Tags: Minimal

Review: LOCKLEAD's Kemickal Affairs EP delivers four tracks designed to ignite dancefloors with an electrifying blend of house vibes. Side-1 kicks off with 'Zero's Delight,' a spirited and slightly jackin' house anthem that sets a fun and sexy tone. Following up is 'State Of Peace,' delving into a more techy and minimal groove, perfect for those seeking a deeper, more introspective vibe. Flipping to Side-2, the title track 'Kemickal Affairs' takes the listener on a journey through a deeper groove, reminiscent of 90s era house sounds but infused with a contemporary energy. Closing out the EP is 'Morning Krew,' characterized by its pumping bassline and seamless fusion of house and tech elements. With its dynamic range and infectious rhythms, Kemickal Affairs is destined to work well on any club floor.

Review: Few labels do minimal as well as Trelik and in terms of artists, Edward is also as good as they come right now. This perfect pairing opens up with the deeply alluring 'Time' with its woozy pads and smeared chords over warm and rubbery drums. It's a hypnagogic affair then 'Vacuum Tube' has a more menacing air thanks to the wispy and unsettling synth details and clunky hooks. 'Watch Out' brings a more spangled and rubbery rhythm that has colourful details peeling off the beats and last of all, 'Stream' ups the ante with some thudding deep house and widescreen ambient synth work.

Review: UK mainstay Subb-An makes a welcome return with this fresh new EP on Aesthetic. It finds him in great form with opener 'Seeing Colours' heading off down a nice liquid minimal route with crisp tech drums and twinkling synths up top to bring the magic. On the flip side is 'Plants', a rather serene and sublime cut with more rolling drums and plenty of deft synth designs that bring a certain celestial charm to the fizzing leads. Snad's remix then shuts things down with a more driving sense of tech house rhythm to complete a tasteful EP of heady sounds.

Review: Digwah keeps it tough on this next drop on their own self-titled label. It's a ninth outing and in the time it has taken for those to come out, increasing numbers of people have been catching on to the label's work and making it a 'must check' in their mental lists. This one opens up with 'Couldnt Hate You' which has some Ian Brown vocals samples stitched into a glitchy and menacing beat. 'Open Ended' is just as twitchy and anxious with steely drums and brain frying synths all working hard to fire every synapse in your brain. Effective stuff.

Review: Public Possession welcomes back Aroma Pitch for another four tracker that bares all their usual hallmarks - namely lots of warm analogue sounds that unite everything from driving to Balearic beats via big room nu-disco and playful in-between sounds. 'Millennium Surfer' opens with a wash of gently twirling synth arps and 80s drums, there is a fantastically bubbling bassline and dubby feel to 'Balearic Shift', while 'Staub Groove' is a more thumping house cut with weird synth textures. Without doubt it is closer 'Areal Earth (dub)' that wins the EP with its ethereal pads, dreamy vibes and smooth dub house low end.

Review: Kiria Records is back here with the fifth release by Zenk, which is a melodic but sci-fi tech house EP that starts with the jittery beats of 'Oniromantic'. Rigid synth sequences and slivery metal hits give it a future feel while 'Khubaba' gets more tight and kinetic and abstract. The more tough and pumping 'Nefertiti' is another carefully interwoven mix of sinewy synths, hiccuping effects and warped bass that is topped with a sensuous female vocal and 'Nefertiti' (Costin RP remix) then gets zoned out and trippy with a more balmy sense of synth soul.