“Fall Apart”
Driftwood
Freeform
A nice doublesider on Germany’s Freeform, “Fall Apart” is packed with Germanic goodness. The “Space Safari Mix” is a smooth, percussive prog-psy track with twisted vocal samples and cute little synth stabs, carrying the tune nice and warmly. It keeps a nice and tight vibe through techno inflections, and all in all is a jolly enjoyable progressive funker. The “Flopat Apart Mix” is a sparse, almost dark and vacuous tune, with a rolling bassline and relentless percussion building up the pace. It’s got a paranoid, filtered-reality edge and compliments the blue-sky vibe of the “Space Safari Mix” perfectly.
– Damion Brown

Rarewerks II
Various Artists
Astralwerks
A tasty collection of underground nuggets old and new, the second Rarewerks comp features party rockers (Daft Punk’s mix of The Chemical Brothers’ “Life Is Sweet), sophisticated housers (Dimitri From Paris’ “Dim’s Jazz”) and never-get-enough tracks (Basement Jaxx’s “Extra Version” of the evergreen “Fly Life”). And though nothing really approaches the original for taste and clarity, the Chems’ mix of Fatboy Slim’s “Song for Shelter” kicks like a billygoat. – Jim Tremayne

“Moist”
Meat Katie & Dylan Rhymes
Whole9Yards
On the heady “Ultrafunkula” vibe, “Moist” drops a mammoth breakbeat that’s impossible to ignore – heavy, punchy, totally whopping. The flipside’s “Koma & Bones Mix” presses further with more skittery beat, but offers no shortage of heavy-handed rhythm. Acid breaks at their best. – Jim Tremayne

“Can’t Stop Dancin’”
Inaya Day
Groovilicious
If you missed the Winter Music Conference in Miami, pick this record up and you’ll feel like you didn’t miss a beat. Played at many of the parties, this one offers an addictive chant that rivals the Funky Green Dogs’ classic “Fired Up.” Thunderpuss delivers a nice tribal mix that constantly builds. In fact, it doesn’t fully explode until the last two minutes of the record and just leaves you begging for more.  – Joe Bermudez

“Wish I Didn’t Miss You”
Angie Stone
J Records
Over the past two decades, Angie Stone has gone from singing in her church choir to being hailed as the “new soul queen.” The first single from her sophomore album, Wish I Didn’t Miss You, was written by Andrea Martin and gets a stunning remix from Hex Hector.  Hex creates a melodic journey that captures the splendor of classic soul.  The real power and drive of this record are Angie’s vocals. They are the definition of elo- quence. Simply put, this is one of the best vocal records to come around in a long time. – Joe Bermudez

“Into The Blue”
Shaun Escoffery
Oyster Music
Wow! Todd Terry belts out a double pack full of monstrous mixes. His “Deep House” effort is full of vibey keys, well-accented basslines and a touch of effect on Escoffery’s smooth soulful vocal. His dub has a bit more punch in the bassline, while his “Blue Mix” goes for a more radio-friendly feel. – Shawn Christopher

“It’s Just Begun”
The Jimmy Castor Bunch
RCA/BMG Heritage
The bip-bip-bipping horns, the rulin’ bassline, the huge breakdown – you’ve heard ’em all sampled in a slew of hip-hop and electronica cuts from the Beasties to the Chems. Now available on 12-inch as a previously unreleased “Extended Instrumental Breaks & Beats Mix,” “It’s Just Begun” fires organic grooves from different directions – crisp hi-hats, crying wah-wahs, unrelenting rhythm. The disc also includes the original version and the 1972 novelty hit “Troglodyte,” which offers the drop (“What we’re gonna do here is go back, way back, back into time…”) most used for set transitions into the old-school realm. – Jim Tremayne

Nude Tempo 1
Miguel Migs
Naked Music
San Francisco maestro Miguel Migs is behind the wheels on this newly christened Nude Tempo compilation series. An incredible journey through sun-drenched, deep-house grooves and sultry soulful vocals, it features emerging talents (Blue 6, Andy Caldwell), scene veterans (Kerri Chandler, Ron Trent) and one of the most seductive voices on the underground club scene, Lisa Shaw. Please don’t miss out on this exquisite mix. – Shawn Christopher

“Flawless”
The Ones
Groovilicious
Brought to us by the Phunk Investigation production team, “Flawless” is a monstrous, disco-flavored piece. Loaded with energy and catchy hooks, it also offers some soul and a terrific Daft Punk feel – a floor-packer for sure. – Shawn Christopher

“Be Angeled”
Jam & Spoon
Logic/BMG
This new track hits hard with a tasteful menu of mixes for everyone’s appetite. Choice efforts include Paul Van Dyk’s “Club Mix,” Trendroid’s “Original SIN Mix” and the tribal-edged “Electric Tease Mix.” – Mikey D. Merola

“Alive”
Kevin Aviance
Emerge Records
With a mixture of underground funk and bustling house, New York scenester Aviance returns to clubland with his unique downtown style. On this double 12-inch, the hottest mixes include Victor Calderone’s “Peak Hour Mix” and Tony Moran’s “Funk Mix.” – Mikey D. Merola

“Lost Love”
<< Rinôçérôse >>
V2
The “Dubtribe Remix” pushes a sleek house groove, falsetto vocal snippets riding a sassy bassline. The “Bacon & Quamby Extended Mix” serves up a helping of that familiar filter disco sound that doesn’t at all scrimp on the full vocal. The essential cut, however, is Felix Da Housecat’s “Thee Clubhead Mix” – a blazing mixture of filter forays and vocal stabs set over an unwavering, supple bottom. And check the ferocious breakdowns. – Jim Tremayne

Radio EP
Mark Farina
Om Records
Old-school acid sounds seductively clink throughout a disorienting title track that flaunts its cranky vocal samples and develops a whopping, but comfy 120 groove along the way – just quirky enough, certainly not the average club fare. “Hip Shaker” is a bumpin’ filterfest, while “Do Things” gets even deeper and stranger than “Radio” – the otherworldly vocal samples alone will rewire your brain. A fine first studio effort from one of America’s very best DJs. – Jim Tremayne

“I Against I”
Massive Attack & Mos Def
Melankolik
Imagine that classic deep, taut Massive groove gone electro (but not too fast at 100 BPM) and you have a rare floor mover from the legendarily downtempo Bristol bunch. Aided by Mos Def’s rhyming scat, “I Against I” is available for limited download from Massive Attack’s eponymous site. The flipside instrumental accentuates the atmospherics and should certainly end up on a film soundtrack somewhere. – Jim Tremayne

“Fire”
The Orange Factory feat. Dolce
Tommy Boy Silver
The Orange Factory duo wrote and produced Dynamix’s “Don’t Need Another Man” along with Ellis Miah. Now add show-stopping vocalist Dolce to the mix and you have a perfect recipe for club anthem. This track is a late-night powerhouse with its ever-building synths and spectacular vocal delivery. Already heating up dance floors everywhere, this is a must-have. – Joe Bermudez

American Rotation
Various Artists
Spectral Concepts
Judging by the number of new labels from America contacting me in the U.K. lately, it looks like the U.S. is currently undergoing a series of localized trance explosions. California’s Spectral Concepts offers a bubbly-psy compilation that showcases new acts and looks set to help put America firmly on the global trance map. Indiadrop’s “Superfudge Chunk” kicks things off with lots of spaces and fluidity between the sounds. It’s got a mean groove and it escalates to a tough peak. Penta’s “Zeynep” wins the 2002 award for most absurdly warped vocal samples and Wormfood’s “Ug” sounds like X-Dream’s alarm clock going off. My personal standout is Data Entry’s “Grey Area,” which sounds like two people fighting over the studio equipment rather than making music on it. It’s an uneasy wonderland of lysergic spazz-trance. A very fresh album with not a psychedelic cliché in sight. – Damion Brown

Disco Exorcism EP
Common Factor
Tactile Music
Common Factor (aka Nick Calingaert) kicks seriously deep late-night action on the title track. Ticking hi-hats, throbbing basslines and squiggly guitar figures mesh perfectly – highbrow tech-house, but not too sleek. The B-side’s “Lovely Ladies” heads in a disco direction, but doesn’t take a well-worn path. For all its familiar grooves, it’s more much mind-expanding than formulaic – a strangely logical curveball to throw when you want to turn a corner in your musical set. “Time After” heads for techy territory right away and settles into a skittery beat and a fairly paranoid vibe. – Jim Tremayne

“Slightly Forward”
Akodama
Saw Recordings
Big, dark and progressive, the “Akodama Interior Mix” throbs with menacing precision, while the flipside’s “Trendroid Remix” goes more tribal, but maintains that evil, big-room sound. Scary stuff. – Jim Tremayne