Back Catalogue

Review: After two very successful instalments of the Electr*c series thus far, Gilles Peterson returns with another chunky selection of artists that fit into the less organic side of his taste-maker tendencies. This time it seems that he has dug especially deep to find some fresh talent, so unfamiliar are the names on the line-up. In terms of style, there's a tendency towards rich melody across the board, from Aftawerks engrossing mellow acid workout to the contemplative juke dazzle of Jaded Laur, but there's also space for some more primal club tracks. Just check the ghetto tech flex of Frank Rodas' "Kick It VIP" for all the proof you need.

Review: Champion of freaky twists on disco roots, Justin Velor hands his tracks over to a host of remixers for this new 12" on the sturdy Brutal Music imprint. Psychemagik brings a lazy kind of deep house sound, letting languid chords and forlorn guitars hover in between the low slung roll of the beat, proving to be something of a foil to the rest of the EP. Cherrystones immediately ramp up the intensity with a ranging drum workout and swathes of shapeless guitar wails and distortion on a thoroughly oppressive tip. The Go! Team are last up, and they reappropriate "Galiano Rocks" into a squalling riot of punk attitude and effervescent energy.

Review: Returning to Nicolas Jaar's Clown And Sunset stable after his debut in 2011, Valentin Stip is delving into more of his folky electronica with excellent results. "Wit(z)" floats suspended in a murk of melancholic elements before a more discernable rhythm cuts through to bring the track into focus. "Hiathaikm" is a more low-slung affair that revels in mournful keys and a delicate beat, while "Angst" is a bold study of reverbs and the vocals that fuel them. Across the whole release, introspection is the driving force, reaching for a rich spread of instrumentation and sound sources through which to weave a sad but engaging tale.

Review: Shangaan Shake is the complete document of the remixes Honest Jon's commissioned to pit leftfield Western artists against the Shangaan electro of South Africa. It's an all-star cast, from house heroes to dubstep tinkerers. Mark Ernestus turns out an elegant slice of dub techno, while DJ Rashad and RP Boo throw down a sweaty slice of footwork action, and Peverelist plies a typically complex rhythm at a slower, seductive tempo. Out of all the remixers, Theo Parrish is the one unafraid to maintain the original BPM, which leaves his remix stark against the multitude of other tracks. Essential.

Review: Since their rebirth a few years ago, R&S have been at the forefront of a new wave of exciting dance music, being instrumental in pushing names like James Blake, Blawan and Space Dimension Controller into the collective consciousness. This compilation sees them revive their long running In Order To Dance series, with a monster 22 track compilation; 12 tracks of selected highlights from the last 18 months of R&S releases, with modern classics such as James Blake's "CMYK", Untold's "Stereo Freeze" and Space Dimension Controller's "Transatlantic Landing Bay" all receiving pride of place. But it's the 10 unreleased tracks that will excite most, with contributions from the whole roster. There are numerous highlights; the piano riff of Lone's "Cobra" is as deadly as that on any of his previous productions, The Chain's "Suffer For Your Art" evokes the Detroit masters of the original days of R&S and Pariah's "Left Unsaid" sees the young producer move away from the UK garage inspired Safehouses EP to explore dense, claustrophobic textures. In a word: essential.

Review: More commonly known as Professor Genius, New Jersey resident Jorge Velez has already served up one end of year treat in the shape of the long overdue Hassan LP on LIES, and now he through his personal archives of late 90s recordings for the killer J Velez MMT Tape Series collection on Rush Hour. This digital release follows a series of four limited MMT Tapes 12"s that surfaced earlier this year from a mysterious source, with Rush Hour sufficiently impressed by them to license all the tracks and get four further unreleased Velez productions to boot. If you're not familiar then these 12 tracks are essentially straight to tape recordings that touch on everything from warbling, lo-fi house to dusty techno manipulations via experimental minimal wave and ambient arrangements. Fans of everything from LIES to FXHE via WT Records and Minimal Wave should really be checking this release!

Review: Over the last three years, ASC's Auxiliary label has offered a suitable home to producers inspired by the twin delights of sound design and experimental bass music. As a result, it's become one of the must-check labels for those inspired by the new wave of experimental D&B and leftfield electronica. This label compilation offers a neat glimpse into the label's intoxicating world. From the Autechre-on-valium vibes of Method One's "Stalagmite" and the Exit-ish delights of ASC's own "Defiant To The End (VIP)", to the voodoo electronics of FIS's "Two Swords" and RQ's bubbling "Waiting", there's plenty to enjoy.

Review: Presenting yet another year of the more reflective end of the Kompakt sound world, the Pop Ambient series is reprised to invite both label favourites and new additions to offer a soothing ambience to tickle at your synapses. Wolfgang Voigt is, as ever, unmatchable in his regality both remixing Michael Mayer and offering his own, orchestra-fuelled study in haunting, shapeless dynamics. Mikkel Metal allows the most subtle of pulses in to anchor his own droning arrangement, while the likes of Triola offer up a lighter tone marked out by more plaintive synthesiser tones. If you need a quality-assured selection of refined meditation music, this is the compilation for you.

Review: The heavily sought after "Ghosts Of Chechnya" cassette finally sees a digital release. Vatican Shadow is unstoppable at the moment, his alchemistic beats and military themes marking him out as a singular talent. This latest affair, a sort of LP, is nothing short of stunning and it's tracks like "The House Of The Followers" with its dubbed-out, reverberant noises, that make Vatican Shadow stand out among his peers. The aptly named "Voices Came Crackling Across A Motorola Hand-Held Radio" is another beast, where chugging kick drums meet ominous pads and crackling static. "Chechnya's Ghosts Loom Large In Death Of Former Spy" is another fine example of his creative ability to mould techno into any shape he sees fit; but it's the filling spaces made up of eerie melodies and stripped beats, like "Snipers As A Breed Tend To Be Superstitious" which make his recordings so enchanting. Highly recommended as usual.

Review: Coming into their own over the last 12 months as a destination label for fans of quality bass music, Black Acre build on releases from Blue Daisy, Fantastic Mr Fox and Lukid with this remix compilation that features big names like SBTRKT getting glacial yet charged on a mix of FMF's "Sketches", Boddika giving Hyetal's "Diamond Islands" an acid rewash and John Talabot giving Blue Daisy & Anneka's "Raindrops" a slow cosmic rework that's simply jaw-dropping. Other names like Sunken Foal, Tes La Rok, and Lynx & Hellrazor make this a riveting and genre-spanning collection.

Review: After a relatively quiet two-year period, Peter Van Hoesen returns with a new long-player - but will he fall victim to the 'difficult second album syndrome' that plagues so many artists? The Belgian producer's last EP was called Transitional State, and the title sums up the approach on Perceiver and the general direction that Van Hoesen has been heading in for the past few years. Listen to even his recent dance floor-based releases on Komisch, Ostgut and Time To Express and you'll hear glitchy slivers of percussion amid the punishing, merciless basslines. Van Hoesen has emphasised this abstract side to his sound on Perceiver. "Objects from the Past" and "To Alter A Vector" unfold in slow motion, with textured sounds floating over lurching rhythms, breaking occasionally to allow the dubby beats come to the fore. In between balancing the functional and the abstract, the album also presents a third way, and it results in the most impressive track on the album; "Nefertiti Always Beyond" boasts nickel-plated drums and Peter's trademark sub-bass, but there is something looser about the arrangement. What it may lack in precision it compensates with a sense of punky energy, its rhythm spasming like a Magazine song trapped in the body of a relentless techno arrangement. It's the centre piece in a perception altering album.