Inner City - Paradise Remixed (iTunes)

This is a welcome digital-only re-release of an album most people will have originally bought on vinyl. It’s the spin-off remix compilation from Inner City’s ground breaking Detroit house debut Paradise. There are some classic tracks on here, like Steve Silk Hurley’s remix of Good Life, and fellow Detroit pioneer Juan Atkins’ tackling of two of the duo’s biggest hits, Big Fun and Do You Love What You Feel?. Also re-released this month are the band’s second and third albums, 1990’s Praise and 1992’s Fire. ***

Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Dress For Excess (iTunes)

Of all the Sputnik releases to deserve only a digital re-promotion, this has to be the one. This was their second album, originally released in 1989, that soundtracked their crossover from subversive hyper-merchants into Stock Aitkin Waterman wannabes. Hiring Kylie and Rick Astley’s production trio would have made for an interesting press release, but it certainly didn’t deliver an album’s worth of material that was anywhere near as relevant and fascinating as their 1986 debut Flaunt It. The sleeves and titles – for singles like Albinoni Vs. Star Wars, Success and Dancerama - were still pretty cool but you don’t get any of that visual appeal when buying MP3s only, in this case, the most mediocre sounds of art pop. *

The Wurzels - I Am A Cider Drinker 2007 (EMI Gold)

Released on April 16, here we have the classic Wurzels hit rerecorded in aid of the BUI Prostate Cancer Care Appeal. This is the band that, in the 80s, the Pope pulled over his Popemobile to watch in Canterbury. Then in the 90s they played at Buckingham Palace only for the Queen to ask for “the noise” to be turned down. And now in the 00s Robbie Williams opens his shows with Wurzels numbers, they collaborate with British Sea Power and the band’s Steve Clint Stallone is played by Steve Coogan in Thursday Night Fever. But none of this kudos outweighs the fact that guest vocals on this single come from Tony Blackburn. **

Future Sound Of London – Cascade (iTunes)

With last year’s Teachings From The Electronic Brain compilation, Virgin are really setting the history of FSOL straight. The only band reviewed this month to be the subject of a question on University Challenge, their latest reissues are four digital-only singles. These are probably the best value digital singles you’ll ever download though, as each is made up of each least six parts totalling well over 40 minutes. There are two from 1994’s ambient epic Liferorms (the title track and Cascade) and two from 1996’s Dead Cities (My Kingdom and We Have Explosive). It’s the Cities material that has dated, all big-beat hooks and little in the way of subtlety. But the Lifeforms material holds strong, especially the suite of mixes for Cascade – the must buy item of this set. ****