One of my favorite things about dance music is the lovely bouncing feeling of moving forward, progressing, metamorphosing when a DJ (who can be trusted to do things well) is in the middle of a really really good mix. The dynamics of the different frequencies interacting -- a new kind of bass coming in, a different kind of high percussion, etc. -- is absolutely incredible when the beatmatch is good.

So (other than the excellence of the music itself) the reason why this album kicks so much ass is that it feels like that the whole way through. Something new from some new record gets introduced seemingly every two measures and it's great to hear the slightly sonic different qualities of each loop grinding on and adding to each other.

Big up to Hawtin for this one. It's something for the head and the feet ... but also just for the ears. Lovely.

There's incredibly little difference between the Original and the Instrumental versions of this track. I can't tell the difference for 95 percent of whichever track is playing.

However I will say that this is the catchiest Leger tune in my opinion. The strong snare, balearic guitar, bubbling bassline, incessant cowbell and cheesy faux-dark synth lines on top of all the funk make for an incredibly addicting and head-knodding five minutes.

This one transcends the French house genre and I think could be played in just about any kind of techno or house set -- even if only ironically. It's undeniably good quality funky house and even if you're only into grim minimal techno I think it would come as a nice surprise on the dancefloor.

There's a bit of loopy mixing on this release but as always with Luciano in his live mixes and productions the music is quality. The track selection and flow is effective, energetic and bold. He knows how to work the speakers and as it is a straight-from-vinyl mix with no computerized parts -- a rarity these days exhibited with equal dedication only by the likes of Cassy -- I don't hold the loopiness against him. It lends a kind of personal "Oh ... what the hell" feel to the mix which is a great quality to have. Overall this one is high in my books and definitely worth a listen!

One of the things that makes this song the pulsing heartbreaker it is is the technically inaccurate (but aesthetically perfect) synchronization of the drums and for that matter maybe even the piano. The entire track gets this lazy, stuttering drawl from that choice of sampling technique which in combination with the endlessly repeatable chords lends a sad timelessness to the vocalist's "love". This song is unforgettable in my mind and (by the way) is probably the most emotionally rich on Braxe & Falke's "Upper Cuts".

Unai's "A Love Moderne" 2xLP release is absolutely phenomenal. He manages to sneak all my favorite house / techno elements in: strong kicks and snares, breathy unintrusive vocals, firm driving basslines, strong chord progressions, a certain looseness and improvisational feel, ecclectic and energetic arrangements and -- most surprisingly -- the Cologne "shuffle house" rhythm, exhibited mostly in the basslines.

Word. Massive respect to Unai.