It appears that Systematic label boss Marc Romboy and his Chicago veteran old pal Blake Baxter have got lost on a road trip. We can just see them now, in a Delorean and struggling with maps and compasses before exiting the vehicle to find themselves in Paris circa 1998. Yep "The Art Of Sound" sees the normally jack-obsessed producers explore the whole French touch sound, and it largely works - the main version being faster, vocal and less retro. Version 2 though is all about looping and filtering those disco samples to within an inch of their lives!

Having previously appeared on Grizzly with the decidedly tough and breathless "Work That", Odysseus pops up on Jaymo and Andy George's Moda Black imprint with three tracks of sultry, late night house. "Hit It Again" kicks off proceedings by offering bold, grandiose electronic chords, cut-up vocal samples, garage-influenced drums and more drops than your average game of rugby in the middle of winter. The loose and languid "Over You" - all military drums, hypnotic stabs and spinetingling chords - offers a deeper alternative, while the brilliantly titled "Drug Fool" is six minutes of revivalist '90s Belgian techno disguised as 21st century rave. Which, in our book at least, is a very good thing.

The wilfully eccentric pushes in a new direction with this compilation. It starts off with Carisma's "Muerte Instrumental", a stomping house affair with a heavy, acidic bass and noisy filtering, sounding like an acid rocker has decided to engineer himself some Chicago jack. Gladkazuka's "El Untitled" is an adventure in Terrence Fixmer-style techno, with grinding EBM basslines and a doomy sensibility prevailing, while Matias Aguayo's "El Transatlantio" is based on a humming bassline and insidious bleeps. Alejandro Paz restores some semblance of normality with "El House", a clap-heavy acid groove with typically nonsensical Spanish lyrics.

KiNK has deservedly won a reputation as one of the finest modern interpreters of Chicago house and on My Space, he takes his understanding a few steps further. In its original format, My Space is a deep, pulsing affair with more of a swinging rhythm than some of his previous releases. However, what it may lack in forcefulness it compensates with its use of ponderous vocals. The 'Hardcore' remix is more psychedelic sounding and sees spacey synths unfolding over broken beats, while the Black 80s Home Studio version sees the collaboration go back to KiNK's more typical, bass-heavy, jacking sound. The Luna City Express remix pares the arrangement back without losing sight of the original's melodies.

Balls is Wink's first single in many, many years, and it sounds like he is playing homage to his pure techno roots. The "Big Mix" is as its title suggests, a jacking, wiry rhythm festooned with analogue yelps, trancey - with a small 't' - riffs and a grinding, aggressive swing. The 'Groove' version is also inspired by older sounds, with a ravey siren riff and rolling percussion, reminiscent of Masa's "Basscharger", prevailing. The third version - "Groove mix - No Synth" - calls to mind the recent Function reshape of Planetary Assault Systems, with its crashing snares and epic riffs, while the confusingly titled "Big Mix - Radio Edit" revolves around a noisy, acid-soaked breakdown that would indeed require balls to be played on daytime radio.

In the shift from minimal to deep house there were always going to be winners and losers, and it sounds like Carsten Aermes aka Phon O ended up on the right side. On Schn33, there are echoes of his minimal past, as loose drums form the basis for the title track, but the German producer is in a different place thanks to the use of building chords, icy synth lines and the sweetest strings this side of Derrick May. "Go" is also indicative of his shift towards deeper climes, but the repetitive vocal sample intoning the track title, coupled with billowing chords mean it is a more tracky, toolish affair

There's remarkably little information available online about Clockwork, though the fact that he's part of the growing Life & Death family should offer enough clues to his identity and sound. BOATS (Based on a True Story) continues the Italian label's journey into deep tech-house territory, fusing the wide-eyed shuffle of the Visionquest family, with the semi-organic goodness of Pillow Talk and prog-leaning downtempo electronica. The result is a crackly, atmospheric album full of pleasant surprises, from the plucked jazz guitars and Nicholas Jaar-ish rhythms of "One Way Ticket", to the bleary-eyed deep garage of "Places".

It's been nearly three years since we last heard from former 'next big thing' Rex The Dog (aka producer Jake Williams). His career has stuttered somewhat, following a string of well-regarded singles on Kompakt, Kitsune and Compuphonic. This, though, is an impressive return. While hardly groundbreaking stuff, there's something irresistible about the Moroder-on-pills groove and Jamie McDermott's spinetingling vocal (think Anthony Hegarty meets Sylvester meets Donna Summer). Yes, it sounds like a modern update of "I Feel Love", but its been lovingly rendered by Williams. It also sounds like a big hit in the making.

Precocious Danish producer Uffe Christensen follows releases for Tartlet and Pets with this excellent EP on Get Physical. The title track features percussive tics and digital drums, but also sees him go off on a tangent with a swampy bass lurching in and out of noodly, jazzy solos. It sounds like a cross between classic Reese and jazzy 90s house realised through a modern-day, digitized framework. "Hov Hov" is more conventional, but it shows again that Christensen is an expert in crafting stripped back rhythms. The groove is slinky and seductive, but an evil bass lurks underneath, pushing the track to a darker place.

It may not be the house community's most unique idea and has been around since the dawn of the form, but when done properly, the fusion of vocals and electronic grooves sounds inspirational. Like Ricardo Villalobos, it sounds like Daniel Haaksman has raided a traditional music archive for the atmospheric, playful vocals that prevail on Lemba. Coupled with organic drums, it is evocative and infectious yet also groovy and DJ-friendly. There is an instrumental version included, which features tight claps and is underpinned by a gently spiralling acid line, but it's the original, in all its rambling, sprawling glory that impresses the most.

Serenades label boss Rodriguez gets the remix treatment from Arttu, whose work on Clone has impressed. The first version is based on a buzzing bassline, sliver of cheese-wire percussion and utilises the vocal part to its fullest. The dub take plays down the vocals and puts them deeper in the mix, with Arttu allowing the wispy synths and heavy claps prevail. Finally, the alternative mix has a looser feeling, with live drum patterns supporting the dismissive vocal narrative.

Thomas Mathers takes time out from tending to his My Favourite Robot project to deliver more boundary-crossing house music. Listening to Disorder, it's not hard to understand why DJ T and Sasha have teamed up with him. The bass pulses until it reaches Hoover proportions, the percussion is streamlined and glistening and the melodies have that mysterious feeling that are certain to pop up in Digweed or Sasha's sets. It's no wonder then that Timo Maas has been drafted in to provide a remix. The German DJ's version is powered by break beats and he slows the groove down and adds some acid bleeds to create a tripped out affair.

It sounds like Belgian DJ Ramon Tapia is moving into the mainstream, but he's doing it with style. While he has a background in minimal and deep house, this release for Skint marks a sea change. Gone are the pared back rhythms, replaced by eerie, shimmering synths and evocative bleeps that recall vintage LFO and Warp's bleep'n'bass releases, set to a slamming rhythm. Tapia also contributes a dub version that retains the old school elements but which turns up the bass to Hoover-like proportions and which adds some extra jacking pressure. Expect to hear Bass everywhere over the coming months.

Former Wiseguy DJ Touche (aka Theo Keating) has reinvented himself a few times, most successfully of course as Fake Blood. Under this moniker he created a huge hype as to the real identity of this mysterious producer. Now he has achieved every DJ's dream - to release a Fabric mix album. On it we see his style shift once more; decidedly less noisy than his own earlier output, this a thrilling journey that begins with some tribal house vibes and ends with euphonic electro-pop, taking in baile funk, tech-house, vintage jack and bassy techno along the way.

Danish producer Kolsch delivers two slices of melodic, evocative techno that recall the heyday of this Kompakt sub-label. "Goldfish" is an anthem in waiting, its shimmering, mesmerising riff building and ebbing over a bass that pulses and growls seductively. But that's not all; midway through a cavernous organ riff kicks in, mysterious-sounding yet also deeply infectious, coupled with an insistent, cooing vocal sample simply intoning 'ooh'. "Zig" by contrast sounds understated, but its potential should not be underestimated. Underscored by tight drums, its bubbling bass leads into the kind of blissed out hooks that were once the preserve of The Field, that other great Scandinavian Kompakt affiliate.

Weeks is one of the mainstays of the French house scene and on Creative Thinking, he shows his passion and knowledge of all its different forms. The title track features a buzzing acid line fused with a playful piano line that bubbles and ebbs through a rolling rhythm and dubby, robust drums. It's a tripped out affair that recalls the Parisian scene's fascination with acid a decade ago. "Make up Your Mind" is influenced by disco sounds, as an insistent riff is looped to infinity, while "Stay Stayin" also takes its lead from disco sample.On that occasion however, Weeks uses a jacking rhythm that is pure Chicago as the track's basis.

Danish label Noir releases its sixth Second Chances & New Romances compilation, this time featuring some well-known material alongside standards. Ilario Liburni represents an unusual, acid-fuelled take on minimal with "Gravediggers", Bimas' "N'16" marks a turn towards a drummy end of minimalism, while Sabb & Cuartero's "Don't You Know" is evocative, with its tingling bells reminding older listeners of a time when house music was led by wide-eyed positivity. Speaking of which, the compilation also features a dark, nocturnal bassy take on Jon Cutler's classic, "It's Yours", by Nice 7, but the selection mainly focuses on the new school, as evidenced by the drummy, acid-fuelled "Clear Vision" by Supernova.