Electro House Recommendations July 2012

Review: When AKA JK (aka New York based producer Jonathan Kreinik) last appeared on Throne Of Blood in 2010, the label was just establishing itself as an emporium of classy club music. Some two years on and Throne of Blood has really expanded operations with a transatlantic roster and a willingness to indulge their artists idiosyncrasies. And AKA JK is amongst their most idiosyncratic, especially on "2600 2600" which masterfully displays his talent for melding elements of refined pop with rough hewn industrial, almost Belgian nu beat rhythms. Sick remix package as per usual with DFA stalwart Shit Robot sitting alongside two Throne of Blood alumni in John Selway and Mugwump - with the latter's perhaps our pick of the bunch.

Review: Hot Chip jumped ship yet again, releasing their fifth studio album In Our Heads via the esteemed UK imprint Domino Recordings. The eleven track album was self produced by the band members (along with some behind the boards help from respected studio engineer/producer Mark Ralph) and recorded in London, presumably in the spare time between the various band members other musical commitments that include 2 Bears, New Build and About Group. It stands up alongside their previous long players, with certified pop gems littered among a heady mix of synthy electo and downtempo romantic jams such as the irrepressible "Look At Where We Are".

Review: The World Unknown focus shifts its gaze to the North East here, with their sixth slab of monolithic mid tempo sounds as two of Newcastle's new breed of producers take the helm for sides W & U respectively. While it seems Newcastle hasn't quite engendered a city wide electronic music heritage in a fashion similar to the likes of Bristol, London or Glasgow, it would be foolish to say there aren't interesting emergent sounds bubbling under in the area, as evidenced on this twelve. Take a glance at the biography and Soundcloud of Emile Strunz and it's apparent the producer has been fine tuning a well chosen approach to his craft over some time, culminating in the quite excellent "Shields." A solid mid tempo jacker of a track driven by a liquefied arpeggio, the unhinged vocal chanting that sits deep within adds the requisite idiosyncratic touch we've come to expect from the label run by Blake and Hart. Complementing this is "Lovebites" from the Last Waltz trio who turned out in fine style on Endless Flight this year. If the W side is all about the sleaze, this track is a much brighter production operating at a similar tempo and manages to sneak in some well chosen Akira samples. Buy on sight!

Review: Some rather sun-kissed Balearic disco vibes from Mr Strip here. As the name suggests, "Astral Projection" was designed for all cosmic soirees, sunsets and Sunday mornings. It's actually not dissimilar to the likes of Hercules & Love Affair with its dreamy vocal vibes and cool mix of instrumentation and electronica. If you're after something a little more dancefloor then head to Destructo's remix; more Italo that Moroder's moustache and coated with a robust 80s electro sheen, this will have your dancefloor pulling shapes that haven't even been invented yet. And if you want even crazier shapes, head for the aptly titled "Stomp". Kink concludes the package with his own remix of "Astral Projection"; a pumping, loopy reversion, it shakes the original out of its day dream and shoves it rudely onto the mainstage. Exceptional.

Review: The genius of the DJ Kicks series has always been in the leeway it gives to DJs to strike their own chord. Over the years, this opportunity has been used in many ways, from showing off record collecting skills and surprise eclecticism to straight-up party rocking and curious after-hours sounds. So how have Digitalism interpreted the brief? Pretty much as you'd expect, to be honest, gleefully mashing up piano-laden party jams, gravely indie dance, over-compressed electro-house and nosebleed techno. Sure, there are surprises - a string of spacey synth jams and a dash of slacker rock - but for the most part this is a no-holds-barred romp through pogo-friendly dancefloor fun. Really, we didn't expect anything less.

Review: Trouble' is one of the most eagerly awaited debut electronic albums for years, with previous singles 'Garden', 'Tapes & Money', 'Trouble', and 'Household Goods' joined by a wealth of new music. This is a celebration of electronic music's diversity and range. As Orlando, aka TEED himself comments: "I hoped to make a record that felt free from the frequent short-lived trends in dance music, and that made sense to a dancer and a listener. I feel like I've been working on this debut album for ages and now I can't wait to get it out there". Surely and steadily, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs has seen his star rapidly ascend. From YouTube views of his 'Garden' video exceeding 2.5 million, to heading out to the Congo with Damon Albarn to record an album for Warp; remixing Lady Gaga and even playing an exclusive set from the top of the Millbank Tower across the Thames, one of the chief pleasures of witnessing Orlando's remarkable rise to the top has been just how distinctive and exciting it all is.