DJS: MOST CHARTED - MINIMAL / TECH - MOST CHARTED IN JULY 2013

Review: Canadian producer The Mole, or Colin de la Plante to friends, has been in fine production fettle so far this year, gracing labels as varied as Red Motorbike, Slices Of Life and his own Maybe Tomorrow operation with his distinct brand of tongue in cheek mutant house. History Of Dates marks the long overdue Perlon debut for The Mole and it's celebrated in style as Zip's venerated label call in DJ Sprinkles on remix duties! The title track and "Lockdown Party" line up on the A Side with the latter track a particularly cheeky production, as playground chants sit deep beneath an insouciant house groove. It's this track that Sprinkles remixes, implementing some subtle production additions such as handclaps and playful filtration on the vocal samples which lend the track a different energy as Thaemlitz deftly builds up a killer contemporary disco groove.

Review: What began as a record shop in Munich founded by Marvin & Valentino now becomes a record label as the duo inaugurate Public Possession with a 12" under the Tambien project they share with compatriot Bartellow. As you'd expect from the title, the Robusto / Sexalitat EP occupies the robust end of the techno spectrum, offering up two cuts steeped in analogue fuzz but still powered by a desire to make people move. With support from the likes of Joakim, Tim Sweeney and LIES boss Ron Morelli, the wonderfully hollow sounding "Robusto" rips and bounces in all the right spots whilst "Sexalitat" nearly boils over with intensity and shimmering white noise. Sehr gut!

Review: Londoner Midland has become one of the more consistent producers to emerge out of the post dubstep swamp in the last few years, with a respectable clutch of record label releases and collaborations in his discography. Apparently mindful of the pitfalls of spreading himself too thin by continuing this approach of signing records to interested labels, Midland has founded Graded, his own label which is aimed as an outlet for all his future 12" productions. Archive 01 sets the tone for Graded brandishing two typically weighty house productions from Midland recorded to tape; the title track has a wonderfully clomping beat whilst the fizzing bass line and ghostly vocals really benefit from the fuzzy edge the recording process gives them. Complementing this, "Realtime" demonstrates Aguis is equally happy to delve into weirder territory, crafting a groove from odd vocal ticks and searing bass tones.

Review: Since establishing the Arttu project with a couple of releases on Philpot, Finnish producer Arttu Snelman (who previously recorded as Lump) has really made a name for himself as a exponent of loose limbed bang the box house tracks for the likes of 4 Lux and Clone Royal Oak - The Jerry The Cat featuring "Nuclear Funk" for the latter label remains a Juno HQ favourite. It's great then to see Snelman return to Soulphiction's enduring label for this classy two track demonstration of the current Arttu style. Lead cut "Next System" has that loose percussive sensibility, with hi hats spraying liberally in various directions whilst Snelman goes freestyle on the keys. However it's "Space Tripping" that resonates most, coming across like Prince jamming with Ron Hardy.

Review: After making themselves known as a unit through a well-steered label, a focused party brand and a Fabric mix, Apollonia are now making their first steps as a production outfit, on their own imprint of course. Dan Ghencia, Dyed Soundorom and Shonky already share a passion for reduced, late-night strains of house music heavy on rhythm and atmosphere, but expressed through controlled arrangements and measured sounds. "Trinidad" more than steps up to this state of affairs with simple approach, a powerful bassline and a steady rolling beat, while "Visa Americain" follows suit with a nagging loop just itching to burrow its way into the collective unconsciousness of clubs such as DC10.

Review: Frankfurt's Rajko Muller has been responsible for some timeless dancefloor moments as Isolee since his emergence on the iconic Playhouse in 1996, chief among them the iconic "Beau Mot Plage". Having resurfaced earlier this year with that 3 track drop for Koze's Pampa label, Isolee delivers another contemporary contender for his canon of personal classics with this release for Ripperton's Tamed Musiq. "Dennis" is filled with all the warmth and production intricacies one comes to expect from an Isolee production and is complemented by tweaks from Ripperton himself and Berlin artist Baikal.. The former's self styled 'Eight Wheels dub' adds a lot more percussive groove to the mix whilst Baikal opts for a hypnotic rework that's all about the labyrinthine bassline.

Review: A considered classic in the canon of Minimal Wave tracks, "Flying Turns" by Philadelphia trio Crash Course In Science is opened up to a whole new audience here with a 12" reissue on Pressure Traxx complemented by remixes from label founders Einzelkind and Frost as well as Mr R Villalobos. Given that "Flying Turns" is a favourite of numerous DJs - from James Murphy to J Rocc to Funkineven - you should be familiar with the corrugated synth lines, proto-techno rhythms and the urgent vocals of the track which sounds remarkably futuristic despite it's first appearance dating back to 1981. Frost & Einzelkind focus on that degraded sound for their remix whilst Villalobos turns in two typically stripped back revisions of which the self styled 'Mac Hawking' effort is wonderfully boompty.

Review: Combine Jean-Guillaume Cabanne with Guillaume Berroyer and you get Copacabannark, a French minimal production duo with two early noughties releases on Perlon and another 2006 release on Minibar. The 10" Mindisc EP is their second release for the aforementioned Minibar and it sees Copacabannark return to a quirky and minimal squirt-effect aesthetic. "Cave" softly throbs to the sound of a tonal bassline muffled by woofy filters, as a three dimensional scope of trippy sound bites circulate the background like a confusing dream. On the flip is the stripped back and funky groove of "Grenier", narrated by discombobulated vocal samples of the late Gil Scott-Heron.

Review: Volume four of the Vanguard Sound series from Anunnaki Cartel label sees Amir Alexander and Chris Mitchell once again open the invitation to the East Coast house innovators. This time it's Plan B pair DJ Spider and Dakini9 who line up alongside the label founders with Amir Alexander setting a rough and rugged tone on opening track "Cypher". Rasping kicks and a killer bouncing analogue bassline drive the track forwards as Alexander gradually weaves in a searing synth tone which increases with smudged incandescence until a vocal sample offers some brief politically tinged respite before the synth tone kicks back in. Mitchell is in equally bullish mood on "213 NL" a straight up drum track that ratchets up into full blow acid filled psychedelia as the final third hones into view. On the Plan B side, Spider drops one of his trademark lurching rhythms, with skittering drums traversing the gritty lower frequencies of "New World Resistance" which is filled with the sort of vocal samples that justifies the title. "Rollercoaster To Nowhere" from Dakini9 is just as impressive, retaining the murky mood yet driven by it's own almost drunken percussive swagger.

Review: The latest release from Matias Aguayo's relentless Comeme imprint once again delivers - if you're looking for something to give a jaded dancefloor a gargantuan kick up the backside, you have five tracks by Alejandro Paz to choose from here. The Madrid-based Chilean producer seems to specialize in the sort of robust, forthright house that comes laden with more energy than a skip full of Red Bull; both "Lavapies" and "Different But The Same" lace sharp, rave-influenced synths and atmospheric spoken word vocals over heavy low-end grooves. More impressive is "The Bubble", a hissing, swinging exercise in contemporary acid jack. "Inside Job" sounds like 808 State's "Cubik" on steroids, while closer "El Raver" delivers a relentless trip through '90s "braindance" territory.

Review: It's been seven years since Holden's debut album The Idiots Are Winning was released on his own Border Community imprint, and in that time new material has been scarce to say the least. Thankfully, The Inheritors was well worth the wait; produced with a combination of Holden's extensive analogue modular system and his own self-coded software, the album takes in influences as wide as The KLF, Elgar, ceilidh music, pentatonic folk scales and ancient pagan rituals, with each track recorded in one take with no overdubs. Border Community cohort Luke Abbott's Holkham Drones album would be the closest comparison, but even that superb record doesn't come close to the sprawling marvel that is The Inheritors, with highlights like the jazz sax of "The Caterpillar's Intervention" and twisting analogue techno of "Gone Feral" coming thick and fast.

Review: The Modular RZ EP is an excellent rough edged material from Naples pair Rio Padice and Massimo De Lena, founders of the Early Sound Recordings label and well acclimatised to working together as part of The Early Sounds Collective with fellow Neapolitan Leskin. The three tracks here are a perfect fit for Clone's irregular Royal Oak series, nudging themselves nicely in the fuzzy grey zone between house and techno and focusing on a tooly approach that keeps the beats straight whilst they work through a raft of bleep laden, analogue movements. The title track has immediate qualities that will appeal to many, but the rugged charms of "The Octave Lord Of Ring Mode" really stand out for us, with dirt encrusted bassline and semi malfunctioning fx lending the production just the right dash of wrongness.

Review: Earlier this year, Nick Hoppner stepped down from his role as Ostgut Ton label manager, handing the reins to Jenus Baumecker without a hint of self importance or grand standing. The reasoning behind this decision was apparently so Hoppner could dedicate more time to creative pursuits and this has delivered some swift results in the form of Red Hook Soil, a three track 12" for the label he no longer oversees. The release is Hoppner's first for Ostgut since 2011, though he's been active in the interim period gracing Kompakt Extra and Echochord with aplomb. All three tracks on the Red Hook Soil see Hoppner in a four-four mood, with the title track venturing into uplifting, and in parts, melancholic fields of production that share a similar, only more textured feel to 2010?s "Brush Me Down" from the EP of the same name. The B-side is met with strains of Italo on the verging-on-epic "Bait & Tackle", though Hoppner does move into tougher techno territory with a dryer and regimented track in "Decal".

Review: Throughout his career, the wonderfully named Orlando Higginbottom has proved something of a chameleon, delivering productions under the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs moniker packed with party-friendly elements that defy easy categorization. The trend continued when Damian Lazarus surprising picked Higginbottom out to put together the fourth instalment of Crosstown Rebels Get Lost mix series. This sizeable triple LP lifts out a selection of highlights from that 70 minute mix for any budding TEED wannabes out there (head piece not included) It's a surprisingly left of centre selection too with the wonderful "Floo" from Jorge Velez's MMT Tapes series, the chilling oriental strings of Asa Hang & Junray's "Hana" and Richard H Kirk's "I Want More" not the type of music you'd expect on a Crosstown compilation.

Review: Aligned with the instrumental, minimal and kitsch sounds coming out of Germany - the Germany that's not Berlin - the blooming Kann Records (and record store) deliver their tenth release. Edward - a close associate of Oskar Offerman - remixes Johannes Beck (not the Nick Cave-associated Johannes Beck), working the strings and chords with harsher percussive elements, while RVDS effects the congo drums of Even Anell's "Dramaqueen" with playful delay. The final remix comes from Axel Bowman and Petter Nordkvists remix project Salax Peep Show, who take on homegrown Kann Records act Map.ache, and his musical "Enola".

Review: Established last year, Lisbon label Assemble Music has been making ripples in minimal circles with their output from Dorian Paic, Daze Maxim and St. Joseph. This fourth release should engender something akin to a wave of appreciation as Ricardo Villalobos continues his fruitful collaborative streak with the two track Veric 12" in conjunction with Vera Heindel. The pair are known to frequently share the decks at her home town club in Frankfurt and the chemistry between them translates to the studio, with both "Rambutan" and "Take Me" masterful examples of extended, hypnosis inducing minimalist productions.

Review: The Nothing Special maintain their intermittent attitude to release schedules with the third 12" in as many years, though Sleeping Rough is made that bit extra special (no pun intended) as it's the first time label boss Craig Richards has helmed a plate! The title track's been a much requested production since the revered Fabric resident included it on his Boiler Room set earlier this year; that "drippy drippy" vocal hook which rides the deep, abstract house groove will lodge itself comfortably in your cerebral cortex as soon as you hear it. Alongside it, both "Surgical Changes" and "Verbal Abuse" showcase Richards' production range, adopting a slanted 160bpm pace whilst the stripped down programming ensures there's plenty of space for him to experiment with sound and texture.