New releases this week: House

Review: The SEVEN label has an 'in-between house and techno' ethos and next to tap into that is Berlin-based Tal Fussmann with some 90s-tinged prog house that radiates feel-good energy. Blending genre fluidity from the off, 'No Disco' is percussive and freewheeling but with a rebounding low-end and a clear dancefloor focus. 'Release' taps into driving techno territory and is infused with shimmering machine soul warmth, 'Sunset Falling Down' is a clubby broken beat with real poppy intensity and 'Is It Real?' Is a buoyant, arms-in-the-air house closer. The 12" is elevated by a standout remix from Swiss maestro Deetron, who brings some trademark depth.

Review: Planka Records continues to lay out its musical agenda with a fourth EP that takes the form of a forward-thinking compilation that blends fresh talent with trusted names. Hypnotic rhythms, shimmering textures, and fearless experimentation define this release, creating a soundscape that's equally suited for deep club immersion or solitary reflection. House, electro, and techno influences blur seamlessly, crafting tracks that transcend time and genre. Each cut pulses with enigmatic energy, pulling the listener deeper into Planka's evolving sonic universe. With PLNK004, the label reaffirms its role as a tastemaker-consistently championing innovation while staying true to its raw, underground roots. An essential, boundary-pushing listen.

Review: Sometimes it really does seem like Perth-via-UK house mainstays Craigie Knowes, well... know! Emphatic of their own personal, cratebugging expertise, it would seem that their knack for tracking down and contracting brilliant yet not totally refined dance music talent stems from some unshakeable expert quality: perhaps some business-insider access to info about burgeoning underground artists we're not in on? Whatever the case, Berlin's Olsvanger is the next model musician to be called up, his former founding efforts of the likes of Tofistock and Powerpuff Tracks proving credential assets for the furthering of this aural arrester, 'The Core'. With two Kalahari Oyster Cult releases already under his belt so far, you know what you're in for: 'Goldman's Propeller' and 'Lava Luva' provide extra fishy aquamarine breaks and sexy sample-held step sequencings, perfect for lone raving over break-fast. Ptooey!

Review: For his first outing of 2025, Matt Edwards AKA Radio Slave has joined forces with vocalist Kameelah Waheed, a singer who has previously appeared on a number of singles on the long-serving producer's popular REKIDS imprint. In its' original 'Extended Mix' form, 'All Rize' is prime Radio Slave - think long, elongated, dark, mesmerising and mind-altering with all manner of raw, razor-sharp electronic noises and doom-laden motifs rising above a booming bassline and snappy drums. Edwards has included a fine alternative take in the shape of the 'Revolution Mix', a warmer, dreamier and jazzier interpretation that's looser and more akin to classic house of the 90s and early 200s, and a trio of DJ tools (a 'Beats' cut, a short suite of effects, and an acapella of Waheed's fine vocal).

Review: It's the return of 'Phunk'! Nearly twenty years after its original release on her own Intacto Records, Shinedoe brings back the track under her Innersphere alias, this time remastering, revitalising, and reissuing it on her own label, MTM (Music That Moves). Shinedoe has done a lot since, having gone mostly independent after an electrocuting Bpitch Control release in 2013. Yet this throwback dropped earlier in 2005 and came bolstered by rustproof remixes from Steve Angello, Ricardo Villalobos, and Mark Broom; 'Phunk' quickly gained cult status for its fluttery, stimulant stab lead, reminiscent of janky direct current. The 2025 edition retains its infectious, hard-edged drive but lands with even greater clarity and punch, a hypnotic, groove-led recut subliminally sculpted for maximal ear-brain-body hijacking.

Review: With Harmonia, Trikk delivers a deep, expansive journey through a range of club sounds for Innervisions. The project remains grounded in dance floor energy but 'Sagrado' stands as its emotional and sonic pinnacle-pure club music, expertly crafted. It opens with crisp kicks, claps and a bubbling bassline but slowly blossoms into something more atmospheric and uplifting, like a musical sunrise. Elsewhere, 'Fortuna' has a percussive and summery outdoor feel, 'Rigor' is more tense with its stark stabs and stomping drums and 'Raiva' has a sense of swing to its groove.

Review: On his long-awaited debut, Osaka's Takuya Matsumoto draws a clear line between the tactile futurism of 90s IDM and the emotional depth of Detroit techno, finding beauty in grit and structure in chaos. There's a cinematic quality to the sequencing, from the shimmering opener 'Drifting On The Ocean' to the gnarled syncopations of 'Dril and Acid' and the broken funk of 'Fonseca'. But what makes this record truly sing is its refusal to sit still: 'Mini' dances with jazzy irreverence, while 'Triangles' feels like a dusted-off memory from a lost Rephlex archive. Matsumoto's palette is warm, spiky, and full of movementian album built not on pastiche but on devotion to groove and experimentation in equal measure. You hear shades of Underground Resistance's urgency, Mike Paradinas' off-grid detail, and Floating Points' melodic intricacy, but none of it feels borrowed. 'Traverse' and 'Mercy on the floor' close things with a spacious melancholy that lingers beyond the final fade. This is a conversation with dance music history, spoken fluently in rhythm and mood. A richly detailed, deeply personal statement from one of Japan's most quietly consistent producers.