DFA US At Juno Download

Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from messrs Benoit and Sergio - namely a delightful but melancholic blend of shimmering synth-pop and deep house. This new two-tracker for DFA adheres to those principles, offering two super-strong cuts to add to their fast-expanding repertoire. "Everybody" is a particular delight. Starting off as an unbelievably hooky, left-of-centre synth-pop groover, it quickly blossoms into a near-anthemic chunk of grin-inducing house. "Principles" is almost as impressive, offering a more cultured but barely less hooky dancefloor pop concoction. Both are, naturally, brilliantly produced, and sound like nothing else around - surely one of the highest compliments you can pay an artist.

Review: Black Van is the collaboration between two of dance music's most prolific producers and remixers, Kris Menace and KoweSix. "Yearning" is their debut track together and will showcase their combined love of dance music when it sees release on DFA Records this week.

Kris Menace is best known for his anthemia "Discopolis" as well as for his idiosyncratic remixes for the likes of Underworld, Depeche Mode, Air, Royksopp and of course, LCD Soundsytem, for whom he remixed "North American Scum." James Murphy was a particular fan of this remix, so much so that he has remained in contact with Kris ever since, ultimately leading to DFA's signing of "Yearning." KoweSix is one half of the Hamburg based duo, Moonbootica. After two studio albums, five compilations and over fifty remixes of acts such as Adam Freeland and Junkie XL.

"Yearning" is the beginning of the journey for the pair. An album is on the way but for now we have this track which effortlessly combines the past with the future. This disco twisted house track storms along with real vigour right from the beginning. Its 4/4 beat and relentless bass is joined by shimmering keys that wash across the entire track. Only faltering once, the tune is then built back up and beyond.

The only remix comes from Emperor Machine who delivers an eight minute long, mind bending fusion of disco, psychedelia, funk and electro. Its percussion and intense rhythm make it the full throttled, evil twin of the original that it is.

Review: Back in 2009, DJ Kaos surfaced on DFA with "Love The Night Away" with an accompanying remix from Swedes Tiedye that has become a classic in the modern disco canon. Now the boss of the Jolly Jams imprint, Kaos makes an overdue return to DFA with "From Inside", a resplendent cosmic jam that references his krautrock forebearers whilst retaining a modern disco lilt. Featuring a decidedly Hot Chip style vocal contribution from the producer himself, "From Inside" begins with rich synth detail and accrues ever more as it progresses. Tiago, a Portuguese producer par excellence, further proves his worth to the disco game with two remixes, both filled to the brim with analogue detail and percussive vim - though it's the Club Dub where Tiago is allowed the space to fully shine.

Review: Returning with their inimitable brand of propulsive, industrial toned party heat, Factory Floor offer up a simple one-shot hit of peak time damage in this track for DFA. The menacing arpeggio launches with aplomb, hinting at the fever-inducing modulations it will undergo throughout the duration of the track. The drums meanwhile splutter and flail, teasing the groove until the time is right to rip into a driving disco arrangement as the synth bleeds into a glorious blast of intensity. Over all of this comes a necromancing vocal, and little else is needed to ensure a scene of complete devastation.

Review: Factory Floor make the leap from well-received underground releases to the dizzy heights of DFA. Their lineage comes from early 80s 4/4 grooves, all cold, hard synthesiser tones, and delivered with beyond-the-grave vocals to die for. There's no need to dismiss "Two Different Ways" as a throwback track. It's an eight-minute workout around a nagging arpeggio, using it as a launch pad for various kinds of good-time analogue experimentation. The flip side reinforces this notion, with the raw 'Second Way' mix. The hits are brittle, liable to splinter at any point, while the occasional dubby FX only add to the tension. Killer!

Review: DFA enlist Perc and Richard H Kirk to remix Factory Floor's pummeling "Two Different Ways" and the results are as mind blowing as you'd expect. Perc offers three remixes, the 'Noise' version intersperses the sound of trapdoors slamming shut and metal grates screeching with gulps of ambient noise. Blink and you'll miss the tortured vocal snippets. It's a diversion from the main event though, and on the dub and second version, simply called 'Perc remix', Wells pushes his foot to the floor and stretches his hands out to the stars. The dub take is rooted in heavy claps and a pulsing bass as slamming warehouse beats lead the arrangement to the inevitable climax. Former Cabaret Voltaire man Richard H Kirk take on "Two Different Ways" is more understated than Perc's versions, but it does have a irresistibly chugging groove and possibly in a nod to the period that marked his original rise to prominence, a choo-chooing train that sounds like the android equivalent of Telex's "Moskow Disko".

Review: As with much of Gavin Russom's work, "Night Sky" is a real spiralling epic - an electronic/fuzzy alternative rock fusion that relentless builds for 13 hypnotic minutes. The whole intense, near climactic composition is underpinned by a bubbling synth appreggio, upon which all manner of psychedelic elements are placed - think urgent vocals, twisted guitar licks, acid tweaks and extra-heavy Afro percussion. It starts off as an almost Balearic twinkler and ends in a breathless money shot. No wonder James Murphy loves it. For those in need of some respite, Mutant Beat Dance provides a sparse but clattering analogue house rework. Highly recommended.

Review: In recent times, veteran New Orleans house producer Walter Jones has enjoyed a new lease of life, thanks largely to a string of touchy-feely midtempo excursions on DFA. Here he returns to James Murphy's label with a new project: Graceful Exit. Noticeably more live sounding than previous releases, it's a collaboration with two musicians - a vocalist and a saxophonist. While there's merit in the soft-rock-goes-Balearic house vibes of "Let It Ride" and the groovy, organ-laden "Entrance", the real killer is "Revolve Disco" - a non-nonsense live, soft-focus disco-pop stomp that's almost impossible to dislike. You suspect there's much more to come from Jones and his new friends.

Review: On his DFA debut, Scandinavian producer Gunnar Bjerk impresses with two easygoing slices of kooky disco-pop. There's a nice shuffle to "Back Then", which comes on like a dewy eyed fusion of Stereolab, new wave synth-pop and E'd-up Balearica. The vocals are an acquired taste, but there's an emotive, almost pleading quality to Bjurk's voice which is attractive. "Stay" offers a similar approach, throwing in some Juan Maclean/Shit Robot style piano house influences for good measure. It makes for an interesting smorgasbord of styles and sounds, suggesting that Bjerk could be one to watch in 2011.