2. Pryda, "Aftermath" (Pryda Recordings : Eric Prydz astonishes with the sheer quality of his production work, and his ability to shift gears from release to release puts him in a class by himself.
3. D-Nox and Beckers, "You're a Star/Jet Lag Slave" (Boroque): German tandem Beckers and D-Nox let loose with this Moroder-inspired prog-techno floor shaker.
4. Luke Walker, "Alias/Streak" (Underwater): New Zealander Luke Walker brings it with this genre-splicing monster.
5. Free Form Five, "No More Conversations (Mylo Remix)" (Fine): Myles McInnes (aka Mylo) takes complete creative license in churning out this tech funk wonder.
6. Habersham, "Dryspell (Original Mix)" (Audio Therapy): This deep, dark techno masterpiece reminds me how beautiful 4/4 can be.
7. Richie Hawtin, "The Tunnel" (Minus): The Canadian techno wizard resurfaces with another standout release; a slow-burning, dark and spacey affair.
8. Alter Ego, "Gate 23 (Lost on Arrival) (Alter Ego Dub)" (Klang Elektronic): When that warbled atmospheric synth bleeds into the arrangement, it sounds like the breaking hearts of 1,000 android souls.
9. Speedcats, "Speedcats (Roel H Mix)" (Silver Planet): Ben Camp and Mat Leutwyler are in top form again, but Roel H's dubby, low-grind re-work is the true classic here.