New Jack Swing reignite nostalgia, and doubtless the future/ retro debate into the process. Yes, the drums sound trademark early nineties, as indeed does the bass and organ, while the detuned vocal speaks of days past right back to ‘Jack Your Body’ in 1986. But, the bottom line here is simply: is it any good? The answer is clearly a big yes. These are classic sounds which combine with a great produ...

With a line-up like this how could you fail? Named after the infamous desert parties, ‘Robot Heart’ lives up to your every expectation, with breathy anticipation building the tension until the epic bass and story time vocal hits you. Damian Lazarus provides the words and voice as the sizzling electronics shimmer in the background, conveying as always with No.19 a real sense of excitement and moving forward. Love the cinematic, expansive feel to this production. BLUDs Deep Playa Beats version is ...

Darius Syrossian & Hector Couto’s killer joint production debuts on Andre Crom’s Off Recordings by delivering seriously heavy-duty ‘Metal’. This has it all going for it from the irresistible twang of that classic Techno bassline straight down to the thumping House beats and provocatively primed arrangement, which just oozes Funk. This is one instrumental that speaks for itself in volumes. Jordan Peak supplies the remix with full-on attacking drums, a different warped bassline, and an unforgi...