Review: 'Unreleased Stuff Part 'I dives into the rich vault of Charles Webster, a revered name in UK house with a career spanning over three decades. This release brings out three hidden gems from his archives that capture the depth of his skill in minimal and tech house production. Side-1 kicks off with 'The Same Thing (instrumental mix)', a refined deep house track with a tasteful nod to 90s acid influences. Over on Side-2, 'Halftoo' delivers a melodic deep house vibe that feels fresh despite its 1997 origins. Rounding out the collection, 'FYU' combines smooth, classy production with that unmistakable 90s touch, creating a sound that feels timeless yet distinctly of its era.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Fletcher and Steve O'Sullivan have often worked or appeared together in the past so it makes sense that the former now invites the latter to be the first person to release on his newly minted and always sure to be worth checking Social Currency imprint. They take the reins together across floor-focussed cuts that are marbled with deep pads and introspective sounds. 'Cold Calling Blues' is warm and airy with smoky vocal sounds and precision dub techno drum loops, 'Midnight At 1:30' hits a little harder but is still zoned out and serene and 'Shatner's Groove' takes on subtle deep space moods with deft pads and spoken word additions.
Review: Though now almost at 20 releases deep, the EEE label and production outfit remain a mystery to us. What we do know is that since debuting in 2017 they have served up a steady stream of playful, charming, accessible edits and mash-ups across the house and minimal spectrum. 'Dubs 4 Clubs' takes a classic vocal that keeps pushing on with thudding kicks, a rolling bassline and enough synth detail to make it a standout in plenty of Ibiza sets this summer.
Get Fucked - "Time For A Quickee" (On The Kitchen Counter edit) (7:14)
Get Fucked - "Momentum" (The Smart Alex dub) (5:28)
Green Eyed Monster - "All Gone By" (6:07)
Strange Weather - "Infinite" (6:31)
Review: Laurant Webb, Dave Coker, Justin Bailey, and Dave Pine were the key figures behind Strange Weather Studios, which was a creative hub in Southeast London that helped shape the very early sound of tech house in the capital. Collaborating with friends and partners on several projects, they produced a number of influential records that defined the genre including under aliases such as Housey Doingz, 7th Voyage, and Space Bunny. This release on Sushitech, which always does a fine job of offering up the best tech house past and present, pays tribute to the studio and its collaborators with representative tracks carefully selected by Laurant Webb and label head Yossi Amoyal. Restored and remastered from rare DATs and pressed up to no fewer than six sides of vinyl, it's a great look at a significant moment in the evolution of tech house.
Review: Limo Trax wind down the tinters and shoot us a knowing look through the Wayfarers, as their latest procurement in slick minimal house and techno blares out the limo stereo. This latest addition to their colours series comes in verdant green, and corrals the talents of Milion, Exonym, Dombee and Wodda, all of whom lay down a clacking sonic technic each. 'Tuin Van Bret' exposes the vibe with beeping chords and an injurious party-starting film dialogue sample, as swarthy, silly excitable funk ensues. 'Hagring' marks the A2 with a "gimme dem" sample and moody swells, while 'Brixton' pays homage to the legendary Lambeth area with a speed garage distributary, reminiscent of Serious Danger's earliest movements in the sound. 'Dark N Stormy' perfects this speedy trend, adding expulsive breaks and oozing licks between the four-by-fours.
Review: Only Music Matters keep it real once more with another superb EP from an unknown artist featuring loads of untitled tracks. And those tracks all operate in the world of minimal and tech house with fresh ideas and forward-thinking sound designs. 'AAA001A' is a dark one with paranoid vocals looped over churning beats and steely metallic hits. 'BBB001B' is more smooth and free-flowing with a dubby undercurrent and bumpy pads over a deft rhythm. 'BBB002B' adds a third and final different look - a more warped and elastic rhythm with some brighter melodic touches that will help shift the floor up a gear.
Review: Constant Sound is one of the very many labels that is headed up by Burnski and one that he reserves for club-ready tech house and minimal. Wodda steps up for the latest outing and brings some future garage energy to the opener, 'Reggae Fusion' (Deep mix) which is lit up with lithe synths and smart vocal samples. 'On My Way' has more infectious garage vibes to it with the squelchy drums and hits and some nice heady melodies up top. 'Changing Faces' gets more twisted and brings intergalactic drama to the ass-wiggling cyborg tech beats and last of all, a Tuff Mudda mix of 'Reggae Fusion' shuts down with a silky thump and throwback UKG bass.
Review: Fred Again's new LP Ten Days is decidedly minimal in both visual and sonic feel, making for a well-put-together exercise in chic dance summeriness, one that manages to feel, paradoxically, nostalgic for the present moment. If the crux of Fred Again's appeal rests our vicarious enjoyment of his evidently voracious enjoyment of life, then this is equally as reflective in the music here, with 'Adore U' skimming through pitch-warped vocals sampled from Obongjayar's live performance dedicated to his sister and mum, as if to immortalise them in a rush of frenetics and lightness of being, and 'Ten' equally playing up the bare skeletals of snap-rims, warbly samples and ever more pitch-effecting, this time on Jozzy's vocals. Less earnest than his outing with Brian Eno, and more dedicable purely to the young adult gaieties of summer, Ten Days marks a little over a weeks' worth of fun, tinged with a tiny hint of melancholy.
Messin’ With My Mind (Electric Press remix) (8:03)
Messin’ With My Mind (Electric Press dub) (5:50)
Review: Ralph Lawson's legendary Leeds-based label 20/20 Vision is in the middle of celebrating 30 years in the game. Part of that now extends to this reissue of a record that played a huge part in establishing the imprint back in the day. It comes from the co-founders' production alias Wolf n Flow and though it was recorded more than 20 years ago, this record still bangs. 'Messin' With My Mind' is a perfect mix of squelchy tech and vocal loveliness that calls to mind early Fresh & Low. The Oliver.r dub is more sleek and blissed out and two Electric Press remixes close out with some late-night heft.
Review: Burnski and Kepler, two names synonymous with the deeper shades of house music, converge on Chris Stussy's Up The Stuss imprint for a collaborative EP that showcases their shared passion for dancefloor-focused soundscapes. 'Solstice', the title track, sets the tone with a hypnotic swing, its subtle rhythmic shifts and infectious bassline weaving a mesmerizing tapestry of sound. 'Contemplate', the second collaborative effort, offers a more introspective vibe, its bumping rhythms and melancholic melodies suggesting a moment of reflection amidst the dancefloor euphoria. The flip side sees the duo explore their individual artistry. Burnski's 'Give' is a late-night gem, its shimmering textures and hypnotic rhythms conjuring a sense of blissful introspection. Kepler's 'Transcend', on the other hand, lives up to its name, its vibrant energy and captivating melodies transporting the listener to a higher plane of dancefloor consciousness. It's a confident opening salvo for 2025 from Up The Stuss, a label that continues to champion the most vital strains of contemporary house music.
Review: Burnski's high-quality Constant Black is back with more essential club-ready sounds. Donnie Cosmo and Pascal Benjamin step up for one side of action each. Cosmo's 'Holo Glitch' is first and pairs balmy synth work that is colourful and silky with some punchy tech drums and rolling bass that pulls you in deep. 'Echo Drift' is another lithe and lively one to get you on your toes while the groove flows and 'Airplane Mode' is another stylish mix of lush synth design and great rhythm. Benjamin's trio on the flip is a little more gritty with industrial-space-tech many the most fitting way to describe these curious cosmic cuts.
Review: Burnski's Pilot label fires up the back burners once again here for some cruising tech house that oozes cool. Robin Graham is the man on the machines and his 'Like This" (Italo Summer mix) kicks off with some subtle prog vibes, a throwback bassline and bubbly synths that percolate through the mix to soothing effect. 'Set Me Free' has glistening and silvery hi-hats and a choppy groove with some big stabs and 'Enter 1' is the sort of cut you want to hear at the afters with its trippy melodic details and deft synth sequences dancing about the mix. 'Subject A' is a driving tech house number with plenty of astral synth sounds and fresh future feels.
Radical Chic - "In Da Shadows" (Terry Francis remix) (7:31)
Space Bunny - "The Key" (Wax Trax remix) (6:37)
Review: Gems, a new label with a nose for unearthing dusty relics of the UK tech-house scene, kicks off with a double shot of pure 90s dynamite. Label boss Paul Still, Croydon luminary and veteran crate-digger, has dusted off these two bangers, ready to reignite dancefloors. First up, Terry Francis unleashes a remix of Radical Chic's 'In Da Shadows' that'll have you reaching for the lasers and sweating buckets. This ain't no polite shuffle - it's a full-on assault of pulsating basslines, swirling synths and big energy. Francis, a master of his craft, layers textures and effects like a sonic sorcerer, conjuring a tapestry of sound that's both intricate and exhilarating. Flip the wax and Space Bunny's 'The Key' unlocks a different kind of chaos. This infectious groove, built on chunky drums and a hypnotic bassline, is pure, unadulterated dancefloor hedonism. But it's the vocal snippets and playful synth stabs that truly elevate it to legendary status. The Wax Trax remix adds a contemporary twist, injecting a fresh dose of energy while retaining the original's undeniable swagger. If you're craving the authentic sounds of early tech-house, Gems is your new dealer. These aren't just reissues; they're sonic time capsules, transporting you back to a time when the dancefloor was a sweaty, euphoric escape from reality.
Review: B.Love is next up on Leeds legend Ralph Lawson's 20/20 label having come to his attention on Record Store Day 2024 with his Music Dance Experience EP and then later that day when playing as a resident at the Bizarre Trax party Lawson was en route to play. Here he showcases his electro sound across four cuts starting with 'Rhythm Freq', a celestial and disco-tinged sound. 'Movement Feeling' is a party starting cut with old school style and plenty of percussive lushness, then 'Soda Junior' brings louche, low-slung disco funk before 'Bisous' shuts down with more cosmic playfulness and vibrant synth colours.
Review: Prolific Italian producer Black Loops continues his explorations of deep, groove-led house with the Experience EP. The release serves as a teaser for his forthcoming debut album, both of which arrive courtesy of the always on-point Freerange, and its label boss Jimpster kicks things off here with a rolling, Italo-tinged dub of Electrical, blending modular synth lines with dubbed-out vocals. Black Loops then flips the same track into a funk-fuelled workout, layering guitar licks and a weighty Moog bassline. On the reverse, Experience channels early 90s house with a sultry, Vogue-era feel, while Black Loops' Dancefloor Dub strips it back to a punchy, minimal groove built for late-night floors. Rounding things out is Inmasoul, a jazzy, deep house gem not found on the album.
Review: Satoshi Tomiie and Tomoki Tamura present their latest EP 'Dream Sketches' for Berlin's Abstract Architecture label. A surreal blend of rattling dub echoes and beat crabs, the pair are seen sat in a recollective room of strange patterns, their skin greyed but facial expressions confident, matching the uncanniness of the EP, littered with both sonic funky foliage and dubious demurrals. 'Dream Sketches' and 'Bounce 60' sound like CAD explosions transposed into abstract sonic space, but theirs is an impossible architectural project, which makes cool noises nonetheless. 'Lost Keys' and 'Bahnhof 120' do rigidify things somewhat, but do not lose that trademark surrealism, that sense of jank.
Review: The second in D'Julz's rollicking Raw Toolz series brings four 'Out Of Place Artefact's to the contemporary deep house sphere. From 'Big Wag' to 'Lionozed', every track on this dreamatic, diatonic whorl eschews high tones and sibilants for a rigorous, plombing exercise in depth and draught. The sampled, suspended echoes of jazz and piano blues ripple through the extra space thus provided; for those DJs seeking a selection of mid-set sauces, precooked to keep the party pumping, from which to choose without faf, this is your record, courtesy of the longtime French DJ and production artisan.
Review: After the 2022 release of 'Tamarindo' with his band Ottlix, German artist Felix HK (Felix Hornfeck) presents his first ever solo 12", continuing his forays in aerated minimal house and techno. Contrasting to 2022's leguminous debut EP, 'Flooss' is much twiggier and snappier. Only the title track blurs beats into ambiences, with soft-attacked, long-tailed drum transients effecting a notable dreaminess; all else is sticklike and sassy, with closer 'Salagratzos' especially charming with its difficult-to-comprehend, yet feistily childlike vocal lines.
Review: Jorg Kuning's latest offering, a six-track journey into the delightfully strange, arrives on Wisdom Teeth, staking his claim as a true sonic innovator and a conjurer of bizarre and beautiful soundscapes. 'Mercedes' sets the stage with its ethereal chorus of disembodied vocal fragments while 'Synthetic Squashies' veers into the surreal with a looping conversation between AI entities. 'Skudde' resonates with basslines that almost emanate from the earth's depths, and 'Teen Frogue' throbs with amphibian synth pulsations. This is music for the intrepid listener, the kind of release that sparks discussion and soundtracks late-night adventures. Kuning's sonic signature is unmistakable: a blend of bubbling funk, off-kilter rhythms and surprising textures. He draws from the fringes of tech house, electro and bass music, forging a sound that is both familiar and remarkably distinct.
Review: 'Solipsism' opens with sleek, futuristic energy where its infectious groove and sharp percussion that locks dancers into its hypnotic rhythm. It's a shinning example in refined minimal techno, balancing precision with raw club energy. 'Street Lite' follows, evoking the spirit of early 90s UK techno with rolling drums and nostalgic synth textures, transporting listeners straight to a dimly lit warehouse. On Side-2, 'Freeze' shifts into heavier territory, driven by a weighty bassline and pounding rhythms that demand attention. It's a raw and relentless techno cut built for peak-time intensity. Closing the EP, 'Glove Box' leans into new beat influences, layering thick synth stabs and mechanical grooves for a gritty yet infectious finish. Drum-heavy and rich in character, this record is all about the old-school techno feel while keeping things fresh. It's a love letter to the past with both feet firmly on the dancefloor, designed for those who crave deep, rhythmic intensity with a timeless edge.
Review: Burnski's Pilot label keeps it fresh with more sounds that operate in the middle ground between house, tech and garage. This one is a split EP that kicks off with Vitess's 'You Got Work,' fizzy, sugary cosmic cut with bouncing drums. 'Play My Game' is another trippy and astral affair with disco energy and wispy synth melodies that hit different. Robin Graham steps up on the flip with 'Not Here 2 Party' which is a low-slung tech cut with a sordid little bassline. 'Pipe Dream' gets even more abstract and minimal with sleek drums and dry drums rolling onwards.
Review: Various Shades is right! Zagreb label Forbidden Dance bring together the talents of Patrice Scott, Aleqs Total, XDB and Gary Superfly for a fine gradient of hex-perimental dance music, fully exciting our many aural rods and cones. An earful of minimal moods are conveyed on Scott's 'Be Yourself', with its fidgeting stereo bass sound design especially impressing, while Aleqs Total's 'People Round Town' lets a seedier sonic underbelly of aspic acid spill out onto main street. 'Odican' by XDB is the most unsettling number, with a repetitive vocal hallucination resounding in and out of a tenebrous centre mix, while Superfly's 'Free Fall' marks a recovery from the A1's relative panic attack, through intravenous hi-hats and concordant chords.
Review: A mesmerising blend of organic textures and synthetic precision, delivering a fresh take on techno and house. The title track, 'Upside Down', kicks things off with a clever nod to the glitch and microhouse era of the very early 00s. Its gorgeous melody and intricate layering make it both nostalgic and forward-thinking. 'Eyes Between Letters' follows with a deeper bassline and spacious, intricate production. Side-2 opens with 'Beyond Light & Shade', where Asian-inspired melodics weave seamlessly with a balanced blend of techno and house, offering a richly textured and emotive piece. Closing the EP, 'Complementary Senses' delivers profound depth, bringing an introspective quality to its lush production. A unique release tailor made for fans of innovative, boundary-pushing electronic music.
Review: For those who have been digging deep & minimal house for decades, this 12" is a mini modern classic from 2004 by Mazi Namvar aka Audio Soul Project. Once a hidden gem, exposure in plenty of high-profile DJ sets means it has become a sought-after record with second-hand copies fetching up to $170. Enter this reissue to make it available to all, as good music should be. As well as the lush original cuts, this version includes a bonus track, 'Murmurs Low,' featuring Jimmy Tripp on saxophone and Mazi's spoken word, while standouts like 'Tattoo Of You' and 'Down' still hit the sport perfectly.
Review: Micro Orbit is back with another trip around the cosmos almost exactly a year since they first launched into space with the first in their Pioneer Series. That was backed up with their Origins Series in January this year but it is to the Pioneers we return here with four finely crafted minimal and tech house cuts. Mtps's 'Moonrise' is a gritty, punchy opener with a stripped back sense of menace. Michaelis's 'Wax Off' is the sort of silky sound to spin you out at 5am and Mihai Pol's offers up deliciously deep and heady loops on his 'Zelot'. Fedo closes things down with the floating and suspensory dubbed out tech house delicacies of 'Anantkar Kaur.'
Review: Since 2019, Taylor Freels - best known for his work as Urulu - has used the Liquid Earth alias to explore the more psychedelic side of his dancefloor influences, frequently doffing a cap to 1990s acid, breaks and progressive house. This time round, you'll hear some of those inspirations, but also nods to the early days of UK garage. For proof, check 'Handy Boy (Casa de Mama Remix)', where cut-up r&b vocal snippets and mind-mangling electronics ride am Armand Van Helden style 'dark garage' groove, and the psychedelic acid-goes-4/4 UKG madness of 'Big Nik's Speed Garage'. They heady and intoxicating hybrid flavours continue on 'Lick of Life (Just A Little Mix)' - all weird noises, odd samples, acid lines and speed garage drums - while 'Clubber's Exit' sits somewhere between weighty Detroit electro and nu-skool breaks.
Review: Bank of Switches is a label that the who like late-night, small-hours moments after ing been attuned to. Label head Big Nick D takes the reins now with a hard-edged, atmospheric track designed for deep, immersive trips. 'Twenty Four Hours' really is a lively cut that marries whimsical ambient pads with busy acid snuggles and works the head as well as the heel. On the flip, Wiggle founder and fabric resident Terry Francis steps in with a remix that oozes with his signature groove and refined touch. It's a punchy one with hard-edge drums and textured bass all moving at a quick pace.
Review: Sating minimal techno flows, Bondage Records preface their latest release with the phrase "next up". It's implied that, by sampling and cycling through many a novel artistic talent, their label becomes an unstoppable assembly line of feline sonics. Frankfurt producer and DJ Sascha Dive is next up, adding to an incredible daisy-wreath of 12"s put out since early 2005. 'I Was Deep In My Past Life' hears Dive dive back into one of his many pre-incarnate bygones via extra-mile sound synthesis and design, the resultant sound of which evokes an undulant, blobby time-tunnel. 'Dub Chronicles No7', meanwhile, has been thoroughly transient-maximised, with a snappy drum buss envelope uppercutting the technic beats like automations of an iron fist.
Get Fucked - "Time For A Quickee" (On The Kitchen Counter edit) (7:14)
Get Fucked - "Momentum" (The Smart Alex dub) (5:28)
Green Eyed Monster - "All Gone By" (6:07)
Strange Weather - "Infinite" (6:31)
Review: Working with various collaborators, Laurant Webb, Dave Coker, Justin Bailey, and Dave Pine produced influential records under aliases like Housey Doingz, 7th Voyage, and Space Bunny at the influential Strange Weather Studios. Those records very much helped to define the early days of the tech house genre. This Sushitech release comes on clear vinyl and honours their legacy, with tracks handpicked by Webb and label founder Yossi Amoyal. They have all been remastered from rare DATs and across three slabs of wax make for an essential deep dive into an important phase in the earliest days of tech house.
Review: RQZ invites us on a sonic adventure with this diverse and captivating EP. 'Sunset Strip' sets the scene with its hypnotic groove, a pulsating rhythm section interwoven with atmospheric textures and subtle melodies. The track gradually unfolds, revealing new layers of sound and taking the listener on a mesmerizing journey through the depths of RQZ's sonic imagination. 'MK Ultra' delves into darker, more experimental territory, its ominous soundscapes and distorted rhythms creating a sense of unease and intrigue. The track's title hints at its mind-bending nature, as RQZ expertly manipulates sounds and textures to create a truly unsettling yet captivating sonic experience. On the flipside, 'The Rhythm' provides a stark contrast, its driving percussive groove and infectious energy demanding movement and commanding attention. This track is a testament to RQZ's ability to craft dancefloor-focused cuts that are both hypnotic and exhilarating, showcasing a different facet of his production prowess. With its diverse sounds and moods, this EP is a testament to RQZ's versatility as a producer and his ability to craft captivating electronic music that pushes boundaries and defies expectations.
Review: Cult minimal label Cabinet is back with another vital two tracker, this time from Brudan. It kicks off with the glitchy beats and silky, warming, machine soul of 'Time 2 Play' with its silky grooves soon to lock you into a heady vibe. On the flip is the more stripped back 'Music Makers' which is a little more minimal and abstract in its designs but is just as much of a seductive sound that worms its way deep into your brain. Both of these are tasteful tools for discerning selectors.
Review: After a years' hiatus, we're hit round the face with the return of Germany's Telum, as though a repressed memory had come back to haunt us. Making up chapter 13 in the Telum story, this big-hitter record compiles three unknown authorial knowns onto a bite-sized but palette-testing green label. 'Track 1' riffles away with its high-fantasy sound design, while 'Track 2' hurtles through implacable FM harmonics, and 'Track 3' mobilises the very same set of sounds for a brilliantly breathable, nocturnal knee-nudger.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Joe Goddard - "Neptunes" (8:28)
Joe Goddard - "Rapid Fire" (feat Laima) (6:33)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "Around You" (3:02)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "Around You" (Joe Goddard remix) (3:35)
Joe Goddard - "Rapid Fire" (Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith remix) (3:55)
Review: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Joe Goddard, two luminaries of electronic music, have united to create Neptunes, a celestial collaboration that defies genre boundaries. This EP is a sonic journey through a vast, ethereal soundscape, where intricate synth work, pulsating rhythms, and haunting melodies converge to create a truly immersive experience. The title track, 'Neptunes', is a mesmerizing exploration of the namesake planet. Smith's modular wizardry conjures up a cosmic soundscape, while Goddard's rhythmic prowess provides a driving force. The result is a track that is both hypnotic and invigorating. Throughout the EP, Smith and Goddard showcase their individual talents while seamlessly blending them into a cohesive whole. Smith's ability to extract haunting melodies from her modular synthesisers is matched only by Goddard's knack for crafting infectious grooves. Together, they create a sonic tapestry that is as beautiful as it is complex. A testament to the power of collaboration and a record that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers of depth and complexity with each play.
Review: Amazing, goblin-mode minimal techno from Klon Dump aka. Mark Klon, a human klondike of fidgety sonics and jokey tech house from Australia. It's as if divine powers intended for Klon to join My King Is Light, the label owned and operated by fellow producer Melchior Productions. MKIL focus is on extra-special minimal tech, shunning the genre's often unfortunate capitulation to floor-perfunctoriness for the sake of idiosyncratic indulgences of the artistic kind, the kind we minimal fans actually want to hear. Praise individuality, for it is not lost! 'The Long 2016' harks back to the year in which humanity stood at the precipice of everything-everywhere-all-at-once-ness; endless shuffles, pops, bass slaps and overhand riffles burble from this track like a volatile electro-ball, evoking the informatic ease of the time. 'Go Wahreit' contrasts with harsh alien vocodes and kitchenware percs, and titularly plays on the German word for "kernel of truth". The B-siders render the record weirder and weirder, 'Blind Tim' summoning UK flavours with a skweeeing swing, and 'It's Only My Body' serving to desensitise the trance.
Review: Purple Print Records Compilation 3 is a rich exploration of minimal and tech house, bringing unique textures and groovy rhythms to the forefront. Side-1 opens with He Did's 'Mientras Tanto', a fun and infectious groove. The track's deep, rolling bassline and lively percussion make it an instant mood-setter. Following is DeWaal's 'Iceshade', a bouncy, upbeat track that balances playful energy with a steady, deep tech groove. Side-2 moves further into introspective territory with Raz's 'Rora', a smooth and melodic track that drifts along effortlessly, blending subtle harmony with a deeper bassline. Yama Music's 'In My Space' rounds out the collection with a broken beat approach, delivering techy, spacious vibes that add depth and variety to the mix. Altogether, this compilation is a refined showcase of tech house cuts that'll resonate with dancefloor times.
Review: Acusmouse and Ab Show's collaboration on Line Conductor offers a deep dive into the intricacies of minimal and tech house. While grounded in familiar rhythms, the EP brings forward an unpredictable flow, with each track layering textures that evolve with each listen. Acusmouse's 'Topass' anchors the release, its unyielding pulse driven by a hypnotic bassline, allowing the surrounding elements to form fluid, almost organic movements. Ab Show's side introduces a more cerebral take, with 'Subminimal Message' building tension through sparse percussion and unsettling atmospherics. Together, the two push the boundaries of the genre, never fully conforming but always offering something compelling, fresh, and deeply engaging.
Review: There's not much info floating around about this one, though it appears to not only be the debut release from the freshly minted I Don't Know label, but also the producer behind it, Awly. As debuts go, it's a cracker. Straight-up peak-time vibes are supplied by A-side 'You Having Fun?', a Soundstream-meets-French Touch style slab of loopy disco-house hedonism peppered with dubby breakdowns and hypnotising nods to the deeper end of the house spectrum. Awly joins forces with Paolo Rocco on the 'Censored Mix' of squelchy P-funk-goes-house number 'What's On It', which includes some fantastic sampled chat in the breakdown, before rounding of a fine first outing via the organ-rich, garage-house influenced warmth of 'Are You Amazing?'
Review: Zendid takes the reins of this Romanian label's talents and shows plenty of studio guile and versatility. There's a nice breezy quality to opener 'Fradpause' thanks to the way the pads swirl around so expansively while the nice mid-tempo drums move onwards. 'Panama Panthers' then ups the ante a little more pressure in the drums but still a nice heady feel to the roomy pads. Last but not least, 'Nature Peinture' takes on a menacing edge with the snippets of vocals that pan about the mix amongst eerie pads and groaning sound effects. Splendid, or should we say Zendid, stuff.
Review: Massive jazzdance and UK bass fusions on the new e-glowup from Eglo (though the record is also released physically). Celebrating 15 years of the nominal "post-dubstep" label, this limited 12" EP hears four exclusive, unreleased tracks from an upcoming label-definer compilation, the third in a series. Born from the basement of Plastic People, the pressure has remained continuously on Eglo to keep the same foment of bass musical innovation that the club nurtured alive. Plastic People is a routinised object of nostalgia, and it is often deemed the last proper place for innovation in bass music before austerity Britain militated against it. Zed Bias's remix of Chunky's 'Dancing On Tables' with Metrodome - and the deep, bruk-inspired track, 'Minerals,' from Liverpool's rising star Sticky Dub - both prove this assessment totally wrong. Genius thrives. On the flip, we've also house legend Giles Smith (formerly of Secretsundaze) delivering fresh material, as well as label boss Alexander Nut making his official debut with the lo-fi electro house track 'Arcade Fun Pt. 1.' The full compilation, featuring artists like Shy One, Steve Spacek, and Fatima, drops in April.
Review: Inspired by "cosmic vibes and alien sounds", Cut Line Records is a freshly minted imprint founded by New York-based producers Majak and Diego Knows. Wisely, they've decided to set their stall out via a multi-artist EP that offers more than a few hints about what we can expect to hear in the months and years ahead. Naturally, they contribute, rounding off the EP via the collaborative 'Electrik Funk', a smooth, spacey and sub-heavy slab of tech-house funk marked out by cut-up vocal snippets, intergalactic-sounding motifs and rubbery beats. There's plenty to set the pulse racing across the rest of the EP though, from the acid-flecked tech-house funkiness of Pedro Goya's 'Celeste', to the star-fall haziness of Digital Pimps electro roller 'Warning Bells', via the electro-goes-breakbeat shuffle of 'Alien Vision' by Frankula and St Xose.
Review: This compilation is a sonic tapestry woven from the threads of diverse electronic soundscapes, each track carefully crafted to evoke the liminal space between dreams and reality. It's an invitation to immerse oneself in a world of intricate textures, hypnotic rhythms, and evocative melodies, where the boundaries between genres blur and the music takes on a life of its own. Jonny Rock's 'Legenda' sets the tone with its purposeful groove, its driving energy balanced by a sense of introspective depth. Thanksmate's 'Take A Chance' adds a meditative touch, its gentle melodies and atmospheric textures inviting contemplation and reflection. Dobao's 'Oceano' plunges into a deep, liquid dimension, its swirling synths and hypnotic rhythms creating a sense of weightless immersion. Giammarco Orsini's 'Whirlwind' picks up the pace, its pulsating energy and infectious groove propelling the listener forward. Hiver's 'The Frontier' explores the tension and release of electronic landscapes, its dynamic shifts and evolving textures keeping the listener on the edge of their seat. Sam Goku's 'Lucid Oscillation' closes the compilation with a sense of ethereal beauty, its airy melodies and floating notes leaving a lingering sense of wonder.
Review: Freerange's City To City series returns with its second edition, this time spotlighting Lisbon. Known for its stunning views, beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife, perhaps one of the city's best-known hotspots is the iconic Lux Fragile, which has shaped the city's sound since the late 90s. Longtime resident DJs from Lisbon are now gaining global traction; to butterfly-net the essence of the coastal metropolis, this new mix LP hears six original tracks from local talents, chief among whom are Megatronic, progressor and ambassador for the city, and Yen Sung & Photonz, two names closely tied to the circuit's deeper-underground corners.A
Review: Damian Lazarus returns to Crosstown Rebels with 'Sunrise Generation', featuring the celebrated vocals of singer-songwriter Fink. Set for release on November 8, 2024, this highly anticipated track marks Lazarus' first solo material on the label in over a year, following his Grammy-nominated collaboration with Diplo and Jungle. 'Sunrise Generation' captures the euphoric energy of sunrise, blending emotive soundscapes with Lazarus' signature atmospheric style. Norwegian talent Meera, a rising star within the Crosstown Rebels family, contributes a deep, textured remix, adding fresh layers to Fink's haunting vocals. This release reaffirms Lazarus' position as a visionary force within the electronic music scene.
Review: We are real fans of the PIV label out of the Netherlands for the way they have bright plenty of new thinking to house and tech. Their Limited label off-shoot is even more forward-thinking and this time welcomes ADR for some of their signature sounds. 'Daft Excluder' gets underway with flappy snares and a nice nebulous ecosystem of neon synth details and snappy drums. The Casey Spillman remix gets more punch with wet clicks and a garage tinge to the drums. 'Professor Magnet' sinks you into a bulbous bass line that is warped and fluid under snappy claps and 'Infinity808' brings nice and trippy electro vibes and a kinetic rhythm to close. It might be the best of the lot.
Etymology (Gari Romalis Electronix Iya Bad remix) (5:49)
Etymology (Satoshi Tomiie interpretation) (10:16)
Etymology (Losoul Lower To Sense remix) (7:02)
Downbeat (feat Audio Werner) (7:04)
Review: Etymology is the study of the history and formation of words in language. Rarely do we find an artist, not least a somatically inclined dance music artist, concerned with such disciplines; usually that strand of things is left to us critics. Yet despite the titular allusion to said verbal science, further references to words on this release by Stekke are scant. In fact, 'Etymology' the track is as wordless as a mute, preferring a pure 120-ish BPM movement of rumbly and understated proportions, emphasising process over object. Flicky hats and unassuming chord hits predominate; we infer that it's the following remixes from Daniel Paul, Gari Romalis, Satoshi Tomiie and Losoul that are the real sonic cognates of interest here, spanning fidgeting minimal trance etymons and derivative dub lexemes. We return to a radical root on 'Downbeat', which features Audio Werner on a muted workout for hand drum and synth swell.
Review: Described as "the home of unnamed beats", North Macedonia label Pirka stand out as among the few to do it in their home locale of Skopje. On their fourth release, we've a new release from fresh but soon-to-stick producer PVC, who throws three new ones at the wall on an adhesive 12", and all them happen to stick. 'Door', 'Cocai' and 'Mode Dubs' chart a slow movement from functional to textural, stimulating every kind of floor-going soma out there, from thrill-seekingly impulsive through to the restrained and cerebral.
Review: Following their successful Get Closer club nights in Nuremberg, Homebase and Jurgen Kirsch are launching a music label under the same name. The label's mission is clear: to release timeless electronic music on vinyl while returning to the essence of what truly mattersipure, straightforward quality. For their debut release, they've signed two tracks by renowned Pokerflat and 8Bit artist Markus Homm, with remixes crafted by the label founders themselves. All four of these are stripped back and floor-ready minimal and tech fusions with robust low ends and plenty of craft in the sound designs to elevate them above mere fodder.
Review: The mighty Rawax has now put out more than 100 releases and they are all as timeless and useful as the next. Sublee steps up for this new slab of sound and kris off with 'v' which take sup the whole of the A-side but enervating outstays its welcome. It is a progressive house cut with a driving low end, plenty of grit in the percussion and pads that circle round to bring scale and a sense of cosmic adventure. 'Simple Two' slips into a deeper, more silky tech house vibe with lovely melodic patterns raining down from above. 'Hey Brother' shuts down with some dark breakbeats and mind melting synth leads that are pure peak time, post-rush fodder.
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