Fresh from delivering two killer tweaks of rare groove classics from Headhunters and Sylvia St James, Opolopo returns to GAMM with two more magical reworks. He opens proceedings with a terrific revision of Yellowjackets' jazz-funk classic 'Matinee Idol', wisely giving plenty of airtime to the original's killer groove, punchy horns and mazy piano solos while also adding a few elements of his own (including delay-laden vocal snippets from a variety of other classic cuts). It's a terrific - and impressively tasteful - rub of a genuine stone cold classic. Arguably even more impactful is the Stockholm-based producer's flipside revision of Eddie Harris' 'La Carnival', which he turns into a sweaty, percussive, celebratory and solo-laden house-not-house epic. In a word: brilliant.

If you were into house and techno around this time a decade ago, you surely wouldn't have been able to avoid Maceo Plex's acclaimed debut album Life Index. The Valencia-based, Miami native finally hit the big time after many years as an underground artist, with this impressive merging of minimal/tech house with disco/soul-funk influences that would go on to be constant throughout his work ever since. This worthy reissue as part of Record Store Day 2021 features all the hits that soundtracked a rather memorable 2011, such as the lo-slung rolling funk of 'Sleazy E', the druggy and sax-led euphoria of 'Silo' and the blissed-out summertime groove of 'Dexter's Flight'.

Packed Rich is back with the second record on our beat series, but this time he brought his childhood friend Sleepy Boy for an intergalactic space trip.

Poetic Hovering Synth Tinkerer.

It's been a while since we last heard from deep cover tech house crew OdD, but finally they're back on their own label OdD Music. As demonstrated throughout their discography, the pairing of Damian Daley and Danny Dixon have a unique touch when it comes to their craft, edging a little bite and verve into their productions which is instantly more interesting than 90% of music in the close vicinity. Even the comparatively minimal '1m Pendulum' has more than enough intrigue in the looping phrases darting around the groove. 'Hotep' has an almost French micro house flavour to it, but with a little UK rudeness when it reaches the final third. 'Obelisk' takes the prize though, edging some genuinely moving keys into the mix across a long form, live-feeling techno trip-out.

Harvey Jones is on a roll this year, landing releases on Ranges and Echocord and promptly following them up with this refined joint for Ornate Music. He's got a full bodied take on tech house that favours deep, meditative moods but expresses them through bold, richly rendered synth lines and crisp but warm drums. 'New Speak' has a taut house groove powering it, but the mellifluous ebb and flow of the chord line keeps things soft and sensual, while 'Old Speak' plumbs into a dub techno irrigation system without shirking it's responsibilities to the dancefloor. Nail's remix of 'New Speak' amps up the bump, hitting that sweet spot where upfront chunky house music can still cool you down.

After a strong run on Ghetto Disco, Edinburgh's Natasha Kitty Kat lands on Re-Loved with two surefire party heaters for anyone who likes their disco with a bit of bite. 'Ninja Dance' leads the charge with a heavyweight style which, in its most looped up passages, captures the tough and funky pump of Soundstream. 'Cissy' is a fierce stomper, all diva vocals and a string hook to die for. Kitty Kat has a razor sharp instinct for the most potent elements of disco, and she works them with style across both these incendiary tracks.

It has been 20 years since the last release on Toko, which means it will be unfamiliar to many of today's collectors. This comeback EP is set to change all that with original 'in house' producer Si Brad serving up some superbly sensuous go slow sounds. His leggy beats, Balearic compositions and late night star gazing synths are topped doff in fine style by Azeem. His buttery smooth vocals make this a fantastic opener. Deep diggers and edit maestros Psychemagik layer in some silky cosmic synth and a rubbery rolling rhythm that makes for perfect meditative material.