Tactics Of Bass - "Big Hips Blue Gloves (No Dubs)" (7:48)
Tactics Of Bas - "Tactics Of Bas" (7:59)
The Ron Honey Experience - "D66" (7:15)
Quadruplex - "Sky Wave" (7:01)
Quadruplex - "Robot Rotate" (5:30)
Quadruplex - "G-Hop" (7:24)
The Secret Garden - "Rough Diamond" (3:25)
Review: Matt Hodgson's 7th Voyage is one of those mid-90s labels that enjoyed cult status almost from the off. Its releases helped to define the sound of the London underground of the time and have since become pricey and sought after. The Return Voyage is a new seven-track collection of back-catalogue gems that pays tribute to the label's fine work. From the deep and atmospheric 'Big Hips Blue Gloves (No Dubs)' by Tactics Of Bass to the squelchy lo-fi hip-hop funk of The Secret Garden's 'Rough Diamond,' this is a vital look back at a hugely influential label.
Review: Ron Morelli's long-running and always forward-thinking L.I.E.S label looks to prolific producer Orion Agassi who hails from Spain and has proven himself as a real house mainstay. He backs up that reputation with six cuts of "straight up beat tracks for the club." They are inspired by the legacy of early WBMX mix shows and come with a hint of Latin flavour, with hammers percussion, snappy drum patterns and fiery vocals all making for a nice and wonky workout across a range of inviting tempos. A very useful album that has something for a wide spread of dance floor moments.
Review: The all-new Tapioca label debuts here with a head-turning EP full of lovely bright, bulbous and fresh synth designs. Nathan Alzon is the alchemist behind it and 'Wiggle & Wobble's Russian Roulette Extravaganza' soon locks oyu in with nice tech drums and busy synth daubs darting about the mix. 'Garage Baker' is a hurried, scruffy and UKG-tinged sound with more unique synth work and 'Hopeless Maniac (feat Litmus)' completes this most vivid and vivacious EP with another stylish tech house twist.
Review: Given that Ricardo Villalobos was one of a handful of guest producers who featured on Oren Ambarchi's recent Hubris album - a krautrock-influenced minimalist techno exploration that also boasted contributions from Jim O'Rourke and Mark Fell, amongst others - it seems fitting that he's been roped in to provide two new remixes. The Chilean's contribution to the album was largely rhythm-based, and his two lengthy Variations - each stretched across one side of wax - promote undulating, heads-down dancefloor hypnotism above all else. Naturally, his drum programming and use of subtle stylistic shifts is as on-point as ever, with Ambarchi's original textures being manipulated into mind-altering new shapes.
Review: Anatolian Weapons' 'Beyond' EP delivers six tracks that expertly blend vintage techno with a futuristic edge, reminiscent of a sci-fi film soundtrack. Opening with 'Just Dance,' the EP hooks listeners with an addictive groove and a techy, 90s vibe that sets the tone. 'All The Bones' dives into progressive house territory, offering lush, evolving soundscapes. 'Ego Naked' stands out as a fusion of EBM and darker techno, injecting an intense, moody atmosphere. 'Reality Check' plays with an 80s aesthetic, striking a balance between nostalgia and forward-thinking production. 'Acid Grind' slows the pace with a deliberate acid chugger, featuring a liquid acid line that oozes depth and intention. Closing out with 'STR,' the EP peaks with a powerful, sci-fi-influenced track that feels otherworldly, pushing the boundaries of techno. Throughout Beyond EP, Anatolian Weapons navigates through various electronic styles while maintaining a cohesive, futuristic vision, making it a compelling addition to any techno enthusiast's collection.
Review: Superfriends is a new label project from German tech house duo Andhim. They take care of the first release and export outside the usual realms on opener 'Tosch (feat Piper Davis).' It has an air of DJ Koze's hazy nostalgia to it with gentle tumbling drums, broad bass notes and plenty of lo-fi texture. 'German Winter' is not as harsh and cold as the season it is named after, instead layering up subtly hopeful, sustained chords over a groove that's not too heavy, not too airy. 'Mond' brings smeared and smudged melodies, flutes and pianos together over a dubby, delightfully deep house low end. 'Horse Society' closes with the distant sound or bird tweets, a hooky percussive lead and plodding kicks for day-time open-air dancing.
Review: Andrew Azara makes an electrifying return to Cecille with his 'Cosmic Girl' EP, delivering five exceptional originals alluding to French house, disco edits and minimal techno. Hailing from Dublin and now thriving in Barcelona, Azara has majored in force since 2019, with audiences across Europe and South America, and former releases on Djebali. 'Cosmic Girl' opens the EP with pounding drums, dubby stabs, and hypnotic, fluttering textures, setting the stage for an intermediary shuffle, 'Mattika', in turn bringing headier blends of organic percussion and transitional "whoops". 'The Jam' strips things back to a minimal, raw groove, while 'Obsession' closes with a bass-heavy, swung garage house extension. You won't find the digital bonus, 'Doing It,' here, but we can also vouch for its mesmerising hold over us dance-zombies.
Review: The second instalment of Stolen Goods' Back to Back series brings together two stalwarts of the scene: Italian veteran Lele Sacchi and Italo-Spanish beat master Bawrut. Known for their contributions to the electronic dancefloor landscape, both artists deliver peak-time bangers primed for club euphoria. Bawrut's track showcases his signature blend of retro-future rave, drawing on his extensive experience with labels like Life & Death and Correspondant. Meanwhile, Sacchi, with nearly three decades of DJ experience, infuses his production with funky deep grooves and killer stabs, epitomizing peak-time monster attitude. With nods to acid house and electro-techno, this release epitomises Stolen Goods' ethos of delivering messages From Clubbers to Clubbers, promising dancefloor ecstasy for discerning audiences.
Review: Brooklyn is not often somewhere you think of when it comes to minimal, a sound more usually associated with European artists these days, unless of course, you're talking about early US originators like Dan Bell and Robert Hood. This release suggests that view is wrong with a trio of classy cuts. Mike Berardi's 'Helicopter Ride' is lively and jazzy and rides a nice broken beat. Samuel Padden's 'String Theory' is more icy and paired back to a minimal cosmic trip and Jay Tripwire's 'Floorboards' a wonky late-night charmer.
Review: We have been really liking what we've heard from the Dolphin label out if the US of late. Now we get a taster of an upcoming album from Blaque Dynamite with a second single from it. Beka Gochiashvili features on keyboards and synthesizers throughout the cut. The Stefan Ringer remix is a wet and funky mix of jazz, house and experimental sound. It has a sleazy sense of vocal naughtiness to it with shuffling broken beats and rich layers of percussion. The original is an organic and loose-limbed deep house vibe and Ben Hixon brings a little more edgy tech to the drums.
Review: Bluets' debut on Kimochi Sound seamlessly integrates into the label's well established and distinctive style. This one, with a hand-sprayed sleeve as always, opens with "if you can imagine," a confident bit of microhouse that mixes rich melodies and a lively bassline. 'Action Potential' echoes RDMA's aesthetic with its precise beats and on the B-side you will find a vaporous melody that weaves through sparse downbeat house grooves to make for a dreamlike atmosphere. Closing the EP, 'Buong Bilog' features distorted IDM rhythms and a poignant refrain that balances twitchy textures with melancholic tones. This carefully crafted release bridges home-listening electronics with dancefloor clout.
Nicola Brusegan, Camilo Gil - "Take A Groove" (6:27)
Nicola Brusegan, Camilo Gil - "Take A Groove" (Jorge Caiado remix) (6:12)
Review: Renowned producer Bodeler makes his mark on the newly emerging Minimal Brooklin label with a masterful display of minimalism on his A1 cut, then respected Argentinian Franco Cinelli remixes and delivers something immersive. On the B-side, Nicola Brusegan and Camilo Gil unite to create a soulful deep house track complete with lush chords and pulsating basslines, and this one is paired with a remix from Jorge Caiado that is sure to electrify dance floors thanks to his knack for crafting statement-making sound and pulsating acid vibes.
Review: German-Turkish producer Butch is a machine. He has put out hundreds of tunes over the last decade-plus, most of them more than useful club fare that gets played far and wide. Every so often he also serves up a real classic - and that was the case with 'No Worries' which brings brilliantly loopy drums, classic disco vocal samples and just feel-good grooves that inject a bit of vitality into any set. It now gets a subtle 2022 update and reissue on the original label Cecile with a Toman remix on the flip.
Review: Data Sync is a sub-label of Non Stop Rhythm and now label head Tom Carruthers is back on it with more of his fierce techno explorations. 'Intel' opens proceedings with some taught synth twangs and stomping drum work that will bring physicality to the floor. 'Force Field' is a similarly stomping sound with bright bells looping up top and 'Syntax' is a raw percussive frother with acid run right through it. 'GS5' (re-edit) is another one with some fresh synth sounds bringing light to the physical low ends and 'Metropolis' gets snappy and jacked up while 'Recon' closes down with some tribal energy and bleeping 90s references.
Review: What is bad house music? Besides lazy non-objections like "it's a matter of taste", we'd go deeper and suggest bad house music is house music that doesn't respect the genre's roots (note: respecting should be defined in contrast to absolute loyalty; the two ideas are altogether different). Love Exposure's very own Chinichi shows an awareness of this distinction, laying down four tracks which only hint at the vibe of bumptious genre disrespect that some producers exhibit, without truly indulging it. "Bad" is defined secondarily here: "bad" as in devilish, seductive, charming. The title track and ensuers like 'Prog Power' and 'Do It' thus pump and kick, inducing extra fluttery come-hither eyes in the listener, by way of burly kicks, moreish trance elements and extra curvaceous synth hoots.
Review: YOIONWAX celebrates its tenth anniversary with a special record featuring stunning zoetrope artwork by Alex Mikheev. Guided by the talented Donnie Cosmo, this musical journey starts in a tropical forest with 'Jungle Juice' then 'The Man From Planet X' leads into another mystical experience with lithe and silvery tech house and trippy synth work. 'Mystical Journey' is another spaced-out tech sound with kinetic drums and a smorgasbord of sci-fi motifs, then 'Prepare Your Soul' serves up another transformative adventure with steely drums and watery droplets, otherworldly designs and a groove that never quits. Super artwork on this one, too.
Review: Reinforcing this German's producers reputation for delivering infectious, groove-heavy house music, the title track, 'We Luv', takes cues from French house music. Layering filtered loops and thick basslines to build a steady, club-ready pulse, its a prime example in how to produce dancefloor tension and release. 'Revolver' injects a lively mix of disco and house, boasting crisp percussion and a vibrant energy that bridges classic influences with modern production. The track’s dynamic arrangement ensures it keeps the momentum high. On the deeper side, Keep It Up unfolds with subtle, evolving progressions, drawing listeners into its hypnotic rhythm. The track’s intricate structure gradually intensifies, making it a perfect tool for shifting gears in a set. Released on his own Cecille Records, this EP highlights Curly’s versatility, delivering three distinct tracks suited for different phases of a DJ set. From warm-up grooves to driving peak-hour energy, this record proves why he remains a respected force in house music.
Review: Two underground artists with many years in the scene behind them in Darwin Chamber and DJ Spun come together for the second in their Episode series on Rong Music. Once again they dig into the sounds of their formative years while also looking to the future as they blend dub, trance and techno into lithe new forms. 'The Revolution' is a mid-tempo and atmospheric roller with hypnotic vocals, while 'The Playa' is a deft bit of electronic minimalism with a deep space feel and ticking 808 sounds. Things get more loose with the warped synths and dusty tech beats of 'Dysfunction' while 'Acid Tounge' closes with trippy designs, a skeletal rhythm and a sense of late-night melodic and afterparty mischief.
Review: A punctual reissue of a rare Eye 4 Sound tech-acid house party starter from 2004, this Repeat version of Dexter's 'Paradox' stays faithful to one of many EPs in UK artist Mat Royall's regal flush of technical itches to last from 01 to 06, spread across labels like Beat Code, Random House and, in more recent years, Real Deal and Bosh Records. 'Paradox' is subset by the fun-loving 'Ychtm Acid' on the B-side, and while we can't claim to be so clever as to be able to decode this standout track's strange titular acronym, we can vouch for the sickness of its eccentric percussions and atmosphere, a fine case of what we call "mood design".
Review: Not to be confused with the heavy Dutch electro hero of the same name (he of Klakson Records fame), Dexter was the early-to-mid 2000s alias of UK tech-house producer Matt Royall. Sushitech Records recently released a retrospective of his work, Past Moves, and now German label Repeat has decided to reissue 2004's Size Counts EP. A-side 'Break It Down' is deep, druggy, chuggy and pleasingly off-kilter, with delay-laden spoken word snippets and echoing hand percussion hits rising above a driving bassline and hypnotic, locked-in drums. The pace and intensity increases on flipside 'Once Again', a kind of Hipp-E & Halo style West Coast tech-house workout rich in trippy female vocal snippets, ghostly chords and dubby bass.
Review: Presenting "Anticlockwise", on Cadenza, the debut album from Digitaline (aka the Swiss duo of Gregorythme and Laps). Spontaneity and flux are key. Bright harmonics shower everything in sparks and tiny plaintive sounds plunge like diving birds. Drum tuning and delay timing are in constant motion; everything modulates everything else. These aren't the ubiquitous clicks and glitches of minimal, but something far more inspired. Digitaline's beats offer a sense of groove that's frankly irresistible, a classic jacking vibe kitted out in alien tones and melodies that dance on the edge of melancholy.
Review: Mark Grusane presence on Disctechno brings with it a compilation of five unique house tracks from Chicago and Detroit-based producers, as you will probably have guessed from the title. The A-side features DJ Slush's synth-driven 'Memory Blank' and Deon Jamar's bass-heavy 'AYYYO' which offer different but both killer sounds. The B-side opens with Jordan Zawideh's reverb-drenched 'Axolotls' followed by Grusane's intense, atonal 'The Recoil' and concludes with Thomas Xu's groovy 'School Street.' All of these are the sort of off-kilter sounds you would expect of these revered and enduring electric hotbeds. Raw, stripped-down and authentic, this is the contemporary Midwest underground.
Review: Oozing with slippery sound design and euphoric exudate, Andrey Djackonda, Etzu Mahkayah, and TooRare team up for a next-gen talent demo in EP form, well and truly showing any other upstart how trancey-prog-minimal house is and should indeed be done. Said to have been designed to create a feeling of uplift and positivity - and yet in our opinion, the record touches on relatively more neutral and trancier moods, ones which could go either way - the likes of 'Que Le Jour Se Leve' and 'Sunrise In Amsterdam' are highly maximised, entelechic tech-trance progressors, highlt reflective of the verve and dedicated so far enshrined in the work of Saint Petersburg label MixCult.
Review: Dragutesku's deft take on minimal is a mix of the abstract and the surreal if this EP is much to go on. 'Ecliptic' comes first as a vocal mix and is all backlit synth glows, fizzing synths and distant, heart-aching hooks with thumping drum loops front and centre. It is pure passion but also comes as a dub for more late night sets. On the flip is a Traumer mix that rewires the track into a rickety and loopy rhythm fleshed out with smeared pads and last of all is 'Jazzofil', a more downbeat and experimental cut full of weird and wonderful sound sources.
Review: Detroit legend Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes has had a truly massive month with a couple of releases on his esteemed Detroit Wax imprint (which he runs with Niko Marks) and this week he kickstarts his City Boy imprint back into action. This is its first release in 11 years, presenting part one of the Knucklehead Series featuring a fine selection of moods and grooves. First up is the deep down and dirty tech-funk of '1-2-3', followed by the dusty twilight mood music of 'Hold Me Down' and over on the flip is the double 12's most energetic cut in the form of 'Test Unknown' - a sincere expression in proper Motor city style 'hi-tech soul'.
Review: Tech house is an unfairly maligned genre. While criticisms of the blandness of the sound might hold weight for much of the stuff released today, the same simply can't be said for the work of Terry Francis, who helped pioneer its sound. All & All is a new series, this one documenting Francis' contributions to the underground, with many of the tracks appearing on it made during the period in which he was a resident DJ at London's Fabric. As you can hear, 'tech house' at the origin point, as propagated by Francis, was much dreamier - closer to its cousin, deep house. And on cuts like 'How Can Something', you can really hear where the received 'dreaminess' of house and the uptempo, industrial pulse of techno, converged.
Review: The second Volume of Terry Francis' All & All series hears much of the work of the esteemed tech house pioneer and Fabric resident DJ compiled into a retrospective compilation. One can hear the convergent nature of Francis' tech house - it's in the name, 'tech house', i.e. techno and house - truly come together on this LP. The likes of 'Wish On', 'Helicopter' and 'Funky Future' are honest movers, made with deft precision and accuracy, - and bringing together many different popular styles at the time, from speed garage to tribal to funky house, with tech house resulting as a kind of distillation of them all.
Review: French electronic icon Laurent Garnier returns with the FABRICLG4 EP to celebrate the 25th anniversary of London's legendary club. This release showcases Garnier's signature range and opens with 'Playing with the Low-End,' a fierce 2-step track that nods to the heritage of UK club sounds. The journey then shifts to techno with 'Resonances from the D' barrelling along with great force and then on the flip side, 'Odyssee Maison' features deep house grooves with Dan Diamond and last but not least 'On the Way Home' rounds out the experience with ambient sounds. This one comes with "augmented reality artwork" by Atelier 14 and is another doozy from the already untouchable Garnier.
A Boy Called Zeal (Gari Romalis Electronix Stop N Search mix) (7:25)
A Boy Called Zeal (Audio Werner mix) (9:07)
Review: What began as a beloved underground party two decades ago now steps into a new chapter as Rock Tha House Traxx, a vinyl-only label helmed by veteran Chilean selector Camilo Gil and Mario Flores in Mexico City. Shifting from the dancefloor to the turntable, the label sets out to document and reimagine the musical movements that shaped its roots. After a hothousing debut featuring Romania's Mihai Popoviciu and Swiss mainstay Quenum among others, we've a new sonic tort from the label's very own Gil, solidifying the Western SA nation's place in said conversation. Squeezy reso-basses, stupid-hard breaks, zany lifters: Gil has us covered.
Review: That man Glenn Underground is back with more of his masterful melodic house workouts as GU aka CVO. 'Jack & The Madman' goes super deep with moody drums wired up with burrowing, melancholic synths and time-keeping hi-hats. 'Nutso Jack' lands with some tribal drum heft and a melange of percussive details and wispy synths while 'Acid Disco (Supadisco)' is a woozy ste night exploration of jazzy keys and solar pads with soft cid lines weaving their way in and out of the beats. It's timeless and fresh once again from this Chicago mainstay.
Escape On The Midnight Express (Hardway Bros mix) (8:03)
Escape On The Midnight Express (Masonic Noodles mix) (9:28)
Review: Echoes of Glory serves up a second helping with the assistance of Hardway Brothers and Masonic Noodles aka Sean Johnston and label founder Grant Dell. 'Escape On The Midnight Express' gets two tidy tech house versions with distinct flavours which should appeal to those who like their 4/4 grooves tripped-out and headsy. The Hardway Bros version is a pneumatic, boxy workout swathed in dub and rolling slow and steady for the warm-up crowd, while Dell's Masonic Noodles interpretation takes a sparser approach sprinkled with mystical synth motifs to send a chill through the dance.
Review: Following the warm reception for the most recent Vokabularium release, label boss Denis Horvat once again joins forces with talented vocalist Lilli Ellen on the EP ‘Two Makes Everything’, a murkily earnest progressive house record building on indie pop and blues. The title track moves snakily, through watery grain-echoed synth plucks and brimming background pads, as Ellen pleas for understanding despite a newfound sense of determination in who she is. ‘Gone’, meanwhile, prefers a more plodding abstraction, held together firmly by a three-note stab.
Review: Using the Turkish psychedelic project Insanlar as a jump off point, Honest Jon's have enlisted Ricardo Villalobos to turn out one of his grandiose remix projects that gels so naturally with more exotic sound sources. The original of "Kime Ne" is already an enchanting, Moog-infused groover rich with traditional vocals, and then Mr Villalobos locks the ingredients in for a typically cosmic ride into stripped and hypnotic house territory, letting the lutes intertwine with dusty reams of percussion using that alchemists touch that could only come the man himself. The remix spreads itself over two sides of wax, leaving one side of the double pack free for a fetching etching as well.
Review: By now a very well-recognised trailblazer of the minimal house and techno circuits, iO Mulen (Aleksandr Voznichenko) shares his third album, Rock Like This, through his own Mulen imprint. Refusing to fall back on heavy-handed press notes, the eight tracks on this perfect composite storm are enough to bewitch us of their own accord. These house and techno retrofusions play out like the kind of sounds that the impossible dangling contraption depicted on its front cover might generate; 'Rock Like This' throws back to Chicago deep house and jankout acid trance, magicking up a shockingly good fusion of disparate styles in a bionic mode, while the rising actions of 'How Do You Say' and 'Emergency' teem with twin enjoyments of and reverences for 90s Euro and acid techno. There are cosmic-trancier subplots on there too, such as 'I'm Waiting For', which selects its constituent sounds with an aesthete's ear, striking a difficult balance of the raw and the fine. Voznichenko refuses to privilege one referent genre over another, and it results in a respectfully done, carefully made and truly exciting dance record, unafraid of cheese nor sophistication, and reconciling the two.
Review: Berlin's Exit Strategy began their 12"s game releasing EPs in browned sleeves, shortly before branching out into digital-vinyl combo releases with original artwork in the 2020s. Now with over ten years of experience under their belts, they welcome five new artists for a playful bricolage in deep and minimal techno, privileging elite, razor-sharp additive sound design and future-soulful vocal tasters. Ivory's opener 'Rain' epitomises this, while Jimi Jules squelchifies the same formula, and Aera's 'Future Holdings' rolls out the same logic to its ultimate conclusion, veering towards complex, 3D-graphic melodic techno composed entirely of climbing saws.
Review: The No Agenda label takes its bow here with a new EP that features a first appearance from the US's Bridget Barkan. Kimono is behind the beats and they are couched in house. 'Waiting' opens with rattling chords that bring steely determination next to the time-keeping hi-hats and echoing vocal swirls that speak of a patient wait. The Aubrey rework is super fresh with daubs of dancing synth and sci-fi details over a barely-there rhythm. Shuffling deep house sound 'Forgiveness' closes out with more slight sound designs, dusty drums and plenty of suggestion rather than in-your-face maximalism.
Review: Transgender environmental activist Chris Korda founded the Church of Euthanasia (CoE) in 1992 and advocated for the end of humanity's destructive practices. Korda's work itself transcends activism by drawing on art, music and technology in groundbreaking ways. A retrospective of her oeuvre at Goswell Road unites her CoE actions with her personal creative practice and showcases original banners, archival materials and unseen paintings. Korda's music, meanwhile, is generated by kinetic virtual sculptures and collaborative algorithms that reflect her vision of machines as equals in the creative process. Her unique approach challenges traditional boundaries and results in some gorgeous groves that are powerful physically and emotionally.
Review: Lake People's Foreverer, released on Remote Scope, takes listeners on a dynamic journey through deeper realms of minimal and tech house. The album opens with 'S'Pace,' a track that impresses with its polished production and melody reminiscent of Black Dog, setting a sophisticated tone. 'New Seeds' continues this exploration, blending techno and house with a futuristic edge. The title track, 'Foreverer,' introduces a jungle breakbeat layered with an IDM atmosphere, providing an intricate and textured experience. On Side-2, 'Floating Pikes & Pines' delves into early 90s IDM, filled with unique bleeps and sounds that evoke the feel of a computer language. 'Short Path' stands out with its excellent acid work and futuristic IDM groove, offering a fresh take on familiar sounds. The album closes with 'The Solution Of The Problem Of Life,' an ambient outro that serves as a soothing and reflective ending to the record. Foreverer is a next level production that needs to be heard.
Review: Eight further sonic spirits are conjured on the seventh edition in Damian Lazarus' annual compilation series. Emphasising deep house and techno grooves with a hypnotic flavour, the procurement here is exemplarily brooding; Dino Lenny's 'I Have Sampled Father' marks a sure turn away from the openers' cleaner-cut mesmerisms with a smoky, funk-inflected haze, bringing rhythm guitar and paternal murmurations to a surreal montage. The monologuing mood continues on the equal highlight that is Upercent's 'Where Are You', whilst Enamour's 'Jackpot' rounds out the show with the record's only brightly-lit minimal triller. The record is marked by sensuous, distant, familiar voices throughout.
Review: Locklead has been laying down classy house music for the likes of Pleasure Zone, Rawax, Unknown To The Unknown and Hot Haus, so you know he means business. After this sterling run of singles he's stepping to Up The Stuss with his debut album Square One, which deals in eight richly rendered cuts of contemporary tackle that sum up everything he's achieved to date. There's a pervasive deepness at work on 'Light Of Day' which draws you in from the get-go, while 'Bumpin' Headz' revels in shimmering, bouncy chords and Detroit flavoured strings pads. 'Hunting' has a more inquisitive quality as it courses through minimal-tinted grooves and synth riffs, while 'Plants & Astronauts' takes a more cosmic approach to the tech house formula. We could go on but you get the idea - this is house music through and through, presented in pristine technicolour for maximum satisfaction.
Review: Radio Slave's Rekids welcomes a Detroit house master in Monty Luke for what is a comprehensive excursion into deep house across nine exquisite new cuts. Dub, techno and more all help colour these soundwaves and first up is the shimmering electro rhythm of '40 Acres & A Terabyte' while 'Nightdubbing' gets more zoned out and smooth as it comes alive with shimmering synths over rolling beats. Elsewhere are more grinding groves like 'Starstorms' which recalls the early work of Carl Craig and 'Avant-Garde Dance Hall' is a deft dub workout.
Review: Andrew Macari's next offering comes on the small but already well-formed Vessel Recordings label and it delves into some super deep house sounds. 'U Hold Me Tight' is a shuffling, gently percussive number with swaying drums and the sort of groove to lock you in. 'Don't Make Me Wait' is a slower groove with drums that drag their heels in an intriguing way then 'Hana's Jazz Cafe' gets more funky with some playful swing. 'Curiously' shuts down with a nice raw and dusty sound topped with some freaky vocals.
Review: Yoi keep it fresh with a new 12" that comes on a rather nice picture disc. More importantly the music is of a quality that merits the extra attention on the packaging with four artists all coming through with compelling takes on minimal. Mariche's 'Haunted House' is awash with nice bubbly synth phrases that are full of colour and charm, then Sbruf's 'That Think' gets funked up and kinetic on lively drum programming with lots of hooky synth details and sci-fi flourishes. Watsche's 'Bsmtgrvs' is another glossy hyper-real sound with polished melodies and a restless sense of groove and Yogi P keeps it deep with the soulful pads of 'Vickies Groove.'
I'll Be Back I Promise (Yossi Amoyal extended Remaster) (7:01)
All Night Long Girl (5:59)
Be Your Own Girl (5:08)
In Rythem (5:31)
In Rythem (House mix) (5:57)
Manhattan (5:11)
Aurora Aura (6:14)
Review: For a long time Gary Martin was referred to as an "unsung hero" of Detroit techno, but with the DET 313 label, run with Yossi Amoyal, he's finally cemented a fearsome reputation as one of the Motor City's finest. With such reputations come the exchange of the proverbial "silly money" for the more hard to find recordings, thus the existence of this double 12" which collects eight of Martin's efforts from the mid to late 90s into one package available for a slightly more sensible exchange of currency. Among the highlights are the Latin-enhanced beats of 'Manhattan', two mixes of the sublime 'In Rythem' complete with a gospel preacher in full flow and a seven minute extended remaster of 'I'll Be Back I Promise' from Yossi Amoyal. It's no surprise to see Martin's work picked up and played by the likes of Ben Klock, given his unique take on rhythm, but there's plenty of soulfulness going on here as well.
Review: ReSolute sublabel DisDat has become an essential checkpoint for anyone hunting out fresh goods in the broader minimal tech house scene. The label seems to have some clout when it comes to signing releases, and so we get this smoking hot combo of Melchior Productions Ltd and Chez Damier laying down a standout piece of deep house that champions the two legends' considerable gifts. A true release for the DJs, this is a double pack with some choice alternative mixes giving you the chance to have fun flipping between versions in the mix to keep a crowd on their toes. Pick your path and let it rip - the results are guaranteed to be magical.
Review: Owen Ni invites us on a sonic exploration with this ten-track release, a journey through the realms of ambient electronica and deep listening techno music. 'Beyond Flyhigh' sets the tone, its expansive soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms drawing the listener into a world of introspection and wonder. The Raytek remix injects a pulsating energy, transforming the original into a dancefloor-ready odyssey. Elsewhere, tracks like 'Mover' and 'Arqs2600' delve deeper into hypnotic textures and intricate sound design, creating a sonic experience that's both arrestting and thought-provoking. 'We Are Here' and 'S7lverbox' offer moments of quiet contemplation, their delicate melodies and atmospheric soundscapes inviting a sense of peace and reflection. The release closes with 'Epilog', a fitting conclusion to this immersive journey through sound and emotion, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of wonder and possibility.
Review: UK electronic innovators Orbital have been revisiting their early roots with Orbital LEDs, a limited-edition series remastering their old greats. Now fully remastered and paired with striking new artwork by Julian House, the latest drop highlights the duo's groundbreaking early sound when tracks like 'Midnight' innovated with a blend of hypnotic house rhythms and minimalist influences from Philip Glass and Wim Mertens. Also included here is 'Choice' which stands out for its anarcho-punk edge and bold vocal sampling. Paul Hartnoll has often said he aimed to inject house music with a sense of rebellion and social commentary and these reissues reaffirm Orbital's ability to do that while pushing boundaries from the start.
Review: Simone de Kunovich and Pancratio join forces on the 'Memory Card EP,' a captivating three-track release that marries retro video game nostalgia with cutting-edge electronic music. Inspired by early PlayStation 1 adventures, the duo masterfully weaves samples from obscure games into their compositions, crafting a sound that is both minimalist and evocative of 32-bit textures. Whether it's setting the mood in the mellow early hours or energising a peak-time crowd, this EP equips DJs with versatile tracks that promise to electrify any dancefloor. With its unique blend of exuberance and nostalgia, the 'Memory Card EP' is a must-have for enthusiasts looking to add both depth and dynamism to their sets.
What Is Tekno (Grey Sky At Montmartre As Always mix) (7:59)
Calm Before The Calm (5:59)
Review: Sasha Pervukhin explores the feelings of Heartbreak At Montmartre on this latest slab for the Carpet & Snares label out of Portugal. It kicks off with some well swung tech house drums and a tight bassline thats detailed with some dusty percussion. Once that one gets you marching, 'Your Unhappy Face' brings some late night jazz house vibes with liquid chords and zippy motifs that are nice and loose, and 'What Is Tekno' (Grey Sky At Montmartre As Always mix) then layers in balmy cosmic chords as it rides a classic tech house beat. 'Calm Before Calm' taps into a 90s house sound with a hint of garage skip in the drums.
Bruno Pronsato - "When You Ran Away From Home" (7:06)
Iljir - "Ziiik Zaaak" (7:09)
Nikdo - "Confusion" (7:08)
Gjidoda & Gjidoda Jr - "Wish To Be A Movie Star" (7:28)
Review: Gjidoda Music returns with its long awaited third release. It's another various artists affair featuring some right heavy hitters and newcomers alike on the minimal scene. Opening up the first side is US veteran Bruno Pronsato with the typically arcane microhouse cut 'When You Ran Away From Home', followed by some late night mood music by Iljir on 'Ziiik Zaaak'. Over on the flip, Nikdo takes you into a cavernous and glacial realm on 'Confusion' and finally label chiefs (presumably!) Gjidoda & Gjidoda Jr go deep on the swing-fuelled groove action of 'Wish To Be A Movie Star'.
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