Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Coyote and Peaking Lights form a perfect pairing on this latest drop of bliss from Is It Balearic? They are artists who are drenched in dub influences and that comes to the fore on this direct collaboration which marries swirling dub with dreamy vocals and ghostly acid arpeggios to bring to mind a serene sunset after a long, hot and lazy day. 'Love Letters' is pure horizontal bliss, 'So Far Away' gets even slower and will drown you in synth succulence and Coyote's dub mix is laden with soothing delays and warm bass that transports you to an exotic world of weed-laced wonderment.

Review: FaF's Marseille-based label Durite has assembled another Various Artists compilation full of global soundscapes inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms on one side, while the other blends psychedelic Japanese and Chinese samples into trippy, atmospheric cuts. Italian producer Nativo balances deep house and electro with worldly flair, French artist Pagenty keeps ting dubby and slow with snaking leads and hiccuping drums. Fellow Frenchman Blinkduus Dischetto sparkles with raspy synth leads and celestial keys and Crane De Poule then serves up 'Lucky,' the clear EP highlight with its hurried Eastern Melodie and vocal samples over a clipped and tight tech beat.

Review: Peverelist stands as a defining figure in UK electronic music, shaping the intersection of bass-driven sound system culture and forward-thinking techno. Emerging from Bristol's fertile underground scene, his work as a producer, DJ and label head has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of UK dance music. Closing out his long-running series, he distills his signature sound into four meticulously sculpted tracks. 'Pulse XVII' bookends a skeletal, stepping groove with shimmering synth strings and crisp chord stabs, injecting a dose of Motor City euphoria into his typically weighty framework. 'Pulse XVIII' strips things back to bare essentials, constructing a taut, jacking house cut from pulsing low-end and precisely placed percussionia masterclass in restraint and impact. The energy escalates with 'Pulse XIX', where dub techno textures are reworked into something sharper and more urgent, its rolling momentum underpinned by a driving rhythmic core. 'Pulse XX' then flips expectations, shifting into leftfield steppers territory with elastic bass motifs and alien hooks, recalling the producer's earlier experiments while pushing his sound into fresh terrain. It's a fitting conclusion to a project that has consistently balanced dancefloor functionality with a forward-thinking approach.

Review: Happiest of birthdays to Super Spicy who celebrate half a decade in the game with an EP of irresistible tunes. Phunque kicks the party off with an old school vibe that pairs a superb male vocal with crisp, effective drums. Bob Musella brings sample magic on 'Baby Hot Stuff' and Ysheso, Ralo keep the disco-tinged house feels flowing with a percussive monster. After the smoother sounds of Ghosts Of Venice, the flip side brings a trio of funked-up and guitar-laced house grooves that take it back to the glory days of New York.

Review: Marcellus Pittman is one of the Motor City's finest. The long-time house explorer has a singular sound that is built around brittle drum loops, hissing and dusty hi-hats and loose-limbed arrangements that are stark and dehumanised but somehow full of intriguing machine warmth and soul. Take this EP, 'Loneliness Leave Me Alone,' first dropped back in 2010: the title cut has bouncing, bulbous bass and jacked up drums that sound both menacing yet playful, which the fizzy, sugary chords spray across the mix like a mist of pixelated water. 'Razz 09' has that Omar-S style melancholy and trudging rhythm that's heightened by the curious melodies which unfurl with a mind of their own in the background. Superb.

Review: We hear distant soul croons, and lyrical talk of silver linings, on this latest EP from Pornbugs and Frink, as the pair draw another heat on the EPs game after 2023's 'See Through My Eyes'. Striking while the rod is still hot, these two've releases through the likes of Spielgold and Sublease since 2006, which have surely informed on this rippling release, which keeps one foot in the chillout vault and the other in room one. But both moods are held in impossible superposition - we feel relaxed and upbeat at the same time. 'Keep It Down' especially impresses with its distant use of a vocal line that might otherwise be put to more focal use by less patient producers, proving the compatibility of lyricism and soundscape.

Review: Ronny Pries returns after a long hiatus a new EP on Abstract Rhythm that channels Detroit-influenced techno and electro with late-night dancefloor energy. Pries is a veteran of electronic music with roots dating back to the 90s and brings emotional weight to this release, especially on the standout cut 'This Ain't Jazz,' a dense, percolating acid techno cut that rewires your brain. 'Terminal Velocity' is a blizzard of distorted synths and manic percussive lines, and 'NGC 4889' explores an electro-adjacent sound with more celestial-style pads. After years focusing on other projects, this marks a meaningful comeback for Pries.

Review: New week, new Instinct, new weapons. Burnski's unstoppable label continues to offer up the most fun and functional garage and house fusions out there right now. For this one, Prozak steps up with screw-face basslines and throwback organ stabs on 'Yush,' then 'Dash' rides on a pumping deep house groove that's underpinned by slamming bass. Benson steps up for collab cut 'Gangster' complete with gunshots, rude vocals and ridiculously naughty reversed bass stabs. 'Bounce' is a final fist pumping garage house banger to close an effective 12".

Review: Seba & Paradox reunite on Metalheadz with their first joint release for the label in over five years, reaffirming the synergy of two of drum & bass's most distinct voices. Known alike for their brooding musicalities and breakbeat precision, the pair unite styles once more on 'Cypher' and 'Orlean', resulting in a razor-sharp two-tracker through surgical drum edits and cleaving depths; the kinds of immersions both artists are celebrated for. Their return feels both timely and timeless, reminding listeners of the subtle power in expertly crafted, uncompromising d&b.