Compilation Recommendations October 2011

Review: For the open-minded and soul-inclined, Gilles Peterson's periodic Brownswood Bubblers compilations have always been essential listening. Peterson has long held a deserved reputation as an impressive selector, and the Brownswood Bubblers sets - full to bursting with brand new cuts from new or little-known producers - are rarely less than deliciously diverse. This seventh selection is just as essential as its predecessors, featuring as it does a brilliant mix of lazy Latin grooves, simmering jazz, folksy whimsy and acoustic soul. Highlights are plentiful, but look out for Jesse Boykins' impeccable R&B, Jon Phonics' authentic 80s boogie and Simon 'Basement Jaxx' Ratcliffe's brilliantly bonkers "Mindset".

Review: Munich label Permanent Vacation serve up a second helping of If This Is House I Want My Money Back, presenting twelve tracks of truly cosmopolitan house from some of the best producers out there. Familiar Vacationers such as the Hivern duo of Talabot and Pional return (and provide two of the compilations highlights) along with the likes of Jacob Korn and naturally Permanent Vacation themselves. New arrivals feature more prominently here, and justify their inclusion most notably "Excited", the rough hewn warehouse endeavour from Future Times duo Beautiful Swimmers. The aforementioned Talabot jam "Leave Me" provides the most immediate gratification, demonstrating the Spaniard's true panache for teasing out obscure samples across a track that is constantly twisting with life. However it's surrounded by eleven productions that reveal their own brilliance with time and that's surely the mark of a fine compilation.

Review: As its predecessors had done, this latest installment in Kompakt's annual compilation series gives a good snapshot of where the label's at in the summer of 2011. There's the usual mixture of melodic ambient pop, techno club hits, shuffling deep house and expansive electronica, with familiar favourites (Michael Mayer's brilliant remix of WhoMadeWho, Gus Gus's "Over", Matias' Aguayo's lo-fi dance-rock groover "I Don't Smoke") being joined by a smattering of unreleased cuts. Highlights come thick and fast, with Superpitcher's previously unheard "White Lightning", Jurgen Paape's dream-like "Pray" and Mohn's slo-mo wonk-fest "Tiefnatal" most impressing. If you're after a high quality collection of emotion-rich, cutting-edge electronic music, look no further.

Review: Hed Kandi offer up their latest installment in their long running Disco Heaven series, here expanding to a huge three discs, each offering a different take on disco. The first disc, entitled Disco Heaven, sees a collection of modern grooves in a classic four-to-the-floor disco style, featuring several cuts from Joey Negro, Ben Westbeech's huge anthem "Something For The Weekend", and a sublime new track from Frankie Knuckles himself. The second disc - Disco Kandi - takes a big room, French house inspired approach with tracks from the likes of Ghosts of Venice with the robofunk of "Without You" and Redroche's euphoric "All I Need". The third disc offers a selection of the current cream of contemporary nu-disco producers, with a fresh selection from the likes of The Revenge, Tiger & Woods and Black Van with their Italo-disco inspired "Moments of Excellence", and remixes from the likes of Classixx, Hot Toddy and the mighty Aeroplane.

Review: All of the talk surrounding Ben UFO ahead of the release of his Rinse:16 mix focused squarely on the fact he is a rarity on the contemporary club scene, having built his considerable reputation as a DJ, not a producer. This is wonderfully showcased on a 29-track set that twists, turns, ebbs and flows, with the Hessle Audio chief always thinking one step ahead. Before there is time for the flow to drop into dark, undanceable corners, a sun-kissed curveball - be it the rapid arpeggios of 2562's "Winamp Melodrama" or the saccharine vocals of Champion's "Sensitivity" - is thrown and the mix is yanked in a new, pleasing direction. The upward progression through BPMs is barely perceptible; hardly surprising for someone who makes a living ignoring genre and stylistic restrictions and effortlessly joins the musical dots between modern day London, Bristol and Berlin.

Review: For their latest foray into mix CD territory, Sven Vath's Cocoon imprint have called on the talents of deep house and hypnotic techno types Raresh and Sascha Dive. Their brief is simple: to each lay down a selection fit for Cocoon's occasional Green & Blue parties. Raresh goes deep and percussive on his selection, moving through groove-laden tracks and mixes from Delano Smith, Luciano, Deepchord and Ricardo Villalobos (remixing White Isle classic "Cafe Del Mar"). Dive, on the other hand, takes things up a notch, flitting effortlessly between smart Detroit techno, classic deep house and melody-laden peaktime jams from the likes of Problem Kids, Recloose, Kenny Larkin and Osunlade.

Review: Globe-trotting techno/house hipster Damian Lazarus invites us to Get Lost again, this time in a surprisingly groovy, touchy-feely mix of contemporary house and techno. There's a distinctly vocal feel to a lot of the selections, with Lazarus interspersing warm, MDMA-inclined songs from the likes of Art Department, Nitin, Left and Dance Disorder (impressively remixed by Massimiliano Pagliara) with quirky and jackin' instrumentals from Dinky (the excellent "Owls"), Daphini and Kowton (whose Bristol house anthem "She Don't Jack" is a definite highlight). Lazarus has his critics, but he usually has his finger on the pulse - and Get Lost 4 is an excellent representation where tech-house, in particular, is at right now.

Review: Veteran German crew Jazzanova are the latest production outfit to curate an instalment in Stereo Deluxe's long-running Coming Home series. As with the previous editions, there's no mixing, just an enjoyable selection of tracks hand-picked for home listening by the Berlin-based six-piece. Given Jazzanova's multitude of influences, it's no surprise to find an eclectic mix of genres and artists on display, from the dewy eyed experimentalism of Arthur Russell and hip-hop soul of the Roots to Jamie Cullum's smoky jazz and Joyce's sunny samba grooves. Throw in some vintage disco (John Davis), sweet modern soul (Daz-I-Kue) and hip-hop wonk (Flying Lotus), and you have a thrillingly varied and deliciously well thought-out compilation.

Review: Renowned crate diggers and musical mavericks BBE are celebrating 15 years of treating dusty fingers this autumn. Given the label's hip-hop roots, it's perhaps fitting that this well-deserved anniversary collection should take the form of an old skool hip-hop mixtape. The man at the controls is recent label signing Chris Read, who does his best to keep the party going by cramming in 45 tracks across two entertaining discs. Alongside hip-hop bangers from Jay Dee, DJ Vadim, Pete Rock, DJ Jazzy Jeff and CL Smooth, Read finds time to squeeze in modern soul (Ty), disco revivalism (Million Dollar Orchestra, Larry Gold), jazz-funk (Roy Ayers), broken beat, nu-jazz, drum and bass and loads more besides. Happy birthday BBE!