Out of the long list of upstart imprints to take the UK scene by storm last year, T. Williams and S.E.F.’s Deep Teknologi emerged as one of the most consistently rewarding and appealing. Boasting memorable releases from artists like JTRP, J. Bevin, and T. Williams himself, the label has secured a spot as one of today’s premier purveyors of rugged, brooding, percussion-driven UK sounds. Word got out about a month ago that the crew was hard at work pulling together a compilation called Deep Teknologi – The Remixes, featuring a stacked lineup of remixers including DVA, Bok Bok, and Altered Natives. With the May 23 release date quickly approaching, this compilation should definitely be on your radar!

It’s somewhat unfortunate that Deep Teknologi only solicited remixes of tracks from three of the five artists that have releases on the label. Releases from Zander Hardy and JTRP were left out of the lineup, which is a shame considering JTRP’s release from earlier this year is my favorite Deep Teknologi offering to date, and I’d love to see some reinterpretations of their sounds. This is especially weird since there are three tracks (T. Williams’ “Chop and Screw” and “In the Deep” and J. Bevin’s “When It Comes”) that received two remixes each – it would have just been nice to see a little more diversity in the source material.

Ultimately, though, I can’t really complain about the track selection, because two of my top picks from the compilation come from the twice-remixed list. T. Williams turns out a remarkable remix of J. Bevin’s “When It Comes,” employing a relentless and mechanically precise kick drum to maximum effect alongside aggressive sub-bass flexes and menacing synth loops that alternate between acid and grime flavors. His restrained treatment of the original track’s vocal sample amplifies the unsettling tone established by the street-ready synths and bass – tension builds as you anticipate hearing the full sample, but all you hear until the very end of the track is the paranoid echoes of “when it comes.” On the flip side of this remixer-remixee relationship, J. Bevin takes T. Williams’ heavyweight jam “Chop and Screw” down a stormier path. The first minute of the track, arranged around a throwback breakbeat rhythm, suggests an upbeat reinterpretation drawing heavily from the original’s filtered disco sample. But eerie, detuned synth stabs act like quicksand, capturing the disco vibes and dragging them down into a murkier, subterranean soundscape.

Without a doubt, though, Bok Bok delivers the highlight of the compilation with his dazzling reworking of Don Morris’s “In Da Groove,” the first ever release from Deep Teknologi. The prolific Night Slugs founder completely guts the track, scrapping nearly everything but the vocal sample, which he turns into a haunted memory by pitching it way down and adding layers of grimy reverb and delay. He turns the rolling bass line of the original into a mercurial, acid-tinged nod to Chicago’s golden era, topped off with dynamic filter work. On the percussion side, the track is frenzied and confrontational, a heart-pounding assault of old-school claps, snares, cowbells, and hi-hats. This is certainly one of the best remixes of the year so far, and it more than justifies a purchase of the compilation by itself.

The rest of the remixes on the compilation represent solid efforts from a handful of highly respected producers, but none of them quite reach the benchmark set by T. Williams, J. Bevin, and Bok Bok. MA1’s take on “Chop and Screw,” JTRP’s remix of J. Bevin’s “Jump Up,” and Altered Native’s reworking of “When It Comes” all demonstrate skilled production work and show potential, but they eventually fall flat due to overly repetitive production that just isn’t captivating for long enough. Scratcha DVA’s contribution – a sprawling remix of T. Williams’s “In The Deep” – boasts some nice Lil Silva-esque synth work, but the layering of snare sounds throughout the track borders on grating. And finally, legendary producer Zander Hardy’s remix of the same T. Williams track falls just outside of my top three, but it’s still a great track (which you can download for free over at XLR8R).

DTR007 – Deep Teknologi – The Remixes by Deep Teknologi Records

Deep Teknologi – The Remixes (Deep Teknologi) out May 23