various: the palace

An imperious opening gambit from the Manchester collective's new label: a multi-pronged, vigorous, top-notch, house-techno showcase. The EP chugs straight off to the dance-floor, courtesy of the Juniper duo at its darkest yet (after sides for Ominira, Underground Quality, and Smallville), with jamming, filtered synths, echoing claps and vocals, and a B-line stealth attack. A regular at Meandyou club nights, Sul makes his recording debut here with a craftily delinquent and unhinged synth-pop gone quite wrong. True to form, none other than Kassem Mosse - who played a night back in 2009 - turns in an instant classic, audacious and grimy; before collective mainstay Heron rounds up proceedings with some deep 'n' bleak, spectral techno, bathed in best Basic Channel traditions.