CD Album Recommendations May 2013

Review: Given his advancing years, it's perhaps unsurprising that Sasha works slowly. This follow-up to his well-loved Invol2ver CD - a collection that set out to blur the boundaries between artist album, DJ mix and remix set - has been promised for four years. Still, fans will think it was worth the wait. Not just because Sasha delivers both club-friendly and downtempo versions of the album, but also because there's a distinctly progressive house feel throughout. Of course, there are contemporary influences - the shuffle of big room tech-house is never far away, and there are reworks of the likes of Blondes, Foals and the XX - but Involv3r's greatest strength is that it doesn't really sound like anything else. Put simply, it's Sasha through and through.

Review: Techno producer Adam Mitchell has scored reasonable underground success with his vinyl-only Traversable Wormhole EPs, which have now reached volume 10. Here, as a follow-up to 2010's well-received Traversable Wormhole Volume 1-5, he gathers together the pick of the tracks released since. It's a fuzzy, dark and distorted brew, flitting between tough, off-kilter dancefloor fare (see "Subliminal Warp Drive", "Universal Time'), spacious minimal excursions ("Worldline") and murky blasts of bleak, darkroom chug ("The Wormhole Nexus"). It's hardly cheery, but that's the point; Mitchell excels at making techno that prioritises form , function and atmosphere over melody and style.

Review: Given the status of Diplo, not to mention the ubiquity of the ragga-electro anthem "Pon Da Floor" (which was, after all, bitten by Beyonce), it's fair to say that this second Major Lazer full length is big news. A cursory glance at the guestlist (Vybz Kartel, Bruno Mars, Wyclef Jean, Peaches, Shaggy, Laidback Luke, Ms Dynamite) confirms the producer's intentions: to make a hit EDM album. If that was their aim, then Free The Universe is impressive. Flitting between dancehall-inspired electro-house rinse-outs, pop-ragga and 21st century EDM-reggae, it delivers the sort of radio-friendly cuts that should gain wide appeal.

Review: Having gate crashed the scene back in 2007 with an inspired release on Hessle Audio, Romanian producer Cosmic TRG has since become one of the most in-demand men in electronic music. His productions have already graced such hyped imprints as Rush Hour Direct Current, Naked Lunch, Immerse and Hemlock. Here, he pops up on 50 Weapons with a decidedly mature second album. Where his early material was bold, brash and bass-heavy, Gordial is a lot more considered and, dare we sat it, introspective. Built around glitchy rhythms and glacial melodies, it's a warm, atmospheric and tactile full-length that proudly wears its techno, IDM and ambient influences on its sleeve.

Review: Having wowed critics and punters alike with his memorable 2011 debut album, James Blake tries it all over again with his sophomore, Overgrown. Given that his first set was such a remarkable release - a game-changer, in many ways - it was always going to be hard for him to repeat the trick. To his credit, he's mixed things up a little, referencing the wonky hip-hop of his Harmonimix material ("Take A Fall For Me"), intoxicating percussive workouts ("Renegade Lion") and symphonic dancefloor fare (the cowbells and grandiose chords of "Voyeur"). These are joined by his usual array of skewed piano ballads ("To The Last") and intricate oddities ("Our Love Comes Back").

Review: Versalife producer Boris Bunnik has long been part of Holland's vibrant 808 electro scene, releasing decidedly angular electronic rhythms under a myriad of pseudonyms. Here, he continues his journey into Drexciyan territory with a formidably spooky first full-length under the Versalife moniker. His formula is simple; deep, otherworldly electronic atmospherics and industrial strength drum machine rhythms. Occasionally, he goes deeper still - see the intergalactic ambience of "Further Connections" and the slo-mo delight of "Dawn of A New Day" - ensuring that Vantage Point has panoramic appeal.

Review: Having previously impressed with a quartet of genre-defying singles, Letherette duo Andy Harber and Richard Roberts get their chance to shine with a much talked-about debut album on Ninja Tune. Like their previous work, Letherette gleefully ignores convention, offering up a selection of tracks that flit between garage-influenced downtempo hip-hop ("I Always Wanted You Back"), synth-laden MDMA-electrofunk (the delightfully deep "The One"), bold dancefloor shufflers ("Warstones") and Ed Banger-ish P-funk revivalism ("Space Cuts", for example, sounds like a contemporary take on vintage Daft Punk). While impressive, it's clear that their strongest suit is their love of hazy atmospherics; without doubt, the best tracks here bump along at a slower tempo.

Review: It's nearly three years since we last heard from !!!, owners of the strangest name in dance music (it is, of course, pronounced !!!). In that time, the now veteran band's members have pursued a variety of intriguing solo projects, with Justin Van Der Volgen making his mark as a DJ and producer of seriously good disco edits. The brilliantly named Thr!!!er (see what they did etc.) is undeniably looser and groovier than previous efforts, with their trademark low-slung, punk-funk bass being used to good effect on tracks that range from LCD Soundsystem-ish house-influenced anthems ("Slyd") and Prince-influenced disco (the delightfully summery "One Girl/One Boy"), to West Coast stoner funk-rock ("Californiyeah") and Rick James style hustlin' disco-funk ("Except Death").

Review: With a name inspired by a Russian science fiction novel by Andrei Tarkovsky, not to mention a shared love of world cinema, there was never any chance of Solar Bears' sophomore album being anything but a left-of-centre gem. Supermigration melds picturesque electronics and vintage Italo influences to intricate, soundtrack-influenced atmospherics and warm, Morricone-ish melodies. It's a wonderful mix, and one that produces a series of stunning compositions, from the Balearic bagginess of "Love Is All" and soaring intensity of "Our Future Is Underground", to the heart-aching mournfulness of "You & Me (Subterranean Cycles)" and chugging, John Carpenter-on-pills rush of "Komplex".

Review: Owiny Sigoma Band's self-titled debut album was a fine example of the sort of 21st century cross-cultural fusion so beloved of Gilles Peterson and Damon Albarn (both of whom had a big hand in the project's gestation). Featuring Kenyan musicians and members of London-based leftfield indie band Elmore Judd, their trademark sound - atmospheric, distinctly North African but with an undercurrent of British electronica - is undeniably refreshing. This second full length is just as impressive, and well worthy of your hard-earned. There are some brilliant tracks, not least the near Balearic "Sunken Wrecks". Tip!