Review: The Paris-based producer pulls in a tight circle of remixers, each putting a distinct spin on a few of his recent tracks for his own Bass Culture label. Darren Roach's remix of 'Money, Honey, Monday' stretches the original into a spacey, progressive journey. The atmosphere is thick with delay and synth haze, but it still hits with the steady pulse of a house record built for peak time. Sweely steps in on 'Nu Bass' with a funkier approach. It's playful and full of bounce, guided by a deep bassline and flecks of disco that make it hard not to move. Melodic without getting sugary, it's a proper mood lifter. Side-B leans into the deeper end. DJ Deep's version of 'Nu Bass' goes darker and more hypnotic. It's tracky, minimal and slick, perfect for long, late-night times where you want to lose yourself. Hostom wraps it up with another take on 'Money, Honey, Monday'. This one built around a rolling bassline and polished production that gives it a bit of a restrained punch. A solid pack with plenty of replay value.
Review: Danish prodder S.A.M. shucks out a meaty new one through Kalahari Oyster Cult, urging 90s Eurodance down a spiritual path. Having already led several labels to fruition, S.A.M. now moves as a solo artist between bold anthemic highs and intimate, meditative lacunae. 'Right To Disobey' evidences his desire to wrench the best frequent and amplitudinal possibilities affordable to the modern day producer, with hugely scooped vocal hooks and widescreen pannings bringing a next generative mood. It's only up from there, with 'Mastermind' maintaining a mindful but still detail-hungry stasis, and 'Crush' ending on moody minor second chords and raw, tweaker-jank percussions.
Review: Darcoform present a captivating four-tracker where minimal frenetics collide with backend sonic mental processes, producing no end of strange fidgety sounds. With side A, Vid's 'Soundscapes' and Cim Pian's 'Visions Of Neverland' conjure a twin gnosis through slipping frameworks made up of 2-step breakbeats and vocal samples. On the B, Mtps unites introspection and groove in 'Book Of Truth', interlacing vampish textures and beats, presaging Durosai's closer 'Str8 Chillin' which lays back with its arms folded over a mechanised punctuatiosn: "rock the dance", it goes, in celebratory conclusion.
Review: Fedo prides himself on exploring beyond the usual genre tropes you get in minimal and tech house worlds. Opener 'Sin Titulo' goes some way to proving that with its innovative take on club-ready tech and boiled-down minimal synths. 'Calisthenics & Coffee' is a trippy blend of smooth bass and undulating neon pads. Warped vocals also pepper the mix to keep the brain and body occupied. 'Film Noir' indeed brings a darker energy and 'My Weapon' shuts down with some razor shape precision.
Review: In the formative years of his career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ricardo Villalobos frequently utilised a handful of alternative production aliases - first Minta Spacew (one EP way back in 1993) and then more frequently Richard Wolfsdorf. Tia, first released way back in 2000, was the Chilean minimal maestro's second outing under that alias and has become a sought-after EP in recent times - hence this Rawwax reissue. A-side 'Echt Rot' is typically Playhouse-era Villalobos, with cut-up vocalisations, odd noises and spaced-out electronic snippets riding a crunchy minimal-house beat and looped, mind-mangling TB-303 bassline. Title track 'Tia' features simmering orchestral samples clustering around a typically wonky, stripped-back beat, while 'Feurwasser' sounds like the blueprint for many of his later minimal techno workouts.
Review: Danny Howells is one of the UK's natural electronic music treasures. He was there in the early days of prog and remains a singular artist who now debuts on another fine institution in Radio Slave's Rekids. His new EP that blends deep house warmth with subtle progressive flourishes and finds him teaming up with keyboardist Elliot Herrington. The title track shimmers with late-night fuzz, while 'Thrunk' builds around a rare-for-Howells bass-first approach that has already made it a favourite among selectors like Honey Dijon, DJ Sprinkles and Jennifer Loveless. All in all, another triumph for Howells.
Review: US-born, Germany-based Oshana's solo debut on Altered Circuits is a notable one for peak time party people with high-impact jams that also bring plenty of subtle detail. The tunes are rooted in the vibe of her live sets and fuse classic and contemporary club sounds with razor-sharp studio precision. From the tense, acid-laced drive of 'Above We Soar' to the cavernous, Chicago-flavoured bounce of 'Space And Time Dimensions,' Oshana balances groove with atmosphere perfectly. 'Girls In The Front' is another gem and hypnotic, bass-heavy workout with anthem potential, while closer 'Origins' explores trance-tinged territory before diving back into genre ambiguity. It's a refined, energetic statement from an artist in her element.
Review: German producer Acid Pauli drops a vinyl-only double-header aimed squarely at the hips and the heart. It's a new release, limited and loud, bringing together the long-sought-after 'Marvin' with the all-new 'Roger' i two deeply soulful cuts that swing between heat and haze with effortless touch. 'Roger' opens with a nod to Minneapolis i a slinky, synth-laced burner full of funk-inflected restraint, powered by a groove that bears Echonomist's unmistakable weight. It's slick but loose, landing somewhere between low-lit house and late-80s slow jam futurism. On the flip, 'Marvin' returns with its smoky textures and deep, melancholy pulse still fully intact i all soft pads, subtle tension and an undeniable sense of movement. It's soul-drenched and floor-ready, made with care but designed to move. This one's for dancers who like their records tactile, timeless and just a bit mysterious. Don't sleep i it won't stick around long.
Review: Esente Records' young journey continues with a second offering that builds on the good work of the first. This one comes from Bucharest's BRYZ and is a masterclass in refined electronic minimalism. Opening up the trip is 'Slippery,' a fluid blend of supple rhythm and texture with plenty of characterful sound designs and details peeling off the beats. 'Self Definition' follows with introspective tones that invite personal exploration and on the B-side, 'She's Infinite Bliss' delivers an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere while 'Eternal Sheevy' closes the journey with a timeless, lingering resonance. Each track reflects the deep, minimal aesthetic Esente is known for-subtle but not lacking power, and introspective yet dancefloor-ready.
Review: Bogota's DDE Signature Tracks is the imprint run by the Discos del Espacio Record Shop crew and now it unveils its second outing in the form of 'Force Control', a four-tracker from the UK's Tom Carruthers. Carruthers brings his signature raw, no-frills take on vintage house music and channels the early spirit of acid house with a fresh yet faithful twist. The EP serves up rugged, late-night rhythms steeped in tension and groove as skeletal drum patterns arrive with an industrial edge. Though a stripped-down, floor-focused journey that nods to the genre's origins, this is also a fresh take on the classics that is packed with high class machine soul for underground heads.
Review: Fratii ro Brazil finally serves up a fourth chapter, some two-plus years since we last heard from them. This one welcomes Ertmi, who appeared on the lashes seance VA back in 2022. His 'Vom Vom Vom' has got minimal classic potential: the synthetic drums and rubbery and funky with crisp hits defining their contours as muted, muffled, mutating synths marbled the groove, and a muttered vocal hook plays out of its own accord. It's playful after-party perfection to unite the whole floor. Two remixes rework it for different moments - Paul K brings a ghoulish energy, and Alex Font & Beckhauser rework it with more housey drums.
Review: Theo Kotts taps into some irresistible garage magic here on the cult Fuse label which has long been dominating the sound of the London underground. 'Dark At 3pm' is an urban sound with subtle nobs back top the original UKG sound with dark breaks and fizzing synths. 'Forward Motion' is a nice bouncy slammer with some balmy pads softening the edges and 'Glow' brings a little more heady melody to the fore, although the drums still cruise nicely. 'In Search Of' shows yet another side with crispy breaks and pitched up vocal hooks while 'Strides' slips into darkness once more.
Review: Definitive Recordings throws it back to 1994 for 'Do It' a house classic by Las Americas, which is a legendary project by David Alvarado. Newly remastered for 2024, this edition includes the original version as well as a refreshed Chuck Phulasole remix and two dynamic new takes from Italian producer St. David, who brings his vintage-inspired style in all its glory. He delivers a playful 'Big Tool Mix' with vocal flips and infectious grooves alongside a funkier 'Drum-Tool Dub' packed with sharp guitar licks. The original's hypnotic basslines and soulful vocal hook still shine, while Phulasole's deeper remix adds rich keys and Moog warmth. Lovely stuff.
Review: Andre Schmid aka The Mountain People is back once again with another sophisticated distillation of house, techno and minimal on his self-titled label. 'I Kid You Not' is brilliantly subtle with whimsical and soft melodies drifting over dynamic drum work. It's late night and absorbing stuff. 'Up The River' is a little more wonky and lump with the drums rising and falling under glistering hi-hats to alluring affect. The whole of the flip is given over to 'The Nothingness', a stylish dub house sound with well worked synths smeared across the mix and leaving neon tails in their wake. It's a forward-thinking cut for discerning dancers.
Ulysses Horizons (Gerd Janson extended DJ version) (6:23)
Flowerdale Beach (4:31)
Are You In Heaven? (5:35)
Review: "Are You in Heaven?" Is a phrase immortalised by Roxy DJ Eddy de Clercq during one of Amsterdam's earliest house parties and it captures the spirit of what was a transformative era. Arnoud Winkler and Jochem Peteri (later known as Newworldaquarium) dropped this EP back in 1991, and it explored a then-new mix of euphoric energy with youthful, clever charm. Drawing inspiration from the booming European dance scene of the time, it's a passionate Dutch interpretation of American house music that very much stands up. Featuring blissed-out pads, dub textures and peak-time vibes, the reissue includes a new Gerd Janson edit of 'Ulysses Horizon' that brings it right up to date, plus the dreamy melodies of 'Flowerdale Beach' and the title track, and all three are timeless cuts that still radiate magic and meaning.
Review: The Pittsburgh Tracks Authority crew prides itself on serving up fad-free, no-frills, authentic-only house music that will stand up to the tyranny of passing trends. For their next outing, they veer into tech territory with 'Tech 97', a tune that embodies just that, a bit like, a no doubt subtly named in reference to, Micke Huckaby's Bassline 87 tune. It might sound simple, but effective, but that's really not an easy trick to pull off. The manic mix allows the synth more room to roam and rumble with more raw percussion, and the Calm mix is a smooth, dubbed-out but still nice and pacey rework. Very useful tools.
Review: Emergent talent B Ai, hailing from China, contributes to Paris-based label and Chat Noir family member Cosa Vostra, following storm surging releases on Motivation, Altered Circuits and Picnic Records. Spanning post-EBM lasershot fires and SFX-ed spanners-in-works, 'Act5' kicks off 'Blue Or Red' with a tense introductory interstate hyperride, while 'Glance Back' offers us a contrasting chance to look back down the road on whose mac we've just blazed a thick, blackened tire tread trail. Diego Santana crops up on the B1 titler, guiding through a tight Italodance au-diorama, while another fellow producer, David Agrella, lets us down further on the synth tubular breather 'Danse'.
Review: Dashiell has been road testing these two tunes in his sets for a while, and they have always done a job. They finally arrive on wax courtesy of Foul Play and are sure to get dropped all over the place this summer. 'dfuse all the tension' is the right mix of driving tech but wonky minimal. The bassline is drunk and all over the place while the lead synth has a retro video game feel, and some crisp melodies and refracted vocals finish it well. On the flip, 'da nastiest' is faster and more direct with some turbocharged and bass-driven tech house characterised by another sleazy vocal and phased synth lines that bring a playful twist.
Leave Those Memories (feat Veronica Marini) (5:32)
Review: Italian duo Lorenzo Fortino and Brody return with their third collaborative release, further refining a sound that drifts between deep house, electro and moody, politically conscious techno. Their work has always carried a sense of purpose, but here it feels more dialled-iniless ornamental, more direct. Opener 'Our Truth' stretches over seven minutes, layering synth washes and sparse drum work around processed vocals that feel halfway between meditation and manifesto. 'Homemade Mould' is tougher, rooted in chunky house drums and dubbed-out atmospheres, tapping into the rawer side of their shared palette. On 'Deep Freedom', they introduce vocalist Veronica Marini, whose debut here is remarkableiher voice rises with clarity and control through a lyrical call to action that's both elegant and forceful. That same control shapes 'Leave Those Memories', where she softens into something more introspective, folding jazz phrasing into a smoother, bittersweet house groove. Both tracks also appear in instrumental form digitally, but it's Marini's presence that elevates them into something quietly luminous. While rooted in the familiar structures of club music, this release reaches for something deeper and often gets there.
Review: James 'Burnski' Burnham already runs about 7398 labels but recently kicked off another, Gravitate. The mission is simple - to put out club-ready cuts that have plenty of character. All of these come under the same name as the label and artist which indicates how much it is a label all about the music. The first one has a JayDee-style dark bassline, the second one brings old school house rawness that brings to mind the MAW sound and the third one is a more roomy cut with space for the synths to encourage a bit of introspection. The closer is the best of the lot, a silky deep house groove with real drive and trippy synth details.
Review: Haggerston-based production wizard Jeigo kicks off the year after a standout 2024 by serving his own label Fleurella Records' first release. For the occasion, he reissues his track 'Pearl Leaf' which sits in between the worlds of Bicep, Sasha and UKG. It has floating pads and airy, organic beats that carry you away on a melancholic mood with deeply buried vocals adding a blurry, heart-tugging hook. On the flip are two new and unheard jams. 'Headpains' is full of a flurry of breaks but is also laden with introspective emotion in the vocals and chords and 'The Days You Were Here' is a more downtempo cut with shimmering pads, pitched-up vocals and languid bass.
Review: Neil E and Big City Bill's latest doubles as the second offering from Spincycle, yet another a split 7" single on 180g vinyl. The twins' journey began two decades ago high up in an unnamed mountain range, where they met, after which they descended onto the city in search of purpose. Thus spake Zarathustra: down below, they toiled away in dimly lit garages, decoding mysterious symbols cast on walls by home-gaffed fluorescent lights. At first, their work seemed like madness, but there comes a time in every madman's life when toil leads to breakthrough. Thus were sowed the two fine harvests you hear here: 'Dry Rub', with its tugging taut sound design, and 'The BBV', a mistier firmament of altitudinal unknowns. No need to map out the terrain first - just give in to your ears.
Review: For the latest missive on their reissue focused Rezpektiva imprint, Parisian label KMA60 takes us back to 1997 and the sole release from Bert Boon and Jaco Van Rijswijk as N.O.T, 'The Sound'. Flipping the order of the '97 12", this edition begins with the pair's original mix - a warm, colourful slab of purist, UK style early tech-house of the type most associated with Pantone-obsessed producers Circulation. On the flip-side opening 'Nice & Tide Mix', the Belgian duo opt for a chunkier and more bass-heavy late 90s deep house sound - all restless keyboard stabs, sampled house beats, effects-laden vocal snippets and winding acid lines - while the 'Dream Mix' is a bold, heavy and lightly psychedelic techno reinterpretation.
Review: Wordlessly issued by the 2022 launched label Different Times, this minimal-trance-breaker from Shjva and Stereometrix (Ukraine) follows after the former duo broke from their shared Plan alias formed in 2021. They now operate separately but on a single record; sometimes collaborative chemistry works best when it goes hand-in-hand with individual creativity. Three A side inductors by Shjva kick the record off through a range of tensile tools, from velocity sensitive e-drum primers to sweeping mini-dub-trance workouts, reducing the listener to a puttylike state. Then comes Stereometrix's sole contribution with 'No Need To Squeeze', which deserves its singular B-side status as the digging inquisitor's choice, with its flexuous melo-arps, distant silences and sample-and-held counterpoints: truly a melodic masterstroke.
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