Rainer Weichhold At Juno Download

Review: This German label has a reputation for putting out tribal house-based party music, and as contributions from Oliver Klein and Jay Lumen to this compilation show, it is not without some merit. That said, the most interesting moments here occur when the artists go off script. Thomas Schumacher and Martin Eyerer's "Jigo" is a tripped out, spluttering acid house affair, its filtered vocal and noisy riffs creating an oddly engaging tone, while Namito's "Flaming Youth" sees shimmering trance elements combined with heavy tribal rhythms. However, the standout cut comes from the label boss and Rainer Weichold's "No Sleep till Kling Klong" is a wiry, jacking techno workout, like Kling Klong's tribute to classic Dan Bell and Cajmere.

Review: Rainer Weichhold only started running King Klong with Martin Eyerer at the turn of the year but the Great Stuff Recording artiste has wasted little time in slipping his debut EP for the imprint in the schedule. "I Want You" sees Weichhold deliver a peak time orchestral groover, once again working in tandem with producer Namito. A straight pad pattern is the backdrop to a succession of tightly bound string samples building the staccato groove through which hypnotic snatches of vocals emerge to finally form the title. Veteran producer Patrick Lindsay teams up with M.in for a remix which discards the orchestral elements instead mutating the vocal snatches to form the groove of a minimal shaker. Great Stuff stalwart Lutzenkirchen opts to retain the strings with a small flourish forming the pre cursor to a drop into peak time Berlin fare. Gigolo's Oliver Ton takes the props here with a remix that replays the string arrangements on piano, giving the track added energy and melody.

Review: mooth and catchy stuff here from underrated veteran Rainer Weichold, with "Tango For Noemi" coming out of the blocks with some Claude Von Stroke-esque vocal splats before drifting into an epic piano-driven breakdown. The descending piano lines and shuffling percussion give the track a strange, alluring vibe. The remixes take it more into club territory, with Ramon Tapia, Sascha Braemer and Chase Buch & Nick Olivetti contributing reworks. And to top things off, there's the Juno Download exclusive track "Long Time", which strays a bit deeper with an after hours groove and killer cut-up vocal.

Review: Jerk Chicken manages that rarest of feats, taking inspiration from dub-tinged dance music and making the results sound like a street party. Available in dub, radio and longer versions, the common theme on each version is a rubbery bass, a more upbeat take on the reggae vocals pioneered by Rhythm & Sound and the kind of reflective chords that made Rockers Hi-Fi's "Push Push" such an anthem. Daypak's remixes dispense with the hiccupping minimalism he is best known for, with his first version focusing on heavy drums and ravey stabs and the alternate dub take laying down a storming techno rhythm. Steve Mac's pumping, filtered techno version completes the package and is our pick of the bunch.

Review: The past year has seen a return of tribal influences to house music and this is audible on "Couscous". That said, it isn't a standard drum-led track, and trippy 303 licks can also be heard among the immensely pleasing rolling groove. DJ Madskillz takes even greater artistic licence on his version: adding in some deep, filtered chords and chopping up a familiar-sounding vocal, the end result is a more swinging groove. However, the Andhim Falafel duo's version takes the Juno cake here, with an even more imaginative approach. Making the groove less rigid and in places almost ramshackle-sounding, Andhim also uses a hillbilly sample that could have been lifted from 'O Brother Where Art Thou'. Great stuff!

Review: The Speicher series is Kompakt's version of the anonymous hand-stamped vinyl release, and this spin-off label will probably be there when people get sick of hand-stamped techno releases. However, this comparison is only half-way accurate as Speicher is also an outlet where alternative ideas and concepts come to fruition. Hickhack, a new collaborative project between Weichold and Namito, is all about hypnotic, underground grooves. It's audible on the trippy, chiming bells and tonal blips of "Hick", all of which unfold over a throbbing rhythm. "Hack" meanwhile, is more stripped back, and sees woodblock beats supporting a looped, cut-up disco sample.

Review: If Ibiza-ian tech house was a genre then Kling Klong's "Ibiza Not Ibiza" would be its defining soundtrack. Martin Eyerer has compiled no less than 29 tracks commissioned from his label Kling Klong, which also includes a continuous DJ mix by Rainer Weichhold. Weichhold's other contribution comes via a Steve Mac remix to his and Boundzound's "Jerk Chicken". Dutch Messrs Bart Skills and Anton Pieete supply remixes for Nicole Moudaber and Tony Dee, while Martin Eyerer's own work receives two classic remakes from Bushwacka and Steve Lawler, as does Tim Xavier courtesy of Fabrizio Maurizi and Joel Mull. Other names to be assigned remix duties include Alli Borem, Daniel Stefanik, Douglas Greed and Sante. The compilation also commissions tracks from up and coming names such as DJ Simi with "Big Rip", Jaceo's sketchy "Baby Bottle" and Solo with a funky Plant 74 remix to "Cringe" by Tripmastaz.