Juno Recommends Minimal / Tech House June 2021

Review: By his previously prolific standards, Ewan Smith has been fairly quiet of late, with 2020 seeing the release of just one EP as Youandewan. Yet as Thyme Capsules, his first EP for Butter Side Up, proves, he's currently making some of his strongest material to date. It's a bold assertion, but one we'd argue is backed up by 'Beyond My Ken', a bouncy and chunky slab of tech-house marked out by cute melodies, oddball electronics and a memobrable bassline, and the busier and more psychedelic title track, whose steel pan style melodies of off-key electronic interludes catch the ear. Elsewhere, 'Scissor Juice' is funky, spacey and groovy in equal measure, while Art Freyman hook-up 'Slow Down' sees him expertly pitch down a late '90s UK tech-house style groove.

Review: Having previously contributed tracks to a handful of EPs and compilations, DJ Pipe has finally been given the chance to showcase his sounds on a 12" all of his own. The Berlin-based producer has wisely chosen to display the sonic dexterity at the heart of his productions, confidently striding between sub-heavy, organ-powered garage revivalism ('Pressure Station'), low-slung fusions of dub house, tech-house and Yorkshire bass ('Active Society'), snappier trips into mind-mangling early morning tech-house smoothness ('Maximum Taste'), and starry, loose-limbed breakbeat house headiness ('Lifestyle Guru'). All four tracks a rock-solid, aurally attractive and blessed with impressive bass-weight. Worth checking.

Review: Berlin based brit Youandewan's Small Hours returns with more classy house and tech sounds for exactly that time of the night. The boss himself offers the trippy melodic patterns of 'Aquapath' which rides on icy shining hi hats and old school baseline while 'Dog Brain' from Liquid Earth is a more scintillating tech-edged cut which hurries through raw percussion. Andy Hart's '155' pairs lovely skipping kicks with bright synth puddles and last of all Mculo layers up neon synth sequences with jittery claps and hits to make for a compelling bit of future funk. These always sell out in quick time, so do not sleep here.

Review: It has been 11 years since Solomun's last album, and few could have predicted the career arc he has enjoyed since. The big man started out as an underground favourite. His Diynamic label was famous for bringing colour back to dance music after the bleak minimal years. He made 'fairground tech house' as it was called. He then became a huge draw at Ibiza's premium VIP clubs and appeared in Grand Theft Auto. This album takes him to major label Sony and features Hollywood names like Jamie Foxx. It is melodic, accessible house from one of electronic music's most famous names.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: UFO Series welcome the bubbly hi-tech soul of Seafoam into the mix. Brian Cavender's premier project was active some 20 years ago on the likes of Guidance and Straylight, plying a line in tech house that favoured dubby moods and inquisitive experimentation - the kind of thing DJs like Nicolas Lutz have made theur name unearthing. That vibe maintains in fine style on this stellar 12", 'Easy Tiger' gently skips its way through a thicket of gloopy analogue synth lines, while 'Hard City' shuffles into a perfectly smudged out dub house headspace. 'Outerwears' creates a subtly kinked groove to carry plush soulful keys, and 'Give The Drummer Some' rides a slender break through a misty lake of pads n' chords for the dreamier end of the dance.

Review: r.hitect takes care of the sixth release on his own label of the same name here. It comes after he has established himself since 2018 as the latest in a long line of Romanian minimal stars. 'Landscape Of Nowhere' opens up on a rolling beat, with deft hi hats peppering the groove metallic synths layered in for a sense of cosmic warmth. 'Cross Section' allows a similar path of well designed functionality but with a little more skip in the beats and hope in the pads. 'Space Space Time Zero' close put with a third bit of expertly reduced tech house goodness.

Review: It was a decade ago that Dallas' Eric Estornel, a fairly underground artist known for his electro exploits as Mariel Ito and for his techno as Maetrik, presented the hugely successful Life Index LP under the Maceo Plex alias - setting his career on a rather different course. Later that same year he released the High & Sexy EP on his Ellum Audio label, featuring the classic 'Stay High Baby' which had all the hallmarks of his now idiosyncratic sound: razor sharp basslines, disco motifs and soulful vocals underpinned by minimal house beats. Of equally anthemic proportions was the sultry, late night boogie-down vibe of 'Ain't That Love' over on the flip.

Review: After a sterling run of releases from Magnus Asberg and Ted Amber, Romana hit record number five with a various artists drop which sees them widening their scope without losing the focus on sleek minimal tech house. Ted Amber sets the tone to ensure the release sits naturally in the label's arc to date, whipping up the lithe and bubbling 'Little Rain' which keeps the beat slender and lets the wiggy synth do the talking. Johnny D then steps up with the outstanding, shimmering after hours dream 'Cakitos'. Magnus Asberg brings something a little spicier to the table with 'Waveform', revelling in edgy feedback flex and twitchy bleep to create a killer club cut, and then Jay Tripwire takes on 'Waveform' and adds a smokescreen to the track to lend it to the far flung end of the dance.

Review: The ever reliable East End Edits return with more anonymous white label minimal house shenanigans. On their eleventh edition in the series they have a surefire UK tech house number that rolls tough, is packed full of swing and with classic NYC house tropes all the way. A chord progression fuelled by glistening keys, bumping bass and familiar RnB vocals from the early 2000's that all come together for something pretty special. Again, it's anyone's guess who's responsible for this one, but the label is tight lipped as always - tip!

Review: Master minimalist Thomas Melchior is back with a new release on his Aspect Music imprint under the alias Back In Black. Although this is only a single sided release, there's all you need right here. The eponymous release features all the hallmarks of Melchior's singular sound: from its rich tapestry of ethereal - almost arcane- tapestry of elements reaching near spiritual moments, underpinned by meditative and clipped rhythm programming. Be prepared for yet another altogether magickal experience from the legend.

Review: Chris Stussy is making real moves of late. The producer has hit on a sound that is a perfect meeting point between house, minimal funk and spaced out tech. His own Up The Stuss label is the home for his latest project, a collab with SAM on a bunch of hugely useful club tracks. Each one is aimed at the club, but different moments of the night. There is a lovely depth and warmth to 'Spaceship' that gets you in the mood, while the likes of 'Here To Catch You' are dreamy 5am joints and 'Sirine' is busy but balmy, with deft synth motifs and kinetic drum work that sweeps you off your feet. Lovely stuff.

Review: Rumors chief Guy Gerber teams up with Innervisions co-head Dixon for the life-affirming dancefloor drama of 'No Distance' with its Afro and futurist deep house elements creating for an altogether epic experience that you'll be sure to encounter in a club this year - if they ever reopen. On the flip, Leipzig's Martin Enke, better known for his work as Llewellyn on local label Riotvan, serves up a dreamy rendition under his alias Lake People. This version of the track is so immersive and complex, it will draw you deep into the ether.

Review: Some two years after the first part of their collaborative EP series hit record stores, Ricardo Villalobos and Maher Daniel have finally delivered volume three. In keeping with their previous joint excursions, epic A-side 'Periodica' is gently dark, feverish and mind-altering, with deep and drowsy Rhodes chords, bleeping electronics and trippy noises clustering around a typically off-kilter, bass-heavy Villalobos style groove (for all his faults, the Chilean can programme drums better than almost anyone else). Also impressive is Maher's flipside solo cut 'Analogue Future', an arguably rhythmically straighter and tougher affair in which a mind-mangling groove comes laden with broken computer sounds, freaky electronic glitches, occasional guitar riffs and dubbed-out vocal snippets.

Review: In case you need bringing pop to speed, Locus is a brand new record label from the same vital team behind FUSE London. The sounds are a little quicker than those on the main label, with a future feel, electronic funk and cool to spare. Josh Baker takes the reins this time with the glossy vocal tech of 'Slippers All Summer' complete with nice cosmic pads. 'Fascinating' is a more jittery groove that tease and please with razor sharp hi hats and daubs of synth, then 'Jaffa' picks up the pace with acid bass, rave whistles and scintillating drum work. 'More Than Micro' closes on a nice heads down deep house vibe for the calming and late night hours.

Review: Aesthetic Audio are back with another grip of sleek and refined tech house rollers to keep you bumping from dusk 'till dawn. First up, Dudley Strangeways lays down a smooth blend of cosy organ tones and crisp, shuffling drums that lend themselves to the warm-up as much as the after-hours. Loht Vostok's 'La Luz' has a tighter uptempo flavour, but it's still resolutely deep. TIJN takes things in a mellow, introspective direction without slouching on the groove, and Jean Bressan taps into a playful, artfully sculpted vibe with plenty of funk. If you're looking for something sophisticated to slip into a long and winding session, this record will have you covered four times over.

Review: Crossed Grooves lock in the fine double act of Fabe and Janeret for two more seriously high quality minimal tracks. Fabe's 'Angry Wombats' has a meaty bassline and chunky drum funk run through with some molten acid lines, while Janeret's 'Floating In Space' is perfectly named. The airy pads circle way up high over floating drums that suspend you in the cosmos. As well as the fine music, this 12" comes in a kinetic art sleeve that has been designed and printed by hand in a Parisian workshop.

Review: Vlad Caia has real cult status as an underground mainstay. He operates in a world where minimal, tech house and ambient sound designs all happily merge into one fresh new sound. He manages to make skeletal tracks that are sparse and delicate, yet also hugely compelling and impactful on the dance floor. This new one for UVAR is another car in point. It opens with 'Seeker,' which is all hurried drum loops and leggy bass, then 'Dicton' casts off on a slippery groove to the farthest regions of space. 'Rubicon' is the astral party amongst the stars you might find once you reach your destination - all percolating pads and sc-fi designs that melt the mind.

Review: As clubs are on the verge of reopening, this is exactly the sort of tackle many DJs will be looking to fill this bags with. It's charismatic music with colour and a slightly unhinged feeling but also with seriously well designed grooves. Bowyer is the young and obviously talented producer behind the music and opener 'Something From The Chiffonier' is a classy party starter with the best name ever. The subtly joyous, playful but heady sounds continue on the more wonky 'Turbo Grill' and 'Badgers Crossing' then cuts loose on wild drum snaps, molten synths and acid prickles before 'Global Positioning System' locks you into a straight up tech house banger.

Review: For those in the know, New York label, party and record store Blkmarket Music has always flown the flag for high quality minimal house way before, and way after, the sound had its time in the spotlight. This time out it is a debut from the Payphone trio who founded Toronto's Payphone Studios and are also part of the Hypnotic Mindscapes crew and label. They have a hard hitting sound, with gnarly late night tech defining the opener before things get more warped and wonky on 'Fool Circle.' Fans of 4am master head-wrecker Craig Richards, do take note.

Review: Meander has been one of minimal and tech houses most vital labels over the years. It has remained low key but high quality and now gets a big selection of names to continue to this third edition of their Family Jubilee series. First up is the master minimalist and cult hero Christi Cons. 'For No Reason' is a lush symphony of starry-eyed synths and crispy tech drums that bring real class to the dance floor. Topper's 'Bell Without A Cow' is a more whacked out, dreamy number that draws you into its waify pads and skeletal drums and keeps you there. 'Estromanium' is a typically tight and kinetic closer from DeWalta.

Review: Having spent the last half a decade creating special memories through events and gatherings, the proper time has come for UNUM to make the next step which will take the form of a first release on vinyl produced by none other than our most beloved duo, Mihai Pol and Mera. This EP proposes a mix of genuine sounds and emotions, signed on Unum Recordings, that will definitely bring back memories from summer nights and days when we used to dance with no care in the world.

Review: UK based label Comma Traxx kicked off with a great four track VA a couple of years ago and only now hit release number three for their vinyl off-shoot. It's a killer, too, with the loopy bass and garage-tinged minimal grooves of opener 'Jabba' sure to get those hips and fists moving. 'Bija' gets more zoned out and cosmic as it voyages through the stars on slippery drums and synths, while 'Flubber' brings some rasping, gloopy textures to a kinetic groove. The Nathan Pinder remix is excellent with its electro stylings, retro bassline and true sense of electronic funk and soul.

Review: The third vinyl release on Selador Recordings sees a quartet of producers giving their spin on previously digital-only singles from label co-founder Dave Seaman - an artist who is nowhere near as high profile as he once was but continues to make music that will delight prog house and tech-house fans. Italian producer Whitesquare kicks things off with a version of 'Thonk' that adds flash-fried funk guitars and grunting electronic sounds to a rubbery tech-house groove, before Damon Joe delivers a surging, arpeggio-driven, post-Italo-disco take on 'Rodales'. The Rodrigues Junior re-make of 'Hired State of Unconsciousness' combines the low-end pressure of hypnotic tech-house with the melodic breeziness of progressive house, while Doctor Dru's remix of 'Donkey Engine' is a throbbing late-night treat.