Max Belous

Four releases from house, rap, and abstract hip-hop artists all show the enduring importance of an overseas reputation. Some productive stereotypes continue to work well on the other side of the world.

A number of remixes, compilations, and samplers this month show the power of collaboration. Not only from a creative point of view, but also as a way of overcoming commercial and cultural disparities.

Fullpanda is a label operating between Paris, Berlin, and Moscow. Although its founder is a long-time resident of the West, the techno sound of Fullpanda still owes much to the Russian context.

These musicians are based in St Petersburg, Murmansk, and Zaporozh'e. The connection between them comes from an escapist aesthetic: one artist evades local glitz, while the others hide from industrial grimness