This Week

Review: Flitting around many sturdy and well-regarded underground institutions such as Olde English Spelling Bee and Black Dirt, this latest release for Stellar OM Source may well be her biggest move yet, signing up to the expansive plains of Rvng Intl, and sparring with the inimitable Kassem Mosse in the remix department. "Elite Excel" is a wondrous excursion propelled on submerged drum machine rhythm firing off in an urgent breakbeat, while psychedelic strands of synth dart around the mix before a more prominent main riff manages to come pealing through the mists and give the track some emotional gusto. It's the perfect jump-off point for someone like Kassem Mosse, who get slow and sizzling on his version with a glorious mural of melodic twists and turns while keeping the mechanical funk of his machines whirring constantly.

Review: The solo project of Tone Control's Marcus Harris, Suitdancer is supposedly his attempt to distill the "electronic music, inherited soul records and cult VHS films I consumed as a kid". On listening to Wireworld, his debut release under the name, its easy to see the influence they've had; the title track is a hazy collection of wonky acid gurgles and radiophonic chords that recall Com Truise and Aphex Twin, while "Copshow" takes shows him to have some melodic techno prowess. "The Complex" takes things in a totally different direction with its kosmische, Tangerine Dream-inspired soundscape, and "Nightsights" throws a hip hop tempo beat underneath some crystalline synth melodies. Finishing up, Don't Be Afraid's Mr Beatnick remixes the title track into a spongy house jam worth of his recent material.

Review: Marking the beginning of the Cleaning Tapes label, Helical Scans brings together an impressive array of characters from the known to the partly known to the barely known at all, sometimes associated with the fringes of house and techno but more enamoured with noise and texture. There are some beautiful, delicate moments here such as from Huerco S and Bantam Lions, whilst in other places the sonic matter is a little more rough. Sagat brings the most discernible beat on "sigh", yet still the atmospherics and adventurous nature of the track take precedent. It's a good thing too, as you're left with a compilation of diverse and consistently interesting electronica from a host of names you can get to know better, which is what 'various artist' releases should be all about.