Compilation Recommendations August 2014

Review: Alongside like-minded imprints Claremont 56 and International Feel, Coyote's Is It Balearic? label - a fitting name, given the difficulty in pinpointing the Balearic sound - has been at the forefront of the nu-Balearic scene for the last five years. Here, they celebrate that fact by offering up a celebratory compilation with pal Moonboots and Coyote each selecting a disc of unmixed favourites. There's predictably plenty of sun-kissed downtempo warmth (Windsurf's sunrise-friendly remix of Coyote's "Laidback", Gavin Gordon's flamenco-influenced "El Sueno Oscuro"), alongside a smattering of deliciously baggy and wide-eyed dancefloor moments (see Max Essa's jaunty Balearic disco jam "Heartache" and a thrillingly griity Soft Rocks remix of Social Disco Club). If that wasn't enough to get the juices flowing, the collection also features some stunning unreleased material from Freshro and Khidja Looki.

Review: Defected's long-running Most Rated series follows a tried-and-tested formula. Aimed squarely at DJs, it features two unmixed discs of hyped, upfront material. This White Isle-themed edition is bulging with cuts that have done the business out on the dancefloors of Ibiza this summer, from the thumping drums and jaunty carnival pianos of Gerd's "Still Believe", to MK's much-played remix of Nile Rodgers' "Do What You Wanna Do". Elsewhere, keep an eye out for a superb Seth Troxler remix of Hercules & Love Affair, a snappy electro-house revision of Sure Thing's revivalist boogie jam "Holding You Tight" from fellow Bristolians Got Some, and a surging rave re-flex of the Klaxons from The Chemical Brothers' Tom Rowlands.

Review: Having issued a series of 12" samplers, the main course for the 15 year celebrations at Fokuz HQ arrives in the shape of this hefty 27 track compilation. Founded back in 1999 by Dreaz and Drum Origins, the Fokuz label has established itself within the international Drum & Bass community and their status is reflected in the tracklisting for this compilation. Consisting of both established names and rising talent, 15 Years Of Fokuz Recordings will wet the pants of most modern drum and bass lovers, touching on all styles of the genre and it's hard to pick out individual highlights such is the standard throughout. Any release that begins with a remix from the mighty Lenzman and ends with a cold rolling action of Lynx is a must!

Review: John Morales is no stranger to the compilation format, with long running UK imprint BBE serving up a great series of archival releases based around the New York disco icon's classic extended mixes. Here Morales digs through the sizeable archives of Motown to present a weighty 20 track selection of the label's dancefloor hits. The focus on Club Motown Volume 1 is squarely on the label's prodigious '80s output and features a pleasing mixture of stand out classics such as Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long" and the iconic Rockwell heater "Somebody's Watching Me" alongside some lesser known gems all presented in extended 12" mix glory. Extra intrigue for Morales fans is present in the shape of six new and exclusive mixes from Morales including thundering takes on Teena Marie and Tate Vega. Includes in-depth, track-by-track liner notes co-written by John Morales and edited by Motown head honcho, Harry Wiengar

Review: The ten year celebrations from Hyperdub continue apace here with the second of four planned label compilations arriving with the stated intention of casting "some sunshine" over the label's sometimes "dread filled reputation". Arriving on just one disc this time round as opposed to two, the fourteen tracks nevertheless features productions from DVA, Morgan Zarate, Cooly G, Jessy and Burial among other Hyperdub regulars, who are joined by the vocal talents of Dam-Funk, Fatima and others. Perhaps most exciting is the inclusion of an unreleased track from the defunct partnership of Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland; fans of the latter will also be intrigued by Kode9?s "Lies Lies", which features the talents of Inga in her new solo guise, copeland.

Review: Richie Hawtin's Enter night at Space has become one of the most talked-about parties in Ibiza since it launched back in 2012. Here the acclaimed selector brings the club's brand of spacious techno, tactile house and deep tech-house grooves to CD. It's an impressive package, too with various resident selectors - include his brother Matthew - each delivering their own interpretation of the Enter sound across four discs. There's a gradually building upward arc across the first three discs, which deliver a range of sumptuous - and occasionally robust - dancefloor moods, before Hawtin the Younger delivers a "Mind"-themed mix. This, featuring a range of ambient, experimental electrononica and dub techno cuts, is arguably the highlight of an impressively epic release.

Review: Amsterdam's Field Records is hardly renowned for its productivity; this two-CD compilation of music from the label's growing roster of artists - simply titled "Collection" - is only the imprint's 12th release since it launched in 2008. Given the renowned quality of their deep, woozy, Detroit-influenced offerings, that's something of a shame. Still, this is a real bonus for anyone turned on by their winding ambience, stargazing IDM, crackly minimal and floor-friendly Motor City style techno. Highlights include the surging analogue techno pulse of Viski's "A Star In Your Head", the bubbling, immersive ambience of SYS's "Radius", and the retro-futurist fun of Resoe's "Outer Dimension", but it's all pretty tasty.

Review: Amazingly, it's been some 20 years since jungle legend Ray Keith launched his Dread label. Here he celebrates by mixing a double-disc celebration - the fifth instalment in the long running Dub Dread series - jam-packed with exclusive dubplates, unreleased jams, exclusive remixes and previously unheard "VIP" versions. In turns jazzy, bold, brassy, subtle, sweet and pulsating, Keith's two all-action mixes flit between pulverising dancefloor workouts - see the tracks from DJ Tuskan and Serum - dreamy liquid D&B (Titan & PA, Nautilus) and shameless jungle revivalism (Digital's Amen-heavy "Steady Cut"), with occasional sing-a-long anthems thrown in (Deploy's Groove Armada-sampling "Call on You").

Review: It's been roughly a year since Fabric turned to the world of Drum & Bass to service their excellent mix series (and a fine job Friction did on Fabriclive 70) so it's great news to see the London club welcome Anglo-Norse pair Calyx & Teebee into the fold for Fabriclive 76. Clocking in at 34 tracks deep, it's fair to say this mix showcases the pair's skills behind the decks (it was recorded using three) and really offers a detailed insight into the many flavours and shades of the genre. Naturally the mix features a healthy dose of original Calyx & Teebee material and the pair also includes cuts from the likes of Break, Ulterior Motive, DJ Friction and Blu Mar Ten as well as older tracks and a smattering of VIPs. Big!

Review: Last year saw BBE call on Kev Beadle, a well respected digger, selector, radio host and label boss, to dust down his curation hat and put together Private Collection, his first compilation in almost two decades. Given the critical reception to that twelve track selection of independent jazz from the '70s and '80s it's little surprise to see BBE invite Beadle to dig through his personal archives for a second edition. Many of the tracks included here are the epitome of rare, given the fist airing outside the legendary club sessions that Beadle played back in the day and focuses more on the modal, spiritual and cosmic end of the jazz spectrum. A most enlightening collection from Mr Beadle.

Review: Since launching back in 2005, DJ Code's Subtle Audio imprint has done more than most to push the boundaries of drum & bass - both musically and rhythmically. For proof, look no further than this third label compilation, which pulls together tracks from the last four years with a smattering of exclusives and a bonus DJ mix from Code himself. It's an intriguing set, featuring as it does a mixture of fearlessly experimental D&B excursions, deep tech-jazz rollers (see Enjoy's "Jellyfishes Leave Me Indifferent"), pulverizing dancefloor smashers, dreamy, Amen-heavy liquid groovers (Nebula's "Encounters VIP") and more sanguine, dubstep-influenced fare (DDAT's "Phytochrome").