KEPLER Vinyl & CDs

Review: Is there anyone in the game that has been turning out such essential club sounds in so many different styles for such a long and consistent run as Burnski? Whatever he has on his cornflakes, we want some, because he's done it again here, this time with pal Kelper. 'What I Want' takes up the whole of the a-side and is mix of everything from deep house to minimal to Chicago jack. It's a busy, restless tune with a hooky vocal that keeps you locked. 'This' is a more tripped-out 5AM groove with warped deep space sound designs and airy drums that float. 'Lucid State' taps into a dreamy 90s tech house vibe that is utterly compelling.

Review: The cultured underground outlet that is Brouquade squeezes out one last release of 2023, this time from the enduring man of the moment, Kepler. He brings his usual cosmic touch and mastery of celestial melody to a trio of tasty tech house cuts. The first is a busy one with clacking drums and snappy snares on 'Enter The Void' that takes you through the cosmos at a great pace. 'MRF' then rides a nice bumpy low end and has delightfully deft astral melodies peeling off the beats before 'Event Horizon' shuts down with a hurried and snappy rhythm and more dark and unsettling synth explorations.

Review: Sometime Constant Sound regular Kepler has released some terrific music over the last few years, not least last year's debut album 'Freedom Mills' (a set named after a venue in his home city of Leeds). He continues this fine run of form on 'Sense', his first outing on Breakfree. The title track is suspenseful, forthright and pleasingly psychedelic, offering an energetic, sub-heavy take on tech-house, while 'Confusion' pairs the swing and low-end pressure of UK garage with the glassy-eyed sonics of contemporary UK tech-house. Elsewhere, 'Feeling Hazy (Chugging Mix)' cannily combines crunchy drums with bleeping electronics, dubby bass and ghostly aural textures, and closing cut 'Breathe' doffs a cap to ambient techno and hip-hop influenced mid-90s IDM.

Review: Kepler and Dana Run are two top producers from different ends of the house spectrum. Kepler looks to the future with his cosmic synths and neon melodies, pumping electronic grooves and driving sense of energy, whereas Ruh has always operated more in smoky basements, with dusty drums and moody heads-down atmospheres. And so it proves here with 'Moments' taking you on a slick trip to the stars, and 'Free Game' (extended live take) a delightfully analogue and melancholic exploration of the deep for the wee small hours.