When we first heard The Shrew, we were disappointed. It’s still Orbison, it definitely picks up from where Hyph Mngo left us, but it doesn’t take us anywhere new.

John Selway makes techno that can coexist with progressive/electro/lame-house without compromising its integrity. If you want nuance you can find it, if you just want to get lost in the groove you can.

Instead of manipulating sounds that have gradually developed meanings in your mind, Deru takes familiar cues and removes them from their normal associations. He takes sounds that would never be seen together and forces them to sit down for coffee.

The third release on the recently founded Sweatshop label, “Soul Clap” is solid but Alter does little to distinguish himself from the throngs of Europeans producing Detroit-influenced techno.

Squillace grew up in Naples, a place with none of the serious club infrastructure of more cosmopolitan European cities, and all his neighbors probably thought he was nuts. Now he offers listeners paranoia, dissociation and mind-control.

Although this EP may leave some lingering feelings of pitch-black alienation, Under proves he is free from convention and any associations that may come with it.

The Canadian quartet’s new Chance EP is the best recent attempt to wed the solo and support aspects of jazz piano to good, serious house music, and it’s a credit to both the human and computer species.

“Deliver Me”, a favorite from Motorcitysoul’s Technique, gets the house single treatment on this remixed release from Simple. Kruse & Amp and Prosumer present us two heavy house tracks that are sure to shake rooms and rumps everywhere.