Compilation Recommendations Best Of 2012

Review: If you're of a certain vintage, the idea of a three-CD mix-up from veteran DJ, producer, quiff-sporter and rockabilly champion Andrew Weatherall will make you go a bit weak at the knees. If it doesn't, it should, because Masterpiece is the acid casual-turned-rave hero's best mix comp for yonks. Musically, it ties in closely with the sound pushed at his now near-legendary A Love From Outer Space parties (a collaboration with longtime friend/DJ pal Sean Johnston) - think dubbed-out disco, near-Balearic nu-disco, obscure slo-mo acid chuggers, wide-eyed psychedelic groovery, contemporary new wave curiosities, touchy-feely darkroom stompers and fluid, synth-heavy deep house. It flows magnificently, the music is terrific and there are more musical surprises than you can possibly imagine.

Review: After three years and some 30-odd releases, acclaimed anything-goes Balearic imprint International Feel is being put on ice. While it may return in future (label boss Rocha is deliberately vague about the details), this excellent two-disc set has been designed to bookend the story thus far. As well as familiar favourites from the likes of Locussolus (AKA DJ Harvey), Gatto Fritto, Bepu N'Gali, Hungry Ghost and Flights of Fancy, there's a couple of unreleased originals and remixes. There's also the chance to get hold of some of the label's rarest, previously vinyl-only material, including Panda 88's excellent "You're Gonna Miss Me" and the near mythical "Adventure Party" by The Globe, an essential acid-disco stomper.

Review: Chicago based imprint Still Music earn a hearty slap on the back from all at Juno by reissuing the killer In The Dark: The Soul Of Detroit compilation they originally put out back in 2005. This CD version contains all twelve tracks from the original release as well as some must see bonus material in the shape of a previously unreleased documentary on an accompanying DVD. "In the Dark: Voices" is a 30-minute piece on the Motor City scene at the time of the original album release, featuring the testimonies and footage of some key figures, such as Ron Trent, DJ 3000, Wilhite and Huckaby on two slabs of vinyl. On the CD are seminal tracks from Motor City deities like Delano Smith, Moodymann & Rick Wilhite and Keith Worthy. For our money it's the cuts from Malik (aka Marcellus) Pittman and Mike Huckaby that elevate this release from the merely very good to the downright brilliant. Essential.

Review: Already brandishing one timeless mix CD in his armoury with that Berghain mix, Ben Klock becomes the latest incumbent in the highly regarded Fabric mix series. No 66 in the series finds the Berghain resident taking us on an undulating journey through late night techno, casually slipping between obtuse, heads-down fare, blunt machine rhythms and shuffling, hypnotic grooves. The mix is naturally well constructed and beautifully executed, with plenty of sneaky re-edits, remixes and original productions from the man himself. Musically, there are few surprises, but that's not the point; Klock is a man you turn to for proper techno. It doesn't get much more techno than Fabric 66.

Review: This year marks the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Philadelphia International, the label that turned soul on its head in the 1970s. To celebrate, Harmless have handed over a selection of Philly classics to an assortment of scalpel wielding re-edit fiends. While there are a couple of "stars" present - see the reworks from Todd Terje and DJ Fiction - most of the edits come from Soundcloud-lurking newcomers. While some do little more than stick a steady beat beneath a classic, others really push the boat out. As a result, there's are some delicious re-rubs to be found, with the cuts from Jimmy The Twin, Ed Zone and Deep & Disco standing out.

Review: Magik Cyrkles invites you the listener to bask in the impressive record collections of Psychemagik, for it seems that the prolific edit and DJ duo operate a nice sideline helping to furnish everyone from Soulwax to Q-Tip to Love Fingers with rare and highly sought after vinyl. Anyone whose familiar with their output since their emergence from The Cosmic Forest in 2009 will not be surprised given the off the beaten track source material for much of their edits. This Leng released compilation veers through all manner of psychedelic funk, cosmodisco, Middle Eastern oddities and much more, with four excusive new edits from the Psychemagik duo themselves. Those with dusty fingers and a penchant for the odder forgotten gems will no doubt be entranced as soon as Intrinsic Trance's opener commences and the label have really surpassed themselves in the presentation stakes with some apt cover art from acclaimed designer Luke Insect adorning this double CD release.

Review: Claremont 56's limited edition, hand-numbered Originals CDs are fast turning into must-buy compilations for eclectic, Balearic-minded listeners. The latest inspired selector to sift through the crates is Swiss adventurer Alex "Lexx" Storrer. Predictably, it's another thrillingly eclectic collection, packed to rafters with unlikely cuts, forgotten gems and recent finds. Opening with the stoned psychedelia of A Band Called O and Kash's winding "Percussion Sundance" (a Swedish Scandolearic jam from 1982), Storrer proceeds to showcase a touchy-feely blend of calming early deep house (Far East Recording, Larry Heard), bizarre disco (Disconnection), Afro oddities (Black Light) and Balearica (Mad Professor's "People of Yoruba", Rexy's odd "Don't Turn Me Away"). Impeccable, as always.

Review: For those submerged in the deep house/disco/slo-mo fusion scene, Kolour Ltd has been one of the standout labels of recent years. It's releases - all limited-edition and pressed on brightly-coloured wax - have offered comfy, touchy-feely grooves from such fast-rising talents as Fantastic Man, Alex Agore, Eddie C and Zoo Look. Having reached ten releases, Kolour Ltd have decided to hand over the reigns to Glasgow's 6th Borough Project for a bit of a celebration. The result is a warm, sofa-comfy mix of label highlights that effortlessly takes in US garage revivalism (Nicholas), sunny smoothness (Deadly Sins), percussive old skool grooves (6th Borough themselves) and hands-in-the-air loop disco (Norm De Plume).

Review: For anyone with an interest in the history of house music, this excellent compilation from Jerome Derradji's Still Music imprint should be essential listening. It focuses on the output of two long forgotten Chicago labels, Mitchbal and Chicago Connection Records, during the early to mid 1980s, when electro, new wave and boogie were morphing into house. As such, 122 BPM offers a mix of rare, largely overlooked cuts that bristle with analogue dancefloor intent. There's proto-jack in the shape of Jeanette Thomas's "Shake Your Body" and Z Factor's "I Am The DJ", dubbed-out Chi-town proto house from Mitchbal and Larry Williams, and some terrific bodypoppin' electro from McGhee.

Review: "It's All For You" is a complement to the Sect vinyl catalogue, and a mark of respect to the CD in techno history. Artists known and new swell the ranks, representing the techno forms in the honorable Sect style. Beyond the usual, exceptionally high standard of quality from the Sect roster of artists so far, new artist productions on the first CD include Ben Gibson's "Clamour", a modern take on a Tokyo-style future cityscape, Jeroen Search's "Section A", a physical, forward thinking deep techno triumph and Voidloss' "In The Void" - techno the way it should be made for the 21st century. On CD 2, AnD's "Granular" offers traditional dub aesthetics and modern techno techniques taken to a wholly satisfying next level, while OCH's "Tears" manifest as a dark techno experience of rhythm-led lines of perfection. CV's "Acceptance Of The Fact At Hand" hones hues of colour in aural form, as a subtle vista is painted with strings of haunted beauty.

Review: Ostgut Ton boss Nick Hoppner helms the latest edition of Panorama Bar's series of residents mixes. Hoppner, a veteran by Berlin scene standards, delivers a slick, fluid and entertaining mix high on melody and atmosphere, whilst building a solid dancefloor groove. Replete with some exclusive material from the likes of Dexter, Matthew Styles and The Mole, the mix commences with a series of tingling soundscape numbers that sit somewhere between deep house and nu disco (see the Balearic rush of Furry Phreaks "Lament For A Dead Computer") From here Hoppner gleefully joins the dots between the old and the new, taking in glistening piano house, Africanisms (DJ Gregory), blissful Detroit techno (Daz Williams) and analogue electro-disco (Swan's curious "Can You Rock To This?") before ending with the blissful "New For U" from Andres.

Review: It's a commonly held belief that, bar a few exceptions, early UK house wasn't very good. Here, Richard Sen sets out to prove otherwise, digging through the archives to unearth a string of dusty gems. Eschewing the usual hits ("Carino", "Voodoo Ray" etc), Sen proves conclusively that British producers were every bit as talented as their Chicago and New York counterparts "back in the day". Interestingly, many of the cuts here are deeper and more musically well-rounded than their US equivalents - hell, Baby Ford's "Crashing" could easily pass for Dream 2 Science or Mr Fingers - while the more aggressive acid cuts (see the contributions from Man With No Name and Return Of The Living Acid) are every bit as raw as you'd expect.

Review: Having initially sprung into life back in 2005 to provide an outlet for dubstep productions by members of Bristol's bass music community, Tectonic has since developed into a must-check hub for heavyweight floor fillers across a range of bass-fixated genres. The label's shift in recent years is amply demonstrated by this latest Tectonic Plates collection, the first since 2009. Alongside relatively traditional dubstep, you'll find the Juke-influenced 808 pressure of Addison Groove, a gaggle of future garage bangers, the electronic warmth of Illum Sphere, some hard-to-fathom brilliance from Om Unit and a pair of sweet, post-dubstep fusions from 2562 and Kevin McPhee.

Review: Given his long association with Defected - and in particular Strictly Rhythm - it was probably only a matter of time before Yoruba Records chief Osunlade was asked to mix an instalment of the long-running In The House series. Those expecting Osunlade's usual African rhythms, organic soul and shuffling grooves are in for a treat. The first disc, in particular, scratches this itch, offering a string of world music-inspired treats from himself and like-minded producers Ame, Marcus Wogull and Atjazz. Disc two pushes thing up a notch, wandering into soulful garage flavours whilst retaining the loveable deepness to which Osunlade is most associated.