Review: Humanoid Recordings co-founder 4d lays down another four-track 12" for the label, scouring the weightier and scrapier ends of minimal and acid house, all while teasing out a retro-robotic edge. Only an artist with a real sense of humour can invoke ideas of 'Stupidity' and 'Quantum Theory' in the same breath; both tracks betray the unified whimsy and intelligence that a successful acid house and techno artist must portray in order to win hearts. The latter uses a particularly sticky, hard-to-pin-down 4x4 kick style; contrast to B1 'World In Our Head', which portrays a psychic model of the outside world through trilling trance lines, and the meek glissandos of 'Sowie Lockers', securing an indeterminate but funky mood.
Review: There's something unavoidably magnetic about the intersection between ambition and self-awareness and this release, by Charonne, Nemo Vachez, Umberto and T Oceans, knows exactly how to tap into that tension. With each track, there's an undeniable undercurrent of both vulnerability and swaggeriproducers twisting minimal beats into something far deeper, dragging you through shadows with a mix of melancholy and movement. You feel the weight of their collective sound but also their defiant lightness, straddling the line between introspective and dancefloor-driven music. It's a textured, driving release with an ever-present air of mystery.
Review: Friendsome Records and Ams how up for a fourth time here with a new EP that is a perfect blend of sunshine and otherworldly atmospheres. Inspired by nature, to which Ams is reportedly deeply connected, and influenced by progressive house and trippy electronic music, this 12" showcases her true style and might be her best work yet with proggy vibes, old-school UK tech-house influences and dynamic rhythms. 'Bol B' is a fine start with chunky drums and lush layers of synth, 'Control Freak' is a psychedelic wonder and 'Clair De Lune' brings blissed-out ambience before the stunning melodies of closer 'Sunrises'.
Review: Novaj Records presents its second vinyl release - 'Space Energy', an electrifying compilation EP inviting listeners on an interstellar journey through a wide array of sonic cosmologies, in good stead with the nascent trend of space-age acid house emergent of late. Lauching into the boundless realms of space, the likes of Donnie Cosmo's 'Venus Transit', MLink's 'Frequencia' and Sunaas' 'Flash Dancer' are all as enchanting as they are out-of-body-experience-inducing.
Review: The French label and distribution arm Hostom Records are a clandestine operation, owned and operated by the Parisian parent label Yoyaku and specialising in French disco edits. Here the imprint's eighth vinyl instalment comes after an initial 7" and two 'ZZZ' black label editions. Four tracks of origin-unknown sample sources make up an array of razzle-dazzle disco, stylish urbanite techno, and minimal munitons, all four of which seem to portray the wildest, most oblique club vertices of a strutting French city.
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: If you're thirsting for more of that horror soundtrack house then you're not going to want to miss out on this one. BOOOoo! is a new French label debuting with four protagonists in this buoyant sound, leading in with PO tapping into some serious scientologist vibes on 'Self Deception' before Venetia demonstrates the theory that the longer the note, the more the dread on delightfully creepy workout 'Fat Man'. Eliaz tips a bucketload of acid into the mix on 'Weuweueoou' and BOOH completes the picture with the throbbing jack track 'EVIL'.
Review: A four-track EP that seamlessly blends electronic, acid house and breakbeat influences. Opening with 'Keep Off,' the track establishes a driving, pulsating rhythm that sets the tone with intricate synth patterns. 'N64' picks up the pace, with its relentless bassline and sharp percussion, evoking energy and urgency. On the flip side, 'Oscillator' takes the listener into a hypnotic trance-like state, with oscillating synths creating an immersive atmosphere. Closing with 'Diffusion Network,' the track layers complex rhythms and sounds, demonstrating the duo's ability to craft rich, engaging electronic music.
Review: The Santo Tomas label's offshoot edits arm is back with a second outing that again finds some smart reworks of less obvious and rather forgotten house and prog gems. Up first is a hot and sweaty cut with thumping drums with plenty of bounce. The synths are a blend of prog, tribal and trance and a seductive vocal is the perfect icing on the cake. There is more kinetic energy and pent-up funk to the second track which has neon chords dancing about the mix over hurried kicks. Some acidic stabs finish this one nicely.
Review: The Revivis-run Santo Tomas label launches a new edits offshoot devoted to reworking less obvious, forgotten house and prog gems from the 90s. The A-side is a collision of techno, prog and trance with cosmic synths, twitchy pads and plenty of old school stabs. The flip is a little more stripped back - the drums slap, the acid lines grow ever more wild, and a steamy and sensuous vocal sample is run through the middle for maximum emotional impact. Two dancefloor destroyers, for sure.
Review: Shiffer and Paul Brenning's latest collaboration is a masterclass in restraint and groove. The tracks here unfold slowly, each element carefully placed, allowing the deep, rumbling bass and crisp percussion to speak for themselves. There's a warmth to the production, with subtle melodies peeking through the smooth rhythms, creating a hypnotic effect that pulls you in. The vibe is steady yet unpredictable, and you can feel the influence of house, techno, and everything in between. It's an understated but impressive exploration of sound.
Review: An homage to the destructive force of entropy in the form of dungeon-esque techno by Strange Haze, 'Time Destroys All Things'. "Beyond the realm of human desire, there is a darkness..." "Well, that's why I'm with you!". So goes the conversant sample on the A1 'Possessions', a track determined not to overlook the inherent appeal of the more sinister and sadistic ends of human motivation, no matter how innocuous at first glance. The instrumental palette is machinic, though the end of 'Time Travel' begets the image of a troubadour time lord, where too much spacetime teleporting may lead to tunnel-visioned bouts of 'Amnesia'. Finally, the title track hangs looser, preferring to work in a coldwave come electro lysis, in which juvenile vocal shouts and emergent arps unfold throughout.
Review: While there's no over-arching concept behind the series, it's always safe to assume that any new Selects compilation from Global Underground will be packed to the rafters with brand-new house and techno that tends towards the melodic, atmospheric, glassy-eyed and tactile. Volume eight certainly ticks those boxes, with 12 highlights from the (more expansive) mixed version stretched across two slabs of purple vinyl. Our picks of a predictably strong bunch include a delightful deep tech-house tweak of Fulltone & Parallel's 'How Can I Resist' by Patrice Baumel, the Space Invaders-goes-trance throb of 1979's 'Vulcano', the bleeping brilliance of Captain Mustache's retro-futurist rework of O.N.O's 'Gran Music' and the ambient soul beauty of Yotto's 'Silhouette'.
Review: With its fractal-sporting artwork, psychedelic electronics, bold melodies and thrusting grooves, France's 39 label feels like it is rooted in another, earlier time - one where progressive house, trance and techno were still evolving. This collaborative EP from Wigs and Body Clinic fits neatly in its catalogue. They begin with 'Into The Void', a spiralling slab of uplifting 90s progressive house/trance fusion, before unveiling 'Lost Souls', where spacey headiness rubs shoulders with thunderous beats, restless bass and trippy TB-303 motifs. They plump for a darker and more intense, acid-fired techno sound on 'Tuna Bap, while 'NK Prog' sounds like a long-lost progressive house gem from 1995 (bonus points awarded for their use of MK style organ stabs).
Review: Z@p has been part of the Uruguayan techno revolution for several years, making his mark over here in Europe and in turn sending a spotlight back to his homeland. This time out he lands on the Montevideo Electric Recordings label with four more of his stylish and deep cuts. 'Submarino' kicks off with slow, sludgy electronics and before thumping kicks drive things onwards beneath skewed acid. 'Sensations' is a more bouncy affair with a rising tension that hurries you along and keeps you on edge before 'The Box' blends acid and minimal into an impactful arrangement that never lets up. 'Frank 717' rounds out with the most punchy kicks and sleek synths of all.
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