Juno Recommends Minimal / Tech House: May 2024

Review: London's Mindhelmet label continue on strong with the whopping 14th top-up to their vinyl-only 12"s series. This time they welcome Cologne's very own Johannes Kolter to the fore, for four originals compared to his usual penchant for edits. Glitzy sonic skylines come portrayed on the likes of 'Euro Night' and 'Eternity', with hints of Italo and electro-pop conjuring mental glimpses of high-end fashion houses and handbags, while 'Crashy' revels in a skilful use of speed garage swing reminiscent of MJ Cole's production approach; finally, closer 'Lion, Ne Kaufen' indulges a muted chord sequence for a eventidal rave vibe.

Review: Chris Gialanze brings plenty of dancefloor clout to this fresh drop on the Beeyou label. The title cut 'Gunna Bee' is already one that has been doing the rounds and doing the damage recently so it's great it finally gets a proper release on vinyl. As well as coming as s dub mix, also included is 'So Criminal' which is a steely and metallic garage infused tech cut, while 'Tough Cloud' entirely switches things up with downtempo and breakbeats combining in old school post-rave or second room fashion to provide a great comedown after the main room fun. As such this is an EP that shows Gialanze has greta style and versatility no matter what he's making.

Review: Burnski and Kelper are two of the hottest artists in the game right now - their output is relentless, and their quality is always high. It is now on the former's Constant Sound that they appear with three fresh new collaborative cuts aimed squarely at the floor. 'Follow Me' has nice hooky drum loops and subtle synth stabs under a seductive vocal. It's fun and functional in equal measure and on the flip things get more naughty with hints of a dirty speed garage bassline under 'Frequency'. The vibe flips again on closer 'Frequency' which has disco-tinged loops and more laidback groves that bring a little warmth and sunshine.

Review: If you've kept up with K-Lone in any capacity, you've probably clocked his affinity for minimal beyond the bassier tones he came up with and the delicate melodics he often deals in. This release on Aus Music confirms what we all suspected in no uncertain terms, carrying a hint of his garage tendencies but applying them to sleek, bumping micro house styles as classy as they are crafty. 'Wait 4 U' is pure stripped-down pleasure, warm and inviting with the sparsest of elements, while 'What I Want' tilts into dubbier territory, but why pick favourites? This EP is loaded with gold from start to finish.

Review: This EP marks a coming together of two electronic music institutions as the ever-consistent Traumer lands on the always innovative FUSE. The sound designs here are next level as you would expect of this producer, and that's true right from the off. 'Nectar' is a fleshy, liquid, unbalanced dub tech cut to start with and 'Lemerci' then dials into a more heady and back-room-deep house with balmy pads circling around the beats. There is a more astral edge to the cosmic tech of 'First School' and 'Rodage' rounds out with nice bubbly and rubbery drums and effective claps that get those hips swinging.

Review: The fresh and fruity Fraise label returns with more futuristic tech and minimal fusions here courtesy of Duowe. His EP The Fruitier The Better opens with a nice vibrant sound composed of smeared synths, fractured vocal loops, sultry female spoken words and pumping basslines that bring some fun to the 'floor. 'Heavenly Sedated' is another mix of tech, house, acid and minimal with a 90s vibe and lots of bright colours while 'Yo Yo Leven' gets more percussive and detailed with jungle sound effects and wet synths. 'Ode To Syd' is the trippy closer that rounds out a characterful EP.

Review: Tal Fussmann follows up on standout releases on Diynamic, Innervisions and Drumpoet Community with this bright and bold drop for Rekids. As far as premier league tech house runs go, that's pretty hard to top, and the tracks more than live up to the platforms. The monster stabs and bruising bass on 'Freedom Defines House', the snaking pressure and nagging rim shots driving 'The Royal' and dramatic Detroit string stabs on 'Pace' all point to big rooms and festival stages, with 'Even Rome Wasn't Built In A Day' capping the release off with a crescendo of machine soul that will no doubt herald more than a few climactic closing sets this summer.

Review: The legendary Nervous Records outta New York kicks off a new vinyl series here with none other than tech house master Jay Tripwire at the helm alongside minimalist Vid and Dragomir. The Canadian opens up with the balmy cosmic tech of 'Box of Daggers' which his an empty, eerie late night roller with subtle percussion that keeps you locked. Vid's 'Behind You' is more packed with detail, freaky paranoid voices and darker bass and Dragomir sets down with the most twisted of the lot - a melange of warped lines and unsettling synths around a percussive tech house beat on 'Hinged In Reality.'

Review: New label Alt Dub debuts with this drop from Federsen and Hidden Sequence, who operate in different formations across the four tracks to spell out some supremely reduced, subliminal minimal techno. Their sound is schooled in the dub abstractions from labels like Background and ~scape, a little warm but ultimately reduced to an elegant murmur which becomes profound the harder you listen. Hidden Sequence's 'Switch' has a steady-ticking thrust while Federsen's 'Polarity' splashes around in deep chasms of delay and reverb, before they switch stance to remix each other in complementary ways.

Review: The captivating journey that is US-based house legend Satoshi Tomiie's 'Magic Hour' album on Abstract Architecture persists here with Magic Hour Disk #3: Wave Dub, its third dancefloor-focused instalment. This latest addition comprises four tracks, further enriching the compilation that embodies three years of Satoshi's artistry and commitment. The house sounds are the and elegant, with deft synths and cosmic melodies doing the colour and emotion to his effective grooves. Additionally, the release features two remixes by DJ Honesty, who adds an extra layer of depth and variation to what is a nice and deep, dubby EP from Abstract Architecture.

Review: Kassian serves up some heady and heavy club-ready thrills on this superb new 12" for !K7! It kicks off with hefty broken beats and earth shattering bass that is topped with chopped up vocal stabs. 'Yami' then rides on elastic rhythms with loopy bass and warped synths under gritty percussive textures. 'Pulgueiro Baile' is a jittering rhythm that rides up and down and comes alive with a turbo-charged bassline. 'Sistema Baile"' then shuts down with more rave ready energy and warped drum and bass combinations that are full flavour and muscular and impossible to ignore.

Review: Dutch producer Boris Werner's latest EP titled Hypnotherapy, lands at the Spanish label Limousine Dream. The record begins with the chunky house burner 'No Tantrums' that features MC Pryme laying some vocals over the track. 'Ochtend Glunderen' has a great mix of spacey sounds while still remaining focused and directed at a peak time dancefloor. For the second side, 'LSD (Love Saves The Day)' works a hedonistic tribal beat over some top tech house business. Lastly, 'Ghetto Mind Groove' is a clever change of pace that features a nice broken beat. Rocky Mc's over the top and helps get the party started right. Boris Werner is an experienced producer who know what kind of dance music works in the clubs.

Review: Subb-an's latest EP on the Sub Series imprint, titled Conscious, marks a dynamic return for the artist, displaying an evolution towards heightened musical and spiritual awareness. The EP features five equanimous club tracks, each distinct in its style and vision. 'Liquid Sun' kicks off the journey with a blend of deeper vibes and uplifting tones, offering a track that appeals to a wide audience. 'Contact' follows with its chord-driven, house-styled groove, adding a layer of depth to the EP's sonic landscape. Other highlights include, 'Wobble', which dives into a late-night deep groove, exuding a playful energy that keeps the dance floor moving. Throughout the EP, Subb-an demonstrates his ability at making intricate rhythms and hypnotic basslines, creating an immersive experience for listeners akin to his amazing DJing sets. From garage house to brooding acid, each track is carefully crafted to leave a great experience on the dancefloor.

Review: The latest drop of executive techno from the mighty Kompakt features Joyce Muniz and Hardt Antoine taking a side of vinyl each. Austrian producer Muniz teams up with Sara Bluma on vocals for the darkly seductive 'Beats & Lines', which evokes the drama and tension of the electro clash era. On the flip, Antoine has a more anthemic approach on 'I Will' with diva vocal snippets and huge swathes of melodic pads reaching skywards for a proper tears-on-the-dancefloor epic. 'La Mosca' meanwhile channels a little electro-techno flair in its synth lines with an enchanting vocal loop which taps into Kompakt's subliminal Goa trance tendencies.

Review: Slinky nighttime acid tech from Cirkel Square, laying down his debut 'Outside The Dome' EP for Subwax. Despite the title's focus on the hemispherical exterior, this is actually a two-track study on both the inside and outside of said dome. We begin life inside the hydroponic homestead, with surreptitious trance-acid and dimly lit pads suggestive of a secret plot to escape. The B-side's 'Outer Limits' responds with a more excitable jaunt, though by no means has our escape plan been scuppered by the authorities, with the mood continually driving, techy and methodical. Two remixes from Len Lewis and Magnus Asberg only add to the edge-of-your-seat excitement.

Review: Young but already assured lamb Aurum rolls out more of its singular min ail sounds here with Swoy the one taking the mantle for the fourth EP. There is some tripped-out and abstract beauty to the opener 'Same Place' which is marbled with swirling pads and half-heard vocals as a silky tech groove is established down low. 'Road' pairs more balmy synths and spoken words with crispy beats and 'Metamorphosis' then layers up some lush melodies, bells and sonorous hits with rubbery bass. 'The Storm' closes down with a melancholy feel and a sombre bassline that pulls you in deep.

Review: The late, great Nathan Coles is rightly hailed as UK tech house royalty - an originator in the scene who embodied its headsy, underground energy in the long and winding years before the sound broke through to its ubiquitous popularity it enjoys now. Of the many projects he turned his talent to, Get Fucked found him studio sparring with Nils Hess around the turn of the millennium on labels like Eukahouse. Now leading tech house reissue label Repeat have gathered together the best of the singles, and as you might well expect it's heavyweight, rolling gear for the late night marathon crew, crafted masterfully with grit and groove in equal measure.

Review: Edition 8 from Bread & Butter Recordings is another sophisticated outing into the world of minimal and tech house from four fine artists. Modebaku's 'Kindred' is the kinetic, waify, wispy opener that gets deep under your skin and Primarie then gets more zoned out on curious and nebulous pads on 'Euforie.' Techu's 'Storytelling' then rides on super warm and smooth-cruising beats with supple synths laced throughout. It is the sort of tune you want to hear as the sun peaks through the blinds at the afters, while Ted Amber's 'Snozeer' is another colourful and diffuse tech house charmer.

Review: The Fantastic Friends crew has called up on its musical mates once more for a new various artists release here that showcases its signature stripped-down sounds. Daniel Meister keeps it light and airy with wispy pads and squirrelling little leads on 'Raf' then Lukea's 'The Human Design' again keeps things deft and skeletal in terms of rhythm, but here with daubs of synth and trippy melodies. M&M's 'Disfunctional Quota' has a lovely catchy groove that undulates perfectly under molten synths and Primarie & Lucide closes out with is an artful and characterful take on minimal with the playful sounds of 'Slap Back To Reality.'

Review: An innovative EP emerges from the collaborative work of two accomplished music producers in Stockholm's Weirdvin, founder of the thriving Maraton label and here making a debut on Lyssna with the label's own Flord King. Their music finds a perfect common ground between electronic minimal funk and atmospheric textures, with overtones of ocean-faring trips on a voyage to the depths of the Baltic Sea. From the snappy percussion of 'Navigation' to the ambient synths of 'Oyster' via the nice and delicate drum loops of 'Telefunken' the more warped lines and turbulent bass of 'Bende' this is an EP with a unique sonic aesthetic.

Review: Cross Section's reissue of their inaugural record Chris Simmonds' Active X Trax II, is a long-awaited treat for house music aficionados, delivering four slamming cuts guaranteed to ignite any dance floor. The tracklist remains faithful to the original release, maintaining the essence of the 90s warehouse house sound. 'Feeling Happy (Hype Mix)' kicks things off with infectious energy, while 'Feeling Happy (The Dub) offers a tracky and addictive blend of looped and sampled sounds, epitomising the raw elegance of 90s house music. On the flip side, 'Bless The Groove' exudes soulful vibes with its uplifting strings and stylish groove, perfect for those late-night sessions. Overall, Cross Section's reissue is a highly desirable release, boasting great sound quality and serving as a timeless homage to the golden era of house music.

Review: The latest on Djebali's label comes from M High, who knows exactly how to step up to the flavour of Parisian minimal tech house Djebali has made his name on all these years. 'Try To Make' is a perfect opener, riding on a sweetly swung groove with heavy, subby bass down low and Mood II Swing style dub chords chopping in up top. 'Othirty' is a more delicate affair with some psychedelic sound sweeps which really elevate the track into exciting new realms - something which could send an after hours dance spiralling. 'Stripped' locks back into that heads-down bounce from the first track and then the 'M Groove' mix of the track slips some extra funky percussion into the blend to make it a sassy strutter for the ages.