Compilation Recommendations June 2011

Review: Frequent visitors to Berlin will already be familiar with beardy DJ Prosumer's talents behind the ones and twos. Those who've not heard him rock a party would do well to check this debut commercial mix for Ostgut Ton. It offers a neat summary of his trademark style, which offers a fun, catch all take on underground house. So, while there is a strong vein of quality deep house running throughout, Prosumer also touches on classic Chi-town jack (Mr Fingers), British bass music (Lil' Silva), sprightly electronic disco (Morgan Geist), bumpin' classics (T.O's ace "Over And Over"), rave-tinged percussion jams (Servo Unique), soul-flecked disco cuts-ups (Circulation) and the jazzual exploits of Theo Parrish - all mixed together with the skill of a true master.

Review: Here, CD and digital DJs get a rare chance to own a slew of previously vinyl-only plates from Mala's Medi Musik imprint. Deep Medi Releases 3 continues the format of its two predecessors, including cuts from 12" singles released in 2008 and 2009. For fans of good quality dubstep, it's well worth a look. While there's the odd intense dancefloor wobbler (Goth-Trad's busy "Saturn", Skream's "The Shinein"), there's also plenty of depth, melody and beauty amongst the trademark low-end pulse. Look out in particular for a pair of luscious, emotion-rich cuts from Quest, a pleasing bleep-fest from Truth, and Clouds' brilliantly far-sighted "Protecting Hands" - here available in two stunning mixes.

Review: Despite his many faults - a prodigious drug intake, depression and an infamously slow work rate - Paradise Garage main man Larry Levan left a lasting legacy in the shape of some still thrilling disco, electrofunk and proto-house productions and remixes. This unmixed set showcases some of his best mixes, from the familiar (landmark dubbed-out rubs of David Joseph, Gwen Guthrie, Imagination and Celestial Choir) to the lesser known (Central Line, Frontline Orchestra). While seasoned Levan-a-holics will almost certainly own almost all of these tracks, Greatest Mixes provides an excellent introduction for Paradise Garage beginners. It says a lot about Levan's qualities as a remixer that there's not a duffer in sight.

Review: Following hot on the heels of Richard Dorfmeister's excellent Private Collection comes this similarly revelatory set of influences from G-Stone partner in crime Peter Kruder. As with Dorfmeister's set, it's an interesting and entertaining collection, veering from the post-indie of Tortoise and bleak melancholy of Tom Waits to the cosmic funk of Starguard and chiming electronica of Chateau Flight (the still classic "Superflight") Along the way, Kruder finds time for a veritable banquet of left-of-centre downtempo delights, from the expansive modern classical of Jan Hammer and immaculate comedown soul of Charles Webster to the prog-jazz of Gong and simple piano expressionism of Craig Armstrong.

Review: Ater five successful years, Tiefschwarz have finally decided the time is right to drop their first Souvenir label compilation. There's an entertaining 'label archive' DJ mix tucked away on disc two for those unfamiliar with Souvenir's history (from noisy Riton records to exotic late night deep house and back again), but it's the first disc that really hits the spot. It neatly demonstrates the label's increasing house-centric diversity via 13 brand new cuts from Souvenir artists old and new. There's not enough space to list all the highlights, but look out for the old skool NYC chug of &Me and Re.You, the intoxicating blues-house of Adam Port and some bumpin' late night percussion business from Ohno.

Review: Following last year's well-received Philly Re-Grooved collection, Harmless have asked legendary disco mixer Tom Moulton to add his midas touch to another set of largely little-known Philly soul tracks. In practice, that means faithful extensions of the original tracks, with certain musical elements emphasized (often the glorious strings and horns, or previously underused drum breaks) to dramatically increase their dancefloor worth. Moulton is a master at this kind of subtle, reverential tweak, and provides some fantastic mixes - in particular two heavyweight soul-rock rubs of Loose Change ("Straight From The Heart") and TJM ("Put Yourself In My Place"). Both should be essential listening for soul and disco diggers.

Review: It's a decade since the inception of Steve Lawler's much loved Lights Out mix series, which throughout the noughties was a staple of Global Underground's release schedule. To celebrate the fact, the Birmingham-born decksmith has put together a celebratory two-disc mix featuring exclusives and a smattering of his own unreleased re-edits. Seasoned Lawler-watchers will enjoy both discs, with their chunky mainroom house grooves, darkroom vibes and pleasingly bumpin' flow. In true Lawler fashion, it comes on like a particularly memorable late night session in a dimly lit basement, where you're so lost in the groove that you barely notice the relentless nudges from the sharpened elbows of fellow ravers.

Review: Although perhaps best known for his involvement in much-hyped Glaswegian bass music institution Numbers, Jack Revill has always been a DJ capable of mixing-it-up with the best. In fact, he's at his mesmerising best when concentrating on the party itself, rather than any one particular style of genre as this debut mix for Fabric brilliantly proves. From start to finish, it's a joyous, party-centric romp that barely pauses for breath. In typical Jackmaster fashion, Revill crams in an impressive 29 tracks in 70 minutes, touching on everything from classic electrofunk and Motor City techno to hands-aloft garage, ragging acid, boompty bass, original hardcore and Radiohead. Grab a bottle of Buckfast and tuck in.

Review: Subtitled "the new electro/disco sound of London", Messages From The Void Volume 2 offers a neat insight into the retro-futurist synthesizer stylings of Britain's tiny new school synth wave, electro, Italo and cold wave scene. As you'd perhaps expect, the sounds are achingly vintage all fuzzy late 70s/early 80s synths, new wave style and dancefloor-centric drum machine beats. Brassica and Ali Renault provide the "big name" flourish (the latter's "Deep Sea Pumas" is a particular highlight), but it's the lesser-known names who really excel. Look out for thrilling contributions from Meschi (the delightful "Arctic Wolf"), Spruxxx, Bill Ambrose and Martin Aston who's "Manniah" is a next-level slo-mo disco delight.

Review: The latest instalment in the Kitsune Maison series sees boutique Parisian shop and label Kitsune continue to edge away from the arms-raised nu-rave and eye-popping electro-disco of earlier editions. In their place is something altogether more pop-centric. So, we get an engaging mix of balls-out powerpop, wacked-out electro-rock, shiny synth-pop, jangly anthems, catchy future radio hits, nu-Italo and comforting MDMA-pop - largely from bands that all but the most dedicated hype machine readers will never heard of. With 16 tracks packed onto one disc, there's plenty to enjoy - not least the vintage Pet Shop Boys pomp of Exotica, and Logo X Icona Pop's blissful piano and strings groovery. If you're after your own portable indie disco, look no further.