Aphex Twin – Caustic Window

One of dance music's ultimate mythic records finally emerged this week, as an LP from Caustic Window, Aphex Twin's alter ego, appeared 20 years after it was canned with no explanation, and with just five test pressings in existence. One appeared for sale and was bought by a Kickstarter campaign, and it's now up on YouTube. This is the kind of thing that overweight men who stand at the back of Bang Face weekenders make burnt offerings for. But is it any good? While it certainly lacks the sophistication of what is, to these ears, the greatest piece of music ever recorded, it is a mostly excellent selection of acid techno belters and ambient curios. It is at its best when it goes for the most straightforward dancefloor moments. Mumbly's Orbital synth tones and Wacky Races samples are pure 90s, but its central riff is timelessly almighty. Airflow rides a hooligan-chant melody over blockhead beats and will certainly get caned this summer. The most striking thing about this record is that it dovetails perfectly with the current "hardware jams" school of house and techno. White Material, The Corner, L.I.E.S – these labels explicitly tap into the very historical moment that Caustic Window is coming out of. Their style would seem regressive were the rudimentary sound palette not so plainly brilliant, but there is still an inevitable sense of nostalgia for a simpler technological era. So to have a capsule from that time suddenly emerge in the present is overwhelming, and transports us to a place where yesterday and today collapse in on each other in a daze of analogue drums.

Head High – Megatrap EP

Continuing on a "masterful 90s nostalgia that makes you want to gurn into a bulky camcorder" tip is the supreme new EP from Head High, AKA René Pawlowitz, AKA Shed. With his Head High alias, Pawlowitz keeps Shed's fondess for cut-up vocal samples – which weirdly recall much cheesier French house producers – and applies them to rugged, lo-fi breakbeat house and techno. Rave soldiers will thrall to these thuggish gutpunchers, but, for me, the gems are the more soulful numbers such as Megatrap (Real mix) and the gorgeously circular, almost Theo Parrishesque edit The Higher (V2014). It's all up on YouTube to preview, but you can pick up quality downloads and vinyl from Hardwax.

Sade – Never Thought I'd See the Day (L-Vis 1990 edit)

Sunset boat parties are the best reasons to go clubbing on the Med, and they now have their definitive anthem. Sade's earnestness, sexuality and poise (not to mention hair) have made her a touchstone for everyone from The xx to the current wave of alt-R&B stars – but the love of 80s soul from the Jackmaster school of DJs means she's also a big force in dance culture. This re-edit from L-Vis 1990 (partner in the Night Slugs label with last month's pick, Bok Bok) is appropriately fawning, layering sparse drums under the ballad before bringing in a softly junglist pattern for the second half. You can almost see the glint off the blue water.



Airhead – Believe

Looking equally likely to dominate summer 2014 is Airhead, whose new EP is forthcoming on James Blake's co-venture 1-800-Dinosaur. When I've seen his DJ sets, they have been things of deranged beauty, where vaporous R&B wafts into garage rollers and UK funky. Production-wise, though, he's more restrained. The EP's lead track, Believe, premiered months ago but is only just coming out (as is the style of the UK bass scene. It anchors gospel organs and vocal samples to rock-steady 4/4. Also coming up this summer is Airhead's production work for Franco-Mexican singer Andrea Balency, whose debut EP is out on 23 June. The lead track, You've Never Been Alone, features a nodding beat and pretty pianos that have their space invaded by surges of static.



Mite – Cloud Patrol Jam

Thanks to Mumdance for putting me on to Mite via his forthcoming Harangue the DJ interview, out in Saturday's Guardian Guide. He selected the opening track from the Atlanta producer's new Concrete Space EP, Cemetary Seance, which is an explosive bit of minimal bass. And from the tough ghetto flex of Witch Doctor to the wrong-footed war dance of Duppy Dem, Mite is clearly a producer with a uniquely rowdy style; think UK bass bleakness getting the ass-slap snares of Miami bass. Cloud Patrol Jam shows he's also adept at up-tempo techno, with acid burps laced with B-more stutter. Check out his 84-minute mix for rising ghetto-dance label Hot Mom USA if you want something more longform.



Kölsch – Papageno (featuring Waa Industry)

Rune Reilly Kölsch wears too many pork pie hats to be accepted by the hipster crowd. He laso has a habit of confusing nitrous-junkie house fans with moments of disorientating harshness. But despite not locking into a scene, he has quietly made a series of exceptional pop-techno bangers. Loreley is a work of structuralist genius, each build becoming more chaotic, every drop more massive. Der Alte is piano house that tearily hugs you at the airport, while Zig gives Hed Kandi compilation dance a good name. But Papageno could be one of the biggest of all. Aside from the black tick of the bass drum, nothing else coheres: toms clatter and sirens flail as the track billows in and out. Then comes calm, as Waa Industry – singer from When Saints Go Machine – comes in with a vocal breakdown full of Arthur Russell's distracted romance … only for the madness to crowd in again.

