Back catalogue: House

Review: Dagobert & Kalson deliver the third instalment of their serial Stellar Mode project, which sticks out like a rogue planet amid a sea of drab and unremarkable stylistic orbiters. This four-track cosmic fulguration consists of two tracks by each artist, and is notable for its ultra-glossy action-packed ambient breaks content; they've just done something wonderfully extra to the sound here, treating each element like exoplanetary objects of study and refinement. As Kraftwerkish sequences and ambient soundscapes collide with planetary ring systems of bass and plucksynth, what's not to love here?

Review: Phonotheque Records presents Juan Dairecshion (a pseudonym of Juan Bozzolasco) with 'El Metodo' for its eighth release, laying down an extremely well-crafted, tenebrous techno, house and tech house spine-tingler for the sensitive ear come nervous system. The Uruguayan producer is said to possess a broad range, flaunting an ability to indulge both club-ready rhythms and darker, deeper moments, and this is more than laid bare on the exposition 'Low Pression', coining a brilliant new cognate of "pressure" while opting for a kickless, sinister tension, its space-age SFX and eerie percussions landing the tune somewhere between Roswell and a New York alleyway. Things get more orthodox from there, though the record never once lets up on its eerie dance dramatics; 'Nostalgico', 'Re-progre', 'UBM' and 'It's All About Love' are the increasingly ethereal highlights among them, as the record grows weirder and weirder, hollower and hollower.

Review: The first Decius album, released back in 2022, was a rare beast: an album by an electronic music 'supergroup' (in this case Fat White Family's Lias Saoudi, Paranoid London's Quinn Whalley and Liam and Luke May of Trashmouth Records fame) that more than lived up to its promise. The simply titled Decius Vol II, a genuinely hotly anticipated sequel, more than lives up to its' predecessor, delivering a suite of songs rooted in nostalgic, strobe-lit acid house, moody synth-pop, clanking industrial funk, red-raw jack tracks and the ghostly minimalism of early bleep techno. It's that rarest of things: leftfield club-pop that sounds as glorious on a gloomy Wednesday morning at home as it does booming out of the soundsystem at Berghain.

Review: Back in the autumn of 2023, Bedrock co-founder John Digweed delivered Futuro, a four-disc mix made up entirely of new and unreleased music. On this two-disc sequel, 20 of those tunes get the remix treatment, with Digweed presenting them via a pair of typically smooth, evolving journey style DJ mixes. It's typical Digweed/Bedrock fare all told - think deep, immersive and gently melodic blends of 21st century progressive house, tech-house, deep house and (whisper it quietly) colourful neo-trance. There are some surprises though, such as the dub-flecked, tops-off techno hyonotism of Digweed and Nick Muir's rework of David Morales' 'Diridim', Spencer Brown's gorgeous and tactile revision of 'Alraegadir' by Rodriguez Jr, and Loz Goddard's progressive breaks re-build of Digweed and Muir's 'Futurascent'.

Review: If you like acid, and you like it deep, then keep reading. Dircsen has put together an album of just that for Gated across four sublime sides of wax. Helical Structures operates at the intersection of those sounds and more, with a range of different tempos explored from the unhurried 'Fragments' which spits out random hits and has a nice lo-fi edge to the more high pressure acid of 'Helical Structures' with its undertone of bass lead menace. 'Jack In The Head' is a more classic acid cut with nods to the Chicago pioneers and 'Synthetic Rhythm' (Know Where mix) is perfect for both body and head.

Review: DJ Sotofett returns with a double 12" packed with eight hard-hitting, underground techno tracks. Featuring frequent collaborators LNS, L.A. 2000, Ronny Nyheim, and Zarate_Fix, this release is a direct nod to the no-nonsense techno nights at Berlin's iconic Tresor club, where Sotofett holds residency. Each track is crafted with pure dancefloor energy in mind, moving through dub-driven techno, acidic overtones, and percussive basslines, all delivered with a raw, uncompromising edge. WANIA mk1 is a masterclass in DJ-ready versatility, perfect for those who love their techno stripped back and potent. Standout cuts include the bombastic, percussion-heavy Preparation and the 909-vocoder-fuelled My Spirit Is In Techno Music, both of which exemplify the release's dedication to the underground essence of the genre. With alternative mixes from WANIA mk2 making an appearance, the album offers both continuity and innovation, keeping true techno fans hooked from start to finish. Sotofett's attention to detail in programming, mixing, and mastering is evident throughout, making this a must-have for DJs and clubbers who live and breathe the core of real, unfiltered techno music. WANIA mk1 isn't just an album; it's a statement for those who value authenticity in their club experience.

Review: A sprawling, typically irreverent effort from the ever-prolific DMX Krew. With each unfolding track, Edward Upton charts a new tributary in the Detroit-Berlin-Sheffield pipeline, from the grouchy technoid stomp of 'Bathtime Bobby', to the hazy chillout room introspection of 'Escape To 92', to the dazzled machine funk of aptly named elektro quest 'Desperate Measures'. Another thoroughly satisfying entry in the ever-growing DMX catalogue, Spiral Dance is a sizzling hotplate of timeless electro wizardry.

Review: Dark Entries welcome back the inimitable Doc Sleep aka Melissa Maristuen for a superb new album of ghostly and ethereal house and techno. This is a welcome follow-up to last year's ambient and IDM exploration, Birds, and shows another side that draws on Maristuen's years of queer clubbing. It fuses aspects of New York house, Berlin techno and West-coast breakbeats and is "a love letter to the West Coast's magnificent natural landscape, the light of the Pacific sunrise." That is reflected in the sublime synths and silky rhythms which manage to both move your body but also captivate your mind. It's another cracking album from the Doc.