Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: With more than two decades of output behind him, French producer Okain continues to carve his own path through the deeper ends of dance music. On this latest EP, he folds elements of acid, sci-fi and Goa trance into a rich and forward-moving four-tracker. The experience leans much more toward interstellar techno exploration. 'Acid Spin' kicks things off with propulsion. It's not overly fast, but the drive is undeniable. Electric squiggles and sharp synth lines dart across a steady rhythm, giving the track an urgent yet sleek atmosphere. 'EPR Paradox' is just as tightly produced, letting its groove build gradually with layers of texture and restraint. On the 2nd side, 'Wavefunction' drops into a swirling, cosmic descent. It feels like tumbling through a wormhole, where the lines between gravity and sound begin to blur. 'Computing Force' rounds off the journey with a deft hybrid of Goa trance energy and techno structure. The melodies shimmer with a nostalgic rave glow, yet everything remains clean, spacious, and functional. Altogether, the EP is a bold statement from a veteran still pushing boundaries. It's deep, physical, and built for futuristic dancefloors. This EP could change minds when it comes to what psy-trance is...

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split on top but otherwise in excellent condition***


Okain brings the class to this final outing of the year from German tech titans RAND Muzik. It's a full-throttle 12" that wastes no time in getting down to business: 'Dirac Sea' combines funky drum programming with nice squelchy acid, warped synth lines and crisp percussion to soon sweep you off your feet. 'Pterodactyl Phaser' is smoother and has a subtle garage shuffle to its low end, while balmy pads keep things cosmic up top. 'Spintronics' then ups the ante once more with thumping tech kicks and lively synth lines. 'Circuit Model' shuts down with some nice psychedelic clouds and a busy bassline. Quality tackle for sure.

Review: You might think that Yassin Omidi is a newcomer, but in fact it is the new-coming of an already accomplished and respected head who now delves deep into the world of dub techno on Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic. The beatless 'Sluder Dub' is coated in heavy fog and static with conscious vocal musings and the roomiest of chords landing with great drama and tons of echo. On the flip is another analogue sound that features buffed metal dub chords, classic effects and a shapeshifting ambient hiss. It's dramatic despite being such a minimal piece.

Review: Back in February, East End Dubz launched a new label, Rhythm Traxx - an imprint which the London producer intends to use as a vehicle for "timeless house music with an emphasis on raw energy and infectious grooves". For release number three, he's turned to newcomer Oncho - a producer with little or no online footprint. Title track 'Paradigm' sets the tone, with fluid synth motifs, sampled vocalisations and glitchy tech-house sounds riding polished beats and a deep, weighty bassline. 'Goes Like This' joins the dots between vintage UK tech-house and the alien, bass-heavy sounds of bleep techno, while 'Get Back'is a dirty, acid-fired slammer and 'Thorough' is a TB-303-powered slab of deep tech-house. Closing cut 'Dreamin', meanwhile, is - unsurprisingly given the title - dreamy, glassy-eyed and hypnotic.

Review: Recorded live on September 10, 1993, for BBC Radio 1, this set strips back the studio polish in favour of raw, surging energy, breathing new life into core tracks from their Brown Album era. Their explosive 1993 John Peel session was a broadcast that captured the UK rave pioneers at their most visceral and unfiltered. The versions of 'Lush 3-1', 'Walk Now...' and 'Semi Detached' found here are looser, leaner and more urgent. 'Lush' in particular throbs with a relentless momentum, shedding its original texture in favor of a tougher, more improvised drive. It's a perfect showcase of Orbital's gift for live manipulation, transforming structured studio pieces into kinetic, spontaneous soundscapes. This reissue boasts newly commissioned artwork by Intro and aligns with the legacy of the Peel Sessions as a proving ground for boundary-pushing talent. Critics and longtime fans have praised the EP for its intensity and fluidity, supporting Orbital's status as live innovators. Radio Sessions is a nostalgic artifact and a reminder of how thrilling and forward-thinking Orbital's sound was.

Review: UK electronic innovators Orbital have been revisiting their early roots with Orbital LEDs, a limited-edition series remastering their old greats. Now fully remastered and paired with striking new artwork by Julian House, the latest drop highlights the duo's groundbreaking early sound when tracks like 'Midnight' innovated with a blend of hypnotic house rhythms and minimalist influences from Philip Glass and Wim Mertens. Also included here is 'Choice' which stands out for its anarcho-punk edge and bold vocal sampling. Paul Hartnoll has often said he aimed to inject house music with a sense of rebellion and social commentary and these reissues reaffirm Orbital's ability to do that while pushing boundaries from the start.

Review: A cornerstone of early 90s electronic music, Orbital's Lush resurfaces with renewed energy through the Orbital LEDs reissue campaign. Originally released in 1993, the EP is a masterclass in melodic techno, featuring the iconic 'Lush 3-1' and 'Lush 3-2', two seamlessly interwoven tracks that exemplify the Hartnoll brothers' knack for crafting emotionally resonant, rhythmically complex soundscapes. Reissued on 12" with striking new artwork by Intro, this edition includes heavyweight remixes by Underworld and CJ Bolland, whose reworks push the tracks deeper into the club stratosphere. Underworld brings a dense, propulsive momentum, while Bolland injects a sleek, hard-edged urgency. Yet it's Orbital's originals that remain the centerpiece. Those epic gliding arpeggios, layered synths and rolling percussion conjure both introspection and euphoria. A vital part of their Brown Album, Lush helped define the progressive techno movement, influencing generations of producers. Three decades on, the tracks still pulse with a timeless vibrancy.

Review: Heady house label Courtesy Of Balance only releases music that you know will stand the test of time. It's informed by the classic schools of deepness but always with a modern touch and unique character, and next to carry that torch is Ostrich aka Nadir Agha. He's in charge of curation at Montreal's legendary Stereo Club and shows his class here with opener 'Snake Charmer' which is built on a dynamic groove foundation and embellished with wispy pads that take your mind on a wander. 'Promiscuous' is heavy, dubby house stripped back to the core essentials and perfectly executed. 'Buttered Up' is a little more mobile but embellished with nothing chords and smoky vocal soul and 'Broken Science' closes with a brilliant broken beat flourish that is full of jazzy invention.