SUB CLUB 20 Years Underground (Soma) **** WEB RADIO: Listen to music from the artists reviewed in this week's newspaper

IT'S never as good as it used to be ... the same mantra has probably been echoed throughout the two-decade history of Glasgow's iconic Sub Club, which in itself disproves the statement. The years may have passed, but for the many who have walked through the doors, fond memories exist and continue to be formed from the party-filled, subterranean excess which is synonymous with the venue.

This double mix CD out on Soma Records takes the opportunity to acknowledge and commemorate the weekend institution that's now 20 years young and still going strong. DJs Harri and Domenic, champions of the Saturday Subculture flagship night, are the fitting custodians of Disc One; Optimo's Twitch and Wilkes take the helm for Disc Two, with their incomparable blend of unblended tracks.

Musically, Harri and Domenic start out with a nod toward the Motor City (where else) with some subtle yet timeless tracks from Detroit's Red Planet, Carl Craig and Derrick May. This contextual grounding lays the foundations for the middle section, which conjures up visions of dancefloor-packed Saturday nights from Sub Club's past decades. But it's with the latter tracks that this mix comes into its own, with some true gems that might even raise a smile: Galaxy 2 Galaxy's Jupiter Jazz emerging from groaning samples from Lil' Louis's French Kiss is one of several highlights.

The Optimo disc starts as it means to go on, with the aural assault that attracts clubbers to their Sunday night institution - their electro-fused, techno-oriented 1980s punk influences as hard to label as they are to dance to.

This mix certainly charts different waters from Subculture's offering, but it still has considerable appeal. So long live the Subby. It is as good as it used to be.

DOWNLOAD THIS: The Gathering Stuart Allan

Stapleton Rest And Be Thankful (Xtra Mile) ****HAILED as an influence by many young musical upstarts, Glasgow quartet Stapleton have enjoyed a more low-key existence than some of their contemporaries. Although their fourth album, Rest And Be Thankful, heralds a move towards a more mature sound, the hallmarks of previous releases - frequent time signature changes and complex vocal melodies - are still evident.Opening track From Wood To Ridge, an upbeat mix of prominent guitar riffs and intelligent lyrics, sets the bar high. From here on, the album navigates through slower-tempo efforts such as Absent Friends and Birds In Formation, although the excellent Borovets hits an unexpectedly rousing crescendo. Overall, Rest And Be Thankful is a more refined and coherent whole than its predecessors; only instrumental Asking For You is a letdown in an otherwise accomplished collection of well-crafted songs. Let's hope, however, that final track End And End Well doesn't hint at curtains for Stapleton; on this evidence, they still have a lot more to offer.DOWNLOAD THIS: From Wood To Ridge Carrie McAdamA Band Called Quinn Sun Moon Stars (Tromolo) ****NEVER mind the proverbial "big in Japan"; A Band Called Quinn are household names in Serbia after single The World Is Upside Down went top 10 a couple of years ago.Back home, on the other hand, the Glasgow group have just returned from a Scottish Arts Council-sponsored, cabaret-themed tour of the furthest corners of the Highlands and Islands.Second album Luss, produced by Madonna's Parisian chum Kid Loco, really should have broken their tuneful pop electronica into the big time; perhaps the very fact that there's nothing shallowly modish about their songs has kept them beneath the media radar.Hopefully it'll be third time lucky as the music here gets a more muscular makeover, from stomping opener The Glitter Song, through the Goldfrappy psychedelic folk of The Last Night I Saw, to the meaty disco-pop of DIY. A dozen years ago, Quinn would have had no problem nudging ahead of the likes of Sleeper and Echobelly; today, the UK's cautious music buyers don't realise what they're missing. Serbians, however, know better.DOWNLOAD THIS: Fluff Girl Alan MorrisonMoby Last Night (Mute) **MOBY is the Terence Conran of dance music: stylish, smart and ever so slightly smug.At the turn of the millennium, his album Play was the "sound solution" for dinner parties everywhere. And why not? The New York knob-twiddler is a skilled artisan of aural wallpaper. His ambient, gospel-techno grooves hug your ears until a Zen-like state causes all feelings of self-consciousness and anxiety to drift away. You feel bright and formless, a bit like a Habitat lampshade.Last Night is challenging in an unchallenging, Mobyish way. It's a return to his house roots, complete with dusty samples, choppy piano chords and awful track titles such as Everyday It's Like 1989.Still, it has its moments, such as Hyenas featuring chanteuse Nabila Benladghem. When the album's "concept" of a night out on the NYC tiles finally reaches its conclusion, a coda of after-hours proggy jazz denotes that it's time to switch off and let things cool down.Now, what more could a lampshade ask for?

DOWNLOAD THIS: I Love To Move In Here Allan Burnett