MARRS 'Pump Up The Volume (Bonus Beats)' (4AD/4th&Broadway, 1987)

The epitome of indie-dance crossover?

It always surprises people to learn that 'Pump Up The Volume' was released on 4AD - home of Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Throwing Muses, The Wolfgang Press...

However, MARRS was basically two of their acts - Colourbox and AR Kane - coming together into what turned out to be a very successful, but ultimately unhappy, marriage.

To be honest this is more like a remix with the vocal samples removed than just the beats. However, it does strip the track back to the sleek, precision-tooled undercarriage and let's it build, giving the drums and that statuesque bassline the chance to take centre stage.

Download MARRS 'Pump Up The Volume (Bonus Beats)' (indie dance crossover, samples, 4AD mp3) (Mediafire)

Download MARRS 'Anitina (the first time I see she dance)' (indie dance crossover mp3) (Box)

Triosk 'Two; Twelve' (The Leaf Label, 2004)

Intense and organic hybrid of post-rock, jazz and glitchy looping.

Triosk were an Australian jazz trio who blended post-rock grooves and electronic loops and glitches into their mellifluous, flowing pieces. They incorporated the sound of Tortoise's lock-groove wonder with controlled intensity, dynamics and improvisatory nous of The Necks. They evolved into Pivot (later shortened to Pvt) who have released a couple of albums on Warp.

'Two; Twelve' is a teasing, languid jam that grows in intensity across some expansive, jazzy drumming. There some Tortoise-y vibes and some rich, dark brown double bass action. Little touches of glitch and squiggle rough up the smooth edges, making the sound akin to Miles Davis' fusion band somehow jamming with Autechre at the Isle of Wight in 1970. Under sedation.

Magical. Triosk's two albums on The Leaf Label are highly recommended.

Download Triosk 'Two; Twelve' (jazz, post rock, electronica mp3) (Mediafire)

Four Tet & Burial 'Moth' (Text, 2009)

Crafty slice of rhythmelodic electronica with dubstep undertones. Or is it dubstep with rhythmelodic overtones?

From the unmarked Text 12" that was snuck out to a scrum of interest prior to last year's Burial/Four Tet/Thom Yorke 12". I managed to get my hands on a copy thanks only to the benevolence of the Rough Trade West cru.

'Moth' is just a total genius record that's a perfect marriage of Burial's crunchy dubstep bleakbeats and Four Tet's crisp, flowing melodies.

Or is it a sublime confluence of Four Tet's crisp, dubstep loneliness and glitch with Burial's late-night angel vocal melody?

Who cares when a track is this good?

Download Four Tet & Burial 'Moth' (post-dubstep, dubstep, electronica, glitch, mp3) (Mediafire)

Jack Penate 'Tonight's Today (Remixes)' (XL, 2009)

Slice of earnest pop that marries joyous post-punk-funk with soaraway hi-life guitar chimes.

I'd written-off Jack Penate on the back of early, anaemic singles. However, this lead single from his second album back in 2009 confounded my preconceptions with its heavy rhythm, sliding drums, thumb piano and high-fretted guitar lines reminiscent of Foals and Friendly Fires.

Paul Epworth co-wrote and produced it and it's a real triumph, especially spread over the seven-plus minutes of the Extended Version.

Julianna Barwick takes the basic song in a totally different direction, stripping off the beats, bass and guitar to create a hymnal meditation, shot through with a ghostly, translucent dub.

Download Jack Penate 'Tonight's Today (Extended Version)' (post-punk-funk, indie, pop mp3) (Mediafire)

Download Jack Penate 'Tonight's Today (Julianna Barwick Remix)' (experimental, modern classical mp3) (Mediafire)

Luke Haines & The Auteurs 'Unsolved Child Murder (Das Kapital Version)' (Hut, 2003)

Majestic version of classic single by The Auteurs. They should have been massive.

I'm reading Luke Haines' second volume of vitriolic memoir at the moment (Post Everythingavailable at all good bookstores now). He recounts a tale of emerging from a meeting at his label (Virgin/EMI's faux Indie, Hut), where he is effectively told he is being dropped, with a £75,000 budget to record a back catalogue album. One last blag against the major label system resulting in this album of string-drenched versions of his greatest 'hits'.

Haines is a fascinating artist, seemingly hamstrung by his own cussed singularity. Maker of at least two truly great records, he seems both in thrall to the idea of being popular but totally disgusted by it at the same time. Legend has it that The Auteurs' 'New Wave' only narrowly missed out on the Mercury Music Prize.

'Unsolved Child Murder' is a gentle, rolling vignette, sung sensitively against a lazy strum and a wash of strings. Where other songwriters would sneak in dark subject matter under cover of such beautiful music, Haines flags it up with a title like that. A curmudgeon, a true star.

Download Luke Haines & The Auteurs 'Unsolved Child Murder (Das Kapital Version)' (songwriter, indie, ballad mp3) (Mediafire)