Various Artists - Godskitchen Underground

From the opening shimmering synths of Robert M’s Only You, this compilation of trance-inflected dirty electro will immediately transport any house fan to the Ibiza terraces. Melodic yet abrasive, emotive yet vicious, and primal yet intriguing, this latest release from the Godskitchen stable shows why house is in the middle of one of its strongest periods in recent years. Tracks with mainstream appeal, such as D Ramirez and TC's catchy collaboration, With Me Or Against Me, sit comfortably alongside harsher moments like Marc Stage‘s skull-rattling Blush. There are a few misfires - Da Hool’s Met Her At The Love Parade is still as cheesy as it was ten years ago, even with an updated remix from Paul Thomas & Sonny Wharton - but overall it’s a squelchy, stuttering and stunning release that will kick-start the summer for even the most jaded of clubbers.[Scott Ramage]