Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: A releaser that crackles with an energy that could only emanate from the shadowy corners of the Swedish electronic underground. Anna Kohlin, label co-head and architect of hypnotic soundscapes, guides us through a diverse sonic landscape, her own 'What Time Is It?' leading the charge. Built from the evocative textures of the Roland JV-1080, it shimmers with a sunrise glow, ethereal pads interweaving with delicate melodies. Kohlin, a master of contrasts, doesn't shy away from the shadows, injecting her creation with sharper, dynamic elements that add a touch of grit to the dreamlike atmosphere. Eric OS throws down a challenge with 'Timeout', a sonic time capsule that transports us back to the early 2000s. Analogue warmth collides with the raw energy of digital sound, vintage synths intertwining with crisp beats in a nostalgic yet undeniably fresh sonic tapestry. Baby Rollen, armed with a looped double bass sample and the crisp snap of a 909, crafts a hypnotic groove with 'TwentyTwenty Home'. A warm 303 bassline snakes through the mix, adding a touch of acid-tinged euphoria to the already infectious rhythm. Basement Space and Mans Glaeser, never ones to shy away from the unconventional, deliver 'Space Glaezer', a sonic maze that twists and turns through intricate textures and unexpected rhythmic shifts. Kohlin's curation is nothing short of masterful, showcasing the diverse and ever-evolving landscape of the Swedish electronic music scene. Inside Out 002 is a testament to the power of electronic music to transport, inspire, and defy expectations.

Review: Get your stomping boots on for this new pink 12" from the Revival crew out of New York. Bodeler and Manu Desrets link up for some heavy, straight-up tech that lands hard but with funk. 'Impact' makes just that with its crisp snare hats and thudding kicks all underpinned by a loopy bassline. Some trips out synths break out like fireworks at the midpoint before the tough, stiff, brilliant beats return. EPAU Sepp X Nu Zau remix with a more loose and fluid and freewheeling vibe - claps spin out, basslines bobble and freaky vocals all burst out of the mix. A killer two-tracker, frankly.

Review: Upstairs Asylum is kicking off the year in some style with a couple of killer new EPs. This one is the first in what is presumably a new series to showcase the talents of the Motor City. Mike Clark & Marcus Harris get things underway with 'Hey' which has a subtly uplifting feel thanks to the bright, sustained chords and cuddly drums. Santonio Echols's 'Piano In The Light' (DJ Emanuell Echols mix) is laidback, playful deep house with magical chord work and Brian Kage brings his classy depths to the smooth grooves of 'This Saturday Night.' Ryan Sadorus brings things to a close with the smoky 'Down Below.'

Review: Berlin-based Equilibrisme keeps up the fine early work here with a third vinyl release. It continues its tradition of delivering a masterful fusion of deep minimal techno, lush chords and dubby grooves that slowly but surely bring a dance floor under their control. A collaboration between Berlin-based Uruguayan producer Martin Teysera 'Oniric' opens up with seven sublime minutes of leggy, reverb heavy dub swing, Canadian dub techno legend Altitude, aka Matt Thibideau offers the more bright and textural 'Liquid' and Man-L goes it alone with the delicate melodic delights of 'Animal Crossing.'

Review: Martinesque is back on his own Adam's Bite with a fresh EP that builds on his signature sound. The artist hails from Basel, Switzerland and as well as impressing with this label he was also known for his role in booking for the renowned Elysia club until 2023. Here he kicks off with 'Drama' which is a lively dub house sound with crisp tech drums and wild synth calls, then 'The Final Hour' first comes as an instrumental. It's a seductive sound with synth puddles and twanging chords, heavy melodies and a romantic feel. 'The Final Hour' (vocal mix) closes with a teen vocal line laced in for extra atmosphere.

Review: House-master, Matthias, is the latest producer to debut on the iconic Scottish Minimal/Tech house imprint, Craigie Knowes. Delivering a class EP injected with originality and outright funk, this will be a no-brainer purchase for a long list of DJs and home listeners. On the A side, 'Tube Star' arrives with a throbbing bassline, honey-sweet synths and glinting percussion. For the A2, growling electric guitar melodies meet darkened synthlines and bludgeoning kicks to produce a powerful dancefloor-ready track. On the B-side, we have Ultra Bass on remix duties, offering a bass-stroke-acid-stroke-garage take on Matthais' signature sound - this is undoubtedly a peak time track for those out-of-control moments. Closing things up, 'Wires Around My Neck' slows to a patient pace - a duet of circling synth melodies and chugging drums give this track a delectably wonky, spaced-out vibe. A wonderfully varied release that is surely set to be a favourite for this year's circuit of festivals.

Review: Features the original Maurizio mix plus the classic Carl Craig remix. Berlin and Detroit combine with some amazing results. Timeless stuff.

Review: Under the Melchior Productions name, German producer Thomas Melchior has committed some of his finest material to wax in the name of Zip and Markus Nikolai's seminal Perlon imprint. After an absence of some three years, Melchior's name is back on one of those distinctive Perlon 12"s with the first of two planned records under the Meditations banner. Don't get confused by the name though, the three "Meditations" are in no way meditative! Instead this is a record that finds Melchior fully channelling that classic Perlon vibe with the rowdy "Meditation 2" the pick of the bunch.

Review: Merv keeps it super deep here with a trio of supremely tasteful techno cuts doused in dub culture. 'Sliver' is first and awakens the sense with some gentle rattling chords that sound like distant thunder rolling in with a storm. 'Embrace' is airy, with big kicks and frosty pads shimmering across the airwaves and crisp hi-hats cut right through. 'Strain' is last up on the flip and is an elongated journey through some sugary melodic pixelations, a frosty dubscape and hints of melancholia. All are perfect for those late-night and intimate back room sessions.

Review: Thomas P. Heckmann is back with a new outing under his Metric System moniker. His return to Kontakt brings fresh house depths with opener 'Velo-City' kicking off in urgent fashion with quickened drums and spoiling synths locking you in. 'Traveller' is a dubbed out cut with a fleshy, liquid low end filled with reverb and echoing hits that disappear off to the horizon. Last of all is 'Soul 440' (Vril remix) which ups the pace and brings sleek dub house energy and majestic cosmic synth details. All three of these are nice and cultured cuts.

Review: It's safe to say Midland is now one of Aus Music's marquee artists. This Duster EP provides the Englishman with his seventh release on Will Saul's label since 2010 with that killer split 12" with Ramadanman (now Pearson Sound). The title track features a Caribou-like bassline and synths which swell and vary in size over a skipping house beat. "Replex" is rougher and frenetically percussive while still remaining melodic, while "Pitch Drift" is the deepest production on the record that some how, in amongst the trippiness of it all, stays tropical.

Review: First released way back in 1992, Stefano Curti, Mauro Tamino and Stefano De Carlo's first 12" as Minimal Vision (they'd previously released numerous as The True Underground Sound of Rome) remains one of the classiest and most ear-pleasing Italian deep house records of all time. For proof, check 'Magic Staircase', where picturesque synthesizer melodies rise and fall atop skittish beats, 'Pacific' style chords and a chunky Korg M1 bassline, and the bleep-sporting Chicago deep house tribute 'Prelude'. Those searching for something a little more energetic should take a listen to the warm and beautiful 'Milky Way' and 'Night of Love', whose programmed percussion, fizzing synth solos and jaunty bassline doff a cap to Detroit tech-jazz.

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: Last year Woody McBride's Minnesota label Sounds. reissued the Lovers EP, a 12" he originally released back in 1996 under his Modal alias. Now the remixes gets reissued to follow up, leading in with some Mariana trench depth charge gear from Roy Davis and DJ Skull. The Terry Mullan mix is a springy, 909 techno workout, while the Boom Box mix takes a lighter, drum machine jazz approach. There are so many old-school heroes involved here - Hyperactive, DJ Slip, Mystic Bill - but then what else would you expect from someone as invested in the scene and community as Woody McBride?

Review: Ten years have now passed since Modbox (real name Patrizio Rastelli) launched the vinyl-only Castanea Records imprint, an outlet specialising in minimalistic house and techno. Remarkably, this four-tracker from the man itself narks the label's first - and likely only - release of 2024. He begins strongly with title track 'Cosmic Wind', where echoing synth stabs, gaseous ambient chords and spacey electronics cluster around a crunchy tech-house beat and surprisingly funky bassline. It's basically classical tech-house of the sort you'd have heard in the late 1990s, and that's no bad thing. Elsewhere, we get two takes on 'Acid Galaxy' - Modbox's TB-303-speckled deep tech-house original and a more driving, peak-time-ready Arno interpretation - and the intergalactic, off-kilter excellence of 'Flow'.

Review: Berlin by way of Los Angeles' Avenue 66 recently served up the latest album by enigmatic artist Moire who has appeared on esteemed imprints such as Hypercolour, Ghostly International, Werk Discs and Ninja Tune. The Circuitry LP was a diverse affair, and the array of remixers on this EP reflects its style of eclecticism. Whether it's the legendary Herbert's deep and melancholic dub of 'Circuit 15' or Tolouse Low Trax's woozy rendition of 'Circuit 07' on the first side, to the typically dusty twilight vibes of Lowtec's remix of 'Circuit 04' and Dial co-head Lawrence's understated late-night perspective of 'Circuit 18' - it certainly does make a complementary addendum to the album.

Review: Italian house lover Fabio Monesi returns to his Wilson label - named and styled after that unforgettable volleyball in Castaway - with a collab EP next to Tom Carruthers. It's rooted in traditional tropes from the 90s and US scenes starting with the kicking, retro flavours of 'Mi Amor' before 'The Bass Theory' brings on, yep, some more heavy bass-driven grooves. Last of all is the more synth-laden 'Killer Fruit' which is a triumph in drum programming that will enliven any crowd.

Review: Ray Mono steps into his third release for Pleasure Zone, effortlessly blending restrained minimalism with immersive textures. Opening with 'Qqqq', the track introduces tight, rolling loops and a pulsing groove that draws the listener into a rhythmical trance. The low-end growl of 'Ssss' carries a deeper emotional weight, its minimal percussion skittering over layered synths, evoking an air of mystery. As the B-side drops, 'Iiii' unfurls with patient precision, luring the listener into a seamless, shifting landscape. 'Pppp' closes out the journey with its stripped-back dub influence, offering space for reflection while keeping the groove firmly rooted.

Review: Moodena and Charles Levine join forces on Rekids with their track 'Badman', all set to blow up your spot this winter. The vocal mix kicks off with high-energy big room drums, classic house strings, an infectious bassline, and playful telephone samples while Cratebug's remix transforms it into a hypnotic after-hours cut that emphasises dub echoes while retaining the original's essence. On the B-side, Radio Slave reimagines 'Badman' with a low-slung vibe that blends trippy sounds and vocal traces. The EP also includes a dub version that forgoes the original vocals but keeps the classy house heat.

Review: Mr G is indeed a real-life G. The long-time underground servant is famous for crafting impossibly hypnotic house tracks that are deep, smoky and dusty. He mostly does so on his own label but also takes trips to some of the finest other imprints out there, and NDATL sure is one of those. He once again voyages into the depths here with opener 'One4Cath' setting a heady tone from the off as the razor-sharp hi-hats cut up the muted, mirky low ends. 'Twist' brings some euphoric vocal stabs that inject raw soul to the menacing grooves and 'We All Feel Something' brings some signature toms and congas to the mix as sultry vodkas this time bringing the human element. 'Dub In The System' is a final heads down, back room marcher for those who like it stripped back and raw.

Review: Zach Murray is a fast-rising London producer who makes a great impression here with an ambitious and ultimately accomplished double pack on Oscuro. The title track 'Pieces Of The Puzzle' opens with sweeping ambient before 'Chill Pill' explores as glistening melodic world of futuristic tech and 'Can't Stop The Rain' has an old-school energy to its marching drums and rave stabs. There are also forays into acidic electro like on 'Keep Chasin'' and rugged breaks on 'Phase Me', elastic house sounds on 'Dubmotions' and cosmic turbulence in the trippy 'Dreams,' all of which show off this producer's versatility in style.

Review: Norm Talley's Detroit label Upstairs Asylum comes through with another various artists gem here: Gari Romalis kick off with the sort of smoky house depths you always expect from this imprint. 'Electronix (I'm Ya Dancer)' is dubbed out but dynamic, then G Major's 'Metro To Downtown' brings an injection of soul warmth and percussive looseness. Chuck Daniels & Hazmat Live's 'I Want You' is a darker, more heads down affair with freaky vocals and digital synth patterns over gritty, US garage styled low ends. Max Watts then cuts loose with the undulating dub techno depths of 'Velocity' to round out a varied EP.