DJS: MOST CHARTED - MINIMAL / TECH - MOST CHARTED IN JANUARY2013

Review: Yet another unknown name lines the third release from Dixon Avenue Basement Jams; and just like Marquis Hawkes before him, the unheralded VernoN ensures the Glasgow label's run of deep seated heat continues unfettered. The four track She Can Dance dovetails nicely with the aforementioned Hawkes 12", locking onto a deeper approach to the jacking sound across three tracks. The title track is the undoubted highlight here, whilst the distinct Oompa Loompas on the 303 vibe of "The Smoking Hat" had a real marmite effect on the Juno office. Kudos to DABJ for reaching out to Edinburgh label Firecracker and borrowing the undeniable talents of Fudge Fingas for a 808 heavy remix of "Low Control". Clear blue wax too!

Review: Phoenix G surface in style in 2013 with the appropriately titled Frenetic EP from label boss Mr G that brandishes a rather potent remix from Ben Sims. There's an inherently old school tone to "Bounce" with the looping vocal hook imploring you to do as the title says over a stylish arrangement of firm, deep kick drums and lengthy, echo laden chords. In contrast "Red Line" locks onto a murked out techno groove that ripples with percussive intensity, which goes some way to preparing you for the onslaught of floor wrecking excellence that is Ben Sim's remix of "Bounce" with the UK techno veteran squeezing all the life out of those chords.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Trelik returns with a repackaged edition of one of the catalogue's most treasured releases. "Overcome" and "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)" need little introduction, and now come sporting the new TR11:11 matrix number. Written and produced by Thomas Melchior and Baby Ford aka Soul Capsule, these tracks came from one of the many sessions recorded at the West London Ifach Studio in 1999. On the A Side "Overcome" is stripped back and energetic, driven by rolling and shuffling garage style beats, tight bubbling bass and atmospheric synth pads. The intermittent vocal samples and the release's signature organ set you up for the flip, "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)". Possibly one of house music's most emotive pieces, the track builds slowly with the introduction of each part building a story of soulful optimism based around a sparse palette of deep synths, uplifting keys and warm analogue bass. The understated beauty of the main vocal riff never seems to grow old or tired with the track lending itself perfectly to either main room, peak-time play or after-hours sessions alike. Remastered by Rashad at D & M.

Review: Last year saw computer music pioneer Laurie Spiegel's 1980 debut The Expanding Universe reissued, making this the ideal time for Junior Boys producer Jeremy Greenspan to rework her track "Drums". Released with Spiegel's permission on the JIAOLONG label run by Daphni and Caribou man Dan Snaith, "Drums&Drums&Drums" as it has been named, opens with the unadulterated minimalism of Spiegel's original, slowly evolving with a steady 4/4 kick and pulsating analogue arpeggio which have the label's expected mixture of colourful psychedelics and no-nonsense rhythms, all building up to a hypnotic crescendo. On the flip is "Sirius Shake", a Greenspan original production whose abstract, brittle nature actually sounds considerably more Spiegel than his preceding rework.

Review: Having made some initial splashes with their sought after compilations, Russian label Arma spread their remit further with this EP from Chicago's Area. "Bourbon Skies" is an instantly engaging track, taking a roughly hewn yet also sparse bump of a house groove from wooden drums and splaying sinister vocal sneers around it in a bath of effects. What pins this together is an equally menacing bassline that growls and purs underneath the action, making for a beguiling and alluring jam. Vakula switches this up with a thoroughly soothing remix that lays the bubbles on thick, as sumptuous ripples of melody come rising through a rich delay in a perfect antithesis to the A-side.

Review: Young Swedish producer Axel Backman first stole our attention under the 1991 name, surfacing on the Astro: Dynamics Soundcloud at the turn of the year with the stunningly degradated treatment of The Cure that was "Open To The Dark". That track eventually appeared on Backman's debut release, the eponymously titled 1991 tape put out by Astro:Dynamics in September, and this gauzy, star gazing side to the Swede was explored further on High-Tech High-Life, his subsequent release for the breakthrough label Opal Tapes. However, this didn't really prepare us for his latest Opal Tapes opus under the techno-focused MCMXCI moniker, Skogen, Flickan och Flaskan - which finds itself the deserved subject of the label's first vinyl release. Comprised of five originals of unrelenting, melting techno brutality, at times it sounds like Regis having a seizure ("Untitled 1"), Jamal Moss suffering from demonic possession ("Untitled 3") and a caustic take on Surgeon's breakbeat techno ("Untitled 4"). Only Huerco S's "New Age Reduction" of "Untitled 3" offers any kind of let up - but still succeeds in muddling your brain with its mucky kaleidoscope of tones. BIG TIP!

Review: Aniara lynchpins Genius Of Time have bided their, er time since their Drifting Back release for Clone Oak, soaking up the popularity of the all conquering Whitney riffing ''Houston, We Have A Problem'' from it with some profile making remix commissions. They return with the Tuffa Trummor12" which fans of their previous Aniara output will revel in thanks to the trademark sumptuous attention to texture, rhythm and detail. Lead track "Tuffa Trummor Med Synt" hints at an appreciation of New Jersey house via the deft percussive swing, the way the liquefied groove fluctuates with intensity and energy in sync with that gently burning analogue bassline is a Genius Of Time hallmark. Complementing this "Tuffa Trummor Med Rost" takes a tougher, more broken attitude to rhythmic concerns, bumping out in a fashion you'd imagine would get nods of approval from the Hessle Audio crew.

Review: The techy and bass-ready label Hypercolour has always had some pretty leftfield tendencies, ranging from its releases with Groove Armada and Neil Landstrumm, to cheeky Aprils fools day pranks all part of the package. However George Fitzgerald's Needs You EP typifies the Hypercolour sound minus any tomfoolery. "Needs You" in particular plays "oh baby" vocals, sucking percussion and melodic keys against vast-monoliths of low end sonics. On the flip is "Every Inch" again by Fitzgerald. Fluted synth spooks and successive clap-tambourine combos swing to a groove that has a moderately lighter mood. Deetron writes a love note to rave and garage in his remix to "Every Inch" by the way of squelchy electronics and nerdy percussion.

Review: Heading straight into the depths of dreamy techno territory, Soma regular Envoy is back once again to push his machines into yearning and wistful realms. On "Seawall" there's a strong broken beat at work, providing the meat of the track so that pads, seagull cries and lead synths can float around each other in a soothing tonic. However the limelight has beenp inched somewhat by Villalobos taking the reins for the remix, even nabbing the A-side spot off Envoy. However he more than steps up to the responsibility with one of his most useful remixes to date, finding a typically restrained but completely bumping groove anchored by a fulsome walking bassline while a fine mess of melodic matter bubbles away in the background.

Review: For the Dub techno curious, Dutch imprint Field Recordings makes a perfect starting point for discovering fresh and forward thinking ambient and dub techno. As per usual Field 09 is a various artist sampler, featuring cuts from Crystal Maze and Creme Organization's Orgue Electronique, as well as four piece collective ESHU and Dutch dub techno purveyor Ohrwert's second submissions to the label. After an ambient and credit less intro, Ohrwert opens the EP with a wispy and dreamlike stroll through wavey textures, whereas ESHU employs Burial sounding beats and spacious atmospherics. Crystal Maze's "Cow Needs A Bell" shrouds itself in a electro eeriness only to be lightened by Orgue Electronique's synth heavy "Halcyon".

Review:  Slap Funk collective member Samuel Deep debuts on his own imprint with an EP bristling with crisp, punchy grooves. The Native Tribe EP opens with "Rwzdeep", a track whose kick drums come straight out of the Head High school of dance, while "Red" bristles with clanking drums and junglist overtones soldered to a techno template. The B-Side sees two more excursions into the territory from whence Mr Deep draws his name, with "Tribe" again adopting the sub bass drones and lacerating snares associated with classic D&B, whereas "3521" ploughs deep in an unforgiving acid techno wormhole. Comes housed in a nice cardboard sleeve with free sticker for you to plaster on your 1210 cover!

Review: He toured the world thrice over and held court at Cocoon each week throughout the summer: Loco's barely had time to set foot in the studio this year. Luckily he's managed to squeeze one release in. And it's a bit of a belter. Four tracks, all with 'tox' in the title, here we find him on his finest form churning out deep tech grooves that shine from every angle. Stripped back in their elements but bulky and muscular in their make-up, each one of these is dancefloor gold that stretches from warm-up sexiness ("Auxotox") to heads down, hands-up peaktime techno ("Retox").

Review: **REPRESS** Enjoying something of a renaissance with releases on Real Tone and now Apollonia, DJ Gregory is in fine form for such a veteran of the French house music scene. Wisely tapping up his Point G alias for this release on the new label from Shonky, Dan Ghenacia and Dyed Soundorom, Gregory demonstrates exactly what years of service to house music can do for your mastery of the genre. With a steadfast and perfectly balanced beat as a backdrop, a strangely LFO'd Rhodes-like instrument wails out a lead melody, winding up in a bizarre mixture between a rock solid track and a freak-out moment, sustained for the whole tune. Both sides of "Underwater" explore this off-beat way of defining the track, creating a record to begging be hammered across a staggering range of spinners.

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: "Open the door, step into the light" whispers the sexual deviant vocal on Crooked Man's opening body mover "Here on Earth", the title track from the Steel City hero's latest EP. After a clicky kick and soul clapped intro, distorted synths build in time, slowly gathering momentum in a manner similar to the animalistic grunt of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer". A lone electronic surge opens "Girl With Better Clothes", slowly falling victim to subtle delays. In among a cocktail effect of chatting voices, a Nina Kraviz sounding narrative then enters, talking of a new found jealousy. Pair this with additional synth action, grooving drums and a killer chorus line; it's the perfect house party jam.