Musique Pour La Danse Holland Vinyl & CDs

Review: Here's something to set the pulse racing: the first ever release of Coil's 1992 soundtrack to the VHS-only sex-ed documentary "The Gay Man's Guide To Safer Sex". It's always been something of an in-demand curio, primarily because it sees John Balance, Peter Christopherson and Danny Hyde not in industrial or experimental mode, but rather exploring the dreamy chord sequences and warming horizontal of ambient house (albeit with occasional nods towards acid jazz/proto trip-hop and what Hyde describes as "sort of progressive house"). It's very good, though, and comes with two tasty bonus cuts, "Nasa Arab" and "Omlagus Garfungiloops", which are vastly different versions of other soundtrack cuts. These were originally featured on a CD-only release in 1992.

Review: Second time around for one of the ambient techno era's genuine classics, The Detroit Escalator Co's debut album 313 [Soundtrack]. A love letter to producer Neil Olliviera's home city designed to be listened to in the hours before dawn, the album has become something of a cult classic since its initial release on Ferox Records back in 1996. Olliviera's musical blend is relaxed, ethereal and gently futuristic in tone, offering a far-sighted and evocative musical journey that consistently blurs the boundaries between '90s ambient, early Warp style IDM, glacial electronica and softly spun melodic movements inspired by the American minimalism of Steve Reich and Terry Riley. This 25th anniversary edition includes four tracks omitted from the original release and extensive liner notes from the artist.

Review: For those not schooled in the short-lived but influential sound of New Beat, the name Ro Moran won't mean much. Yet during the late '80s and early '90s, Moran - real name Rembert De Smet - was one of Belgium's most prolific producers, delivering underground New Beat anthems on an almost weekly basis. This career retrospective gathers together the best of his productions, a number of which haven't seen the light of day since 1988. Like much New Beat, Moran's driving, warehouse-friendly productions inventively joined the dots between industrial, EBM and pitched-down acid house, best witnessed in the twisted funk of Kaos 007's "CK On Acid", 2 Body's strobe-friendly "Astoria", and Edwards & Armani's slamming "Acid Drill".

Review: Former Coil, Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV member Peter Christopherson helmed many a little-known side project, and The Threshold HouseBoys Choir was one such moniker. In 2007, he released 'Form Grows Rampant', a weirdo's never-never land in album form, following the breakup of Coil in 2005. Expressly not a choir by any stretch, this project focused on exploring vocaloids (CG vocals). The result is a glossolalic and verbed-out display of sonic splendure, with the compositions recalling classical works but littered with digital, electronic detritus. This is a new, condensed reissue via Musique Pour La Danse; clock new CD, black vinyl and clear vinyl versions.

Review: Returning to the turn of the 90s, when British dance music gave birth to two interconnected styles that put heavy sub-bass front and centre: bleep techno and breakbeat hardcore. Exploring these origins, as well as their countless mutations and imitations, Dutch label Musique Pour La Danse present a major new retrospective, cherry picking the cream of the crop of 90s bleeps, breaks and bass. Featuring tracks from Terra Incognita, Tek 9, Boneshakers, Ubik, Break The Limits, Techno Excursion, Trak 1, Three Sons, and KLF, this rare and expertly curated selection of tracks is available in CD form as well as in vinyl format.