Compilation Recommendations July 2014

Review: New York's venerable Mister Saturday Night imprint - an offshoot of Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin's party series of the same name - has spent the last couple of years building a reputation as a go-to label for those who like their house and techno eccentric and left-of-centre. Here, they present a showcase of their output to date that mixes previously vinyl-only singles - see Lumigraph's "Yacht Cruiser", the murky jazz-house flex of Archie Pelago's "Brown Oxford" and General Ludd's sweaty "Woo-Ha" - with a swathe of previously unreleased cuts. These are uniformly excellent, with the murky future voodoo of General Ludd's "C" and Archie Pelago's jazz-funk jam "Cinema Club" standing out.

Review: Alex "Omar" Smith has always come across as fairly militant in terms of his musical output, so it's still a surprise that he's chosen to celebrate the first decade of his FXHE label by putting out a series of mixes. This second installment expands on the first - released earlier this year - mixing familiar staples and scene anthems (Smith's own "It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It") with lesser known gems. Musically, it's impressively raw, with Smith moving through a range of tough, stripped-back techno grooves and dystopian acid house gems before reaching for more melodious cuts such as the shimmering "Flying Blind" and melancholic "Three Blind Rats".

Review: London's Horse Meat Disco club really has beaten all comers in the -disco stakes: if a decade of packed parties, international DJ gigs and bringing the disco sleaze to Rinse FM isn't enough, they now deliver their fourth(!) compilation for Strut Records. James Hillard, Jim Stanton, Luke Howard and Severino all share the selection of a 16-strong tracklist, which also appears in mixed form too. Highlights include the quirky Chaka Khan-esque "Ain't No Way" by Opal, the sumptuous luxury vibes of "Stop" by Valery Allington and the legendary low-slung bass-fest "Barah" by Cleavage. Full marks again, how do they do it?!

Review: Mule Musiq boss Toshiya Kawasaki has pulled out all the stops for the sixth installment of the label's popular I'm Starting To Feel Okay compilation series. Not only does this tenth anniversary celebration run at two discs, rather than the usual one, it also features even more exclusives and unreleased tracks from the label's stable of like-minded deep house producers. As you'd expect, there's plenty to enjoy, from the hypnotic, Detroit-influenced pulse of Julius Steinhoff's "Downtown" and Axel Boman's woozy, picturesque "Anytime Is Fine" (which seemingly features a riff inspired by an obscure boogie classic), to the sinewy strings and bustling rhythms of Johannes Brecht's "London" and Fred P's typically musical "Electric Bridge".

Review: Given that this year marks 20 years since the launch of Ralph Lawson's 20:20 Vision imprint, it seems fitting that the veteran DJ is at the controls for the centrepiece of the label's celebrations. Content allows Lawson to showcase his renowned DJ skills, as he mixes up a selection of previously unreleased cuts and unheard remixes of label anthems. Many of these appear on the second, unmixed disc, allowing DJs the chance to bust out such gems as Tom Trago's fuzzy, swinging remake of Wulf & Bear's 1995 deep house classic "Raptures of the Deep", Psychemagik's sparse but funky rework of Debukas' "Some Days", and Matthew Herbert's surprisingly straight tweak of Maya Jane Coles' "Senseless".

Review: Deetron's Fabric mix has been a long time coming; in many ways, it's a surprise that he hasn't been asked to lay down a volume before. His wide-ranging approach to techno and house - rooted in the classic sounds of Chicago in Detroit, but rich in immersive European tech-house - is perfectly suited to the mix format. Fabric 76, then, is an impressive journey, with classic tracks from Galaxy 2 Galaxy, DJ Sneak and E-Dancer rubbing shoulders with more recent fare from new school heroes such as Tom Trago, Joe, Ripperton, Seven Davis Jnr and the irrepressible Redshape. With tracks from Caribou, Atoms for Peace and Four Tet also making an appearance, there's plenty of curious turns to keep the mix fresh and exciting.

Review: Given his multiple production aliases, love of collaboration and two acclaimed labels - the effervescent Aus and Simple Music - its surprising Will Saul has time to think, let alone lay down a DJ Kicks mix. That the resultant mix is a woozy, atmospheric, multi-textured voyage through many shades of deep house, techno and bass-flecked electronic music is less surprising. Tightly packed with exclusives - see Bicep's rave-flavoured "Nova", for starters - and with cuts from pals October, George Fitzgerald, Cottam and Axel Boman, amongst others, there's plenty for fans of Saul's ever-evolving sound to cheer. The mix is smooth and undulating, too, with Saul building a distinctly warm and wide-eyed vibe over 80 mesmerizing minutes.

Review: Given his popularity amongst the soulful cognoscenti, it's little surprise to find globetrotting Belgian DJ LeFtO - a man renowned for the depth and diversity of his record collection - curating the latest Southport Weekender mix. His mix - here featured on the first of two discs - is superb, though it's the variety and quality of the unmixed tracks on CD2 that makes this a must-have for open-minded DJs. Shimmering, bass-heavy futurism and heady deep house sits side by side with samba, African rhythms, jungle-tempo jazz (one of Peshay's recent outings for Tru Thoughts), twinkling Latin house, future R&B and calypso (the excellent Armals Trinidad Cavaliers). Throughout, there's not a duffer in sight. In a word: essential.

Review: With the Ibiza season now in full swing, Mark Knight's Toolroom Records unleash their contribution to the bulging tie-in compilation market. It's a bit of a beast, too, with a bumper selection of tracks - both from the label itself, and like-minded producers and imprints - stretched across three discs. The first disc offers a baggier, looser, warmer and more melodic take on house, perfect for reclining on the beach or sipping an ice-cold cocktail by the pool. Things get rougher and tougher over the second and third discs, with notable big room-friendly material from the likes of Toddla T Sound, Rene Amesz, UMEK, Catz 'n' Dogz, Josh Wink (remixed by Subliminal veteran Harry "Choo Choo" Romero) and Sidney Charles.