This Week

Review: Since it first hit stores in 2004, the Bees' limited-edition single "I Love You" - a heart-aching, expertly realised blue-eyed tribute to the sugary, downtempo end of the late 1950s/early 1960s soul spectrum - has become an in-demand item. Here it is finally given the reissue treatment, with the lauded Isle of Wight-based band's superb vocal version - all impassioned, teary-eyed lead vocals and harmonious, doo-wop style backing vox - once again coming backed by an instrumental mix in which their glistening guitars and authentically fuzzy horns are naturally more prominent in the mix. It's one of the single most impactful and beautiful songs in their catalogue, so you definitely need this in your life.

Review: It is undervalued soul singer Esther Phillips's cover version of Gil Scott's Heron's cult classic 'Home Is Where The Hatred Is' that provides the source material for this latest edit from DJ Soopasoul. ON the a-side is a version pretty faithful to the original, only with more bulky drums, drawn out grovers and some extra drum fills for that more suitable dance floor feel. The strings will also soar on the right system. A dub pairs it back slightly to a raw funk groove with plenty of hard blue eyed soul also colouring the mix.

Review: Currently in the throes of a serious reissue mission, bringing many of his old funklets back to life on wax, Jalapeno mainstay Danny Soopasoul lets these very cheeky takes on Mr Illmatic out into the ether. Side-A is pure laid back west coast vibery while the B lays Nas's famous bars down over a Bill Conti-style horn arrangement where the feel of a montage and a triumphant stair-run is imminent. Limited to 300 copies, it ain't hard to tell you how quickly this will fly.

Review: Henry Hyde is back on his usual stomping ground of NorthSouth with some peppy club workouts to get wiggy to. "Locked Out" has plenty of tripped out tones bubbling around the sturdy, Lately bass-fed groove, while "The Red Face Roller" gets more playful with the synth lines without losing the steady, sleek rhythm section. "Start Again" switches the mood but retains the palette, making great use of a grinding bass note to anchor the sprightly blips and dubby bleeps up top. "Leg Le Friend" goes further into the influence of early UK techno with its ethereal pads and intricate melodic elements, capturing the kind of vibe you might have heard on Likemind with a cheeky modern twist.

Review: Following its initial low-key release in 1985, Kevin "Mr Groove" McCord's 'Never Say' became a firm favourite in both his home city of Detroit, and across the Atlantic on the UK soul scene. Here the hard-to-find seven-inch version of the track - McCord's favourite version, according to the boffins behind the Backatcha label - is given a much-deserved reissue. A bright, breezy, sun-soaked affair the layers fluid piano motifs, mazy synthesizer sounds, sax solos and soulful female vocals over a typically tasty post-boogie groove, the track is three and a half minutes of pure, unadulterated joy. This time round the song comes backed with polished, smooth and sensual slow jam 'When The Night Comes', a 1991 production first featured on McCord's hard-to-find album of the same name.

Review: After an extended, pandemic-related break, Brawther has decided to re-activate his highly regarded Negentropy label via a second EP on the imprint from former L.B Produce artist Ron Obvious. He begins in trademark style via EP highlight 'Builded Mind', a tech-tinged blend of skipping, UK garage style drums, jaunty sub bass, spacey electronics and deliciously tactile deep house motifs. He continues to fix loose-limbed and weighty garage grooves to deep and intergalactic house sounds on side two opener 'Nearly Forever', before pushing dub style bass to the fore on hypnotic late-night deep house number 'Foreground'.

Review: US soul and rare groove outfit Heaven Sent & Ecstasy are a mysterious duo who only made this one record, but boy what a record it is. It first came in 1980 and has a weird sub title, but that doesn't detract from the gloriousness of the music. Some of its tunes were included in the soundtrack of Scrolls, The Book of Life and this is the first time it has landed on vinyl after a 2006 CD reissue. There are intricate moments of r&b pain, soaring jazz-funk grooves that will make any dance floor move and more raw funk jams driven by hard hitting kick and angular guitar riffs.

Review: Sushitech toast 15 years with a plush new edition of one of the label's classic albums. Delano Smith hit a high watermark with An Odyssey when he first dropped it in 2012, and it still sounds utterly flawless as a shining example of Detroit house. From the slinky funk of 'Survival' to the minimalist dub inflections of 'Trust In Someone', this is the positively classy end of the club music spectrum. At all times a sturdy rhythm section carries the tune, whether it be the shuffling hats of 'Midnight Hours' or the shimmering jack of 'No Turning Back', but the real prize here is the seductive mood Smith weaves throughout all 11 tracks. Looped up and hypnotic, but with each piece telling its own unique story, this is a masterclass in deepest house music.

Review: Steve O'Sullivan's work as Bluetrain ranks amongst the finest distillations of sleek techno minimalism and spatial dubwise sonics. As part of Sushitech's 15th anniversary celebrations, they're doing us all a massive favour by revisiting their comprehensive compilation of the finest Bluetrain joints, replete with a tasty coloured vinyl pressing this time around. The tracks are beyond sublime, riding steadfast, understated grooves, which underpin beautifully sculpted, metallic chord clusters that sink in easy but run deep. If you need a dependable clutch of stellar dub-tech-house workouts to suit full-immersion DJ sets, this essential double pack will keep you trucking long into the morning.

Review: It's hard to believe Gorillaz, the virtual band that triggered a million sci-fi articles about culture arriving in the future (well, the new millennium), have now been going 20 years. More than enough history to have long-since proven themselves far from a fad, on their seventh album it's clear they're also still capable of new ideas, or at least fresh ways to remix old ingredients.

Punk explodes next to piano balladry, lo-fi electronica eases into low slung hip hop funk. It's a chart-worthy affair that reminds us post-genre is today's mainstream, here served in traditional songwriting framework rather than the current dominant avant-pop crop. Even if the lyrics are non-stop curveballs, from Robert Smith's appearance on the title track, through Beck's MCing on 'The Valley of the Pagans' and St. Vincent's playful party vibes on 'Chalk Tablet Towers'.

Review: Razor-N-Tape takes a look back to some of their classic material here and enlist some fine talents to remix it. Mysterious newcomer producer Demi Riquisimo takes care of the opener with a remix of Elia y Elizabeth's signature hit 'Alegria' that is brilliantly tropical and new age. Parisian Yuksek then also works the same tune into a lush mid tempo disco stomper. Reverse the 12" and you'll find Bostonian-come-Colombian BOSQ flipping 'Soy Una Nube' init a soul enriched banger and Baranquilla natives Vagabundo Club Socia close things out with some up tempo funk and precise drum work. The originals are also included for extra oomph.

Review: Dark Entries is humbled to continue digging through the archives of legendary producer Patrick Cowley. While best known for his production on chart-topping cybernetic disco anthems such as Sylvester's 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' or his own 'Menergy', Cowley, who passed away from AIDS-related illness in 1982, left us with a substantial body of work. Since 2009, Dark Entries has been working with Cowley's friends and family to shed light on the lesser known facets of this singular artist's output. This has resulted in a string of celebrated archival albums, including Catholic (featuring Jorge Socarras), School Daze, Muscle Up, Afternooners, and the recent Mechanical Fantasy Box. Some Funkettes, the latest addition to this series, is a collection of previously unreleased cover songs recorded from 1975-1977. These raw, unembellished tributes both showcase Cowley's early musical interests and chart the development of his production techniques.

Review: Dynamite Cuts latest double seven-inch presentation takes us back to 1973, and James Brown's often-overlooked soundtrack to Blaxploitation crime movie "Black Ceasar", a set previously described by one critic as "a full-frontal funk attack". What we get is four of the soundtrack's strongest cuts: electric piano solo-laden funk shuffler "Blind Man Can See", one of Brown's most celebrated and best-loved songs, "The Boss" (sample lyric: "look at me, what do you see? A bad mother!"), the softly sweet, strings-and-solo laden breeziness of "White Lightning", and the crunchy heavy funk strut of "Make It Good To Yourself". As the old saying goes: all killer, no filler.

Review: The Sushitech festivities continue unabated with this bittersweet repress of an all-time classic from the much-missed Detroit figurehead Mike Huckaby. 'Baseline '87' ranks amongst his most fabled works, riding as it does around an irresistibly catchy square wave bass hook and one of those no-nonsense beats that the legendary producer did so well. For the sound of Huckaby in full flight though, 'Musik For The Dancefloor' on the flip soars thanks to the interplay between the pads and chords while retaining that steadfast focus. In memory of a true dance music hero, why not revisit a classic that should be comfortably sat in every record bag?

Review: A new Bruce Springsteen album is always exciting. The Boss' hardworking and hard-done-by fables, touching on the politics and socio-economics tearing America apart, still resonate. If anything, they have become more relevant in an age when class struggles have created deep cultural divides, meaning any reminder of the real enemy is a welcome release.

Save for 2014's collection of covers and alternative versions, High Hopes, Letter To You is Springsteen's first full length since 2012, and will delight die harders - this is what they've been waiting for. Opening with 'One Minute You're Here', gruff rock 'n' roll set among the railroad tracks of Nowheresville, post-industrial decline, sets the tone. This is the artist on full power, an orator of broken dreams and heartfelt promises, a guy who will always be there for us because it feels like he's one of us. The king is back, long live the king.

Review: The Masaala label are laying claim to a unique curio from the '90s here, unearthing the forgotten sounds of Cutmaster Singh from Leicester. This unsung DJ legend was amongst those trying to fuse acid house and bhangra, and on this 12" we're treated to a selection of edits that do a mighty fine job of crossing the cultural divide to bring the infectious energy of Indian music into a dancefloor context. First up is a dubplate from 1994 titled 'Acid Agah', which rides a bubbling 303 and resplendent strings to create a jaw-dropping showpiece. 'Rani' is steeped in bashy '80s drums and more of that lysergic throbbing, offset by a stunning female vocal, while 'Nachdi Drums' unsurprisingly leans in hard on percussion to whip up a frenetic energy that is as much techno as it is bhangra. 'Balle Shava' takes things back to a kind of new beat freakiness which will appeal to old-skool diggers looking for something spicy in their sets.

Notes: Tiny format but big sound from these entry-level Presonus monitors. Surprisingly punch bass response from a 3.5-inch bass driver. A good starting point for newcomers to production.

Supplier's notes:

PreSonus Eris-series studio monitors are used worldwide by audio engineers who need to hear every detail of their recordings. Ideal for gaming and home video production, the Eris E3.5 employs the same technology as the larger Eris models to deliver studio-quality sound, with a smooth and accurate frequency response. Yet they're compact enough to fit almost anywhere.

Kevlar woofers deliver a cleaner overall sound:
Every Eris-series studio monitor utilizes a custom-woven Kevlar low-frequency driver. The weave and nature of the Eris E3.5's 3.5-inch Kevlar woofer result in a more constant dispersion pattern throughout the frequency range, resulting in less time-smeared audio and cleaner overall sound.

Smooth high end and wide sweet spot:
The Eris E3.5 is equipped with a one-inch silk-dome tweeter that produces a smooth and refined sound, accurately reproducing transients and high frequencies. The tweeter is designed to radiate sound with a fairly wide dispersion pattern, creating a large optimal listening area or "sweet spot" so you can move around and still hear everything accurately.

Easy-to-use controls:
A speaker's response is affected by where you place it and the acoustics of your space. That's why Eris E3.5 active media reference monitors offer easy-to-adjust high- and low-frequency controls. A convenient front-panel volume knob sets both the speaker level and the integrated headphone amplifier level. Be careful with that volume knob, though: Eris E3.5s are driven by an onboard 25 watt/side power amplifier and can get a lot louder than you may expect, while still delivering clear, accurate audio.

Connect to virtually any line-level source:
With three different types of audio inputs, it's easy to feed audio to your Eris monitors from a mixer, an interface, a media player, or almost any other line-level source. The Eris E3.5 is equipped with rear-panel, 1/4-inch TRS and RCA inputs, as well as front-panel 1/8-inch stereo, unbalanced line inputs for use with mobile audio devices. With this selection, you'll have no problem hooking your Eris speakers up with virtually any line-level source, including your smartphone or tablet. The loud, clear, front-panel headphone amplifier lets you work and play in stealth mode, without disturbing your housemates.

Accuracy defined:
Like all PreSonus monitor speakers, the Eris E3.5 offers consistent, accurate listening, with the smooth and even frequency response that has made Eris monitors popular around the world. Their compact and powerful design makes them an ideal solution for any small space.

Review: Z Records founder Dave Lee continues to celebrate 30 years of his iconic house and disco label with an ongoing series of various artist EPs. The fourth instalment is another belter opened up by the boss himself in Disco Blend form. He serves up libidinous synths and steamy vocals that get you on your toes and then sinks into a smooth and seductive deep house mould for his remix of Mistura's 'Smile. On the flip, disco don The Revenge works his magic on a lush afro disco cut and then comes a The Reflex version of The Secret Life Of Us which has big strings and a tight rhythm section all bringing the sunshine.

Review: Ron's Reworks, a series of scalpel jobs and lightly beefed-up reworks from Crazy P co-founder Jim Baron AKA Ron Basejam, has now reached its fourth volume. Predictably, the included material is every bit as well-crafted as its' similarly inclined predecessors. The standout is undoubtedly A-side 'They Speak Colour', a loopy, soft-focus disco-house jam whose relentless grooves, synthesizer splashes and simmering orchestration make it sound like Soundstream after a bong full of Marijuana smoke and several disco biscuits. Elsewhere, 'The City' is a canny revision of an unusual disco-boogie number that builds through sections of drums and cut-up, scat style vocals before finally flourishing late on, while 'The Cull' is a deep and meandering head-nodder tailor-made for warm-up sets and sit-down bar gigs.

Review: Felix Dickinson has been donning the Bastedos re-edit alias on and off for 18 years, occasionally popping up with a fresh selection of superb scalpel jobs. Here the Bristol-based veteran delivers two more incendiary rearrangements. The undoubted highlight is A-side 'What's Your Secret (Bastedos Edit)', a near ten-minute rework of a Clavinet-sporting AOR disco epic that moves through waves of spacey grooves, soaring female backing vocals, impassioned blue-eyed lead vocals and more low-slung sections designed to raise temperatures out on the dancefloor. Dickinson changes tack on flipside 'Do You Blow?', successfully dubbing out an oddball chunk of electro-era quirkiness built around a killer bassline, scat vocals, breathy flute solos and body-popping drum machine beats.

Review: Emotional Rescue are turning their attention to King & City, a label that dealt in the UK-rooted take on reggae, lovers rock, at the turn of the '80s. First up is this sublime cover of William DeVaughn's evergreen, much-covered soul classic 'Be Thankful For What You Got'. This take is breezy and hopeful, but still shot through with a certain sense of longing in the tight riddim backing up the sweet vocals. On the flip, Emotional draft in one of their favourite remixers, the mighty Lexx, to deliver a disco mix that teases out the original and amps up the dub-outs for maximum groove satisfaction.

Review: He might not be able to play his trademark brand of swinging, UK-centric tech-house tunes to the public in clubs right now, but East End Dubz continues to serve up singles packed full of dancefloor-ready treats. His latest missive is predictably strong, particularly A-side 'Whisper'. An impressively atmospheric affair, the cut features lo-fi sounding electronic melodies rising above a chunky, hypnotizing bassline and his usual crispy, snare-heavy tech-house drums. The fun continues on the flip where 'Freak', a squelchy, acid-flecked mid-set bumper built around a limited number of teased and tweaked elements, is joined by 'Faze', which sounds like the sort of thing Sheffield sorts Swag released in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Review: Andrey Zots builds on his previous appearance on EYA Records with this full-fat EP of fresh, playful and bubbling dancefloor freakery. 'Object' has a punchy electro tint to it, plus more than a little wave weirdness in its sound palette. Terremoto runs with this vibe by ramping up the analogue synth tones and making a bass-led beast of a remix. 'Down The Spiral' gets into freaky territory with some awkward, slanted bleeps and an overall nervy atmosphere, while 'Signal' works up an acidic sweat that should appeal to those lucky enough to be dancing in a dungeon.

Review: Almost two decades have passed since Charles Webster's last solo album, the largely overlooked collection of hushed deep house and downtempo soul gems, Born on the 24th July. Soon he'll finally release a follow up, Decision Time, but first he's treating us to a teaser single, 'The Spell'. Webster's vocal and dub mixes - the former featuring the seductive spoken word vocals of poet Ingrid Chavez - are typically immersive, ultra-deep house affairs that combine analogue electronic instrumentation with hazy, crackling aural textures that come courtesy of surprise collaborator Burial, who cites Webster's sound design as a major influence. Arguably the most striking mix though comes from that man Burial, whose A-side interpretation is drowsy, deep, crackly and irresistibly opaque: an artistic marriage made in heaven and then some.

Review: You might think that you could cop a copy of New Order's seminal hit 'Blue Monday' fairly easily and cheaply given its ubiquity over the years. But no, copies in good condition still fetch around 50 quid, so this remastered reissue is well worth a cop. The single's iconic bassline and twitchy synth modulations very much soundtrack a generation, if not an entire youth revolution, but still enliven any dance floor many years later. What's more, the de-humanised vocals will always provide real singalong joy. On the flip is a 'The Beach', which is drenched in echo and reverb and general sonic filth.

Review: Astonishingly, this is the 80th instalment in Mr Bongo's brilliant Brazil 45s series. Predictably, this edition is every bit as essential as its predecessors. It boasts two superb 1980s recordings by one of the true legends of Brazilian 20th century music, Jorge Ben. On the A-side you'll find the lengthily titled 'Curmin Chama Cunhata Que Eu Vou Contar (Todo Dia Erza Dia De Indio), a synth-splashed samba-funk tribute to the indigenous tribes of Brazil that was first featured on Ben's 1981 album Bem-Vinda Amizade. Turn to the flip for 'Rio Babilonia', a killer Brazilian boogie joint rich in squelchy synth bass, heady Latin percussion and fiery horn arrangements courtesy of the late, great Lincoln Olivetti.

Notes: These are the same high-quality inner sleeves that MOFI use for their most-prized vinyl releases. They are imported, three-ply, anti-static, premium sleeves (similar to rice paper) and work with both LPs and laser discs.

Back construction consists of a paper layer sandwiched between two sheets of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with a translucent HDPE front.

These custom-designed inner sleeves protect against all common problems associated with regular sleeves of all types, such as scratching, static build-up and contamination etc.

Your records are irreplaceable, these sleeves will guarantee they last a lifetime.

Review: All proceeds and profits from this new drop on Selections will be donated to Black Lives Matter charities, making it an even more appealing offer beyond the sheer quality of the house heads gathered together here. The mighty Kai Alce leads the charge with the sweet and bumping 'Hear The Waves', which is followed up by the punchy but warm 'Furacao Dento' by Demuir. Nick Holder opens the B side up with a killer slice of broken beat house, all crooked percussion locked into a deep, rolling groove. 83 West finishes the record off with a teasing, slow-release heater that keeps the energy simmering throughout - a masterfully executed cut to hold the dancefloor under a spell.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: 'Something From Nothing' is a four tracker that fuses techno sensibility with house swagger, a voice calling to Detroit's Second Wave while a hand beckons the shadowy waters of house.
Hearts Of Darkness are immersed in late nights and smoke-filled basements, with past form seeing them play Fabric and Bugged Out!. An unhealthy loyalty to vintage hardware and long forgotten code means their music is analogue, not for fashion, but because it feels right.
On the A, 'Sequential Circus' is purest machine funk as a driving bass bubbles into self-oscillation. Next, 'Just On For The Ride' bounces to a millennial deep house swing. Flip it for a dense future dub workout in 'Charlie Don't Surf,' then 'Hotshot' closes with a pad soaked vibe for the discerning warm up. A melting pot EP with all the right ingredients.
'Something From Nothing' opens the door to Hearts Of Darkness. Step inside.

Review: If you've not already picked up a copy of Mutaksuku Records' superb reissue of two of reggae musician Devon Russell's greatest Curtis Mayfield covers, we'd suggest grabbing one of these Juno exclusive white vinyl versions, which also happens to ship with a tasty wooden "45" adaptor. You may already know Russell's incredible '84 version of 'Move on Up', which re-imagines it as a languid, post-disco reggae-soul anthem that just oozes sun-soaked positivity. On this seven-inch, it comes backed by something equally as essential: the artist's lesser-known 1993 take on 'Give Me Your Love', which turns the much-loved song into a colourful, synth-laden trip through Balearic reggae territory. In a word: essential.

Review: Longtime stadium dance act Faithless are back with a new album that draws on many years' experience, but also advancing years, to cook up something spiritual and trance inducing. Maxi Jazz, the famous frontman, doesn't feature, but Sister Bliss does a fine job of soulful house, squelchy techno and plenty on between. It is a record chock full of collaborations with the likes of Suzie Breaks and Damien Jurado and Nathan Ball and will keep old ravers happy as well as entice some new ones to a more refined sound. There are sing along late night grooves like 'I Need Someone' but also lush ambient interludes such as 'What Shall I Do.'

Review: Emotional Rescue follow up on the excellent first instalment of reissue material from International Noise Orchestra with this second round of visionary curios from the late '80s. The 'Instrumental Muezzin' mix of 'Gimme More Lovin' comes on like Art Of Noise rocking hard at a slow tempo, all Fairlight flex and more plush digi-synth tones than you can shake a shoulder pad at. 'Yeh Naina Yaa Hai' points to the outernational focus of the group with its canny fusion of Indian musical tropes with electronics, all framing Asha Bhosle's peerless vocal. 'Sick Of Love' works wonders with angular time signature explorations and another plunderphonic funk freakout, while 'A Lulu A Bobe Danz' gets into even more virtuoso kitsch deviations. 'Listen To The Earthbeat / The Driving Force' finishes the set with a compelling rhythmic workout accented by underwater surrealism.

Review: Futureboogie Recordings' musical transformation over recent years has been remarkable, with boss man Dave Harvey ditching the shiny, synth-powered house jams and nu-disco mutations of old for a range of releases that plough a more cosmic, psychedelic and chugging furrow. This EP from sometime Nein and Roam Recordings' producer Zakmina is a terrific example of the Bristol imprint's new trademark sound. It sees him confidently bounce between the Giallo-influenced, acid-soaked, synthesizer-driven throb of 'Church of Madness', the raw and hallucinatory, mid-tempo deep acid hedonism of 'Deja-Vu' and the frankly foreboding peak-time intensity of 'Running Amore', whose echo-laden timbales hits rise above a raw and druggy bassline. The EP's obligatory remix comes courtesy of Hungarian maestro Gnork, who re-imagines 'Church of Madness' as a punchy slab of glassy-eyed electro bliss.

Review: After making a big splash with the first release back in June, the Edits label is back with another hard hitting 7" that is designed to blow up ay dance floor. Once again it comes from Casual Connection. 'Hip Hop Drank' is immediately recognisable as the bassline is currently doing the rounds on a TV advert. Here it's overlaid with some sleazy raps and raw, deep cut drums. ON the flip it's 'Humble Hop Hop' which mashes together two more big and iconic beats and raps into something even more powerful than the original.

Review: Mr Bongo is back with more stone cold hip-hop. This one comes from 1991 and is a reissue of a UK only 7" from Black Sheep. The single was always a curio and remained in the shadows of the more catchy and commercially successful 'The Choice is Yours' but it does have a great hook and tumble-down charm to the production. Dres is the MC bringing the character and plenty of carefully dug out samples make this one standout above many of its peers. An original copy of this will set you back a fancy few quid so when you also add in the break fuelled remix on the flip you have an essential little pick up.

Review: Samosa has had a fine year in 2020 and still has time to squeeze out one more vital disco offering. Following on from afrocentric Souldynamic and C. da Afro releases for the 19th volume of their VA compilation, this time drafted in is Mexican producer The Funk District who serves up four dazzling gems. High energy sounds, 70s film references, Latin flair and cosmic disco all feed into these tracks which are packed with bristling good times, feel good grovers and plenty of hands in the air moments. For us, 'La Rapina' is straight Latin dance floor gold that takes the EP's top slot.

Review: Dave Lee fka Joey Negro's Z Records is a modern bastion of high quality disco that looks back to go forwards. The latest to contribute to its rich cannon is The Sunburst Band & Sunlightsquare who come together for a special one-off single crafted by a full live band featuring vocals from Rene Alvarez and Susana Ysabel, with other skilled musicians also getting involved. The sound is superbly summery, with bouncy bass and bristling rhythm sections finished with some glossy Latin vocals and Moog solos. There're four variations on that theme that all find a sweet spot.

Review: Horse Meat Disco has long been one of the capital's most poly-sexual and out there celebrations of life, and disco. Now the men behind it have pulled together a selection of gloriously upbeat cuts that define the sounds you will hear on their dancefloor. It comes on a pink - what else - vinyl and with a fold out poster on Defected. Legendary names like Kathy Sledge and The Phenomenal Handclap Band sit next to Amy Douglas and Doug Hiller on this most feel good and floor filling double gatefold.

Review: Hot on the heels of her excellent Chapters of Beginning retrospective, Anane offers up something even more righteous: a storming cover of Munich Machine's 1977 disco epic 'Get On The Funk Train'. On the A-side you'll find the original mix by Anane's other half, Louie Vega, which brilliant layers mazy synth solos, undulating orchestration and her powerful vocals on top of a driving, house-style disco groove. It's a killer cover all told, offering a faithful update that should delight all disco heads. Over on the flip, Michael Gray and Mark Knight reach for the synth-bass on a smoother disco-house version, before Todd Terry drops some instant excitement via a sweaty, beefed up loop-house revision.

Review: When Arab Strap shared 'The Turning Of Our Bones' late-summer, their first track in 15 years, it was a welcome return for the alt-indie-slowcore electronic pair. Another lyrical mix of beautiful poetry and bloody-nosed prose, it confirmed that while much has happened since we last heard from the duo they still seem on-point, so this return can only be a good thing.

Here presented on 7", if you've not dived into the title track let's just say it has the dark moodiness of a nighttime drive through the dilapidation of a pre-gentrification British city in the rain, sinister intent, and the hook of a Leonard Cohen in 'Everybody Knows' mode, albeit here forsaking dramatic string stabs for a chilling and hypnotic guitar chord, while putting a powerful synth bass to good, dancefloor friendly use. 'The Jumper', on the flip, ain't bad either.

Review: This super limited 7" features four original Gravity label artists and serving up their own respective versions of one original. Prince Alfonso & The Fever kick off with fat-bottomed swagger and earthy dub funk grooves, and Nestor Alvarez flip the script with more Latin percussion and bossa-style grooves. Brentford Rd Soul Rebels take you to a hot summer's day with their reggae soundtrack, and last of all Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts lead with a big sax line and hip swinging tambourines that all come underpinned by big bass. Varied and vital, it's a small bit of wax but it packs a big punch.

Review: Handsome Boy Modeling School is an American duo made up of hip-hop beatmakers Dan the Automator of Gorillaz association and rince Paul from projects with Stetsasonic, De La Soul and Gravediggaz. Dan the Automator assumes his DJ Octagon Palais for the opera here - a hard hitting and deep cut rap with plenty of manic DJ scratching and big stabs. Handsome Boy Modelling School then link up for the flip side 'Holy Calamity' which is another floor filler with bold brass and mad scratching. Both tunes hark back to a golden era of rap and will get any floor pumping.

Review: So, how long have you been waiting for this one to drop? The answer really depends on two things - whether you've just been waiting for new long form material from the UK IDM legends Autechre, or whether you've been waiting for Autechre to put a proper album together that stays true to the principles and format of a 'proper album', as this does.

Either way let's just say Signs has been some time in the making, and it's definitely a case of payoff for patience. For the most part it's the waves of space age melody that really stand out, tracks like 'Esc Desc' seem to fill the room with bands of sci-fi harmony. Of course there's plenty of glitch and bleep here, too - the stepping 'Au14' is a case in point - alongside rumbling, bass-heavy business like 'Si100', where playful drips of percussion create a juxtaposition of innocence and menace.

Review: Well, we're used to hearing Sasha on some progressive tip or, at least, bouncing around in the same space as labels like John Digweed's Bedrock, but here we have proof that the veteran producer is still out to diversify his sound and reach new audiences. The long-time DJ and producer steps up on Cologne's mythical Kompakt stable with "Out Of Time", a magnificently suave and laid-back house bombshell guided by the man's unmistakable prog-flex; this is the sort of gear you want to hear as you step into the dance and sip that first cocktail... a certified mood changer. On the flip we're graced with a few tenacious remixes; Patrice Baumel delivers an eight minute rework of the original, this time filtered through a much housier sort of guise that reminds us of the twilight hours on the Balearic islands' sandy beaches. Check the instrumental too - it'll be a useful DJ tool for sure.