Though both Groove Armada's Tom Findlay and Andy Cato hail from London, the pair choose to kick back to Ambleside in Cumbria when recording. As with a great deal of dance music through the 1990s, though broadly still considered house, the sound of Vertigo takes as much from the jaded, trip-hop of Bristol as it does from the uplifting house of Studio 54. It is this collusion which defines the LP with the vocal of "In My Bones" ruffled by a techno low end while the chugging backbeats of "Chicago" act to set off a delicate Chic-esque guitar. With an ear for spine-tingling samples lending a gentle weight to what would otherwise be innocuous instrumentals, the crumpled breaks of "At The River" perhaps offer the best example of this, and even the more straightforward forays into the genre are enlivened and enriched by broad influences, the pair have created a modern day classic. -Kingsley Marshall.

Take the sweet soul vocals of Caron Wheeler. Add jazzy hip-hop beats and early Balearic rhythms. Mix with one of the most influential producers of the decade, Nellee Hooper, and pour through the musical uber-talent of Jazzie B. The result is Soul II Soul's seminal sound. Soul II Soul Vol 4 - the Classic Singles 1988-1993 is a greatest-hits album that contains "Keep On Movin'" and the phenomenal "Back To Life". This is exceptional and innovative music whose rough edge keeps it fresh. -Ed Potton.

Primal Scream have never rested on their laurels and the chronological running order of Dirty Hits highlights the innovative progression their music made on every album. Beginning with the acid-fuelled dub of their breakthrough Screamadelica, the declaration of hedonism that heralds the horns of "Loaded" couldn't be a more appropriate way to start the album. Moving the tempo up a notch, the band ditched the trippy nuances for Give Out But Don't Give Up-unabashed rock & roll in the spirit of the Stones, demonstrated superbly by "Jailbird" and "Rocks". Just when they had been written off as hopeless nostalgics, along came the mind-bending Vanishing Point which retained the rock & roll ethic but twisted it into a dark oppressive form summed up perfectly by "Kowalski" and "Burning Wheel". Unrelenting, they released Xtrmntr, a harsh wall of noise underpinned by searing synth melodies and bitter lyrics which produced the hits "Swastika Eyes" and "Kill All Hippies". Finally, taking them to the modern day, Dirty Hits includes a few songs from the even more extreme, structured noise that was Evil Heat plus "Some Velvet Morning", a song featuring Kate Moss that never made the album. Many thought that Primal Scream were an album band and a best-of collection wouldn't do them justice but Dirty Hits is a great listen and a great reminder of exactly how much good music they've made over the years. -David Trueman.