Bestsellers last 6 months

Review: The Boddika-helmed Nonplus unveil Think & Change, the label's first compilation and what a way to mark such an event. Calling on a cast of the great and the good of contemporary techno and bass music, Think & Change arrives sporting some thirteen tracks, a statement of how far Nonplus has come since its emergence in 2009 as an outlet for the Autonomic family of artists, gradually mutating into a more wide ranging approach, with material from Actress, Kassem Mosse and Basic Soul Unit ensuring a reputation as one of the most respected labels in the bass music diaspora. The highlights on this compilation are many, but you should be checking Four Tet's contribution "For These Times" (easily his best, least fussy club track to date) "Bad Chicago" from Martyn, and Kassem Mosse's excellent "Broken Patterns".

Review: The first of two samplers heralding the forthcoming Nonplus label compilation Think and Change arrives bearing two heavy hitting tracks not to be found on the compilation proper. First up, Boddika & Joy Orbison's Sunklo hit "Mercy" gets the VIP treatment from Boddika; the result is a peak time tool which strips the original down to its barest components but still maintains the juggernaut-like quality of the original. It's joined by a fresh Kassem Mosse track in the form of "Broken Patterns", a typically tough production from the Bosse which combines and endlessly stomping 4/4 rhythm with cascading string plucks and rattling synth textures.

Review: Tom Rowlands is the spectacle-wearing-half of the Chemical Brothers and he debuts his solo work on Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound. Rowlands merges new school styles of throbbing and jacked-up house - replete with marching snares, curdling cow bells and cut vocals - with powerful stylings of EBM. Pitch that against a synthesiser that sounds like its being hung, drawn and quartered and you have Rowlands' title track "Through Me". Meanwhile, the chainsaw synth of "Nothing But Pleasure" dominates the track, which builds into a druggy drop made for party-harder dancers moshing like they were at a Rage Against The Machine or Justice concert - harking back to the days when French electro labels Institubes and Ed Banger ruled.

Review: The "Jupiters" remixes are finally available on digital format and this time it's a strictly UK affair, with Happa and Jamie XX on remix duties! Happa's re-interpretation of "Jupiters" is a thumping beast of a track, where a startling bass drum churns its way across a militant percussion - violent hi-hats and snares all round, coated graciously by the most ominous synth stabs to have ever appeared on a Four Tet record! Jamie XX's take on "Lion" is a calmer, sub-heavy parade of swinging drums and mutating bass lines, growing in ferocity with every new bar.

Review: Ahead of a forthcoming new album for Brainfeeder, Martyn drops this killer induction into Steffi's recently established Dolly Dubs imprint. The offshoot launched in relatively low key fashion late last year, with Swedish producer Staffan Lindberg at the helm. The addition of Steffi's compatriot Martyn is however big news, with the three track Newspeak EP the Dutchman's first proper release since Hello Darkness, the single that bookended his album for Brainfeeder in March of last year. Long term devotees of the 3024 boss's output should be familiar with the sub heavy snap of the title track which featured on his Essential Mix for Radio 1 last Spring, whilst lead track "Oceania" is a rolling, broken treat.

Review: This young DJ /producer is one of 2012's most promising new artists - take one listen to Water Jump and it's clear why he is so hyped. "Reception" uses a mutant, noisy take on Chicago house basslines to brutal effect, while "Drone Logic" also revisits the past to create a new vision for the future. There, heavy drums roll in and an old school progressive house bassline - one that sounds more Guerilla than Digweed - is chewed to pieces by bursts of electronic feedback. But it's "A Quiet Life" that really stands out. Underpinned by a splurging bass, haunting angelic voices breeze in as psychedelic drums that have little bearing to traditional house / techno structures explode through the speakers.

Review: Paganini drops a heavy, functional EP for Sven Vath's label. The title track sets the tone for the release, a dark, slamming affair characterised by heavy, concrete beats and hissing percussion. A similar approach applies on "Fire In My Arms", but here the central riff drones like a strike craft moving in to drop its deadly payload.
"Polyester" is more straightforward, as a rolling groove drops and builds again, powered by metallic drums. "Hot" sees Paganini revisit the approach on the title track with insistent vocal samples littered in the arrangement, while "Parallel" features a vocal snippet intoning "I'm stretched" over a belching acid line.

Review: The adoption of a new name and a new sound by Marcus Intalex has been one of this year's success stories, with his rattling brand of warehouse appropriate techno under the Trevino moniker gracing labels as diverse as [Naked Lunch], Apple Pips and Craig Richards' The Nothing Special. With a forthcoming debut on Klockworks on the way, Trevino returns to Martyn's 3024, the label where this new name was first established. Then appearing on a split release with Instra:mental, Trevino comes through with a full release in Tactical Manoeuvre EP which brandishes three tracks that showcase the different styles and sounds of the producer. The murky warehouse vibes of the title track make it the Juno favourite here but all three productions here are clearly the work of a producer in a rich vein of form.

Review: More commonly found throwing down dubstep variations, Biome indulges his techno side on this appearance for adventurous Manchester imprint Mindset. "Spawned" is a minimal cut of the most stripped order, focusing on finely honed layers of relentless rhythm that sport a depth that belies the producer's dubstep roots. "Driveway" is more animated, working snatches of melody, bass grind and haunting pads into a dextrous mixture, while "Conscience" heads into a more mellow territory with a half step beat and lingering melodics of a more soundtrack-friendly persuasion. It's a diverse EP that displays the versatility this accomplished artist has under his command.

Review: Although it has only one release to its name - Happa's Beat Of The Drum - London club night turned record label Church is looking to be an imprint to keep close tabs on, especially on the strength of this second EP, from young London producer Rumah. Although his debut from last year demonstrated an atmospheric, syncopated style of bass music, "Stutter" shows a marked progression into swung techno styles, with a weighty track full of concrete rhythms and glassy synths; "Murmur" is similarly powerful, throwing acid flecks and sunken vocals into the mix. Meanwhile, Apes & Seb Wildblood offer their own take on "Stutter", tempering some of the original's more ferocious attributes with some subtle dub techno elements, while James Fox refixes "Murmur" into a slinky, mid-tempo house groover, whose swelling synths offer something considerably deeper.

Review: Gerd Janson's Running Back open their 2013 account with a label debut from evergreen producer Oliver Ho under his Raudive alias. Ho's garnered something of a chameleonic reputation over his 15 year recording history, demonstrating little interest in focusing on one sound or genre. Most recently seen fronting the spiky three piece band The Eyes In The Heat, Ho returns to the Raudive name that scored a great History Clock 12" for the four track Traffic EP. Fitting in snugly on Running Back, expect muscular EBM and house workouts with the detuned pianos and manipulated vocals of the title track likely to garner considerable attention.

Review: Kevin Saunderson's label has released so many classics that this compilation celebrating its quarter century is an embarrassment of riches. Classics provides an insight into Saunderson's diversity as a producer; from the classic late 80s/early 90s Detroit techno-house of "Rock to the Beat" and "The Groove That Won't Stop" through the pop techno of "Good Life" and the deeper, bass-heavy sound of his E-Dancer project, represented here by "World of Deep" and "Bassline", this is a well-rounded snapshot of Saunderson's best-known releases and projects. However, it also wins extra kudos for including some obscure gems like the classy, ominous vocal-led house of "Forces", reorded under the Essa guise.

Review: The ever-correct Prime Numbers series is still going strong, this time bringing together a thoroughly eclectic range of producers to lay down some solid club fodder. Adesse adopts the tenderest approach, bringing a soft African lilt to a subtle arrangement of light drums and poignant chords. Truss is certainly in no mood to chill on "Redbrook", going for a big room techno flavour that favours rigid beats, acid parps and epic swathes of organ. Massimo Di Lena is on a far more twitchy tip, with a snagging assortment of percussion and some woozy synths that leave one feeling wonderfully dizzy.

Review: Machinedrum, Blawan, the collaborative Third Side project and new name Kobosil remix tracks from Barker & Baumecker's brilliant debut LP Transsektoral. Up first is Machinedrum, who replaces the broken beats of "No Body" with a bassy four-to-the- floor hum-drum, starry synths and a compatible resonance that successfully maintains Barker & Baumecker's previous garage vibe, and upstart Kobosil removes any melodious element from the original "Silo" and reworks the drums suitably for peak time Berghain action. Blawan's re-command of "Crows" sees ritualistic drums swagger clumsily in and out of time to orc war-horns that sound like they're rung in the midst of battle, while Third Side then turns "Schlang Bang" inside out by buckling down on a single looped-up sample. Sometimes remix additions can be a little underwhelming, this ain't one of them.

Review: Veteran German house producer Dlugosch shows the new guard that he still has the magic touch. The title track is a forceful but feisty club groove, its warbling synths set to a backdrop of gurgling acid and crashing cymbals as an unknown vocalist promises sweet nothings. "Sweet Talk" is even more seductive; this time an old school ooh ooh vocal snippet is fused with swirling filters and a limber low-end rhythm. Admittedly, the remixes are of a high quality; Show B drops a deeper version of "Knalldrang", Nico Lahs swathes the arrangement in tranced out melodic layers that sweep in across his stepping rhythm and In Flagranti drops a version that pulses and jacks in all the right places.

Review: The first release of the year for Hessle Audio sees the long-awaited release of "Raw Code", a live favourite of the sets Peverelist and Kowton perform with fellow Bristolian Asusu as part of Livity Sound. It's been high on the request line for some time, having featured in acetate form on mixes dating as far back as the label showcase for Benji B's Radio 1 show from February of last year, securing it a place on Ben UFO's recent Fabriclive mix. The lead track sports the kind of instantly recognisable string bursts that have characterised Kowton's recent crop of grime influenced techno productions, together with a bouncy yet mechanical groove dominated by weighty sub bass. It comes backed with "Junked", a slower, decidedly more broken production reminiscent of the experimental rhythm tracks present on Pearson Sound's Clutch EP released last year. Essential.

Review: Belgian/UK label R&S claim that the tracks on Orders could 'only have been made in 2012', but this writer begs to differ. Like Truss's recent release as MPIA3 for Shifted's Avian label, part of Orders sounds like it could only have been created during the early to mid-90s. Like "Ely" and 'Squatter's Dog" from the Avian release, "Crusty Juice" and "Acid Badger" take inspiration from the sound of techno labels like Magnetic North and the pioneering US imprint Synewave. "Juice" in particular is inspired by the output from Dave Clarke's now dormant imprint. Its main focus is a distorted, grainy kick drum, a beat that is so cavernous and malevolent it could have been programmed on Lucifer's own 909. The demented horn sample that rattles in, creating more impetus for the track, could have been lifted from a Djax record, but irrespective of the source, "Juice" has the kind of raw form agression and sense of danger that's rare in contemporary techno. "Acid Badger" is slower, but its intensity levels are the same, with a pounding industrial track covered in layers of grimy acid. At any moment, it feels like a vocal is going to order the listener to 'bang the box', but it never materialises. By contrast, the remaining tracks could only have been made in 2012. The combination of rattling broken beats, distorted, tangled bass and digital noise that prevail on "Ridge Way", "Roly Poly Babs" and the title track are a byproduct of the shift towards more abstract dimensions, but they can't compare to the sheer brute force of MPIA3's 90s obsession.

Review: It seems incredible to think that despite his nearly 20 years of production experience, Dave Sumner hasn't released a full Function album until now. Thankfully Incubation proves it's been well worth the wait with the Sandwell District member really stretching his legs out for one of those techno albums that is most definitely an album experience. This nine track set bristles with great ideas and murky atmospherics, combining dystopian sci-fi soundtrack textures with the precision techno he's become known for. There are robust dancefloor tracks - see the murky acid techno of "Against The Wall" and sweaty "Modifier" - but also moments of intense, melodic beauty, from the crystalline bliss of "Counterpoint", to the dreamy hypnotism of "Inter (album version)".

Review: Like the best labels, the 3024 operation overseen by Martyn seems locked onto it's own trajectory, slipping out records as and when they feel appropriate instead of regularly churning out material just so you know they are there. The label's first release of 2013 is a sampler that shines the light on the talent bubbling in Canada right now, securing original productions from recognised names like Kevin McPhee, Bruce Trail, Nautiluss and Gingy (no Bordello) The skewed take on techno that's so popular right now is evident across all three tracks with McPhee's "Version 5" a searing delight.

Review: Soul:R boss and all round drum and bass legend Marcus Intalex's Trevino moniker has been used previously by Kaye on a split release with Instra:mental for Martyn's 3024 label, but the two tracks on this purple ten inch are much more in line with Al Bleek's material for [Naked Lunch], adopting a rhythmic poise and sound palette that leans heavily on the mid 90s bass heavy techno sound of LFO. "Buried" is the deeper of the two, building nicely from sparse percussive beginnings into a fully formed procession of warm, kaleidoscopic chords and bubbling analogue undercurrents. Those craving something darker will revel in the heady jacking brilliance of "Derelict" which betrays his D&B history via the deviant bassline twist.

Review: Richie Hawtin's label has long been associated with the minimal sound, but this release frees itself from that sound. The title track is stripped back, but it serves up a new take on classic electro thanks to its shuffling 808s and woozy, reflective synths. Tale of Us return to a more conventional approach on "Discochord" but they still avoid hiccupping mnml sounds and the squelchy acid line is accompanied by atmospheric synths. Finally, "Lost City" is more grimy and nocturnal, but again the menacing 808s and reflective synths make it sound a million miles away from the label's trademark sound.

Review: The Versatile main man and one half of Chateau Flight doesn't drop as many singles these days as he used to, but at least when he holds off he can come correct with some firepower for the floor. Sizzling hats and a solid disco beat set the tone for "Transpiration" while the meat of the track comes in the form of a nasty old-skool rave stab. It's a monster tune that should get sweat pouring from anything in a five-mile radius. The title track is a pacey, Italo flavoured cut that seems to intentionally challenge the demonic moniker, while "Jah Menta" opts for a deeper shade of disco. Highly recommended.

Review: Clone Jack For Daze usher in this rather potent three track collaboration between label boss Serge and veteran contributor Alden Tyrell. The two have been irregular studio sparrers since the turn of the decade, contributing remixes to the various branches of the Clone conglomerate, but House Countdown marks their first original material together. There's no drastic stylistic departure from their previous work here, which isn't surprising given the bare bones house ethos that drives the Jack For Daze series. Two variants on "House Countdown" line the A Side; the first "EPS Deng't" mix is dominated by the grinding, thick bassline that just about fits between the channels, while the "Eighty Nine" mix rounds out the bassline and marries it to a rough drum flex with the results more playful. Up next, the amusingly titled "Pump-o-matic" is Serge and Alden doing Dance Mania with an early 90s Dutch rave twist.

Review: Rocking up to his regular home at 50 Weapons, Bambounou brings yet more of his playful, experimental bass music to bear with this rock solid three tracker. There's a great focus on wild, disorientating noises hammered into solid rhythms, whether it's the metallic swirls that slop around the insides of "Filled", or the jerky tap drips that inject the funk into "Brim". Aside from the spicy sounds, there's also plenty to hold onto, not least with the whopping great chord stabs that also inhabit "Brim". Having said that, "Boarder" is more intent on plunging you into a bizarre soundworld of bold VHS synth drones and snaking percussion that seems intent on dodging the groove at all costs.

Review: It's hard to believe that Sweden's Drumcode has been going since 1996, but Adam Beyer's imprint celebrates its fifteenth birthday this year, and as part of the celebrations the label have released this essential 28-track compilation. Instead of looking to the past, as is usually customary with this kind of collection, 15 Years of Drumcode focuses on the newest work of the label's current roster alongside new material from some well known names from the label's past and special contributions from some bonafide techno legends. Highlights come in the form of Slam's powerhouse "Temperance", and the percolating, acid tinged textures of Jesper Dahlback's "No Control", the pulsating robo-techno of Patrick Seich's "Structure", and the dubby atmospherics of Mauro Picotto & Riccardo Ferri's "Asteroids".

Review: Next month sees Freerange boss Jimpster return to the album game with Porchlight and Rocking Chairs, this release acts as a neat teaser for what to expect. Lead track "Rollergirl" pumps in arpeggio like a night drive scene from a '80s music video clip, while breathy male vocals whisper in the tracks background. It's a melodic piece fuelled by muted tension and soft aggression. Accompanying it is "Hold My Hand", a track featuring all the Jimpster trimmings; deep piano chords, spoken word vocals, chromatic synth loops and soft, yet thumpy drums.

Review: Modeselektor's 50 Weapons label reaches its preordained halfway point with this early 90s referencing release from Dettmann. In particular, "Linux" sounds like an amalgamation of early Synewave and Robert Hood's 90s work, its squeaky, linear groove supported by doubled-up claps and subtle percussive slivers, but with a lower pace and inadvertent jerkiness which makes "Linux" more accessible to a wider range of DJs. It's a similar story on "Ellipse"; while the insistent rave horn, coupled with a succession of doubled up claps, makes it sound more insistent, it avoids the bare-knuckle extremism of the 90s minimalism that it takes inspiration from.

Review: Henry Riton's last release was the co-incidentally-titled Dark Place, which came out shortly after the tragic death of his Carte Blanche partner, DJ Medhi in 2011.Having understandably kept a low profile since then, he's now back with this powerful new release on Ed Banger. "Bang Your Head" is a hysterical, anthemic acid freak-out, "Dance To The Great Golfball In The Sky", is a glammy electro-house stomper, and "Lost My Mind" is, surprisingly, a total ghetto hip-hop curveball that's echoed on EP closer, "Girls In The Hood" - a deep and heavy bass-led grinder boasting a cameo from French Electroclash chanteuse Miss Kittin. Good to have him back!

Review: In the lead up to Dadub's debut album You Are Eternity, Stroboscopic Artefacts have commissioned remixes from Lakker and Rrose - their first contributions to the label - as well as Kanding Ray and label boss Lucy. All were given the chance to remix their favourite track from the forthcoming album and Lucy chose "Death", a pleasant surprise in its functionality - not commonly associated with the Italian. Lakker's remix to "Path" delivers some spaciousness and industrialism to Dadub's often busy and syncopated arrangements, while Rrose's remix of "Life" could well be touted as one of the year's best reworks with a long and drawn out build and big room drop. Kanding Ray counterbalances Rrose's mix with subtle melodies and water drop percussion in his remix to "Existence".

Review: In what might have seemed like an unlikely pairing at first, Kowton and Julio Bashmore join forces for a Bristolian crossover that yields the perfect kind of hybrid madness for these times. "Mirror Song" comes on with the gritty percussive dread that embodies Kowton's more recent output, while the more insistent house groove and catchy sample hooks show the poppier sensibilities Bashmore has brought to the table. "And What?" is less easy going, fraying and splintering into that broken snare snarl that could only come from Kowton, dodging any kind of melody in favour of industrial textures and morose bass stabs. For those needing a more linear kind of beat to work with, the "techno remix" of "Mirror Song" should fit the bill very nicely indeed.

Review: Civil Music invite some high profile artists to revisit tracks from Body, the superlative debut album set from Darling Farah with the results every bit as good as the source. Given the arresting aesthetic of the album, subverting the stylistic traditions of house and techno in a truly rewarding fashion, there's naturally a lot of space for revision and you have to applaud label and artist for who they approached for the task. Baaqi's fellow Detroit native Jimmy Edgar tackles the title track and delivers a remix filled with the kind of 90s house motifs that his Hotflush boss has been revelling in of late. Elsewhere Lando Kal turns in a typically futuristic take on "Aangel", while Darling Farah provides his own live edit of the same track, and rising Parisian producer Bambounou delivers a darkly techno flavoured remix of "Fortune".

Review: Inigo Kennedy's last record for Token was a definite record of two halves, with one track providing severe, Berghain ready techno, and the other providing ghostly melodies with echoes of Aphex Twin. It's a similarly engaging story on Cathedral, with the title track providing a fierce breakbeat together with a cavernous harpsichord melody, and though it may not seem like the most obvious of combinations, its pulsing bass undercurrent ensures Kennedy's usual power is not diminished. "Chamber" plays things slightly straighter, providing a more forceful dancefloor cut imbued with gentle hints of dub techno that bristle with the producer's usual freshness, while "Accordion" completes things with another subtly melodic cut filled with unpredictability, as stuttering drums are surrounded by synths that seem to fade in and out of view. Kennedy has gone from strength to strength with each release and this record is no different.

Review: Homeboys Grown Folk make their debut appearance on the San Fran party turned label Icee Hot, which comes backed with two painfully tasty remixes by Ghosts On Tape and Dutch house wizard, Gerd! "The Boat", as the title suggests, is one of those deep house cuts that sways back and forth with utter grace, giving us a spectacularly warming bassline to sooth us through the dark ol' winter days. "Keep New Fear" is particularly interesting and its vibrant, disjointed percussive arrangement lends the track an edgy and off-kilter vibe that blends well with the bumping electro growl stirring at its core. As per usual, Juno HQ favourite, Gerd injects his rather gnarly kicks and snares to morph the piece into a certified floor burner, whilst Ghosts On Tape take things just that little bit further, bringing in some monstrous, effect-filtered piano chords and a seriously nasty bit of drum work...ya need!

Review: Len Faki is no stranger to Ostgut Ton having mixed the label's third and possibly hardest sounding Berghain CD back in 2009. Whilst the Berlin fixture has remained resolutely busy since then, Faki has remained absent from the OSTGUT catalogue numbers. Basement Trax Vol 1 signals Faki's return to Ostgut colours in impressive and diverse fashion. Lead track "Btx1" is dominated by the heavily processed treatment of some orgasmic sounding female vocals submerged deep in the mix and smeared greedily across the channels chased by whipcracking percussion. The flipside accompaniment "Btx2" is a tougher version with the tribalistic percussion gradually consumed by the vastness of Faki's string arrangements, while the final version "Btx3" sees Faki present a swirling mass of ambient calm. How good would it be to hear this at 2pm on a Sunday in Berghain?

Review: Russian producer Nina Kraviz gets remixed in three radically different ways. KiNK's take on "Love or Go" is a mellow affair, with dubby drums mixed with a resonating bass and a warm acid bleed leading into a sensuous breakdown. By contrast, Steve Rachmad puts the focus on the dance floor for his reshape. The Dutchman's 'Jack' version is powered by heavy drums and Kraviz' vocal contribution sounds like it has been taken over by a montone robot as an atmospheric filter pushes it into an epic breakdown. Rachmad's 'Scorp' version is far heavier and more stipped back, with tearing acid lines unravelling over metallic beats and the robot reduced to intoning what sounds like 'techno, techno, techno'.

Review: Third Ear continue their fine form by giving us a remastered reissue of two remixes which have inspired just about everyone in the game. Both versions of "Falling Up" are given an ante up by Stefan Betke and although there isn't really a way to make these tracks any better, the man does a fine engineering job indeed! Carl Craig's take on it is almost too much of a classic to be described into words - if you haven't heard it then shame on thou! Theo Parrish has similarly created a timeless infusion of atmospheric broken beats and deliciously placed sample snippets. Oh my, we've fallen in love all over again at Juno HQ!

Review: From the label who gave us Gorgon City and Rudimental comes another exciting new act, DVWLX (or David Wilcox as he's known to the taxman). Taking the bass flavours of labels such as Pets and Dirtybird but dropping the tempo down a notch or two, "Not Another Love Song" oozes a classy sense of timelessness. "Get Out" is darker and deeper again with a lovely succession of reverberating, dubbed out textures; think 2020 Vision's early output and you're not far off. "Just Like That" takes us deeper again, nodding at formative progressive sounds while maintaining a slight cheekiness with cool VonStroke style diced vocal hits. As far as debut records go, this is near-on faultless.