Summer's always a quiet period for underground music but it's good to know there's still a nice range of stuff hitting the shops.

Sparkle checks out; Donnacha Costello - 'Orange', Mathew Jonson - 'Behind The Mirror', Milky Globe - 'Ode To A Beatbox' and Squarepusher - 'Venus No. 17'.

This garish installment of the Colorseries sees Donnacha combine his trademark minimal house and techno output with broader electronic influences. On the A side we have a fresh and bouncy composition - the underlying click-house beat remains, and the synth sounds are familiar but Donnacha uses them to create playful melodies that now take centre stage.

On the flip things kick off in a more typical fashion with a chunky beat and deliciously reverbed bassline. As on the A side, melodic elements soon take over, but this time they're simple, layered, three note structures. The production is impeccable as always - my only gripe with this track would be that the melodies don't fulfil expectations laid-down by the lush bassline - it would have been nice to take it somewhere deeper.

Attracting praise from the likes of Richie Hawtin and Laurent Garnier (and anyone who's heard the MP3 live set that's currently doing the rounds) Mathew Jonson is definitely one of Techno's rising stars.

'Behind The Mirror's layered synths and heavy bass create an involved and complex soundscape. Jonson's clean, crisp production keeps things coherent and gives this melodic composition massive dancefloor impact. 'Behind The Mirror' captures the lushness of Orbital's brown album - but with a dark, contemporary edge.

On the B side, 'Folding space' is a more minimal offering that further demonstrates Jonson's technical ability. The mood is edgy but overall more restrained than 'Behind The Mirror'. Bleepy ambience is held together by a strong 4x4 beat, while a long build up to a hypnotic filtered synth melody creates a dramatic sense of anticipation.

Mathew Jonson will be performing his sumptuous techno creations at Haywire's 9th birthday session on 17th September - not to be missed!

On creamy white vinyl - 'Ode To A Beatbox' is a beautifully dreamy downtempo number with a hint of melancholy in the lingering melody and jazz keyboard noodling. Floaty vocal and guitar samples, and the synth swell towards the end give the track a modern edge. It's well composed and sophisticated - not surprising when you consider this is a new project from Lo label boss Jon Tye, and the lush Moog bass comes courtesy of Luke Vibert.

The 3 remixes all stay quite close to the original - there's an upbeat workout from SCSI 9, dreamy ambience from EU, and my personal favorite 'Mr G's Downtempo Rubdown'. Built around a phat old-skool hip-hop beat, it borrows some lovely twinkling melodic elements from the original.

At first 'Venus No. 17' seems comparatively straightforward - a bass-heavy breakbeat outing with silly sirens. However, it rapidly evolves as Squarepusher weaves his complex rhythmical web and brings in an intriguing melody with an eastern vibe. The track crescendos with snare roll mayhem before dropping back to the original break.

Next up we have a spazzed out ragga jungle rendering of the title track - 'Venus No. 17 Acid Mix'. A suitably rude bassline is accompanied by a broad acid melody, and there's more than a hint of AFX in the breakdown.

On the flip side is 'Tundra 4' - a rework from Squarepusher's first album - 'Feed Me Weird Things'. Lo-fi minor chords evoke an eerie mood reminiscent of the haunting original. A simple acid line and jungle break build to controlled chaos, and the track continues to evolve throughout the 12 minutes. 'Tundra 4' really show's off Squarepusher's ability to subtly move poignant to frenetic - classic stuff.