New releases last four weeks: Progressive House

Review: Two toolroom essentials from Rob Amboule, former London stalwart come Frankfurt familiar. Where years of collecting and playing gradually evolved into Rob making music of his own, it wasn't long before he made the move permanent, settling in around the Main. A late stopover in Paris has now domino effected this new one: 'Wovv Tools' brings 'Melortra' and 'Kopuie', equal parts dance-incenting and vagus nerve-soothing. The B is especially brilliant, cycling through generative hypnotic whirls and sweller padwork.

Review: Deep Dish is one of these acts that made a huge impact in their early years before members Sharam and Dubfire went their separate ways and had just as accomplished solo careers. Fans have long clamoured for them to get back together and though there have been the odd DJ set together, there hasn't been the new music many would love to hear. Instead, this 20th anniversary edition of their George Is On album makes its way to vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day. It includes smash global hits like 'Flashdance' and 'Dreams' as well as 'Say Hello'. It's a great blend of sleek electronica and proper songwriting from the AIranian-American artists.

Review: Philoxenia Records boss man Luigi Di Venere continues to blur the boundaries between traditional genres with a new EP that takes its inspirational cues from the multidimensional nature of sound waves. The title reflects the depth and motion captured in the EP's stunning artwork by CGI duo muzzin+samiri while the opener is a tribute to early 90s Frankfurt EBM. 'By Means Of Music' is a more funky vibe with New Beat undertones and real warmth. 'Got Momentum' brings a French house edge and on the flip, Cromby transforms' Got Momentum' into a euphoric UK peak-time anthem, and Cycle_2 reimagine 'By Means Of Music' as a psychedelic techno trip.

Review: The Space Trace label keeps quality high with this fourth outing on wax. Eric Os is on the button for this one with 'Underworld' first to lure you into its world with gently broken bets and moody pads setting an eerie tone. 'Stereophysical' is more jacked up with fizzing synth lines and warped pads over future house beats and 'Elusive' bringing some trance energy to its flashy, bright synths. 'Electrodreammachine' is a wonky electro workout with withering sci-fi motifs, puling synth sequences and raw hits. 'Feeling Real' and 'Cherry Red' complete the EP with more blends of house, electroclash and sleazy guitar riffs.

Review: Detroit dub techno don Luke Hess says that this is his "most eclectic and techno-driven album to date" and that it blends together his signature subterranean sounds with his indelible Motor City touch. It again works well on cultured dance floors but is also a deeply spiritual album that will have your mind wandering to some lovely places. From the opening moments of 'Dokimion' you're sunk into widescreen soundscapes that pair painterly synths with immersive low ends. Cuts like 'Stoicheo' bring serene melodies and closer 'Hiketeria' is a misty, foggy cut that oozes late-night intimacy.

Review: Italian producer Mennie lands on EYA Records here with an EP that hits plenty of contemporary touchstones: techno, retro synths, trance and faster rhythms. 'We Are Not The Plan' has a tech house edge but with cosmic pads and bright melodies, while 'Make It Easy' has playful top lines and a fizzing, textural synth bassline powered by crisp kicks. 'Engine' gets more physical with faster drums and snappy percussive layers, and 'The Story' grinds it out with mechanical stiffness and bleeping synth sequences that bring a retro-future flair. It's all perfectly colourful body music for knowing clubs.

Review: Sasha's journey from trailblazer in the late-90s to one of the most influential figures in the dance music scene is a saga that feels as expansive as his discography. Having spent decades shaping the sound of progressive house, his career is a masterclass in reinvention i and collaboration. Whether you're hearing him weave his magic through orchestral synths, deep baselines, or finely tuned atmospherics, it's clear that Sasha never rests on his laurels. His latest collaboration with Joseph Ashworth continues this legacy. Known for his work with labels like Anjunadeep, Needwant and Pets Recordings, Ashworth brings his textured, melody-driven style to the mix, further enhancing Sasha's exploration of emotional soundscapes. The single 'HiFiHi' adds another layer to Sasha's ongoing journey, with the original mix offering cinematic build-ups and euphoric moments, while the LoFiLo Mix opts for a more introspective, vulnerable tone. Together, the tracks highlight a refined maturity in both producers' craft, reinforcing Sasha's place as a key figure in contemporary electronic music.

Review: Cracking the back window open, Sleep D aerate our inner herbaria with a gas exchange in progressive techno, letting us in again on their outdoorsy brand of photosynthetic dance music. Always deepeneing their connection to the natural world, the EP opens with 'Green Thumbs' before vine-whipping us into the curious perks of 'Mountain Ash'; both nail a blithe, fairylike spirit, and the flushed-out, unencumbered feel of braving a hike after a cucumber face mask. 'Acheron Cauldron' carries the listener to a volcanic peak, where relentless kick and pulsating bassline brings us to seismic climax, leaving only eerie whispers. Closer 'Magma Flow', finally, is a trance-inducing finale hearing a slowed but thicketed texture, as brambles and stamens cloud our vision of a synth aurora.

Review: Voices In My Head is a time capsule from the house music golden year of 1992. Crafted by the genre-bending trio Some Other People aka Mark Lord, Matt Frost and Steve Jueno, the album is a dynamic blend of deep house, tribal rhythms and breakbeat with bleepy electro and techno that all make it a heady listen as well as a physical one. Each of the eight tracks feels vital and distinct and was born from a studio process that was as spontaneous as it was inspired. Now reissued for the current prog revival after originally being released on their cult UK label Infinite Mass which once rivalled even Warp Records, it features lost gems like 'Ghost House' and 'Orbitality'.