Various

Detroit's been held up as the epitome of urban decay and blight for so long that it's easy to forget that it continues to be one of the most innovative music cities in the world. This fact is cemented on the follow-up to 2005's In The Dark compilation. Like its predecessor, Detroit is Back features the cream of the motor city's underground techno, soul and house scenes, a movement collectively known as Detroit Beatdown. This two-disc set proves that, if anything, the city's recent woes have only intensified the music's overall vibe of resiliency. Amp Fiddler's remix of Patchworks' "Celebration" is an edifyingly soulful slice of deep house, while Reggie Dokes's hypnotic "Cyber Love" keeps the robotically funky heritage of classic Cybotron-bred techno alive. Marcellus Pittman's jittery "Make It Work" is a minimalist yet electro-effect-laden club banger and Gerald Mitchell's "Fly Like Eagles" ends things on a soaring, jazzy, soulful house tip.