When British prog rock band Babe Ruth recorded 'The Mexican' - a low-slung funk-rock workout that came complete with weighty bass and killer drum breaks - they could have had no idea of the impact it would have during the block party phase of hip-hop's evolution (or, for that matter, that Jellybean Benitez would record a Latin hip-hop cover in the early 80s). It's the track's significance within hip-hop that inspired these revisions from break-digger Mister Mushi. Both of the producer's 'Special Edit' versions - vocal on the A-side, instrumental on the flip - make the most of the track's prototype hip-hop breaks, restless bassline and Latin-tinged fuck-rock guitar licks. They're basically the breaker-friendly revisions the dancers want and need.

It's the album that redefined ambient music, not least for a generation of parasympathetic ravers. Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II marked a stylistic shift away from the first edition in the infamous ambient LP 'series', Selected Ambient Works 85-92. Volume II differed substantially; this time, there would be no 'techno' addendum to 'ambient', and all tracks thereupon would lack the usual indulgence of beats, however easy-on-the-ears these had been beforehand. Known for its many numbered tracks - which on the original edition, rather than track names, denoted references to images of natural forms, textures and geologic readymades, all bathed in orange, and from which fans had to infer the written names - this expanded edition stays faithful to this origin. Even so, it adds two unreleased D. Jamesian treats - 'th1 [evnslower]' and a reversed version of 'Rhubarb' - as well as a the previously vinyl only '#19'.

The 2022 remix of The Monkees' Headquarters revisits the pivotal album where the band seized creative control, marking a milestone in their musical journey. Produced by Chip Douglas, Headquarters captures Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork stepping beyond their TV personas and establishing themselves as a real band. Featuring remixed tracks from the original multitracks, the release restores the album's original pitch while expanding its stereo separation. Highlights include Nesmith's jangle-pop gem 'You Told Me', Dolenz's inventive 'Randy Scouse Git', and the Boyce & Hart-penned 'I'll Spend My Life with You'. This edition also unearths gems like Neil Diamond's 'A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You' alongside bonus tracks, alternate takes, and insightful studio chatter. Complete with a 28-page booklet this set illuminates The Monkees' creative revolt, delivering a fascinating glimpse into the band's groundbreaking rise to artistic autonomy.

The sound of dreadlocks, should there ever be such a thing in the abstract, is best put forward by Junior Byles, the Versatiles' lead member, backed up by a shuffling riddim produced by Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs. 'Dreadlocks Time' hears a relick of their 'Ba Ba Boom' beat, and is a heartwarming song about self-care and respect for one's own hair, with lyrics: "don't try to stop dreading/natty dread time is a-here/don't lose your cool/respect the rules..." The music is just as measured in feel, and the version is just as "natty", so to speak; there's a very well-timed acapella moment thrown in with the version mix.

Blending jazz, blues, and rock elements, the Morphine's sound was anything but conventional, thanks to Mark Sandman's two-string bass, Dana Colley's baritone sax and the distinct rhythm provided by drummers Jerome Deupree and Billy Conway. Co-produced by Paul Q. Kolderie (Pixies, Radiohead), Sandman and engineer Steve Folsom, this album captures Morphine's lush and immersive sound, creating a deep, noirish atmosphere that would become their signature. The album's standout tracks, like 'Buena' and 'Thursday', show Sandman's knack for lyrics that teeter on the edge of danger and ambiguity. 'Candy' offers a glimpse of vulnerability, while the title track balances tension with a flicker of hope. Colley's sax often doubles as a one-man horn section, adding both visceral intensity and ambient texture. Sandman's haunting vocals and inventive bass work, paired with Colley's occasional simultaneous play of both baritone and tenor sax, made Morphine's sound truly singular. This 2024 Run Out Groove remastered edition brings new life to the album more than 30 years on from its initial release.

Phenomena is a rather incredible 39th full-length album from the pioneering Lithuanian dub techno label Greyscale. Like all those that went before it, it is a captivating excursion into cavernous sounds. In particular, this one delves into the wonders of nature - meteor streams and starling murmurations - and flips them into immersive soundscapes. In mixing up vintage and contemporary styles, Basicnoise navigates deep emotional depths with technical finesse. 'Midnight Dub' has lush and organic chord progressions, 'Sakura Season' pays homage to Detroit techno's smooth, futuristic spirit and 'Reduxtion II' delivers crisp production and powerful frequencies. These are just some standouts along the way of this profound musical odyssey.

Time-honoured, blue-crossed phono-phrenic audio pharmacists Positiva celebrate their 30th anniversary with the launch of a brand new sampler series. Simply titled 'Positiva', the new outing spans every sonic end-logic from slick UK garage to mesmeric trance, the throughline being the modern uplifter sound into which the label has settled; a far cry from their jet-propulsive Ibiza-rave garage house days of yore. Most of the tracks on this first edition of the series are already floating about out there, though they've never been compiled onto a single record before: Sammy Virji and Gorgon City complement each other well on the A-side's 'Voodoo' and 'If You Need It'; then Azari & III, Max Dean, Alan Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Spiteri spin things out ever further, into two warming, well-layered party-pushers driven by ecstatic vocals.

For their tenth release, the Hanover-based label Malonian re-sign the now firmly established Andrei Ciubuc with the new 'Gotta Have House' EP. Since 2015, Ciubuc has helped bolster the Romanian spirit in minimal house and techno, releasing seven EPs for the likes of Cuplet, Tooloop, UVAR, and one other release for Malonian (their debut release), totting up to seven releases besides this one so far. Boasting a heavy rotation by many a major league DJ, 'Gotta Have House' is a synaptic sonic papier mache, the evident talent with which its beats and ambiences were compiled proving the reason for its becoming a favourite on the circuit. Echoes of deep Chicago house are firmly evident on the swelling chordisms heard on the A2, 'One Of A Kind', while the radiophonic jumps and jitters of 'Gotta Work It Out' prefer down-the-phone-line soul samples and sterling vocal science; 'Baba', finally, is the brukky closer of choice, and our future-facing favourite.