Various Artists: Dreck/Reala Compil. (Dreck) - CD
My iTunes amusingly labeled this as 'Children's Music', but after running through the disc a few times, I reckoned Apple's categorisation policy might be more accurate than any words.

There's a simple charm to the bric-a-brac approach to beat construction and melody here. If there are any criticism to it, its the self-imposed palette they've restricted themselves to can be grating for an hour. Stylistically reminiscent of early Autechre, there's a delightful dated IDM circa 1995 feel to it all.

Pixel: Display (Raster Noton) - CD
Upbeat, melodic and pretty fun: characteristic's that you wouldn't normally apply to a Raster Noton release. Pixel (aka Jon Egeskov) takes the familiar palette of razor-sharp rhythmic ticks, excruciatingly high frequencies and ribcage rattling sub-bass and fashions five pieces of accessible, minimal funk. But you'll need a decent, balanced system for this.

Portable: Cycling (Background) - LP
In comparison to his recent album for ~scape and his work as Bodycode for Ghostly International, this release from 2003 is a lot more considered and restrained. His trademark motif of drum loops that echo Africa are intact but here seems less concerned with the dancefloor. Closer inspection of tracks like 'I dream of you dream of me' reveal an evident application of build and texture as well as rhythm.

Ricardo Villalobos: The Au Harem Du A'archimede (Perlon) - LP
A benchmark in heroin house if there ever was one. Beats drip, melody slithers and absolutely none of this would work on a dancefloor unless you were suitably (ahem) fueled. The shifts in mood and use of strange, organic effects run throughout the album edge further away from his other, beat-driven work. Certainly nothing like his celebrated 'Alcachofa' debut. Microhouse meets Psychedelia (micropsych, anyone?).

Steve Roden & Jason Kahn: Shimmer / Flicker / Waver / Quiver (Brombron) - CD
Released way back in November 2003, this is another gorgeously presented musical artifact from the Netherland's. Roden operates a range of acoustic / electric instruments whilst Kahn oversees laptop and synth. Together they deliver six tracks of 'microscopic, precise music'. Sonically this moves through such styles as ambient, drone, found sound and looped minimalism. One of those records where different details reveal themselves to you on repeated plays. Tag: Quiet.