Electro House Recommendations Best Of 2011

Review: The latest all-star emission from French label Kitsune sees the divisive producer celebre Mark Ronson call on a list of his famous friends on "Record Collection 2012" which comes lined with the usual array of remixes. Featuring Pharrell Williams, Wiley, MNDR and Wretch 32, the original is as odd as you'd expect, being the sort of pop track that doesn't occupy any particular genre but sprinkled with just the right amount of crossover dust. CSS lead the remix selection with a throwback electrohouse circa 2007 effort, whilst French types Logo embellish the track with some scratchy darkness. Check the flip for a bolshy disco refix from Moonlight Matters with some overbearing orchestral flourishes, whilst LA based Aussie Plastic Plates turns in perhaps the best remix, discarding with the majority of vocals - MNDR's chorus only remains - in favour of building a lysergic dancefloor groove.

Review: Attention Vegetarian vinyl consumers - approach this excellent introduction to the I'm A Cliche canon proper from Hannulelauri with caution if the sight of bare meat causes your constitution consternation. Raw steak on the cover art aside, there's little other reason not to indulge in this brilliantly oddball take on house music from the Finnish duo. Opening track "Box To Box" splays a cheeky acid stab lead over rusted percussion steeped in off kilter rhythms, whilst deep in the machine what sounds like an elephant tries to play along in time - it's a wonderfully tongue in cheek riposte to po faced music everywhere. The accompanying remix from Throne Of Blood duo Populette does a sterling job of realigning the track to burning deep house bump that's a perfect fit for the midnight hour. On the flip the title track "Dysfunction" straddles a lysergic house pump that will prove potent in the right atmosphere, whilst Toby Tobias embellishes the track with some soulful excess via diva warbling and hand claps.

Review: Whilst Turbo have demonstrated a willingness to think outside the box in recent times (most notably a Murphy Jax release that featured Populette and Freak Seven remixes) this ZZT release will no doubt please fans of the label's trademark sound. "Vulkan Sound" is every bit as abrasive as you'd expect from Tiga and Florian, craftily building from a scratchy groove into the kind of ever twisting tunnel of white noise that sends the Friday night Fabric crowd crazy. Check the flip for the requisite remixes, with Turbo's resident Russian speaker worrier Proxy borrowing rhythmic ideas from an under appreciated Felix Da Housecat jam amidst the usual array of crescendo building synth madness. Joining him is BNR's Jan Driver, whose remix will please fans of tracks that begin in the lower recesses of the speakers and dig up all the dirt as they reach stereo parity in sync with massive 808 kicks and thumping bass - this one is our pick.

Review: Canadian synth pop duo Junior Boys are set to release their It's All True album imminently, and as a little teaser they press up one of the singles, "Banana Ripple", onto nice shiny 12". Focused on summer vibes, catchy pop vocals and underlying groove, this will no doubt be a hit amongst dancefloor dwellers and DJs alike. On remix duty is The Field who strip back some of the immediate punch, instead offering a more relaxed re-work. Their shy approach slips marks it out as Juno's pick of the two.

Review: Having conquered the world only to go into the deepest hibernation imaginable, Justice are finally back with us - following the release of their second album and the King Crimson-esque, time-signature switching, poodle rock of "Civilisation" with latest single "Audio Video Disco". It sees the French duo go from one extreme to the other - playing things with a soft touch by evoking Stereolab's chorus harmonies to a beat that reminds instantly of Joe Jackson's "Stepping Out" or even "Far From Over" by Frank Stallone (a track that regularly finds its way into their DJ sets). "Helix" however is instantly recognisable as a Justice beat, and a pretty damn good one at that as a sackful of guitar overdubs are piled on top of a punchy midtempo beat with a breakdown to die for.

Review: The always debonair Versatile present this Gallic dust up of epic proportions, serving up the first single from the debut album by Aladdin. If you've not checked the LP yet, "The Sun Is On Fire" is a perfect demonstration of the fuzzed out new wave sound that streams throughout. This twelve is all about the remixes however, with both I:Cube and Bot'Ox on hand with the former's take on "Mass Confusion" revelatory! We're big fans of I:Cube here but would never have guessed he would deliver the driving, psychedelic, motorik goth disco monster that you just picture Sir Weatherall destroying a Dalston basement with. In contrast, Bot'Ox draw on the darker undercurrents of the same track for a rubbery, analogue electro noir refix that builds expertly.

Review: Judging by the overcrowded sweaty scenes in Dalston for the launch party of Justice's second album, the iconic French duo still retain a core number of fans - who will no doubt be eager to snap up this deluxe version of said album. Audio Video Disco comes in gatefold, silver embossed sleeve, holding both the double vinyl and CD versions of the eleven track album. Musically, this is an album that delves deeper into Gaspard and Xavier's passion for prog, marrying the jagged harshness of the 07 era when they ruled the roost with stadium sized ambition. It's probably one of this year's most divisive albums, but then Justice have always liked making a noise.