Ali Love

Review: Bringing one of those vocals that will be nagging in the noggin long after the lights have come up; Ali Love and Kali are in prime pop-picking mode with this new single on Crosstown Rebels. The structure of the track is still in keeping with the label's slick take on house music; while the vocals intone a message of massaged ego that translates smoothly to Waze & Odyssey's more brooding remix. Maceo Plex comes in with a more romantic vision for the track, laying out thick reams of synth in a seductive late night style that can bleed outwards to fill a space large or small.

Review: Ah, Hot Creations, home to the hippest house music that cites disco and 25 year-old club anthems as its inspirations. Here, label head honchos Jamie Jones and Lee Foss revive their Hot Natured project for a sweet stroll through smiley vocal house territory in the company of one-time electrofunk revivalist Ali Love. "Benediction" is good for what it is - a vaguely deep, pleasant Hot Creations record - but the real killer here is the remix of former single "Forward Motion" by crusty old US garage head Mark "MK" Kinchen. He recalls those glory days of tough but groovy MK dubs with a rework straight out of 1993.

Review: Much has changed for Ali Love since the release of his Love Harder in 2010. For starters, he's fallen in with the Hot Creations camp, scored a massive chart hit ("Benediction", with Hot Natured) and seen his reputation soar. This latest full length - the belated follow-up to Love Harder - shows how far he's come. While the bright electrofunk synths, '80s soul vocals and Italo-influenced rhythms of old remain, P.U.M.P contains far more tactile, wide-eyed deep house moments than we've come to expect. It's a subtle evolution - there are still plenty of near Balearic synth-pop moments - but a successful one. The result is an effortlessly sweet and accessible album that blends throbbing dancefloor moments with baggier, more laidback fare.