The AM Feat. Sky : Choose To Believe – Not the most stunning Mahogani yet, but very good none-the-less. Think it’ll be a grower.

Fabrice Lig : Meet U In Brooklyn – The A side is the one that does it for me, with chunky retro drum machines, huge claps and Fabrice style synths that strangely fit really well. An excellent departure, with all the Fabrice Lig character crammed in there still. The B side is good too, and a strange cross between UR stabs, disco strings and Metro Area synths. Must be heard for its balls and originality.

Meg : MGRMX – Haven’t had a proper chance to injest all of this yet, and to be honest the Theo track stands out so much, I don’t know that I’ll ever properly give the rest of it the attention it deserves. The Theo remix is easilly one of his best efforts ever. Unusually clean production for him, a good pressing, and gorgeous vocal treatments compliment some amazing instrumentation. This is pure beautty with a devastating groove. The one remix justifies the unusually low price (at least in the UK).

Various Artists : A Secret History – It’s an amazing presentation, down to those best-of-both-worlds, paper-on-the-outside, plastic-on-the-inside sleeves. I’m really happy to have an excellent pressing of Peut Etre Pas, Visgage, Problems D’Amore and the rest. Shamefully, I didn’t own any before, so this is both a unique offering, and a huge penny saver.

Various Artists : Iridite Productions Present Electron Music – Really like the whole thing. 4 tracks of tasty, big Detroit/Glasgow techno. On first listen, I think the last track is my favorite, but they’re all nice fo sho.

Various Artists : Sun Ra Dedication – The Myth Lives On – Late catching up on this one, but very happy to have done so. I think the Alex Attias (Mustang) version of Nuclear War is the stand-out for me so far, with the Vanessa Freeman version of Astro Black in close second at the moment, but can tell I’ll really need some time with this one.

(and yes you’re right, I shouldn’t have)

The AM Feat. Sky : Choose To Believe Already mentioned lots. Short new (possibly) Alton Miller thing on Mahogani. Tasty.

Chicken Lips : Bad Skin / Skin Bad Not sure what to make of this one yet, but sounds quirky and good from the online snip. Took a chance on it for £5er.

Fabrice Lig : Meet U In Brooklyn Very disco-y but with some characteristic Fabricing therein. Nice.

Meg : MGRMX Theo Parrish and Hiroshe Watanabe remixes of this Japanese vocalist. The Theo one sounds dope.

Various Artists : A Secret History Looks to be a fantastic compilation of ’80s pre-techno, from Alexandre Robotnik, Klein & M.B.O., Telex, even Paul McCartney and many others. So far everything I’m reading sez this is also a brilliant package and high quality, heavy vinyl. Can’t wait to get my mits on it. Compiled by New Religion’s Dan Keeling and Alex Bond.

Various Artists : Iridite Productions Present Electron Music Really tasty Detroitish techno from Scotland that finally made its way into my basket.

Various Artists : Sun Ra Dedication – The Myth Lives On Remixes from Recloose, Theo Parrish, Jimi Tenor, YNQ w/Dudley Perkins, Mustang, King Britt and many interludes/remixes by Francisco Morra of Inner/Outerzone fame.

The 2×12 of Remixed on the 24th of July is out now. Very good it is as well.

I particularly like the gritty Theo Parrish remix, the Pepe Braddock remix,

Charles Webster’s own Presence remix and the Jimpster one. Already had the

Herbert one, but it’s great too of course.

Also got the Times Like These… 12″ by James Duncan on Le Systeme. Sounds a

lot like the disco-y material on Ferris Park, or Pal Joey in cut-up mode.

Really subtle, funky and quite diverse and coherent.

Going through some of the other semi-relevant purchases of late, I’ve been

really impressed with the new Cai ‘Calling Out EP’ on Out of the Loop, or at

least the a-side anyway. The first Cai did not please me nearly as much, and

the b-sides of the new one seem a bit less imaginative, but the a-side is

pure class. Woke up yesterday morning with it looping through my head,

making my start to Tuesday much nicer than Monday. 😉 It reminds me a lot of

Norma Jean Bell’s ‘Dreams’, especially that wonderful feeling of seeing her

open with it at the 2nd DEMF. Takes me right back.

A lot of people seem to be getting really lazy with their Theo

Parrish/Moodymann comparisons. There is a whole lot more Detroit house out

there than those two, and while I love them, the overuse of them as ‘style

markers’ is becoming nearly epidemic! Apologies for the rant, it’s just that

it’s almost like these two fellas have become marketing icons in the

underground, and it cheeses me off a bit to see a record like the above

lazilly lumped in with them when it clearly sounds a whole lot more like

NJB.

Sonar Lodge & Max 404 : Celsius – picked this up for the Domu mix, but was

intrigued by Max 404’s involvement all over it. Have to say his hand in it

is not such a selling point. I love his older stuff, but this really doesn’t

touch it in any way. It’s not to say that Max 404 hasn’t occasionally been

cheesy in the past, but this is certainly not a revival of his finer

moments. The Domu mix, however is yet more severe funk from the man who is

on an unstoppable roll. Definitely worth seeking out for the Domu devotees.

Also got a copy of the forthcoming debut on 11th Hour from Shawn Rudiman. On

receipt, I played the A2 track on a fairly loud system and it sounded very

nice! On further listens in headphones, that track has not done quite so

much for me though. Think it needs to be really loud. A1 is good, but

doesn’t stand out quite enough for me to listen repeatedly, and the B sides

are total winners. B1 is an almost Aril Brikha-ish track, but with signature

Rudiman all over it. Drenched with melody and slick beatwork, this one

should be tearing up a dancefloor near you soon (or near me at least). B2 is

a thick electro cut reminding me of a cross between Shawn’s epic melodies

and the same from UR. The beat is pretty devastating too. I think the big UR

electro fans will probably go for this one most. Matt’s label should be

churning out some more goodies down the road, so keep your eyes peeled for

more 11th Hour tastiness!

Cai : Calling Out EP (new Detroit house sounds on Russ Gabriel’s Out of the Loop – much better than the last Cai IMO)

Mark De Clive-Lowe : Relax… Unwind (classic, finally out fo real)

Declaime : Life / Enjoy Your Stay (Dudley Perkins and Madlib getting nutty again)

Diverse : One AM (Everyone and their mom on the hip hop tip – who’s got more info on this?)

James Duncan : Times Like These…

James Duncan : Dub With Me / City Life (one older, one new from Metro Area and Pal Joey cohort – both nice)

Hanna : Faceless Emotion (can do without the Landslide mix, although it is pretty good, just not necessary. Never heard the original before though, and like it plenty)

Justice (Vs Simian & Gambit) / Espion : Never Be Alone / Steamulation / Anything Is Possible (Chateau Flight Remix) (not seen this one before. Suddenly becoming completist with the Chateau Flight stuffs)

OutKast : Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (a whole lot of wax)

Sonar Lodge & Max 404 : Celsius (Domu mix + original both sound groovy)

Charles Webster : Remixed On The 24th Of July (can’t wait to hear the Braddock and Theo Parrish mixes loud)

Quasimoto : The Unseen (furthering my Madlib craze at the moment)