[Perlon]

Whether recording as Portable or Bodycode, there’s no denying that Alan Abrahams is an album producer. He’s reliably released an LP every two years since 2002′s Futuristic Experiments #005, accompanied by a stream of singles with an uncommon sense of vision. Abrahams’ tracks often feel like hermetic worlds teeming with activity, a tendency that could make an entire album an exhaustive experience. If this has been an occasional pitfall in the past, it’s completely absent on Into Infinity, his first full-length for Perlon.

If anything, the LP is actually gracefully paced, as Abrahams juxtaposes its most banging, clattering moments with restrained balladry. His baritone vocals are at the forefront more than ever before, and his signature frenetic house is mixed with a dramatic synth-pop influence that echoes groups like Depeche Mode and Japan. There are a few guests, and thankfully none of their contributions feel incongruous with the album’s sound. Efdemin composes “One Way,” which builds on 4/4 kicks and a more linear structure than most of Portable’s material, but its consistent sound palette and Abrahams’ vocals keep it firmly in line. And Abrahams’ longtime friend Lakuti provides vocals for the stepping “A Deeper Love” — a sure highlight, as her house-diva approach provides a refreshing contrast to his pervasive stoic crooning.

Into Infinity is ostensibly Abrahams’ “love” album, inspired by a healthy relationship, and it shows, both in the bright production sheen and the lyrics. For example, the rising, hopeful opener “Making Holes” repeats the line “you’re making holes/in my darkness.” Nevertheless, the LP seems equally concerned with that “darkness.” Last year’s solemn, pleading “Find Me” is a centerpiece, and the slow, tropical syncopations of “Island Of Thought” find him picturing “you with someone else/someone other than me” atop a lush and plaintive synthetic backdrop. The LP is all the richer for this contrast, detailing the fear and solitude surrounding even the most ideal love. Abrahams hasn’t changed his sound as much as polished it, and the 10 tracks here are among his most mature, consuming works to date.

[Perlon]

Alan Abrahams needs little introduction at this point, having over the last decade carved a wholly distinct niche in the spectrum of house music as both Portable and Bodycode. This Life of Illusion, his latest 12″ as Portable for the Perlon label, is not dissimilar to most of his back catalog. Both sides present lengthy, perpetually shifting compositions led by kinetic kicks and (on the B-side, at least) Abrahams’ baritone croon. For all their merits, though, his tracks have never been very compromising — motifs are set out early and repeated often; you have to decide if you’re along for the ride. This Life of Illusion exemplifies this, a record effectively split by its vocals.

A pitched-down monologue runs throughout the A-side, “Life Magically Is.” The voice, potentially (but probably not, unless he’s hiding his South African accent) Abrahams, sleepily slurs a disjointed lecture on mindfulness, “living while you’re alive,” and some related life-affirming topics. Used sparingly, this sort of vocal wouldn’t be too bothersome. But at over twelve minutes, one ends up wishing he would shut up for a bit for the sake of all the tweaked percussion fidgeting underneath, yearning to breathe. Still, “Life Magically Is” probably works wonders in those druggy club situations, a pseudo-profound vocal breakthrough after an hour of instrumentals. “Find Me,” however, is a textbook house anthem, impossibly hooky and also totally poignant, with Abrahams spilling his soul all over the track. Most of the base elements — a hyperactive, swirling jack, placid pads, a looping piano melody — stay put throughout, with Abrahams singing on top. The track is propelled forward by the smallest touches. Midway through, a yearning wail appears in the background, and on top, the producer’s pleas somehow become so much heavier. It’s a concrete rebuttal to the corny self-help advice from the A-side, heartfelt honesty triumphing over cerebral mumbo-jumbo.

For LWE’s 22nd podcast, Alan Abrahams pitted his Portable and Bodycode aliases against each other for almost an hour of alien house mayhem. Make sure to grab a piece of the carnage before it’s sealed in the archives this Friday, September 24th at 10 am CST.

When we last checked in with Silas Moldenhawer and Jonas Kenton of Kenton Slash Demon they had just released their first single for Copenhagen’s increasingly noteworthy Tartelet Records. The Danish duo, who are also members of indie rockers When Saints Go Marching, have since returned with a much more ambitious project: a trilogy of singles under the banner of The Schwarzchild Solution. The first edition presents “Sun,” a track which pushes The Books-styled acoustic samples into bumping tech-house forms. The flipside, our Download of the Week, is Portable’s melancholic remix of “Sun.” The way Alan Abrahms repeats the title in his emotive tenor it’s a bit like a dirge, but the original’s shimmering samples lighten the mood as they mingle with his unusual battery of percussion and snaking, almost acid-house-like synth progressions. The overall affect is like dancing in a cable car as it zips across power lines with the sun setting in the background. Leave it to Abrahms to make such a peculiar track even weirder and more compelling. Our thanks to Kenton Slash Demon, Portable and Tartelet Records for sharing this tune with all of us.

Download: Kenton Slash Demon, “Sun” (Portable Remix)

[Spectral Sound]

Alan Abrahams has the rare gift, at least in house and techno circles, of making music that sounds like no other. As Portable or Bodycode, his sound is instantly recognizable. A unique and often thrilling fusion that embraces 80′s Chicago, 90′s rave and 00′s clicks ‘n’ cuts, Abrahams’ albums have nonetheless often struggled to produce the adrenaline rush that accompanies his jackhammer live show (ably documented in LWE Podcast 22). Indeed, having such an individual signature sound brings its own problems; once you’ve heard one track, you may feel you’ve heard them all. Familiarity breeds contempt, and his last album as Bodycode, The Conservation Of Electric Charge, and as Portable with Powers Of Ten, both sounded uncharacteristically flat. Abrahams’ solution to this malaise was to take to the microphone, and reinvent himself as a latter-day Jamie Principle. The move obviously worked, as last summer brought the veritable smash “Release” on Perlon, followed by the similarly provocative “The Emerald Life” for Musik Krause. Both were released under his nominally less floor-orientated Portable alias (tell that to the people dancing), but evidently the introduction of vocals has also reinvigorated his Bodycode moniker, as Immune is the finest record of his career.

A word of warning to the uninitiated: Abrahams is not your average diva; his sung-spoke vocals can be an acquired taste, and may have a polarizing effect on many listeners. Sometimes they’re buried deep in the mix, sometimes they’re front and centre. Love them or loathe them, they bring a sense of order and direction to a sound that previously had occasionally sounded cluttered, as chattering percussion, glitches, battered ethnic instruments and clipped rave stabs pile into each other. In particular, Lerato Khathi (well known to discerning Londoners as the woman behind the Süd Electronic parties and Uzuri label) adds a neat hook to single “What Did You Say” with her accusatory refrain, “How can you say you’d live without me? How can you say you wanna leave me?” “Imitation Lover” is another standout, with an endlessly mutating synth riff that clings to the “No, no, no!” refrain like ivy climbing a tree.

What’s wonderful about Abrahams’ music is that you can really hear that it is a product of his personal histories, geographies, and philosophies. The debut Portable album, Cycling, was named after freewheeling around London, and Abrahams’ South African roots have always shown through. Immune is soaked with the experience of leaving London to live in Lisbon, and then Berlin, as his recent interview with Textura reveals. Intricate opener “Meaning and Memory” is an obvious example, while “Subspace Radio” samples the white noise of the waves at Abrahams’ favourite Lisbon beach Praia da Ursa, in the process rivaling Jan Jelinek’s best work. “Arigato” chops up a Japanese airport announcement heard whilst on tour, and blends it into a beautiful deep house track, not too dissimilar to the recent remix of Oleg Poliakov’s “Rainy Dayz”. Closing track “Immune” works both sonically as a manifesto for his sound, all syncopation and intricate jack, and lyrically as a summation of his peripatetic lifestyle and musical reinvention: “Nothing is immune to change.” Sing it, brother.

Alan Abrahams maintains that traditional African music and house music are much the same thing. In his music as Portable and Bodycode, Abrahams acts a living link between the indigenous sounds of his youth in South Africa and the first Chicago house records whose futuristic aesthetic broadened his horizons. Since leaving South Africa for London, Lisbon and now Berlin, Abrahams launched the Süd Electronic label with Lerato and released on ~scape, Spectral Sound, Karat and Perlon (among others). Tomorrow sees the release of his second album as Bodycode, the spectacular Immune on Spectral Sound. Full of fuzzy organ chords, needling percussion and Abrahams’ emotion-filled vocals, the album finds his sui generis sound in its most realized state. Our 22nd podcast pits Abrahams’ Portable and Bodycode monikers against each other, providing an exclusive look into the sounds bouncing around this talented producer’s head and computer.

LWE Podcast 22: Portable vs. Bodycode (54:06)

Tracklist:

01. Oleg Poliakov, “Rainy Dayz” (Portable remix) [Circus Company]
02. Bodycode, “Meaning and Memory” [Spectral Sound]
03. Portable ft. Lerato, “Body to Body” (live remix) [Yore Records]
04. Portable, “Release” [Perlon]
05. Bodycode, “Subspace Radio” [Spectral Sound]
06. Portable, “The Many” [Perlon]
07. Bodycode, “I’ll Hold Your Hand” [Spectral Sound]
08. Bodycode, “Nanotechnolody” (live remix) [Spectral Sound]
09. Bodycode ft. Lerato, “What Did You Say” [Spectral Sound]

At what age did you start listening to Chicago house? What drew you in about the music? Did it relate at all to what you were already listening to at the time??

Alan Abrahams: I must have been around 16 or 17 when I first started listening to Chicago house music. I guess what drew me to it was the fact that it was new music. This was the time when some of the first drum machines and new synths were being made, and you had a completely new, futuristic sounds being experimented with. Some of the the really early Chicago house tracks were completely revolutionary. Like Liz Torres’ “What You Make Me Feel” or Master C & J’s “Face It.” Some made only with a 909, [which was a] brand new sound back then, you must understand; this is after the latter years of disco and the biggest change I felt was the addition of a harder, more bottom-ended bass drum, sparse vocals and amazing pads! There was no real relation to what I was listening to at the time. In fact, before house there was only pop and african music for me as a pre-teen.

How long were you making music before releasing your first record in 2001? Did your years of experience mean you already knew what you wanted to make when you were able, or was it a lot of experimenting?

I was making music for a little while before, more experimenting with different incarnations. In fact I was part of a duo called The Mighty Masses, my first foray into singing. We had a big record deal, recorded the album but it was never released. The label felt it wasn’t “black enough” for the country. Funny as I was black and the execs were not. I then left this and started experimenting with more dance related music. A CD was released called “Dance for Freedom” in 1994 under my one time pseudonym, Plexes, on Mass Records in South Africa. This was to coincide with the first South African democratic elections and the release of Nelson Mandela. It was a rare remix album of traditional African freedom songs, one of which later became the national anthem, remixed into a house context. During this time I also had my first foray into deep house music for a record shop/label in Cape Town called DJ Syndicate. I was told it was never released but discovered, after I left Cape Town for London, that in fact it was released without my knowing. In fact, Lerato, who now appears on “What Did You Say” is featured on one of the tracks. So after my move to London a few years passed and it was 2001. “Patterns and Signals,” my first international release was on Sutekh’s context imprint. After that I sort of found my way into the international musicstream.

Your records often find interesting ways to combine African music with house. I was curious where you think the two sounds naturally meet? Do you ever get tired of producers trying to replicate African sounds and, rather often, doing a mediocre job of it?

It’s funny, somehow I feel that house music and traditional African music are really one and the same. Traditional music is made with the intention to get to your soul via rhythm, and the earliest and truest house music is intended for the exact same purpose. I use traditional African sounds and instruments and convert them to bring them into the digital domain. I never just use the sound as it is, that is not the ethos of my sound. My goal is to re-interpret these ancient sounds for the here and now, not just to sample and re-use them in a cheap way, which all these cheap producers do. They are just lazy, it’s easier and easier to make music but not so easy to compose something truly from the heart. I often here these guys talking about how they’ve got this hot track, only to find out that it took them a couple of hours — and of course it sounds that way. Like everything in life, for a piece of music to be timeless, it needs to take time to compose.

It seems since you started using vocals in your projects you haven’t gone back. What significance do your vocals hold in your music? Do you use them when you want to be more explicit about thoughts/emotions? Who are a few of your favorite house music vocalists?

As I mentioned before my first foray into the music world was as a singer. I left that for many years and really just stumbled onto it again recently. I was trying to figure out different ways to move my sound forward and the natural progression was to use vocals, specifically mine. But not vocals just for the sake of vocals, but just when needed. The general idea was to make the tracks more personal,and how more personal can you get than by adding your own voice. I guess my favourite house vocalists are Liz Torres, Robert Owens, and Aaron-Carl.

You’re more of a live PA guy rather than a DJ. What draws you to that over DJing? Who are a few of your favorite producers who do live PAs?

I’ve started playing live just before Ableton 1 arrived, back then with a desktop of all things, haha! Then along came Ableton and opened up a whole new world for the live electronic music composer. I love playing live. You can change your tracks and really feel your music making a difference with the audience. Many times the live sets come up with completely unique versions of my tracks that wouldn’t happen anywhere else but right there on the dance floor. Although I like DJing sometime, I feel I have more to offer as a live PA. And recently I’ve been using a homemade theremin and adding my voice too, so who knows what happens next! As of yet I’ve not seen any outstanding live PA’s, so I don’t have a favourite.

What are the difference between the Bodycode and Portable projects? Your Portable remix of Oleg Poliakov’s “Rainy Dayz” and your Portable singles for Perlon and Musik Krause sound to me a lot like your new Bodycode album. Are the two projects growing closer together production-wise?

I would say the two projects are growing closer for sure, they were never meant to be too far apart. From the start Bodycode was a dance version of the Portable material. Why the remixes and Perlon and Musik Krause releases sounds more dancey is because they were vinyl based releases for the dance floor.

The Portable sound has shifted quite a bit since it first started, though it feels a bit more “stable” these days. Is it more important for you to present a consistent sound or to be flexible?

The very name Portable is meant to mean always moving,being able to move with the flow of existence. I guess it’s sounding more stable now cause these times are a little more stable for me. It’s only important me to present a sound I feel is right and moving with the times, whether it’s stable or not.

When making the Bodycode album, were you aiming more for the dance floor or home listening? How important is it to you to appeal to both settings/audiences?

To be honest, if I’m not listening to classical music or traditional music then I’m listening to dance music. But the Bodycode sound is a dance floor project. So it’s a dance orientated, but because it’s not just thrown together slapdash like so many of today’s productions you can listen to it when you’re cycling or when you’re running or cleaning or cooking or just hanging out with friends, because I feel it appeals to all these aspects.

I know you’ve moved around quite a bit since leaving South Africa. Are you a restless person? How has living in multiple places influenced your music or musical outlook?

I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and then moved to London to further my music aspirations. While in London I started my Süd Electronic label with longtime friend, Lerato. While there my music as Portable was signed to Background Records, then later with ~Scape and I was able to carve out a reasonable living only composing and playing my music live. After ten years in the concrete jungle that is London, I wanted a change. To be able to live closer to nature but still be within Europe. On a gig to Lisbon I fell in love with the city and this opened up the door for this kind of lifestyle, a little city and a lot of nature, beach and beautiful weather. So I moved to Lisbon. It is topographically similar to my home town, a city on the ocean, and I think this influenced my music in a big way. Almost as if I had come full circle in a way. It reminded me of why I started to compose music in the first place, which mainly was to include natural elements in electronic music. After three years of this style of life I needed a change to some place with yet more urban appeal. This was what prompted my move to Berlin, Germany. I’ve only been here for a few months so I really can’t tell you what kind of influence it’s having as yet. I doubt it will have time to affect me too much as I’m continuing my life in Lisbon come September.

Tell me a little bit about how the “Emerald Life” EP came about. The Aside is rather raunchy and rocking while the B side is so beautifully melancholy. What was on your mind?

Well I was listening to a lot of early ghetto house music at the time and all of that music is really raunchy. And if you think about it, a lot about dancing is sexual, and also a place to meet people. So I wanted to include this sexual element, an often neglected element in today’s electronic music scene, into my music. On the flipside I wanted to compliment that honesty in a deeper why, with the track “The Shallow,” in that it’s easier to be shallow than deep.

I’m also curious about the track “Imitation Lover” on Immune. It’s so emotionally vulnerable, reminding me a bit of Prosumer & Murat Tepeli’s “What Makes You Go For It.” Would you tell me how that track came to be?

Well, it was kind of a mix of things. I was in Tokyo on tour and a very good friend of mine there was telling me about his lover problems and how they always end up fake — “imitation.” Both of us are really crazy about old school house, so on a night out we jointly came up with the “No No No, imitation lover” line whenever we spoke of someone or saw someone who fit that description. Later on, while composing the track I expanded it; in fact, the dub version is the original. I then started brainstorming the theme and wrote the lyrics to transpose into the online singles lifestyle. “It’s all pretend, a simulation,” and how in a sense, it brings us closer together yet further apart… “a firewalled mankind.”

Are there more releases to come on Süd Electronic?

Yes the next release on Süd Electronic is my first live set ever recorded in 2002 and features many unreleased tracks. Shortly after that is an EP by Lerato.

What else is coming up from you in the next year?

Right now I’m working on a new release for Perlon and possibly a new Portable album for Perlon; but for that, it’s early days. Think more vocal tracks from the heart and mind!

LWE Podcast 22: Portable vs. Bodycode (54:06)

[Circus Company]

French producer Frederic Aubourg first debuted in 1997 as Skat, but his career didn’t take off until 2004 when he started a string of releases for Karat, Sthmlaudio, and more recently Eklo. Aubourg can also be found producing under the Russian-sounding alias, Oleg Poliakov, turning in one Circus Company single per year since 2007. Despite the distinctive moniker, most Poliakov tracks blend in all too well with their nuevo “deep house” surroundings. “Rainy Dayz” makes headway towards a more distinguishable sound, though perhaps for the wrong reasons.

If you’re looking for yet another “deep house” track defined by its diva vocal shards and slight synth progressions, drop the needle on A1. The whole presentation is so neat and orderly even a few inspired stabs at splashy leads can’t mask how middling “Rainy Dayz” ends up being. Thankfully, Alan Abrahams swoops in under his Portable guise to pump up the personality. Fans of his Musik Krause B-side “The Shallow” will find much to enjoy in his interpretation, which plays up the melancholy of gloomy weather. Abrahams sprinkles a cascade of desiccated percussion in vaguely African rhythm patterns, punctuating wistful pads and woefully intones, “Oh rainy days.” Yet there’s some vigor to be had as zesty piano melodies arrive to lighten the mood and lodge themselves in listeners’ heads.

Poliakov makes another attempt stand out with “House Of The Sun” and in some ways succeeds. Its droning violin foundation has me approvingly thinking about The Velvet Underground, but a tortured vocalist moaning about “the house of the sun” steals some of the track’s thunder. He’s mercifully chased away by a potent combo of dubby 16th notes and brushed hi-hats, but somehow he’s allowed to return and disrupt the flow again. Without the whinging guest star “House Of The Sun” would’ve gone toe-to-toe with Portable’s fantastic remix for best cut. Instead, “Rainy Dayz” struggles to find the right balance of personality and instead lands in the “at least he’s trying” pile.

01. Intrusion, The Seduction of Silence
[echospace [detroit]] (buy)
Dub reggae has long been the lens through which Stephen Hitchell (Soultek, cv313, Echospace) has interpreted techno music, and with the Intrusion project those influences step to the forefront of his production style. His gorgeous debut album, The Seduction of Silence, invites listeners to sway and even dance to an inviting 80 minute meditation on dub sonorities and rhythms. Its upstroked chords, rippling hand percussion, roving bass lines and exceptional vocals (provided by living legend, Paul St. Hilaire) are meticulously teased and stretched sans sequencer, conveying a very human warmth often suppressed in dub techno records. The Seduction of Silence is a fitting follow up to chilly ambience of The Coldest Season, as well as a much needed opportunity to thaw out in the dead of winter.

02. D’Julz, “Fleurette” (tobias. remix) [Circus Company] (buy)
Is there any stopping Tobias Freund’s streak of flawless originals and remixes? If his stunning take on “Fleurette” is any indication, there’s no end in sight. His most cheerful production in recent memory is jammed pack with aural sweets: a flattened, seesawing piano riff, snappy percussion of all timbres, gasping vocals, and rolling bass lines with articulated blurts of 808 bass. Absolutely dwarfing D’Julz simplistic original, Tobias’ remix feels effortless, dynamic and unlike anything else. If he has as good a year in 2009 as in 2008, we’re all in for a slew of top notch tunes.

03. Ben Klock, “Subzero” [Ostgut Tonträger] (buy)
As a prelude to Ben Klock’s forthcoming album, One, “Before One” is a smashing success, with four quality cuts all sure to ratchet up excitement for the debut full length. It’s difficult to choose a favorite from the three EP-exclusive tracks, but the subdued grace of “Subzero” wins by a nose. Klock crafts an enchanting progression and its harmonic twin to slide just beneath the skin, their path cleared by a flurry of brushed hi-hats, static crackle and distant, industrialized claps. And just when they threaten to penetrate and drench dancers in melody, scythe-like slices spin across the stereo spectrum and force their retreat. Another indication of Klock’s talent for detailed sound design and the most enticing lead-up to his album.

04. Portable, “The Shallow Final” [Musik Krause] (buy)
One of only two 2008 releases from Alan Abrahams’ Portable moniker, “The Emerald Life” is just as potent as his Perlon 12″ but arrived so late in the year it was all but overlooked. Its bombastic and explicit A side is a sure floor filler, but I have to nominate “The Shallow Final” for the superior side. It’s more of a deep-house song than a track, lifted buoyantly by soft pulses and sustained piano chords and led around by Abrahams’ soulful, double-tracked vocal narrative. And there’s grit to it, too, raw edges shaped by dense metallic percussion and a gruff beat. As “The Shallow Final” draws to a deconstructed close, you might just wonder how something this captivating escaped your ears. Don’t miss it the second time around.

05. The Village Orchestra, “Dwyer” [Stuffrecords] (buy)
This is the first record by The Village Orchestra to reach my ears, but it’s one that has me wondering what I’ve been missing. “The Dark Is Rising,” TVO’s latest, is a varied package including a peppy remix from 2562. “Dwyer” is the track I return to the most, in no small part because of its delightful contrast between multiple layers of frenzied percussion and widescreen placid tones. Despite the hectic rush the track never loses its cool, and even though it would never fit into my DJ sets I’d love to attempt airing it out. The space between techno and dubstep grows more attractive with each new release.

06. EQD, “Equalized #002A” [Equalized] (buy)
07. John Roberts, “Bodywork” [Feel Music] (buy)
08. Matthew Styles, “Palladium” [Horizontal] (buy)
09. Chaton, “+91 Ahead” (Agnès Kingston-Geneva Rework) [Plak Records] (buy)
10. Rustie, “Zig-Zag” [Wireblock] (buy)

Check out staff charts after the jump.

Staff Charts

Bill Bearden:

01. The Qemists ft. Wiley, “Dem Na Like Me” (King Cannibal remix) [Ninja Tune]
02. Maniac, “Salt Fish” [Earth 616]
03. Davinche, “What Is Mine” [Earth 616]
04. DZ, “Break It Down” [Badman Press]
05. Tinchy Stryder, “Rollin” [Universal]
06. Toastyboy, “On Something” [Halo Beats]
07. 2562, “Embrace” [3024]
08. Bar 9, “Murda Sound” (Cluekid remix) [Z Audio]
09. F-One & Kromestar, “Tek-Nik” [K Star]
10. Instra:mental, “Futurist” [Naked Lunch]

Shuja Haider:

01. Patrice Scott, “Far Away” [Sistrum Recordings]
02. Moody, “Hello 2morrow” [KDJ]
03. Scott Grooves, “Coco Brown” [Clone]
04. Delano Smith, “Cosmos Revisited” [Third Ear Recordings]
05. DJ Bone, “The Vibe” [Subject Detroit]
06. Theo Parrish, “Chemistry” [Sound Signature]
07. Tim Toh, “Three” [Philpot]
08. Kassem Mosse, “No Peace/No Love/No Unity” [Mikrodisko Recordings]
09. Mr. White, “Aeroplane” [Alleviated Records]
10. Anton Zapp, “Lovin U” [Quintessentials]

Todd Hutlock:

01. EQD, “Equalized #002A” [Equalized]
02. Intrusion, “Seduction” (cv313 Morning Dub) [echospace [detroit]]
03. Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald, “ReComposed” (Villalobos “Uli, Mein Ponyhof” Rmx) [Deutsche Grammophon]
04. Ben Klock, “Subzero” [Ostgut Tonträger]
05. The Mole, “For the Lost” [Internasjonal]
06. IMPS, “Almost Live But Definitely Plugged” (Move D Remix) [Mule Electronic]
07. Sideshow, “Television” (ft. Cortney Tidwell) [Aus Music]
08. STL, “2 Deep” [Something]
09. Theo Parrish, “Chemistry” [Sound Signature]
10. Matias Aguayo, “Walter Nuff” [Kompakt]

Will Lynch:

01. Del Shannon, “Gemini” (Pilooski Edit) [Discograph]
02. Others, “Take 1/Take 2″ [Musique Risquee]
03. Flying Lotus, “Robertaflack” (Martyn’s Heart Beat Mix) [Warp Records]
04. David Pher, “Harare” [Glückskind Digital]
05. Anton Zap, “Groovin” [Quintessentials]
06. Wireman, “Armour” [Prime Numbers]
07. Leif, “Warm Shoulder” [Thinner]
08. Delano Smith, “Something For Myself” [Third Ear Recordings]
09. Seuil, “Dipsie” [Minibar]
10. Chardronnet vs Afrilounge, “Just For a Little Peek” (Gabriel Ananda Rmx) [Sportclub]

01. Matthew Styles, “We Said Nothing” [Diamonds & Pearls] (buy)
So far I’ve managed to look past Matthew Styles despite the sheen of buzz around him, but “We Said Nothing,” the lead cut from an EP of the same name, is utterly impossible to ignore. The dense and flashy percussion cuts a path for the snaking acid progression, all the while female and tar-pitted male vocals invoke chaos in the tightly structured piece. It’s prominently featured in Âme’s forthcoming Fabric CD, and is sure to wreck a little havoc on dance floors. Mr. Styles has my attention now.

02. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal” (DJ Koze remix) [Kompakt] (buy)
Sure, the lyrics are inflammatory (“people don’t dance, ‘cuz that music’s got no groove, got no balls, no man”), if not outright sarcastic (especially coming from half of Closer Musik), but the breezy sunshine DJ Koze injects into Matias Aguayo’s “Minimal” can assuage even the most inconsolable critic’s qualms. More in line with his work with International Pony, Koze threads a funk guitar needle through soothing Rhodes pads, leaving only the jangling percussion of the original to penetrate the mellow vibe. Yet another incredible production from the vaunted DJ Koze, a radio edit of which can be downloaded here.

03. Brendon Moeller, “Electricity” [Leena Music] (buy)
While so much of dub techno is content to hang in the air like cumulus music, Brendon Moeller is one of the few producers to persuasively toughen things up to delight DJs and dancers. “Electricity” aggressively proves the point with a hard percussive shell, from which dub reverberations stab pointedly or flare up like a sudden tidal wave. So for DJs who would rather see bodies moving instead of pinned to couches, this cut off a great EP is the one for them.

04. Solomon, “Explicit” [Four:Twenty Recordings] (buy)
Solomun’s stature as an excellent producer only grows faster as he steps further away from Diynamic and its hallmark aesthetics. “Explicit,” a hidden gem of a b-side to the well-charted “International Hustle,” maintains his carefully groomed balance of melody and organic percussion. The plucked progression at its core is delayed such that it could be echoing through a lengthy alley, and its looming pads color the long shadows. It’s also a treat to mix with.

05. Portable, “Release” [Perlon] (buy)
It’s hard to think of a label with better and more consistent taste than Perlon, and the past 12 months have only bolstered its already impressive reputation. Their 70th release yields some of Portable’s best music to date, the incredibly soulful and demented “Release.” Alan Abrahams’ multi-tracked vocals plead from the center of a twisted city which bends and arches around determined 808 stabs. If you’re craving something deep and housey that avoids indulging in all the oft-repeated cliches, pick up a copy of “Knowone Can Take Away” pronto.

06. My My, “Everybody’s Talkin’” [Playhouse] (buy)
07. Nekes, “Waitin” [Oslo] (buy)
08. Henrik Schwarz, Âme & Dixon, “D.P.O.M.B.” (Version 2) [Innervisions] (buy)
09. La Peña, “Untitled 1″ [La Peña] (buy)
10. A Guy Called Gerald, “In Ya Head” [Perlon] (buy)