Kling Klong Germany At Juno Download

Review: German producer Oliver Klein is something of an unheralded hero of no-nonsense tech-house. He consistently produces worthy, floor-friendly fodder, but rarely gets the coverage his solid discography deserves. Here he serves up more rock solid grooves that should find favour beyond his homeland. "Hey Baby" itself is little more than a pleasingly hypnotic drum track, albeit one that breaks down more than a knackered old Rover. Chris Lattner's remix adds some late night shuffle and Chicago-ish swing, while bonus cut "Slowphatty" slowly builds to a crescendo of tech-house riffs and cut-up vocal samples. There are also two versions of similarly upbeat cut "My Definition", including a surprisingly melodic Johannes Heisl remix.

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: 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: On Territory, Sidney delivers a hard-hitting take on DJ tool house. The title track is reminiscent of 90s tribal with dense drums leading into a filtered breakdown. The key difference however is the male vocal narrative that sounds like a booze-bloated comedian performing on the blue rinse circuit. On the other hand "Karma" is rolling and looser, with firing percussion underpinning a repetitive vocal chant, while "Sandbox Love" is all about the bassline, as a massive sub provides the basis for neat infectious disco filters and rich, sensuous strings. Sidney returns to his love of dense drums on "Big Bada Boom", to which he applies a rolling rhythm.

Review: With most White Isle-flavoured compilations either falling into the "dreary chill out" or "main room bangers" categories, it's actually quite a pleasant surprise to come across one that instead focuses on shuffling tech-house and chunky deepness. Those familiar with Kling Klong's trusty take on European house will find plenty to enjoy within the 19 tracks on offer here, including worthwhile contributions from Oliver Klein, Martin Dawson (see the slinky "Indo Rhodes"), Juan Sanchez, Joachim Pastor (the soft-focus speed garage meets deep house of "Be Organic") and the brilliantly named Kaiserdisco. If most Ibiza comps leave you cold, this is a decent alternative.