With a resurgence of releases in the techno, nu-jazz, hip-hop, and dubstep scenes, music is diverse as ever, often with its newest incarnations and hybrids entering the market by way of new single releases. Plus, in a dominant digital-downloading era, new tracks appear more frequently and with less promotion, causing many fans to miss out on some astounding releases. Scanning niche digital-music stores such as Boomkat, Juno, Goya, Beatport, Stompy, DanceTracks, and Bleep can help you stay in the loop, provided you’ve got hours to spend sampling clips. In case that’s an arduous option, xlr8r.com provides this mini-guide to some of our choice cuts.

Techno
Fans of Basic Channel and Plus 8 should definitely check out the recent output of Sentient Sound. Its latest release, NAW’s (pictured above) Cracked Lines and Broken Signals EP, sums up the label’s subtle techno modus operandi. Gentle melodies, rubbery bass, and echoed keys penetrate four solid tunes. NAW is the work of Canadian ex-pat Neil Wiernik. Also recommended, Sentient singles catalog number eight and seven from Myers Briggs and Roberto Bardini, respectively.

Brazilian Gui Boratto looks like 2007’s breakthrough techno artist. His new Chomophobia Remixes EP on Kompakt should solidify that reputation, as Robert Babicz transforms Boratto’s “Mr. Decay” into a gritty and hypnotic outer-space anthem and The Field uses repetition, swirl, and sensual sonics to transform “Hera.”

Nu-jazz
We’ve been waiting for Sweden’s Swell Session (pictured above) to resurface, and the group shall emerge soon with some wonderful tracks on Freerange Recordings. A four-song EP drops shortly, with excellent reworks by Mr. Scruff (“No No”), Landslide (“Had It Coming”), and Seiji (“Prepared To Go”). Massive!

Freedom Soundz (a.k.a Alex Attias) feat. Colonel Red’s latest “Take My Love,” on Visions, is out May 25, and features a Franck Roger remix. Red sounds especially soulful on this one, and the track bounces with a signature broken groove that can only be called “future funk.”

Hip-Hop
Incarceration and changing rap times haven’t stopped Keith Murray from producing dope tracks. “Nobody Does It Better,” with Tyrese, is equally club- or radio-friendly and replete with Murray’s patented punchlines.

Brownsville, Brooklyn native Frontpage has a soulful new track, “Getting Money,” on Pifftown. The smooth, ’70s-style groove will appeal to Wu-Tang fans.

King Reign (pictured above)–featuring Saukrates’s “Guilty Party”–on Renegade is a lyric feast, with Reign and Sauk both spitting complex, philosophical flows over minimal, electronic beats.

We’ll look at more genres and gems in our next installment of The Week In Singles–’til then, happy hunting.