House

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The title of this remix collection by German house duo M.A.N.D.Y (aka Philipp Jung and Patrick Bodmer) is too kind. Some of the featured acts have never come close to greatness (hello, Sugababes) and a fair share of the remixes were ill-conceived. One big mistake was turning the evocative synths of Lindstrom's I Feel Space into an aggressive workout. Their bleepy bass version of Joakim's Come Into My Kitchen sounds jaded, and the rework of Röyksopp's Sparks is bland dance-pop designed for heavy rotation in supermarket aisles. Despite these slip-ups, M.A.N.D.Y are skilful remixers: their reshape of Rex the Dog predated techno's fascination for recycling trance textures, and the collapsing drums and ominous bass that underpins the remix of Tiefschwarz & Tracy Thorn's Damage are the ideal for the singer's husky vocals. www.physical-music.com RICHARD BROPHY

Download tracks:Rex the Dog, Prototype; The Knife, Pass This On; Tiefschwarz & Tracy Thorn, Damage (all M.A.N.D.Y remixes)

Iin 2001, Aril Brikha gained traction among the house community for the deep, seductive and emotive sounds shop-windowed on his lovely Departure in Time album. Ex Machina is the Stockholm resident's long-in-the-works follow-up, an album where Brikha's house skills, deep-tech symphonies and spacey minimalism meet the funk. Between albums, Brikha went slow with a handful of releases and various live shows. He obviously spent the time perfecting and streamlining an already well-sculpted template: Ex Machina shimmers with stunning slow-motion soundscapes and atmospheres that won't be mistaken for anyone else's. Grooves and rhythms are lush and dramatic, rising to punctuate Brikha's narration at every turn. From the sublime twists on Last One to the gorgeous jazzy underbelly on Kind of Nitzer, Brikha nails this particular game every time. Let's hope we don't have to wait so long for his next foray. www.peacefrog.com  JIM CARROLL

Download tracks:Last One, Kind of Nitzer