KRYSTAL KLEAR Vinyl & CDs

Review: Krystal Klear sure knows how to lay down a banger. Gerd Jansen is hip to that so has tapped him up for what will surely be a big summer anthem in 'Piano Banana,' right as we all return to the dance floor. It's a track that is the embodiment of dance floor joy with big drums, clean synths and bright stabs that will get hands in the air, all amped up with plenty of drum fills and drops. The 1990 mix slows things down to post rave downtempo bliss, Beach beats makes the drums that bit more long and leggy and the Banambient mix is for once the party is over. Perfection.

Review: If you've danced at house-focused clubs and festivals this year, there's a strong chance that you've strut your stuff plenty of times to Krystal Klear's "Neutron Dance". The hooky, riff-heavy original version isn't included on this remix package, but happily the assembled reworks are all killers in their own right. We're particularly enjoying the squeezable synth bass, punchy machine drums and fluid piano solos that catch the ear on Paul Woolford's ace "Jolly Roger Version", not to mention the sweaty breakbeats, restless drum machine cowbells and thrusting New York freestyle bass underpinning Fango's fantastic take. Elsewhere, Gerd Janson straps on his "Birkies" and re-imagines the cut as a retro-futurist house treat while Mano Le Tough doffs a cap towards Italo-disco and throbbing big room house.

Review: The decision to launch his own Cold Tonic imprint seems to have reinvigorated Krystal Klear, judging on the two records issued to date. This third 12" in the series is arguably the best yet, with vocalist Flex Washington providing some speeded-up R&B swagger (think singing with the inflections and speed of rapping) to help propel things forward. Musically, "Cash Champagne" is impressive too, with Krystal Klear's deft touch ensuring the blend of huggable chords and loose deep house rhythms hits the spot. Flip for a couple of handy DJ tools; the sparse, beats-and-vocal "Cash-a-pella", and Washington's brilliant acapella version.