Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: Back in 2008, noted experimentalist Alva Noto began a sporadic series of albums that were far more focused on dancefloor-inspired rhythms than his usual eccentric and inspiring fare. Unieqav is the third and, we're told, final part of the series. The album is apparently meant to be a sonic representation of an underwater dive, a conceptual theme which manifests itself through the storied producer's use of deep and atmospheric chords, fluid and occasionally glistening electronics, and rhythms that evoke images of ever-deeper dives into the dark, cold depths. Rhytmically, there are nods to electro, IDM, dub techno and Autechre, though the mood remains laidback and intoxicated throughout.

Review: Banyek is next up on the prolific Lithuanian label Greyscale with Alue, a new album that marks the imprint's 37th full-length overall. It is a typically expansive and immersive listen that takes inspiration from cities like Riga and Espoo. Dub techno, ambient and experimental all infuse the sound waves and the intricate craft of Banyek means you're always hooked onto some small detail as the gentle rhythms flow over you. There are stark melodies and more airy atmospheres, minimalism masterpieces and calming sounds a plenty as this most super exploration of tone, time and texture plays out.

Review: Phenomena is a rather incredible 39th full-length album from the pioneering Lithuanian dub techno label Greyscale. Like all those that went before it, it is a captivating excursion into cavernous sounds. In particular, this one delves into the wonders of nature - meteor streams and starling murmurations - and flips them into immersive soundscapes. In mixing up vintage and contemporary styles, Basicnoise navigates deep emotional depths with technical finesse. 'Midnight Dub' has lush and organic chord progressions, 'Sakura Season' pays homage to Detroit techno's smooth, futuristic spirit and 'Reduxtion II' delivers crisp production and powerful frequencies. These are just some standouts along the way of this profound musical odyssey.

Review: BT Gate X-138 returns to Greyscale with Gravitational Grooves, deepening his relationship with the label following 2023's kV Pylon. Ten sousing sonorities hear him reshape his signature dub techno sound with growth-mental finesse, emitting foggy atmospheres and slicing percs. 'Inertia' leans into soft chords and faint crackle before giving way to the stripped-down shuffle and understated melodic turns of 'Gravity', while 'Orbit' builds over and delay-heavy phrasing; 'Float' offers a breather with its ambient drift, while an embossed 'Mass' sears the ears with churlish mood-texture. Touchstones such as Konigsforst and In Moll are alluded to most subtly.

Review: By the stuffy standards of German techno, Bulent "Butch" Gurler is something of a maverick - an eccentric whose seemingly never-ending output regularly pulls techno in a variety of different directions. Certainly, he's a great choice to mix the latest instalment of Berlin club Watergate's excellent mix series. Beginning in a deep and contemplative mood, Gurler works through a range of micro-genres in an undulating, entertaining, 22-track trawl through various contemporary inspirations. Along the way, you'll find cuts by The Horrorist (as remixed by Ricardo Villalobos), Redshape (the thrilling broken techno of "Goom"), and Shifted and Sigha. There's also a couple of exclusives from the man himself and regular studio partner Hohberg, including the exotic, Arabic pulse of "Thai Cubensis".

Review: Cabanne, Agnès, Seuil, Ultrakurt, as unyielding Minibar bedrocks, offer new deep and shaky cuts. Inviting John Thomas & Barbara Goes for an exceptional funky time that will surely sparkle in 2008. Cabanne, digging up the woods on Zip and Dan Bell's lands, met amazing inhabitants. You'll love Your Mad Friend and Linc's fine and striking funksters. Only Spasm, Copacabannark, Ditch and Gregorythme were missing for 'compléter' La Cène (1)! It's all about house, minimal twists and tricks Minibarians love. Put a hand on the first minibar cd release. You'll enjoy the free bonus cd home-mixed by Cabanne, and really cool illustrated Minibarians' stories!

Review: With a name like Global Underground, we're left starry-eyed at a fanciful idea: a vast, interconnected network of tunnels, reticulating every nightclub in the world. Who wouldn't want that? While the possibility of such a thing is most likely inexistent in our human lifetimes, the eponymous international record label at least aim to make a "global underground" real in spirit with their City Series of mixes. Their latest full-length from Montreal native Joseph Capriati captures this fervent mood: with the initiate DJ repping the jubilant Canadian city, the mix segues between Ame, Len Faki, Deetron and Louie Vega highlights, and is a modern house and techno showstopper.

Review: Athens dub techno producer Fluxion debuts their latest LP on Vibrant Music, riffing on his earliest days as a member of the trailblazing Chain Reaction crew whilst also bringing said early pioneering stirrings into the present moment. Recorded between 2023-24, this record plays back like an impression of back-roomed delirium; blackout moments in intra-club corridors, where one's sense of time is lost. Louder music may pump away in the room next door, but that's OK, because nothing comes close to this affective hotbox. Branching out from "dub techno" in its strictest sense, 'Touch' adds superluminal, vacuumed Whammy guitar to a swelling, motionless chord repeated throughout the track, and bluesy dub crackler 'Reflections' indulges mournful piano above a scape-squinting mix; 'Desiderium' is the third highlight of ours, powerfully evoking the sense of something irrevocably lost.

Review: The impeccable Lithuanian label Greyscale is a real leader when it comes to dub techno and already they are racing into 2024 in fine style with a first full-length of the year from label head Grad_U! The sublime and immersive Sustain has eight larges ambient soundscapes that are detailed with field recordings from another planet. Each one is alluringly empty and beautiful, intriguing and unsettling to make for an escapist trip to another dimension. The way the producer manages to conjure up what feel like familiar emotions in such a faraway world is second to none and will leave you wanting to do it all over again the second it ends.

Review: In April 2017, regular collaborators Oliver Koletzki and Niko Schwind shipped the contents of their Berlin studio to a small cottage in Cape Town's Noordhoek area. Over the course of the month that followed, and inspired by the stunning beauty of their surroundings and the heritage of the region's indigenous people, the German duo produced an album they say forms "a contemporary narrative on ancient dance rituals". Notably more musically expansive with greater use of bold melodies and a range of rhythmic approaches, Noordhoek pairs percussive, tech-tinged deep house shufflers and heavier, early morning dancefloor workouts with slower cuts that variously touch on eyes-closed ambient and mid-tempo Balearic chuggers.

Review: It's been over ten years since Thomas Melchior made his bow on Perlon, and the house and techno fusionist has released most of his best work on the imprint since. Here he returns to the acclaimed German label with a series of six "meditations" - long, drawn out compositions that variously doff a cap to hypnotic tech-house (see the excellent, jazz-flecked "Meditation 5"), tribal-influenced, spaced-out grooves ("Meditation 6") and woozy, evocative deep house ("Meditation 3"). Best of all, though, are the album's more melodious moments, with opener "Meditation 1" - a loopy, picturesque concoction that sounds like an unlikely collaboration between Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Ricardo Villalobos.

Review: A double CD celebrating the iconic award-winning UK electronic duo's 30th birthday, featuring reworks and remixes from the deep Orbital discography, as well as the well-known live improvisation tracks, featuring techno, acid house and electro contemporaries such as ANNA, Eli Brown and Shanti Celeste to name a few. With the actual 30th birthday delayed by the pandemic the duo concocted a physical compilation release with highlights all over the track list, especially Shanti Celeste's rendition of 'Are We Here?' and Eli Brown's update of the classic track 'Chime', lending the track more traditional house sensibilities. You can even find Professor Stephen Hawking lending vocals on CD1s hardcore techno banger 'Where is it Going?'. This compilation is a one stop shop for fans of Orbital's three-decade career, and the perfect starting point for those unfamiliar.

Review: Stiroll's Sofia marks the Ukrainian artist's return to Greyscale Records with his first full-length album, painting a sonic portrait of a day in the life of a suburban area. The album invites listeners to experience the subtle intricacies and layered sounds of a community awakening, bustling, and finally resting as night falls. The journey begins with 'Intro - Dusk,' a brisk and atmospheric opener that evokes the early morning stillness before a city stirs to life. The full chord remnants and distant echoes set the stage for the day ahead, capturing the anticipation of the morning. 'Standbye' follows, offering a more airy and purposeful vibe, moving away from minimalism to suggest the first signs of activity, as if the world is slowly beginning to wake. 'Foundamental' continues this progression, riding along with gentle sounds punctuated by flares of static, hinting at the humidity and energy building in the air. The track flows effortlessly, mirroring the natural rhythm of a day gaining momentum. As the day matures, 'Sequence To None' introduces more serious, conflicting chords, perhaps reflecting the push and pull of daily routines and interactions. The crisp production and deep bassline ground the track, offering a sense of structure and direction. Midday arrives with 'Vidlunnia,' a sparse, downtempo piece that feels like basking in the warmth of the sun. The chords wash over the listener like rays, creating a relaxing, chill-out atmosphere with a broken rhythm that invites reflection. The pace slows with 'Interlude - Fall Moon,' where a churning, almost mechanical heartbeat drives the track forward, building tension as the day begins to wane. The ominous mood that emerges in the second half hints at the challenges that often accompany the close of a day. 'Nulle Part' shifts the mood with a more pronounced beat, offering a straightforward yet catchy rhythm that feels both harmonious and conflicted. The hypnotic quality draws you in as it moves toward a positive, yet complex resolution. 'Fall Control' then soothes with heavily processed sounds, offering a brief moment of respite before the album's closing tracks. 'Hope' stands out as the most original dub track on the album, blending strings with a lofty melody that soars before plunging into deeper, more uncertain territory. The track feels otherworldly, capturing the complexities and contradictions of hope itselfia fitting theme as the day begins to wind down. Finally, 'Outro - Dawn' signals the end of the day and the album, with ambient washes that gently alert like a clock, leaving the listener with a sense that it is time to close. Sofia is a meticulously crafted album that encapsulates the ebb and flow of daily life in a suburb, bringing together the sounds of different people and languages into a unified, sonic narrative.

Review: Kompakt's Total 24 compilation is the nest episode in the label's amazing series. This cd version opens with Hamburg's Ada remixing Heiko Voss, followed by Jurgen Paape's vibrant 'Chee-Caruso.' Newcomer Deer Jade delivers the frolicsome house track 'Jukurpa,' while Jonathan Kaspar's 'Are You' captures the euphoria of his DJ sets. Hardt Antoine impresses with his dynamic style, and Sascha Funke pays homage to German showbiz with 'The Heck.' Tee Mango joins with his unique sound, and Joyce Muniz teams up with Sara Blum for the uplifting 'Beats & Lines.' Gui Boratto collaborates with Darren Emerson on the captivating 'The Shell,' and Rex The Dog offers the heartfelt 'Laika.' Raxon's 'Beskar' showcases his Star Wars inspiration, and David Hasert and Nicone's 'Wasting My Time With You' is a highlight. Reinhard Voigt's quirky 'Der, der mit dem Gummiball sang (Orange)' features various animals, while Argia's 'Love Keeps You Running' blends groove and pop. Wassermann's track concludes the compilation with a touch of Arabian Nights magic. Total 24 is a diverse and engaging collection that exemplifies Kompakt's ability to curate exceptional electronic music.

Review: Global Underground is a bastion of compilation cool and it has been for decades. The series has seen plenty of top tier DJ stars take charge and soundtrack cities all over the world from Budapest to Los Angeles via Miami. It has also saved up a fine line in late night after-hours soundtracks over the years and that sub-series, Global Underground: Afterhours , now hits volume number ten with anther tasteful collection of tunes on CD. The vibes are deep and introspective as you would expect, with appearances from such seasoned greats as John Tejada, DJ Hell and Seth Troxler, and needless to say, is always high on quality.

Review: A comprehensive snapshot of the GU label's penchant for expertly curated mixes that blend deep electronic textures with driving rhythms. The opening track, 'Pulse of the City,' moves with a slow, deliberate groove, gradually building momentum as layers of percussion and synths draw you in. As the compilation unfolds, it transitions smoothly between moments of hypnotic, bass-heavy depth and bursts of euphoric melody, encapsulating the energy of a live set. Every track feels intentional, each shift in mood purposefulithere's an undercurrent of excitement throughout, but it's never forced. A polished, immersive journey that reinforces Global Underground's reputation for precision and style.

Review: Global Underground's' Select' series acts as a kind of annual nod to all the club-focused and after-hours music they love, mixed together by an un-credited DJ or studio engineer to keep things moving. 2024's edition - the ninth to date - is naturally packed to the rafters with tasty tracks from both established producers and rising stars. That means an attractive, immersive and frequently emotive mix of ambient-tinged deep electro (Pablo Bolivar & Nacho Sanchez), evocative tech-house (Dixon re-working Nandu's 'Around', Guy J's hypnotic, acid-flecked 'State of Trance'), pitched-down neo-trance dreaminess (Joris Voorn editing Solee), grandiose big room workouts (Fur Coat & Lexur), 21st century acid house (Phunkadelica remixing Damon Jee) and uplifting progressive house (D-Nox).

Review: Ricardo Villalobos has clearly found a kindred spirit in former Sun Electric and Moritz Von Oswald trio man Max Loderbauer. The duo has been remixing together for some time, delivering some notable reworks, including a stunning minimal jazz re-imagining of Nightmares on Wax's "Aftermath". Safe in Harbour marks the Berlin-based pair's first original work together under the Vilod alias, and continues their theme of melding elements of fizzing jazz, minimal, and dub techno. It's an impressive set, all told, full of wonky, off-kilter fusions of live instrumentation - most notably some brilliant drumming - glitchy electronics and a Berghain-friendly attitude. In fact, it may be Villalobos' most impressive studio work to date.