This is it, the last batch of words culled from the absorb.org archives. For those that don't read reviews, can I just say that you purchase or download the following. They really are worth the effort.

Andy Vaz: First Aid Course EP (Persistencebit) - EP
'6-6 [re-] visited' is clunky'n chunky, playful in its approach to melody. The title track is a straighter affair and more immediate. Twisted, lithe mutations of processed digital riffs seem to be the template from which he's working off. Resulting in an EP of minimal house finesse.

Portable: Flicker (Background) - EP
Originally hailing from South Africa, now resident in London; Portable manages to drop subtle references to his African lineage into the production. 'Liquid crystal display' reminds me of Richard H.Kirk's later work, where loose drums would filter in and out of the 4/4 structure.

Various Artists: Terminal 1 (Narita) - 12"
Previous missives from this fledging label have proved excellent pupils in the Kompakt / Trapez school of house. But this is something different, moving away from 4/4 to more esoteric rhythmic territories. Sounding like a twisted Detroit homage, opener 'Swaggle' by Yard is fun and addictive; thrown together beats, clipped schoolboy vocals and a haphazard approach to song structure make this the highlight.

Anna Kaufen: Drive in / Drive out remixes (A Touch of Class) - 12"
Skip the first two rather dry remixes by Dave Miller (stop/start rhythms, uneven in flow, dark when it should be light) and head for Akufen's original 'Who Carez'. Whilst the word on the street is that Akufen has somewhat lost the plot with recent releases. This effort does remind you of what all the fuss was about in the first place; jump-up beats, clipped vocal snippets and liquid funk basslines.

Mike Shannon: Sublet (Logistic) - EP
High-end percussive shuffles fight it out with growling leads and sequenced tones, all held together my the almightiest of sub-kicks. The title track is the best exponent of this template; supplemented by midi-chirps and agressive front. 'Johny' goes one step further with highly melodic basslines adding some much needed funk.

Baeka: Beat & Desire (Morris Audio Citysport Edition) - EP
Deep, speaker rumbling basslines cushion beautiful jazz and rhythm'n blues motifs. Opener 'Caress the sun' tacks deep south samples down to the timeline to make for a hypnotic and satisfying listen. 'The mountain' goes one step further and features some nifty piano lines. 'Mom's house' errs towards fully fledged vocal-led house, the highly stylised vocals are appealing and emotive.

Eriko Tanabe: I like to wear my tanga (Morris Audio) - EP
Flat thuds counterpoint cheeky organ riffs, whispered vocals and neat little details that are pushed to the fore with each passing bar. On one hand driving and forward, on the other wanting to lie back and lounge it. The b-sides eases up on the throttle and as a result, 'Moonlight' walks off with the killa track award.