Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig will release a collection of remixes he has done for other artists throughout his decade-long career Tuesday (Aug. 29), topping a week of high-quality new electronic-music releases that also includes A Guy Called Gerald's long-awaited fourth album and the latest project from Talvin Singh.

Designer Music Vol. 1 will feature Craig's remixes of songs by major acts such as BT and Spacetime Continuum, along with underground groups UFO, Incognito and Telex. Also included is a previously unreleased version of Alexander Robotnik's disco classic "Problemes d'Amour" titled "Problemz" (RealAudio excerpt). Craig's remix of fellow Detroit veteran Kevin Saunderson's 1988 club smash "Good Life" is a joyous highlight of the collection.

"It was suggested to me quite a few years ago as a good way to put out something interesting," Craig said recently. "People might not hear all of these, so it's a good way to expose it."

Craig has recorded landmark techno records under various aliases, including Paperclip People and Innerzone Orchestra. Since being a prodigy of Detroit techno innovator Derrick May, Craig has developed into one of the leaders of the city's electronic-music scene. He was the lead organizer of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in May.

Unique Essence

Deee-Lite's Lady Miss Kier and Lamb's Louise Rhodes provide vocals on A Guy Called Gerald's Essence, also due Tuesday.

The album marks the first release by the drum & bass producer since 1995's Black Secret Technology, which is considered a template for modern electronic black jazz.

The product of six years of production and spiritual study by the artist, Essence is a deep, intricate work that defies genre categorization by infusing heartfelt human sentiment into tracks that incorporate styles ranging from electronic soul to drum & bass to deep house.

Rhodes sings on the eerie "Humanity" (RealAudio excerpt), while English singer-songwriter Wendy Page's spooky voice makes "Deserts and Beaches" an unforgettable track.

Gerald's brother, David Simpson, and MC Krusta also provide vocals on Essence.

A native of England and current New York resident, A Guy Called Gerald (born Gerald Simpson) was a member of the Manchester, England, early techno outfit 808 State, which produced the worldwide hit "Pacific State" in 1988. After separating from the group, Gerald scored his own dance hit in 1990 with his first solo single, "Voodoo Ray," a classic of the acid-house era and a song often credited with helping to spread the style's sound to dance floors around the globe.

Tablas, Dub And Breaks

A leader of London's Asian Underground scene of Anglo-Indian musicians and producers, Singh has lent his skills to a new album by the Master Musicians of Jajouka, out Tuesday.

The self-titled record showcases the timeless percussion skills of the Moroccan Masters, who are led by Bachir Attar, producing tracks that are equally hypnotic and thought-provoking. Singh, an expert tabla player as well as a studio wiz, invokes his combined talents to update the Musicians' sound and add a classical bent to their, at times, frenetic tempos, as on "The Blessing for the World From God Only" (RealAudio excerpt).

In addition to his hit 1999 album OK, Singh compiled 1997's Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground, which now serves as the foundation of the burgeoning London music community.

The second volume of Chicago label Guidance Recordings' Hi-Fidelity Dub Sessions series comes out Tuesday, again highlighting the influence of dub-style production and its accordant vibrations on electronic-music artists.

The 12-track collection includes a new track by DJ Spooky, "Chocolate Elvis" (RealAudio excerpt) by Tosca — the side project of Richard Dorfmeister with Rupert Huber — and "Le Dub" (RealAudio excerpt) by French downtempo producer I:Cube.

Beth Hirsch, who wrote lyrics for and sang on the songs "All I Need" and "You Make It Easy" from Air's 1998 album Moon Safari, releases her solo debut, Early Days, on Tuesday. Featuring nine tracks written by Hirsch, who is backed by a band that includes double bass and cello, the album's subdued, often somber tone is heightened by her austere, emotive voice on tracks such as "Come a Day" (RealAudio excerpt).

Also due this week, Hastings, England, DJ Danny Howells mixes the second Nu-Breed installment of the Global Underground series, which seeks to highlight up-and-coming DJs with groundbreaking styles.

Howells, who cut his teeth opening for John Digweed and remixing and warming up for pop star Robbie Williams, follows Anthony Pappa in the series. Steve Lawler is slated to be the third Nu-Breed DJ.

Howells' double mix-CD includes stunning tracks such as DJ Dan's "Put That Record Back On" (RealAudio excerpt), 16B's "Escape," Luke Slater's "All Exhale" (RealAudio excerpt) and Bushwacka!'s "Healer" (RealAudio excerpt).

"I'm never looking for a record that’s going to cause a huge explosion," Howells said in the album's liner notes. "I'm always into using the records as tools to help create that same effect. I like to test people when I DJ. I like to see how far I can go with them. It's a challenge to see what I can get away with."