Collection: New Releases

If you're looking for raw, ruff and retro, this is probably the best you'll get. New York label Nu Groove continues to spotlight the artists that made the label what it is today: a firm favourite of crate diggers then and now. With this being the fifth in the series to reissue their select most vital tracks, which here come re-edited and remastered, 'Nu Groove Edits Vol. 5' opens with Ny House'n Authority's 'Fort Green House' after its re-edit by Arms & Legs' Daniel Steinberg, which sets the tone for a janky and roomy pandora's box of groovers. Also of note is the sweet, washy piano house arkenstone that is Underground Kids' 'Get Up', trumping a B-side that is, while still great, has nothing on the A2.

You will of course know if you are reading this that Nu Groove was a seminal New York house label that lay a blueprint for deep stuff back in the 80s and 90s. This fresh 12" serves up a third volume of label edits from various artists from across the spectrum. Metro's 'Turnstyle Turbulance' is tackled first by NiCe7 who brings bumpy drums, then Mark Broom's Vox Flanger Mixx of an N.Y. House'n Authority classic is a steamy jacker with lovely old-school vibes. Our favourite though is Asylum's 'Guitarz' (Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon edit) which is a nice mid-tempo workout with seductive claps and excellent hi hats.

Four tracks of peerless Nu Groove jack attack, rejigged by a stellar roster of producers including Honey Dijon and the late Soulphiction, whose mardy remix of Rheji Burrell's classic stompa 'Come 'N Get It' opens proceedings in sleazy style. The Acid Jerks dub of Tech Trax Inc's eponymous 1990 banger is also a highlight, with driving, introspective organ basses underpinning snappy piano action and whispered proto-producer tags. These two are followed by a rushy, beefa-ready remix of Dee Gorgeous' 'Better Than Sex' by Dirty Channels, and an excellent spartan percussive acid flip of Ny House'n Authority (Burrell at it again)'s Ravenswood House by Honey Dijon and Luke Solomon.

In the endless quest for the deepest, trippiest cuts, the Italian progressive house scene is a steadfast provider. Fingerprints was a one-off project from Gianni Drigo and Maurizio Merli, which resulted in the After The Moon 12" on Mammut Records in 1996. Now Berlin-based label Evasione Digitale is bringing the incredible, immersive beat down of the title track back into the wider public consciousness for a trip like no other. It's incredibly restrained and subtle for a prog house track of the time, perfect for teasing the tension on the dancefloor. The other tracks are equally thrilling, from the dubby acid flex of 'Prints 3000' to the spiky, slower onset of 'Kabara'.

Techno duo Jail Break live up to their name with the release of 'Feeling Wild' via Sound Migration, conjuring feelings of lawless mischief in the mode of snappy, minimal electro-techno. The title track, as well as B-side 'Mentality', come as a pair of simple, unfussy cuts. Designed for cheekier and more relaxed dancefloors, the tracks are snippy analogue-esque jams; sonic steamed hams.

The Sound Migration label takes another trip back in to the CATT articles to explore the proto-trance and early bleep techno sound they were pushing from 1988-1991. Another five essential gems from the modestly sized catalogue get an airing here, kicking off with Confidential's haunting 'Amphibious Carbine' followed by the boxy pressure of Exocet's 'Nitrogen'. This is astounding stuff throughout, not least the freak-zone trip of Holy Ghost's 'Walking On Air', which sounds like the common denominator between Ibiza and Goa in their nascent days as party destinations. Don't sleep on the clattering funk of Exocet's 'Overdose' either, a seriously snappy groover with all kinds of oddball sampling going on.

The Take It Easy label returns with a red hot one and limited edition one-sided 12" that features a Bugsy 'ReDrum' of Wema's 'Kiherehere' cut. The original artists are a five-piece Tanzanian outfit founded on community and they have a global approach to sound that plays out here. In Bugsy's hands, it becomes a club-ready cut that fuses house and techno with the original's traditional Tanzanian instrumentals and Afro-Latin rhythms. Add in a fiery vocal and the sort of unrelenting drum funk that sends crowds mad and you have another standout from this fledgling label.

Minimal Detroit Audio is one of the newer Motor City labels but is already just as good as you would hope for a late from that long-running techno hotbed. This third transmission comes from the tried and tested Population One who lays down thumping drums and coarse snares on 'Edge Of The Visible Universe' and runs them through with haunting synth sequences. 'The Uphill Battle' brings more metallic texture and uneasy late-night energy to a mid-tempo groove and 'Suddenly' brings many layers of edgy synthesis to steely techno loops. 'On Location' flips the script with a unique fusion of eerie intergalactic synths and a bassline that rides up and down the face next to paired back deep house drums. It's pure Detroit and it's brilliant.