Courtesy of Jon Freer from mosoul.co.uk here are seven reviews (sorry no cover shots or tracklistings this time):

Martin Brew – Remixes EP (Fat City)

Fat City’s sole artist on their roster gets a hefty kick up the backside from Platinum Pied Piper Waajeed and electro daddy Greg Wilson. Wilson has really comes up with the goods here, turning “Galactico” from a first division Discoid floorfiller into championship winning highlight of the night material. Greg manages this with his use of clearly thinking beats, FX rays and a neat groove carved out by playful keys and a sturdy bass. Waajeed provides two eccentric takes on “Mean Old Devil”, a vocal and instrumental version, which both move along in a similar fashion, thanks to drunken keys, hopping drums and a laugh-inducing bass.

Bakura – Remixes EP (Especial)

After what seems like an age getting his album revisited by an all star cast, DJ Mitsu The Beats gets his chance as reconstructor, providing a couple of reinterpretations for the productive Domu’s Bakura project. Mitsu tackles “Thinking About”, where happy go lucky keys, all smiles bass and gurgling synths back sliced singing on the voiced remix. His instrumental rerub gives more weight to the beats and bass, whilst Domu himself can’t resist giving “Bada” the subby space bass treatment. Recloose touches up “Lately”, where ska-type brass pushing, nervy strings and anticipating vocals are blown out the water by a West London influenced bassline.

Hajime Yoshizawa – Music From The Edge Of The Earth Sampler (Especial)

“Music From The Edge Of The Earth” is to be Hajime’s third longplayer and the sampler shows his love for jazz inflected music from across the spectrum. “Keep It Movin’” watches ostentatious strings and cosmonautic keys team up behind Face’s strength-giving vocals. “Waltz For Jason” gives the sax player named in the title free reign over supporting keys and jumbled percussion. “Behind The Sunshine” contains bright and breezy guitar work, and blissed vocals, which could only be the product of Hajime teaming up with Chris Frank and Nina Miranda, who provided the melody and vocals for Yoshizawa’s magical “I Am With You” a couple of years ago. Lastly, Vanessa Freeman joins for “Sweet Way”, where flashy synths and pushy keys back her positive vocals.

Manoo & Francois A – Traffic EP (Buzzin’ Fly)

Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly imprint keep to their tradition of releasing top quality yet broadly appealing House, with this fat EP from the Lyon based duo Manoo and Francois A. A rump shaking bassline, flinching string stabs and absent minded keys guarantee that the “Traffic” will increase on the dancefloor when this record is dropped. “The Deep” offers hypnotic synths sweeps, which hoover up the mess made by an out of sorts bassline and half-baked keys.

Louie Vega feat. Raul Midon – Cerca De Mi (Wagon Cookin’ Remixes)(Lovemonk)

Brazilian based chefs and musical concoctors with a love of Latiny House delights, Wagon Cookin’ were a logical choice to give “Cerca De Mi” a new garnishing. The ‘Contingo Mix’ sees Roy Ayers style jazzzz vibraphone work lie across groovacious guitars and steady drumming. Patted down beats, flute yelps and sweetened vocals meet on the Wagon Cookin’ ‘Mix’, whilst their Dub is a tougher affair, with an obese slurping bass and delusional synthified brass action.

Robert Strauss – Empire Strikes Back EP (Freerange)

This EP has plucked some of the choice moments from Strauss’ full length CD debut and given them a 12″ vinyl outing. “Empire Strikes Back” sees Brassmunk and Chris Rouse provide a sweet vocal duet over a rattling bass, lifted synths and non-stop dancing keys. Middlefield provide an exclusive refit of the title cut, where the beats and vocals are cut with a pair of shears, as sireny synthetics and a frowning bass ride the new terrain. “Ouija” is a pat/tap percussive piece, with unhappy brass, flowery synths and West London style spoken vocals, whilst “Miracles” places sunshine keys over rough guitar work and lazy beats.

Slam feat. Dot Allison – Kill The Pain (Soma)

Ontario based Marc Houle gives “Kill The Pain” a twisted teched out treatment. Precise beats, devastating keys and giddy synths do the work on both Houle’s impressive vocal and dub rehashes. The angelically stringed original comes in both vocal and instrumental form, whilst the oddly percussed Smoke dub of “Bright Lights Fading” also makes an appearance.