Back in stock: Minimal/Tech House

Review: Clock Poets returns with Surrealism, a three-track various artists exploration of minimal techno and micro-house. Dan Andrei's 'Si Un Ecou' is a stripped-back, bass-heavy roller that is simmering with tension before erupting into modulated synths. Root's 'Apophis' delivers swing-heavy micro-house with shuffling drums and growling synth textures which nod to the genre's golden era. Clock Poets' 'Galaxy' on the flip is a sprawling 14-minute live-recorded jam rich in intricate sound design to end with a classy touch. Surrealism masterfully balances moods and textures here and makes for another refined entry in the Clock Poets catalogue for lovers of thoughtful, hypnotic dance sounds.

Review: LEGRAM VG & Rubber Ducky Records have come together for this playful Game of Tunes series, and the third entry in it offers four more wafty tech house delights. Baldov's 'Dance Connection' is a balmy and breezy opener with some warm synth injections to soften the rickety tech beats. Sif B's 'Small World' is a bubbly cut with sci-fi motifs and Buenaguas's 'Music Or Noise?' Marries distant cosmic pads with sparky synth sequences that make for some nice colourful combinations. Alich's 'The Evidence' is the best of the lot - a pent-up, garage-tinged kicker with ass-wiggling beats and acid prickles. Pure heat.

Review: Call Super delivers a superb telecommunication in the form of 'Swallow Me'. We're not sure why Call Super wants us to ingest him, but we're not going to question it too much. The new track samples Kamala Sankaram's performance at the final Resonant Bodies festival in New York in 2019. "In Ancient Greek, ololyga is the ritual shriek of women, a sound so alarming to men that it could not be uttered within their earshot" - goes the liner text. Sonically, Mr. Super blends the ololyga with Hebden-esque shuffles and glossy dance schlop, building a deeply resonant tune sure to kill egos the world over.

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: Fabio Caria launches his new label, Hoops, as a means to explore the intersection of house and techno through a minimalist lens. The debut release is a collaboration with Hubble under the moniker Fabble and it's a fine one with three meticulously crafted tracks that manage to perfectly balance compelling rhythms with plenty of synth-based introspection. 'Catharsis' introduces a three-note Rhodes piano sequence with flowing pads and psychedelic synths and 'Donald' offers a steady 4/4 beat with sombre pads and powerful sub-bass. 'Persignis' with Italian legend Claudio PRC is the most dancefloor-driven with processed pianos creating an emotional mood and in all, this EP sets a nice high watermark for the Hoops label.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Burnski's superb Pilot label is back with more club-ready gold and this one is from Hatori Hanso. He opens up by covering the gorgeously deep and soul enriching sounds of a Pepe Bradock classic but reworks the pads into a more thumping breakbeat rhythm. 'My Chorus' is a soft acid delight with surging breaks heading off into the cosmos and 'I'm A Taker' then has a squelchy bassline to die for that dances about between snappy snares and lively kick drums. 'Kraulen' shuts down with some boogie energy, radiant chords and more crispy drum patterns for good time fun.

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: Ninja Records looks to build on the success of its first outing with a new outing from Miroloja who are brothers and key players in the Parisian underground with great credits already to their name on Berg Audio, Tzinah Records and OLO RECORDS. Their stripped-back but tight sound is laid bare on opener 'Linkblow' with its warm house kicks and wet clicks soon to make you move. 'Morgan' is speedier with some space-tech vibes and a snappier low-end. Closer 'Krazyteora' then explores a creepy late-night urban landscape with some cyclical drums and synths moving things onwards.

Review: ?aru is a non-profit label from Romania that sits at the sharp edge of the minimal underground. This new double pack of striped back tech gems will see all proceeds donated to dog shelters and NGOs supporting stray pups. Sensek opens with a slithering and groaning groove, 'Machine Morality,' for shadowy afterparties and Gringow brings a haunting melody to 'Towards The Dark & Cold.' Broascka's 'Epitelius' is an abstract affair with microscopic details scattered over a deep, dubby grove and Dragomir closes with two cuts - 'Alone With You' is a woozy late-night roller and 'Illusions feat Adina Oros' is a blissed out downtempo sound for the post-club hours.

Review: Chicago born, Detroit-raised Delano Smith is one of the foundational artists of the contemporary house scenes. In 2023, he revealed he was suffering with a rare form of cancer but as this new EP title suggests, he is still here and still crafting high-grade sounds. 'When I Was Young' kicks off with his signature smoky drum loops and train travel sense of hypnosis. 'The Rush' is another heads down jam, this time marbled with eerie pads and wet clicks and claps that oil the groove while 'Rewired' shuts down with real late night delicacy and evocative minimalism.

Review: Bristol's vinyl purists Sex Tapes From Mars continues its journey through the underground with the latest EP from Suburbia main man Cam Stockman. This four-track release is a raw and hypnotic dive into vintage analogue synthesis, acid-soaked basslines and sultry vocal hooks. Stockman shows he is unafraid to push into new relays here as he mixes up classic and contemporary sounds. 'Dreams In The RS' is turbo-tech with charming melodies, 'Chicktikka' brings lithe broken beats and cosmic rays and 'Useless' brings some twitchy acid playfulness before 'The Acceptance Speech' is a more whacked out deep house joint sent back from the future.

Review: Poker Flat presents "Moan", lifted from Trentemoller's incredible debut album "The Last Resort".