New releases last two weeks: Minimal/Tech House

Review: Following the success of his 'City Smile' EP, Aleqs Notal is back with more ear-piquing goodness in the form of this latest boundary-pushing vision. The EP is said to be unified by a central theme of self-acceptance and covers plenty of ground, from the deep and meditative essence of Chicago-inspired 'Pain Of Truth' to the more loose 'Talk' Em Down' with its snaking bass and eerie chords. 'Crushin'' sits somewhere between the two, with analogue textures and a firmly rooted groove forming the foundation for percussive and synth layering. 'Instant' has brilliantly pinging 909s and humid chords. This is Aleqs Notal at his most expressive.

Review: Juuz out of Hungary continues to break new ground as it lays out its sonic identity with another tasteful various artists EP that roam free across the minimal world. Silat Beksi & Fedo get things underway with the heady but also playful and cheeky sounds of 'Porque Tu' before Minube's '909 Things' is a textural blend of found sounds, great sound designs and perfectly rubbery, dubby drum kicks. Daniel Broesecke's 'No Name' then gets more dark and down and dirty with a stripped-back mix of caps and bass that is pure backroom. Chris Llopis shut down its trippy sine waves and spinning hi-hats from the classic school of minimalism on his 'Manipulator.'

Review: Kiria Records drops a sleek EP here from Romanian DJ and producer Direkt, who keeps it refined with minimal grooves and deep vibes. The title track, 'Vintage A,' opens with classy synth work and crisp percussion, setting a hypnotic tone and Cally's remix follows with a stripped-down, razor-sharp rework ideal for subtle transitions and after-hours sets. Flip to the B, and 'Best Kick Forward' lives up to its name and is driven by bold basslines and forward-moving momentum. Closing track 'Fragments' floats on airy textures and intricate rhythms, so it leaves a thoughtful and lasting impact. A polished, versatile EP built for selectors who like it deep.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Few labels do minimal as well as Trelik and in terms of artists, Edward is also as good as they come right now. This perfect pairing opens up with the deeply alluring 'Time' with its woozy pads and smeared chords over warm and rubbery drums. It's a hypnagogic affair then 'Vacuum Tube' has a more menacing air thanks to the wispy and unsettling synth details and clunky hooks. 'Watch Out' brings a more spangled and rubbery rhythm that has colourful details peeling off the beats and last of all, 'Stream' ups the ante with some thudding deep house and widescreen ambient synth work.

Review: The good early work of the Third Stream label carries on with this seventh missive and it's a various artists affair featuring some top talent. Alex Font gets things underway with 'Keep Moving', which is aloof, rolling minimal tech defined by a billowing lead which does what it wants. Kyle&Sam's 'Chapter 36' is an ice-cold and deft, steel-plated tech cut a la Melchior's best and Altarf & Backhauser -keep the synthetic, abstract aesthetic going with their occult machine whirs and loopy drum funk on 'Yeah.' Dumi & Nopau's 'Time Measurements' is like a long-lost Ricardo Villalobos cut from his most famous album.

Review: Jori is Jori Hulkkonen, the long-time Finnish artist who has mastered dub techno depths many times over. Here he gets more minimal and tech-inclined with the seance outing on Gorin, but very much keeps his signature dubbed out low ends. 'Chroma' is masterfully smooth and silky, with deft hi hats and lithe synths making for sweet and seductive loops as some nice synth work layers in the narrative. 'Quelle' is another impossibly cool and breezy deep tech glider with hints of old school West Coast tech. 'Citrone' is the final original and another super stylish deep minimal tech fusion. The Track & Trace New Friends mix reworks the drums to land with extra pillowy softness.

Review: Big up to northern powerhouse Burnski for steering his Constant Sound label to the not-so-insignificant feat of release number 50. More importantly, the sounds remain as vital as ever and always evolve into subtle new sound worlds. The mantle for this one is taken by Locklead who brings some fine drum patterns to 'Backup' and pairs them with sliding hi-hats and bubbly synth motifs. It's garage-infused but utterly fresh. 'Wizzord' is a darker tech house with searching lead synths and plenty of pent-up energy, and 'Motherland' brings nice jazzy chord work and atmospheric samples. 'Pink Skies' is a bright closer with contrasting synths - some farting, some smooth - and more high-speed, catchy drums that span house and tech.

Review: A Beautiful Place label founder Noha (who is also head of Panick Panick) opens his new True Mirrors EP with its title track, which blends airy atmospheres, shimmering stabs and a buoyant bassline with crisp percussion into a vibrant, dancefloor-ready groove. Next, 'Royal Objects' dives deeper, layering ethereal pads, swung drums and processed spoken word into a richly textured composition. On the flip, 'Ghost Life' delivers warm, resonant synths, dubbed-out vocals, sweeping chords and saturated drums for a late-night feel. The EP closes with 'Over and Over' channelling early 2000s microhouse with raw, minimalist drums, deep sub-bass and warped synths. It's a pensive trip.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: As Soul Capsule, Baby Ford and Thomas Melchior made some of minimal techno's most accomplished records. It has been many years since they stopped turning out new material - sadly - but their archive tracks are still in hot demand and undeniably relevant. While 1999's 'Lady Science' might be their most famous offering, this EP from 2001 on Aspect Music is no less vital and it will currently cost you well over L250 on second-hand markets. It is Ford's Trelik label who reissues it here in all its glory: the entirety of the a-side is taken up with 'Law Of Grace,' a delightfully deep and breezy minimal dub house roller with pensive chords draped over the frictionless drums. 'Meltdown' has a more experimental feel with brushed metal drums beneath a wordless vocal musing. The cult 'Lady Science' (Tek Mix) is also inched with the whole package being remastered by D&M to make this one utterly essential.