BEN RAU Vinilo y CD

Review: Kaoz Theory's Organized Kaos series exists for one reason: to collect together on vinyl previously digital-only gems buried in the label's ever-growing catalogue. Volume two naturally sticks rigidly to this script, first offering up a 2015 cut from Dam Swindle (from the time when they were known as Detroit Swindle) - the chunky, rhythmically elastic and insanely bass-heavy brilliance of soul-flecked gem 'Ballin'. Over on the reverse there's more previously digital-only gold in the shape of Ben Rau's 'Be Who You Want To Be', a driving, thickset and suitably heavy chunk of peak-time deep house heaviness smothered in spacey chords, cut-up vocal snippets and booming TB-303 bass. Two tried and tested cuts land on wax for the first time, what's not to like?

Review: They don't come much more on point and useful for tech house fans than East End Dubs's Eastenderz. It is now well into its second half century of releases and Ben Eau is the man charged with serving up the sounds on this purple and silver splattered vinyl. 'Won't Stop' opens up and is an in form tech roller with dry hits and the sort of tightly programmed beats that dancers latch onto for days. On the flip and as the title suggests, 'Drop The Bass' has some playful bass teases and a more weighty low end while 'I Luv It' completes a trio of top tunes, all with their own character and charms.

Review: German artist Ben Rau has been amassing a fine back catalogue on two of his own labels, Inkal and Meta, since first debut on Fuse in 2011. Seth Troxler and The Black Madonna have been dropping plenty of his material in recent times and this firmly club focused new 12" is another useful weapon. "Out There" in particular is a big house track with propulsive drum programming and busy bass that will get large crowds bumping. "What Is Love" on the flip is a deeper but driving cut with spaced out pads that will be perfect for later in the night when things get more cosmic and introspective.

Review: With German and Ghanaian DNA, Ben Rau is blessed with the best of both cultures - and the combination of influences from his forefathers permeates into his music. Infectious rhythmic grooves and emotive melodies mix together to form a rich, deep and hypnotic formula that speaks to your very soul. A native Berliner, he moved to the UK several years back to study and upon immersing himself in the London scene, hooked up with Enzo Siragusa and the FUSE crew - with whom he is still a resident to this day. Since striking out on his own with the Inkal imprint as an outlet for his own productions, he serves up his best yet on its fourth release. The hypnotic and futurist bounce of "Systeme Solaire" and "Expand" respectively will blend in with the current best of British tech house such as OdD or Jack Wickham with its and rolling swing-fuelled aesthetic.

Review: With German and Ghanaian DNA, Ben Rau is blessed with the best of both cultures - and the combination of influences from his forefathers permeates into his music. Infectious rhythmic grooves and emotive melodies mix together to form a rich, deep and hypnotic formula that speaks to your very soul. A native Beriner, he moved to the UK several years back to study and upon immersing himself in the London scene, hooked up with Enzo Siragusa and the FUSE crew - with whom he is still a resident to this day. Since striking out on his own with the Inkal imprint as an outlet for his own productions, he serves up his best yet on its third edition. The slinky and reduced minimal house of "Ad Astra" is perfect for the afterhours and had us reminiscing on the mid noughties glory days, when labels like Minus and Trapez reigned supreme. On the flip, he gets more upfront and energetic on the funky "Do Your Thing" featuring catchy vocal hooks, hypnotic polyrhythms and rolling bass.

Review: Rhythm&Soul's Just Groove It label has been excelling in its first year of operations, serving as a vehicle for the Paris-based producer to air his own productions while drawing good friends into the fold. Following on from Chris Carrier's appearance on the previous 12", this time around Ben Rau has been invited to join in, and the resulting two tracks are testament to the strength of the collaboration. "The Long Tomorrow" is funky as hell, keeping the swing levels high and using a crafty set of minimal sounds to create movement. "We Can Do It Like That" takes a deeper route, using dubby production methods to create an immersive treat for the dancefloor.