Ruben Mandolini – Slevin

More dancefloor-oriented tech-house frolics here, courtesy of Riva Starr's Snatch! label and Italian producer Ruben Mandolini.

Both Slevin itself and Forget About It are hi-octane, prime-time pumpers with more than a hint of disco, while Fonky Death works a more stripped-down, jackin' groove altogether. The latter's also accompanied by a drum-tastic 'DJ tool' mix.

I've love Fonky Death more, were it not for the angry-sounding man who keeps shouting "Funky crowd out there!" in a rather annoying fashion. Even taking him into account, though, what we have here are three solid bets when you need to keep 'em moving.

Out: This week

About: You can find Snatch! on Soundcloud, on Facebook or at their website.

OR'L – Confusion EP

A five-tracker here from France's OR'L on F*** House Music that, as is often the label's wont, fuses (deep) house and (nu) disco vibes.

Confusion itself leads the charge, a low-slung, pulsing, sleazy nu-disco groover with a wibbly, trippy synth topline reminiscent of N-Joi's Anthem. Bougie Solitaire is house with disco edges and reminds me a bit of Direckt's 2 Fat Guitars in a weird kinda way, while Tools 890 is a more straight-up deep/tech house jam with some jazzy, lounge-y flourishes.

Finally, you get two mixes of Disco Sluts: the original's long on space disco synths and wukka-wukking geetars underpinned by a solid, if understated walking b-line, while Will Berridge flips the script and turns it into a dubby, afterhours excursion that for me is actually the pick of a very fine EP.

Time to get your shimmy on, peeps!

Out: This week

About: You can find F*** House Music (sister label to Sleazy Deep, dontchaknow?) on Facebook and Soundcloud, or at their own website.

Groovebox – Gangster

Needn't detain you long with this one, cos what we have here are some straight-up pumpin' tech-house grooves aimed fair and square at the dancefloor. And once you've said that, what else is there to say?

I guess I could tell you that the track's predicated (vocally) around that Henry Hill "as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" sample from Goodfellas. And I could tell you that the original's a bass-y, push-y affair while the Johnny Kaos remix strips things back a few notches to fashion a vaguely Sneak-y roller.

But yeah, "pumpin' tech-house grooves aimed fair and square at the dancefloor" just about covers it.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Italy's Deeperfect, who are quite good at all that tech-house malarkey, y'know. Find 'em on Soundcloud or Facebook, or hit up the home page of parent label Sound4Group.

KANT – Burn, Hurt, Touch EP

An EP of typically cerebral/leftfield house grooves here from Denmark's Gartenhaus.

Just to make life a bit easier, the three words in the EP title are actually the names of the three tracks involved. Burn is a dubby, chuggy deep/tech affair, but definitely one more aimed at discerning grown-ups rather than dancefloor drug monkeys; Touch is an ever-so-slightly more upbeat number with subtle disco stabs and a nice big throbbing b-line.

But the standout, as with yesterday's Switchbox single (below), is a cut that draws heavily on a classic from days gone by. In this instance, it's the slow-pulsing, Balearically-tinged Hurt, which lifts a hefty chunk of vocal from Carly Simon's Why. To great effect, it must be said!

Out: This week

About: You can find Gartenhaus on Soundcloud, on Facebook or at their own website.

Paolo Marturano – I'll Be Waiting For You

Seems like a while since we heard from Chester-based Muchiq Records, but here they come again now with a surefire floorburner courtesy of Italy's Paulo Marturano.

There are three mixes to choose from. The Original is a deep, techy house throbber with one SERIOUSLY chunky b-line, a neat wibbly synth topline and a male voice intoning "I'll be waiting for you, there's nothing else I can do." One to drop in those heads-down, locked-on moments in the wee small hours. The Forshure Remix ups both the BPM and the tech factor a notch or two, while Dansco's rub adds busier percussion to give the track a driving, proggy, almost tribal feel; both retain that same mantra-like vocal.

It's the original that stands out for me, but with the other two mixes in tow you've got the ammunition to slay a range of floors. Go get 'em.

Out: This week

About: You can find Muchiq on Soundcloud, on Facebook or at their own website.

Jonny Love House – Alfresco Disco

Staying firmly in dancefloor territory, here we have the latest from rising UK producer Jonny Loves House.

It's a four-track affair. Bounce is big, squelchy and lightly disco-fied, and wouldn't have sounded out of place on Credence back in the day. Matter is pacier and techier, Loose pairs a strident, techy riddim with slightly housier leads, while finally Even If – the pick of the crop for me – is all about the big fat bassline, which is augmented by (quite poppy) female vocal snatches and wonky, off-kilter keys.

Should you be of a mind to jack your body this festive season, these four tracks will serve as musical accompaniment admirably.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Jonny's own self-titled label… they live here and here (website, Soundcloud). And also in Brighton, if you must always live so relentlessly in the real world.

Dave Martins – Natural

The latest here from Switzerland's Southpark Records, who've definitely been on something of a roll this past few months.

Label co-founder Dave Martins is the man at the controls, with remixes taken care of by Kenny Ground and Hector Couto. Martins' original of Natural is an atmospheric tech-houser with a touch of deep prog around the edges, Kenny Ground's remix rides much more strident percussion while Hector Couto's rub, the standout for me, filters the drums and takes us into deeper territory.

Another solid dancefloor bet.

Out: This week

About: You can find Southpark Records on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Darren Marshall – Groove Like This EP

More jackin' tech-house grooves here courtesy of Canadian producer Darren Marshall.

Unlike the very drummy Bimas release below though, here the emphasis is more firmly on the house side of the equation. Groove Like This itself tops its fierce percussion with parping sax and Negro-esque space-disco stabs, while We Know Jack veers even further towards disco house territory – albeit in a grown-up kinda way, and still with those rolling techy drums.

Two very solid bets for the slightly slinkier floors, then.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Kozmik Hype Recordings, who are based in Toronto and who can be found on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Bimas – Koala's Rolling

There's a koala, y'see, and he's rolling. I'm not sure how or what he's rolling (down a hill? in the aisles? back the years? up a fatty?) but he's rolling. Bimas says so.

It's long been my contention* that there aren't enough house music records that name-check koalas, so this was forced to get a mention. What does it sound like? Oh, y'know, rolling percussion, atmospheric synths, disembodied vocal snatches, yada yada yada… basically three slices of yer standard issue, perfectly serviceable, if not particularly ground-breaking, tech-house floor fodder.

But come on, it mentions koalas. What more do you want?

Out: This week

About: This comes on Italian label Aealla Music, and is their 14th release. Find 'em on Soundcloud, Facebook or at their own website.

Oh yeah, and Bimas is from Belgium and has had stuff out on Martin Buttrich and Loco Dice's Desolat! before now.

*It hasn't.

Helder Teixera – Non

Having discovered Portuguese producer Teixeira, the Endemic camp seem determined to release a record by him at least every 45 minutes… here's just the latest. S'good, though. 

There's just the two mixes to choose from. The original is a midtempo, rolling tech-house groove, with snatches of spoken French vocal but the emphasis primarily on the drums. It's the 4am Mix from Teixeira himself that I'm feeling much more, though – a far smoother, afterhours house joint with organs to kill for.

Nuff said, really… otherwise I'll be forced to do some sort of 'big, throbbing organ' joke. But yeah, this is very cool indeed.

Out: This week

About: Here's a link you may have seen before, and here's Helder's own Soundcloud page which you may not.

Various – Tronic 2013

Christian Smith's long-running Tronic Music label serve up a compilation of all-exclusive tracks, showcasing some of the label's forthcoming gems for the new year.

There was a time when the name Christian Smith meant one thing: driving, loop-based techno. But that was then, this is now, and there's none of that here at all. Instead, we're treated to 15 tracks that operate mostly in tuff, chugging tech-house territory, but also take in deeper, proggy vibes (Jewel Kid's Tempo Definition, Guy's Mercury) and some straight-up house, too (Per Hammar's Fever Mode, Smith's own disco-infused Keep On).

With some other respectable names including Pig & Dan, Dosem and Coyu also making an appearance, this is a very strong collection of club tracks that'll appeal to house and techno heads alike.

Out: This week

About: You can find Tronic Music on Facebook.

Simon Bryant – Tongue Tied EP

I'll say it right now, the sleeve for this is horrible. If there's one thing I don't want to see more than two emos snogging, it's two emos snogging where their tongues appear to have morphed into a piece of meat. There's just no need. But hey… just cos I don't like it doesn't mean it should be censored, so feast your eyes if you dig that kind of thing. You weird twisted freak.

Anyway it's not what they come wrapped in, it's what they taste like that matters. And Guilty For You, here, tastes to me like a modern-day big room vocal anthem in waiting – you could easily imagine this getting rinsed by the likes of Huxley, Maya Jane, yada yada yada.

The wonkier Tongue Tied operates in more familiar Hype Muzik house-prog-techno territory, while Uneasy Queasy is big, dramatic and a bit scary. Both will find their fans, but it's Guilty For You that'll push this up the download charts. Put your hands up for Southend.

Out: This week

About: You know where to find Hype Muzik by now.

Stefan Cordery – Incorporated

This WAS gonna go in the 'So many tunes…' round-up, but the four mixes are just too different, and too good in their own ways, for it not to get a full review.

Stefan Cordery is the man at the helm: his original version of Incorporated is an atmospheric tech-house chugger with that minimal-style trick of layering lots of scratchy, high-end sounds. Carlo Galliani's rub adds some stripped-down bass throb and brain-frying disco stabs for the 3am strobelit floors, while Ken Rok strips things right back to a minimal/deep techno pulse. And I'm liking all three mixes to be fair, especially Galliani's.

But it's the no-nonsense Mario Conte & Fabio SPZZ1 rub I'm loving best: it's the kind of muscular disco-techno that makes me think of Vague or early-doors Trade back in the day. Shirts optional.

Out: This week

About: This comes on London's Menomale Records, who can be found on Soundcloud, Facebook or at their own website.

VayFlor – Mescalina

After all that sumptuous garage-y deepness on our first two reviews this morning, time for a change of pace as we venture into more electronic pastures with the latest from UK label Menomale Records.

In its original form, Mescalina is a dark and jacking techno pulse that wouldn't have sounded out of place on 1605. The Fra P Remix is a lighter, jauntier take with Italo leanings, while Francesco Imparato's rub is a more textured and 'epic' affair you could imagine gracing a Garnier set. Finally, label bosses Mario Conte & Fabio Spzz serve up a mix with a summery, proggy kinda feel.

A pretty varied package stylistically, then, but rest assured the quality standard is high throughout.

Out: This week

About: You can find Menomale on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Balthazar & JackRock – Get Twisted

Last one for tonight, and it's a nice easy one cos essentially we're back in jackin' tech-house mode.

That said, the three mixes do vary a fair bit. The party-hearty Original rides a near-breakbeat and sports jazzy 60s spy movie brass stabs. Konstantin Yoodza's remix is more stripped down, more straight-down-the-line beats-wise and makes more of the tribal/chanted vox, while a second refix from UK tech-house legend Tony Thomas is a terrace-tastic percussion-led affair.

But 'jacking tech-house' pretty much sums up all three. One to reach for when you need to give the floor an instant energy boost.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Balthazar & JackRock's own label, Renesanz, which is based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Find 'em on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Alan Svartr – Diamond Fluff

The latest here from northeast UK-based 22 Digit, who probably don't get as much love on here as they deserve.

It comes from label stalwart Alan 'Unpronouncable Name' Svartr, and features two tracks in four mixes. Diamond Fluff itself is a perfectly acceptable little chugger in its original form, deep and a little bit wonky around the edges, but the track really comes to life when handed over to fellow northeastern lad Martijn, whose remix transforms it into a dark and menacing deep/tech bass monster.

That's the highlight of the EP for me, if I'm being honest, but you also get two rubs of Low Rider: the original's a slightly ploddy deep/tech cut with a funny little Star Trek siren sound buried deep in the mix, while the YokoO Remix rides more straight-up 4/4s and has a slightly slo-mo disco feel.

But like I said, to these ears it's all about the Martijn remix here.

Out: This week

About: You can find 22 Digit on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Manuel De La Mare & Luigi Rocca – Across The Universe

Finally for this evening*, if the three deep house cuts below are little too headnoddy/chinstroke-y for ya then this stonking track aimed fair and square at the dancefloor should see you right.

There's just the one mix, and there ain't nothing but a big, chugging tech-house groove going on… but oh, what a groove it is. I'm particularly loving the way the highs build and build, creating tension before it all stops, a female voice urges to "come on" and we drop right back down to the pulsing, bass-and-drum rhythm. And then do it all again. Repetition repetition repetition repetition!

One of the most irresistible orders to dance I've heard for a while – check it!

Out: Sunday (Dec 16)

About: This comes on Italian label 303 Lovers, which is run by Alex Kenji plus Messrs Rocca and De La Mare themselves. Find 'em on Facebook and Soundcloud.

*(probably, but you never know your luck)

ALBUM Matthias Tanzmann – Remixes 2002-2012

DC10 regular Matthias Tanzmann has been providing the world with deep, techy house gems for a whole decade now. And to celebrate the fact, here eight of his finest remixes to date are gathered together in long-playing record album format.

The originals come from (deep breath) Booka Shade, Freestyle Man, Marlow, Luna City Express, Clé, Dash Dude, Michael Melchner and Gamat 3000, but like they say in Airplane!, that's not important right now… what's important is me telling you that if you're after some dancefloor-oriented deep/tech house grooves that are, generally speaking, fairly tuff and percussive but without getting stupid about it, this is a very solid bet indeed.

Which I just did, so job done.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Tanzmann's own Moon Harbour label, who can be found here, here and here (website, Facebook, Soundcloud).

Vilius J – Changes Of Life EP

A three-tracker here from Quadraphonic that'll appeal to fans of techno and tech-house alike.

There's three tracks to talk about. Summer Is The Reason is a densely-layered, echo-y tech-house dancefloor roller with proggy overtones, while Synthetic edges closer to out-and-out techno territory. But somewhat perversely, it's actually dark and scary techno opus Morph that's earned this its place here today.

Dark, scary techno isn't usually TIWWD's favourite genre, as you know, but good music is good music, innit? One to put on when you want to, I dunno, frighten a bunny rabbit or something.

Out: This week

About: You can find Quadraphonic on Facebook and Soundcloud.

ALBUM Riccardo Russolillo – Let Me Call My Name

Woah… this one came out of nowhere! Usually when you get a full album by an artist/producer you've never heard of, it sets alarm bells ringing – it's often the sign of something self-released and self-indulgent. Not so here, though – this is one of the most impressive debuts I've heard for a long time.

Lightly tech-ified deep house is the order of the day, with 10 quite mellow yet still floor-friendly tracks – all instrumental, or all-but instrumental – that are pleasingly devoid of obvious hooks and dramatic breakdowns, instead tending to just get into a groove and then chug and pulse along there nicely. And we all know what less is, don't we? If you dig deeper imprints such like Fullbarr, Etoka or Lucidflow, you'll dig this – it's definitely one '4 da headz', as they say.

But while it's easy enough to sum up the album in genre terms, it's harder to find the right words to tell you just how sumptuously produced it all is – or how impressive it is for a first offering. Let's hope there's more like this to come because on this evidence, Russolillo is already shaping up to be a serious talent.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Italian label Four Fingers Hand, who can be found on Facebook.