Suchergebnisse: Dance Music

Review: Apparat's respected position amongst the electronic music cognoscenti has been secured mostly via his overseeing the Shitkatapult Empire and the canon of music released alongside Ellen Alien and the more recent brushed metallic tones of techno drama explored as Moderat with Modeselektor. He isn't, however, known for his DJing abilities, which makes his inclusion in the DJ Kicks series a puzzling one at first. This sensation dissipates however once your ears consume the 70 minutes and 22 tracks on offer here. Ring stated an intention to dispel the notion he plies a distinctly bittersweet sound, and that's always going to be achieved when there's the likes of Ramadanman, Martyn and Carl Craig (in his 69 guise) amidst the tracks. Whislt this isn't, as you'd expect, a technically sensational mix, a definite glitchy mood is retained throughout with some dazzling moments. The harmonious ascent of Four Tet's remix of Born Ruffian's from the industrial mist of Autechre's remix of Scorn in particular stands out. Four Tet's collaboration with Burial marks the onset of another highlight with the swift saunter through Vincent Markowski and Ramadanman that arrives at Radiohead twitcher Thom Yorke's "Harrodown Hill". An engaging selection best heard on headphones at high volume that highlights new aspects with every listen.

Review: As a producer, Daniel Avery has rightfully earned a reputation as someone with a distinct stylistic vision. While he regularly flits between styles and tempos, his music retains a dark, horror-influenced edge that's rarely less than beguiling. During club sets, he rarely strays away from a dense techno template, selecting tracks that fit his distinctively foreboding style. It's this side to his musical personality that shines through on DJ Kicks. It begins and ends with two maudlin chunks of otherworldly ambience; in between, you'll find an array of booming, late night techno jams from the likes of Shlomo, Planetary Assault Systems, Slam and Artefakt. Naturally, it's slickly mixed, resulting in a paranoid journey through 21st century body music.

Review: The long running DJ Kicks serious has always been fascinating, offering as it does the chance for DJs and producers known for a particular style to spread their wings musically. Jazz-minded German techno combo Brandt Bauer Frick grab that chance with both hands on their instalment, showcasing an atmospheric blend heavily influenced by nu-jazz and smoky, jazz-flecked deep house. This vinyl edition features ten unmixed cuts from the mix for the selectors out there along with a CD version. On the latter there are numerous pleasing diversions, from the head-nodding analogue boogie of Inkswel and Moog-laden African rhythms of William Onyeabor, to the dense drum workout of their own "Brommel" and the winding synths and ultra-deep production of Fantastic Man's "Late At Night". They also make room for a bit of tech-jazz (Galaxy 2 Galaxy), and the booming late night moves of Cosmin TRG.

Review: Having found a renewed vigour with his Breach alias, Ben Westbeech has been ripping it up with his run of singles over the past few years, and now !K7 have snapped him up for the latest installment in the still-trucking DJ Kicks series that shows just how deeply rooted in house music the long-serving producer is. With the double-pack vinyl edition packing in full versions of many of the standout tracks from the mix, you can get treated to the anthemic vocal tones of Pedestrian, the heartfelt garage tones of Cassio Kohl, the fist shaking grooves of Detroit Swindle and in something of a curveball move, the ethereal electro of Dopplereffekt. For the most part it's direct and soulful house music as you would expect from a man of Ben's pedigree.

Review: Berlin based Cinthie is a firm favourite here at Juno HQ, as well as all around the European house scene. She runs various labels, her own record shop, and all with a great sense of personality. We couldn't be happier that she is next up in the legendary DJ-kicks mix series and of course, she doesn't disappoint. Her selections take in plenty of the raw, stripped back house you would expect. She includes one of her own tunes, the vital 'Organ' as well as fresh material from Ruff Stuff, Anil Aras and Felipe Gordon and puts it all together in an unfussy but hypnotic style. This doubt vinyl album offers you some of the standout cuts.

Review: For her volume in K7's legendary DJ Kicks series, Cinthie Christl has delivered a righteous, life-affirming, no-holds-barred club mix that spends much of its time (though by no means all) showcasing old school and contemporary (if self-consciously retro-futurist) garage-house and deep house jams. That means groovy basslines, bumpin' beats, infectious organ motifs, diva vocal samples and surging piano riffs aplenty. Of course, there are diversions -see the crunchy breakbeat dreaminess of Ben Hauke, the squelchy Chicago deep house of 'Emergency Tech' by Boo Williams, the micro-house of BMW and the acid-fired shimmer of Anna Wall - but it's the loved-up brilliance of the classic-sounding house cuts from the likes of Terrence Parker, Adriyano, Ruff Stuff, Amir Alexander and Niles Cooper that linger longest in the memory.y.

Review: Dam Funk has been foundational in crystallising Stones Throw's undisputed leadership in the nu-school funk and boogie scene, and he's up there with the great J Dilla in our books. Naturally, he's been asked to mix up the latest series of DJ Kicks and, ladies and gentlemen, it's a real masterclass - one of those comps you can safely leave on and let it do its thing on you. The mood is personified by a fine blend of electronics and tougher, funkier rhythms by artists such as Index, Moon B, and Dam himself. There are also a few rare cuts by Chicago house legend Gemini that fit in perfectly, and a whole heap of wavy, Cali-inspired electronic funk. Badass.

Review: It would be fair to say that Deetron has taken the opportunity provided by a DJ Kicks mix to show off a little. We'll forgive him, though, because he's delivered an astonishingly good mix. Cramming an astonishing 38 tracks on to one CD might look like overkill, but the selection, programming and mixing (presumably in the studio, given the number of overdubs and sneaky track blends involved) is so good that you barely notice. Musically, he delivers a brilliant blend of electronic music old and new, moving from deep house and jazzy electronica to ambient via slamming rave jams and almost every techno sub-genre you can think of. We'd usually spend time banging on about highlights, but they're so plentiful that there simply isn't space. Just buy it: you won't be disappointed.

Review: Berlin techno legend Marcel Dettmann is up next for !k7, compiling their latest edition of the esteemed DJ Kicks series. The Berghain resident merges new takes on classics; such as Cybersonik's "Technarchy" (Marcel Dettmann Third mix) and his remix of Infiniti's (aka Juan Atkins) "Skyway" alongside Mystic Bill's classic "U Won't C Me". Elsewhere, he dabbles in classic electro territory from Das Kombinat on "Waschmaschine", industrial proto-techno on Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia's "War Chant" (Marcel Dettmann edit) and some new exclusives from MDR HQ in the form of some interesting collaborations. There's some stripped and textured dub techno featuring Levon Vincent on "Can You See" and a jagged industrial experiment with fellow label mate Wincent Kunth on "Possible Step". While the mix is definitely reminiscent of one of his renowned 12 - 4 warm up sets, the vinyl edition (which comes as a bonus with this double vinyl release in gatefold cover) is a fine collection timeless techno and future classics.

Review: Given their position as high-ranking, chart-bothering dancefloor party-starters, you'd expect Disclosure's contribution to the long-running DJ Kicks mix series to be energetic, enthusiastic and saucer-eyed. It is of course, with the Lawrence Brothers taking us a whirlwind, thrill-a-minute 55-minute trip through the kind of peak-time club cuts that get their creative juices flowing. After a surprisingly sanguine start (Pepe's shimmering ambient), the siblings gleefully skip between synth-laden lo-fi house positivity (Harry Wolfman), excitable nu-disco (Cleanfield) and melodious deep house (Simon Hinter), before opting for spacey synths, beefier beats, sleazier grooves and heavier basslines courtesy of the likes of &On&On, Slum Science and East End Dubs. Chuck in a couple of their own cuts and a dash of D&B at the end and you have a hugely entertaining, ear-pleasing mix-up.

Review: A genre-hopping, mind-bending mix from the king of eclecticism, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), that ushers in a new age of experimentation for the seminal DJ Kicks series. Known primarily for his home made excursions to the far reaches of the musical map, Kieran Hebden is a DJ on a different kind of trip, the gratifying results of which can be seen all over this exemplary DJ Kicks compilation (the 26th in this now legendary series). Inspired by his 8 hour sets at The End and in Ibiza with Timo Maas, Kieran says he has rediscovered the thrill of filling a floor: "Playing for people who just want to dance is an exciting thing for someone who’s into experimental music". As you might expect with Four Tet, however, nothing is ever that straightforward, and his DJ Kicks is a mind blowing experience, taking in just about as many genres as there are tracks: Old skool hip-hop, French prog, conscious soul, electronic experimentation, minimal techno, early two-step, cosmic jazz, African thumb pianos and much more besides share space here, bound together by analogue synth interludes, segues and an exclusive new Four Tet track specially created for this compilation 'Pockets'; this year's only release under the Four Tet moniker.

Review: A genre-hopping, mind-bending mix from the king of eclecticism, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), that ushers in a new age of experimentation for the seminal DJ Kicks series. Known primarily for his home made excursions to the far reaches of the musical map, Kieran Hebden is a DJ on a different kind of trip, the gratifying results of which can be seen all over this exemplary DJ Kicks compilation (the 26th in this now legendary series). Inspired by his 8 hour sets at The End and in Ibiza with Timo Maas, Kieran says he has rediscovered the thrill of filling a floor: "Playing for people who just want to dance is an exciting thing for someone who’s into experimental music". As you might expect with Four Tet, however, nothing is ever that straightforward, and his DJ Kicks is a mind blowing experience, taking in just about as many genres as there are tracks: Old skool hip-hop, French prog, conscious soul, electronic experimentation, minimal techno, early two-step, cosmic jazz, African thumb pianos and much more besides share space here, bound together by analogue synth interludes, segues and an exclusive new Four Tet track specially created for this compilation 'Pockets'; this year's only release under the Four Tet moniker.

Review: Although she's offered up plenty of high-grade DJ mixes in the past, this volume in the "DJ Kicks" series marks Laurel Halo's first commercially available mix-up. The sometime Hyperdub producer has dutifully delivered something rather special, somehow joining the dots between 29 diverse and disparate cuts in the manner of a true turntable maestro. Beginning with the melodious experimentalism of her own "Public Art", Halo giddily charges between mutant industrial funk (Stallone The Reducer, Final Cut), thrusting electronic disco (Red Axes), deep techno (Parris), mind-altering acid-style intensity (Rrose), stomping, sweat-soaked peak-time techno (Machinewoman, FIT Siegel), polyrhythmic bass music (Facta, one of her Livity Sound collabs with Hodge) and an impressive array of cuts that defy easy categorization. The resultant all-action mix is nothing less than stunning.

Review: When interviewed around the release of the first Hercules & Love Affair album in 2008, main man Andy Butler did little to hide his house influences, despite that set's loose disco vibe. Since then, he's continued to pursue a retro-futurist house agenda, and here re-states his credentials with a DJ Kicks mix that happily joins the dots between vintage New York house and garage, acid, contemporary revivalist fare and the odd foray into dubwise electrofunk territory (see the thriller from Mankind). It's an excellent representation of what you could expect from one his basement-bothering DJ sets and is jam-packed with largely overlooked fare from the '80s and '90s.

Review: Jayda G is one of house music's most breakout and cross-over sensations in the last five years. She plays with an obvious passion for what she does, and that is mirrored by the tunes she makes and the selections she digs for. A DJ-kicks from her was always going to be a good time listen and so it proves - her own 'All I Need' takes some beating in the feel-good house realm, but the likes of HAAi's lo-fi shuffler 'Good Ol'Fashioned Rugs', disco stepper 'I Want Your Body' from Royale and House Of Jazz's super soulful 'Hold Your Head Up' come real close.

Review: Studio K7’s long running mix series, DJ-Kicks, continues with an instalment from NYC disco head Juan Maclean (former hosts include the likes of Hot Chip, Booka Shade and Henrik Schwarz). Sculpted with a combination of classic tracks and more recent cuts, the mix displays a diverse collection of songs that are more focused on the club than past mixes.




Although Maclean is mostly known for his productions and live performances, he is also a DJ of some repute and his inclusion in the series is no surprise. What is somewhat intriguing, however, is his decision to make a straight up house mix. Over the running time of seventy-two minutes, Maclean keeps the energy levels high as his unleashes his collection of records meant for the club. Selecting from a rich tradition of house music with a disco twist, he includes a combination of classic tracks like Rick Wilhite’s "Get On Up" (remixed by fellow house don Theo Parrish) and recent disco cuts from the likes of Shit Robot, Still Going and 6th Borough Project.




The mix has a free flowing feel throughout due to Maclean’s raw method of producing: the whole compilation was mixed live using only two turntables, a couple of filters and a tape delay, placing the emphasis squarely on the sprit and excitement of the mix as opposed to its sound.

Review: Studio K7’s long running mix series, DJ-Kicks, continues with an instalment from NYC disco head Juan Maclean (former hosts include the likes of Hot Chip, Booka Shade and Henrik Schwarz). Sculpted with a combination of classic tracks and more recent cuts, the mix displays a diverse collection of songs that are more focused on the club than past mixes.


Although Maclean is mostly known for his productions and live performances, he is also a DJ of some repute and his inclusion in the series is no surprise. What is somewhat intriguing, however, is his decision to make a straight up house mix. Over the running time of seventy-two minutes, Maclean keeps the energy levels high as his unleashes his collection of records meant for the club. Selecting from a rich tradition of house music with a disco twist, he includes a combination of classic tracks like Rick Wilhite’s "Get On Up" (remixed by fellow house don Theo Parrish) and recent disco cuts from the likes of Shit Robot, Still Going and 6th Borough Project.


The mix has a free flowing feel throughout due to Maclean’s raw method of producing: the whole compilation was mixed live using only two turntables, a couple of filters and a tape delay, placing the emphasis squarely on the sprit and excitement of the mix as opposed to its sound.

Review: To get away from the 'one track after the other' compilation concept K&D checked in at Havlis Super Sound where their man Alex (don of the echo chambers) has a secret dub-laboratory. There K&D did a dub session on the selected tracks to inject some dynamics and life into it. They took two bottles of Highland Park whisky and their old dub-echoes from the cellar and did a smoked-out dub echo-orgy.

Review: To get away from the 'one track after the other' compilation concept K&D checked in at Havlis Super Sound where their man Alex (don of the echo chambers) has a secret dub-laboratory. There K&D did a dub session on the selected tracks to inject some dynamics and life into it. They took two bottles of Highland Park whisky and their old dub-echoes from the cellar and did a smoked-out dub echo-orgy.

Review: While there aren't many duffers within the vast DJ Kicks catalogue, it would be fair to say that some of their chosen selectors do make more of an effort than others. Jessy Lanza, the latest DJ to provide a mix for the long-serving series, has undoubtedly taken it seriously and used the opportunity to cram in tons of killer cuts and take us on a genuinely thrilling, action-packed musical journey. After opening with a trio of her own shimmering, star-bright future R&B/leftfield synth-pop productions, Lanza sprints between fuzzy, off-kilter house and techno, punchy electro, sparkling underground electronic pop, bubbly electronica and dubbed-out electronic epics, before variously offering up ambient, sweaty drum tracks, and bouncy, garage-influenced goodness. In other words, it's a fabulously entertaining affair that's well worthy of your attention.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The DJ Kicks series has managed to outlast the vast majority of other DJ mixes we can think of - the good, the bad, the populist, and the plain cash cow. Even the mighty fabric compilations have rebranded and rethought, bringing the original legacy, FABRICLIVE included, to a respectful end at 200 outings. Strange, then, to think, that !K7's mighty offering to the world of "What should we listen to at the afters?" has arguably managed to become more relevant as the years have flown by.

There was a time when the series existed at the lighter end of club fare, with some examples barely even matching that description. These days, though, there's often a dance floor heaviness central to the selections, with Jessy Lanza's broken, bass-driven set a case in point. Pointless attempts to describe the music, and lazy track list namedropping aside, this is energy-packed, heads down, futurist stuff packed with infectious percussion.

Review: Like the best instalments in the long-running DJ Kicks series, this mix from Motor City Drum Ensemble man Danilo Plessow gives a far better insight into his musical inspirations than his own productions ever could. While there are, naturally, great deep house moments included (Tevo Howard, Mr Fingers, Latecomer etc), these largely take a back seat to Plessow's other musical passions. So, we get soft-focus electric jazz (Sun Ra), dub wise explorations (Tony Allen, Basic Channel), sweet soul (Peven Everett), dusty afro-funk (Geraldo Pino), urgent leftfield disco (Loose Joints, Walter Gibbons) and even a dash of instrumental jazz-funk (James Mason). That it all makes sense musically, flows brilliantly and is effortlessly entertaining is testament to Plessow's skill as a DJ.

Review: Originally released in 2000.

Review: Originally released in 2000.

Review: South Korean star Peggy Gou continues her seemingly unstoppable rise by serving up her first ever DJ mix CD. It's a contribution to one of the longest running series in the business, DJ Kicks, and she's used the opportunity to showcase the depth and variety of the music in her crates. Beginning with the classic early '90s ambient of Spacetime Continuum, Gou flits between humid, mid-tempo Balearic house (her own "Hungboo"), acid-fired downtempo electronica (Pearson Sound), throbbing 1990 peak-time anthems (Weatherall's ace but largely forgotten remix of Sly & Lovechild), hypnotic techno minimalism (Dorisburg), main room throb-jobs (Hiver), pulsating electro (DMX Krew), classic breakbeat hardcore (Shades of Rhythm), post-dubstep (Kode 9), dark tribal drum jams (Black Merlin) and sunrise ready Motor City brilliance (Deniro).

Review: New York disco man Juan Maclean compiles the latest DJ-Kicks compilation, following the likes of Hot Chip, Booka Shade and Henrik Schwarz. Selecting from a rich tradition of house music, Maclean includes a combination of classic tracks like Rick Wilhite's "Get On Up" (remixed by fellow house don Theo Parrish) and recent disco cuts from DFA buddies Shit Robot and Still Going. There's some European tech house from Florian Meindl, Alex Niggemann and Andre Crom & Luca Doobie, and an exclusive new track from Juan Maclean to top things off.

Review: Given his multiple production aliases, love of collaboration and two acclaimed labels - the effervescent Aus and Simple Music - its surprising Will Saul has time to think, let alone lay down a DJ Kicks mix. That the resultant mix is a woozy, atmospheric, multi-textured voyage through many shades of deep house, techno and bass-flecked electronic music is less surprising. Tightly packed with exclusives - see Bicep's rave-flavoured "Nova", for starters - and with cuts from pals October, George Fitzgerald, Cottam and Axel Boman, amongst others, there's plenty for fans of Saul's ever-evolving sound to cheer. This vinyl edition packs 12 of the 24 cuts from the mix across two slabs of vinyl and you get also get a CD of the mix with Saul building a distinctly warm and wide-eyed vibe over 80 mesmerizing minutes.

Review: Let's just pause for one second; now, think about all that music that has so enriched your life down the years. All of it, without fault, and regardless of any strict genre definitions, is soul music. If it flicks a switch deep inside you, speaks to you, comforts you and makes you feel good about yourself, then that, my friend, is soul music. German DJ and producer Henrik Schwarz understands this musical truth more than most. A long-time aficionado of those musical forms that are commonly rooted in some appreciation of this sonic legacy - funk, house, disco, jazz, techno, and yes, the dictionary definition of soul (James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Motown etc, etc) - his adventures into hi-fi are testament to such a fact. And nowhere is this more readily apparent than on Schwarz's latest venture: a much-deserved foray into that Holy Grail of DJ mix albums, !K7's acclaimed DJ Kicks series. Across 23 tracks, Schwarz enthusiastically takes us on a musical journey that without wanting to get too chin-strokery about it, manages to entertain, enthral and educate all at once. And that he achieves this without losing sight of the style and sophistication that are the hallmarks of his unique DJ sets and his much praised productions and remixes is only added grist to his musical mill. Schwarz's background is jazz: free-flowing, improvisational and inspirational jazz, the likes of which set the pre-rock'n'roll years alight. And it's this mindset that initially informs his well-chosen mix. Rather than go for the latest bunch of tunes that are burning a hole on dancefloors across the globe, Henrik has paid homage to the music that he has loved down the years. Consequently, Moondog's jazz classic 'Bird's Lament' sets the scene for the journey we are about to undertake. When this segues into Double's blissful slice of Balearica, 'Woman Of The World', it's clear that we are in the hands of a rare talent. For Henrik Schwarz is a DJ who utilises all the tools of the modern sound sculptor - his usual sets are comprised of him jamming live via his trusty laptop - with a reverence for what has gone before. It's no wonder that Gilles Peterson is such a fan of his productions 'Supravision', 'Chicago', 'Jon' (which is featured here) and 'Leave My Head Alone Brain', nor that his music is lapped up by Manchester's hugely influential Electric Chair coterie. Henrik himself admits that he didn't want to think too much about his mix, rather he let the music dictate what direction he went in. "I just selected the tracks and then played them," he admits. "It was more about the feeling of the mix, creating those emotions and combining extremes." Such a case comes when he mixes the minimal techno of Robert Hood's 'The Core' with an African field recording. It's about creating layers and textures and in doing so it gives his mix a depth that is truly awe-inspiring. But this isn't all about intellectual grandstanding. Good times are audible at every turn: James Brown encourages us to get on the good foot with his dancefloor shimmy, 'Since You've Been Gone', and the psychedelic free jazz of Schwarz's own 'Jon' is both vibrant and hypnotic. Elsewhere, the stirring strut of Jae Mason's 'Let It Out' and the irresistible Afro-beat of Cymande's 'Anthracite' both compel you to fish out those dancing trousers. Undoubtedly though, the blue touchpaper is well and truly lit by Schwarz's 'Imagination Limitation', a track written especially for this mix. Placed next to Detroit legends Drexciya's 'Black Sea' - all crisp and muscular Motor City futurism - it ticks Schwarz's techno fetish with aplomb. Other dancefloor delights come courtesy of avant-garde nut job Arthur Russell's trippy cosmic disco 'Get Around To It'. Being a mix of untold seams, the funk flavours at the business end speak of Schwarz's cerebral qualities. Womack & Womack's 'Conscious Of My Conscience', Rhythm & Sound and Sugar Minott's 'Let Jah Love Come', Doug Hammond's 'Wake Up Brothers' and the incomparable Marvin Gaye's 'You're The Man' are all moving and literate pleas for a better world. And that in a nutshell is the mix you presently have in your hand. It's a CD that tells a story. It contains tracks that ooze class, that reek of history, that are imbued with style. It is a mix that speaks of life's rich tapestry. In short, Henrik Schwarz has delivered a mix with something for your mind, your body, and, most importantly, your soul.

Review: Let's just pause for one second; now, think about all that music that has so enriched your life down the years. All of it, without fault, and regardless of any strict genre definitions, is soul music. If it flicks a switch deep inside you, speaks to you, comforts you and makes you feel good about yourself, then that, my friend, is soul music. German DJ and producer Henrik Schwarz understands this musical truth more than most. A long-time aficionado of those musical forms that are commonly rooted in some appreciation of this sonic legacy - funk, house, disco, jazz, techno, and yes, the dictionary definition of soul (James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Motown etc, etc) - his adventures into hi-fi are testament to such a fact. And nowhere is this more readily apparent than on Schwarz's latest venture: a much-deserved foray into that Holy Grail of DJ mix albums, !K7's acclaimed DJ Kicks series. Across 23 tracks, Schwarz enthusiastically takes us on a musical journey that without wanting to get too chin-strokery about it, manages to entertain, enthral and educate all at once. And that he achieves this without losing sight of the style and sophistication that are the hallmarks of his unique DJ sets and his much praised productions and remixes is only added grist to his musical mill. Schwarz's background is jazz: free-flowing, improvisational and inspirational jazz, the likes of which set the pre-rock'n'roll years alight. And it's this mindset that initially informs his well-chosen mix. Rather than go for the latest bunch of tunes that are burning a hole on dancefloors across the globe, Henrik has paid homage to the music that he has loved down the years. Consequently, Moondog's jazz classic 'Bird's Lament' sets the scene for the journey we are about to undertake. When this segues into Double's blissful slice of Balearica, 'Woman Of The World', it's clear that we are in the hands of a rare talent. For Henrik Schwarz is a DJ who utilises all the tools of the modern sound sculptor - his usual sets are comprised of him jamming live via his trusty laptop - with a reverence for what has gone before. It's no wonder that Gilles Peterson is such a fan of his productions 'Supravision', 'Chicago', 'Jon' (which is featured here) and 'Leave My Head Alone Brain', nor that his music is lapped up by Manchester's hugely influential Electric Chair coterie. Henrik himself admits that he didn't want to think too much about his mix, rather he let the music dictate what direction he went in. "I just selected the tracks and then played them," he admits. "It was more about the feeling of the mix, creating those emotions and combining extremes." Such a case comes when he mixes the minimal techno of Robert Hood's 'The Core' with an African field recording. It's about creating layers and textures and in doing so it gives his mix a depth that is truly awe-inspiring. But this isn't all about intellectual grandstanding. Good times are audible at every turn: James Brown encourages us to get on the good foot with his dancefloor shimmy, 'Since You've Been Gone', and the psychedelic free jazz of Schwarz's own 'Jon' is both vibrant and hypnotic. Elsewhere, the stirring strut of Jae Mason's 'Let It Out' and the irresistible Afro-beat of Cymande's 'Anthracite' both compel you to fish out those dancing trousers. Undoubtedly though, the blue touchpaper is well and truly lit by Schwarz's 'Imagination Limitation', a track written especially for this mix. Placed next to Detroit legends Drexciya's 'Black Sea' - all crisp and muscular Motor City futurism - it ticks Schwarz's techno fetish with aplomb. Other dancefloor delights come courtesy of avant-garde nut job Arthur Russell's trippy cosmic disco 'Get Around To It'. Being a mix of untold seams, the funk flavours at the business end speak of Schwarz's cerebral qualities. Womack & Womack's 'Conscious Of My Conscience', Rhythm & Sound and Sugar Minott's 'Let Jah Love Come', Doug Hammond's 'Wake Up Brothers' and the incomparable Marvin Gaye's 'You're The Man' are all moving and literate pleas for a better world. And that in a nutshell is the mix you presently have in your hand. It's a CD that tells a story. It contains tracks that ooze class, that reek of history, that are imbued with style. It is a mix that speaks of life's rich tapestry. In short, Henrik Schwarz has delivered a mix with something for your mind, your body, and, most importantly, your soul.

Review: In recent interviews, Paul Woolford AKA Special Request has made it clear that he's long dreamed of being asked to contribute to K7's long-running DJ Kicks mix series. It should come as no surprise, then, that his volume in the series is little less than stunning. Constructed as a slowly unfurling, constantly evolving musical journey interspersed with ambient interludes and specially created Special Request cuts, the set sees Woolford work his way through synth-soul, 21st century boogie, electro and IDM before moving on to classic house, techno, acid house, hardcore, jungle and, in its closing moments, a stunning, spacey synth-scape he wrote in cahoots with fellow Yorkshireman 96 Back. Throughout, Woolford's focus remains on mood, melody and tone. A simply stunning mix made by a master craftsman.

Review: The last few years have really seen Paul Woolford reach the top of his game in many different ways. Be it bowel emptying rave as Special Request, festival baiting piano house tunes or chart topping pop dance crossovers under his own name, the man is proving himself to have a real golden touch. He sure does crank out all these tunes at a prolific rate, too, but you still feel he does everything with meticulous precision. This DJ Kicks is a case in point. It touches on all the many different facets of his sound from glossy and feel good house to early Chicago classics, post-rave dreamscapes to brutal jungle breaks. What a legend.

Review: John Talabot joins the likes of Scuba, James Holden and Motor City Drum Ensemble to contribute to the long running DJ-Kicks mix series that's deftly proved there's still mileage in the commercially released Mix CD despite this podcast heavy age we live. The usual double LP edition culls ten cuts from the weighty 27 track mix which the Hivern Disc lad has described as "not an easy mix. It's quite strange". If you've seen Talabot DJ you know the Barcelona based artist digs deep and that's represented well on these ten cuts, with Andy Stott's lurching take on Maps and the similarly minded Tempel Rytmik ( the new project from Talabot and Alexander 'Genius of Time' Berg) contrasting nicely with the more effervescent house from Axel Boman, MCDE and Paradise's Deep Groove. Kudos too for the inclusion of Samo DJ's "Tai Po Kau"!

Review: Whether operating under his own name or the equally familiar Henry Wu alias, Kamaal Williams' next-level musical fusions are always rooted in soul and jazz. Both inspirations come to the fore on his superb contribution to the long running "DJ-Kicks" series, a smooth, atmospheric and ear-catching set that crams 29 scintillating cuts in 80 action-packed minutes. Sprinting between 21st century R&B, jazz-funk, deep house, dancefloor jazz, broken beat, kwaito, dub, drum and bass and off-kilter, impossible to pigeonhole cuts, the musician, producer and DJ manages to both educate and entertain in equal measure. Along the way you'll find plenty of exclusives, including a number of his own previously unreleased productions.

Review: Whether operating under his own name or the equally familiar Henry Wu alias, Kamaal Williams' next-level musical fusions are always rooted in soul and jazz. Both inspirations come to the fore on his superb contribution to the long running "DJ-Kicks" series, a smooth, atmospheric and ear-catching set that crams 29 scintillating cuts in 80 action-packed minutes. Sprinting between 21st century R&B, jazz-funk, deep house, dancefloor jazz, broken beat, kwaito, dub, drum and bass and off-kilter, impossible to pigeonhole cuts, the musician, producer and DJ manages to both educate and entertain in equal measure. Along the way you'll find plenty of exclusives, including a number of his own previously unreleased productions.

Review: There's going to be plenty of heat surrounding this mix-up from hot US DJ crews Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap, and it's easy to see why. As commercially released DJ mixes go, it's exceptional. Packed with fresh material and refreshingly eclectic, it sprints between tracksboth upbeat and downtempo at a breathless pace. From sparse nocturnal house and Arp-heavy noughties boogie to dubbed-out grooves, space-age electro and sweeping cinematic instrumentals, this installment of "DJ Kicks" has it all. Hell, there's even a spot of pedal steel skank from Slow Hands. With a cultured, considered feel and all manner of unreleased audio delights from the Wolf + Lamb family, it's an outstanding hour of entertainment.