Back catalogue: House

Review: Deeper shades of a finely sifted pedigree. Irish label Appian Sounds, helmed up by Al Blayney, champion only winnowed techno sounds, not threshed. A welcome international team huddle in, with these six artists from locales as far-flung as Amsterdam and Valencia contributing the likes of 'Tsuneo' and 'Persist'. The tunes verge melodic as they move through and beyond jankiness, distending die-cut acids and subtly synthetic humanisations, especially in the percussion department. 'Fuego' is the zen roshi's choice, its gaffered, glass-smithed pads topping off a naturalistic percussive surging forward, one best experienced with your eyes closed.

Review: Four new prangers from France's BOOOoo! crew, startling our ears with audio-apparitions by ghosts of the resident French sceno-system: Jamahr, Mooglee, Jucid and Odeon. 'Black Loops' and 'Flex (Booty Mix)' invade elastic terrains of bass and flicky synth, churn them back through meshes of gradated beats and rond-squelching stab notes. 'The Question Is' eliminates much of the A-side's establishing layers and overdubs, harking rubbery and slip-tastic FX design, countered by the equally sticky 'Jimbeldance'.

Review: KMA60 Prozektiva's exploration of a mutant, electrified take on tech and house continues with Ocean T taking the mantle across four future-facing new cuts. The opener 'Never Enough' has steely drums that slap hard while the twisted, glistening melodies and 90s stabs bring a rave feel. 'KO' is a darker and more gritty sound with dubby low ends and vocal aspirations adding a touch of human soul. 'OBSSSD' has more old school vocals buried in a shimmering mix of synths and snappy drums and 'Been There Too Long' flips the vibe with a much more soft, rounded, warm deep house jaunt with deft vocal fragments and neon colours all making it the best of the lot.

Review: Serenity is a mental health charity label that is now back with more sonic gold, this time in the form of a reissue of Marco Bernardi aka Octogen's 'The Journeyman' from 2008 on Soma Recordings. It is an immersive, emotive sound with lush and ethereal pads and a moody bassline that keeps you locked. The B-side offers two original tracks from Bernardi 'Travelling to the Sun' is one to hypnotise floors with its hypnotic chimes and raw drums, while 'Little Tiny Crickets' delivers a fast-paced IDM twist with some killer synth work. As always, proceeds go to charity this time Papyrus UK who support youth suicide prevention and MusicSpace.

Review: Motor City great Omar S is not just a don when it comes to programming drums and laying down his irresistible synth lines and heart aching melodies. He can also play a wide array of instruments, and in fact does just that here as he plays all instruments played you can hear across all three cuts of this new one on his FXHE label. Things kick off with the wonderful 'Featuring Omar S (instrumental)' and then 'Sayoungaty Nig' is a hazy, lo-fi ambient sound with occasional synth smears and a barely-there rhythm implied by the odd kick drum sound. 'Featuring Omar S' is a signature deep house joint with bristling metal hi-hats, rickety drums and edgy drones that keep you on edge as more soulful chords rise up through the mix.

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: 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.

Review: Ophan, formatively a festival hosting talents the likes of Onur Ozer, Hicham, and P.O in Cyprus, now branches out into deeper and increasingly original sonic territory with the launch of its own label. They kick off with a four-track EP from Turin's Otis, who joins a new throng of V/A releasers alongside Innershades, Derek Carr, Munir Nadir, Lvca, and Dawl. Synthology, the debut release under Ophan's label (Oph001), recaptures Otis' ability to finely balance peak times and rolling intervals, with 'Techno Rock'n'roll' in particular marking an especially perfuse detour through high school hair metal synths set against cosmic riser stabs. The release also introduces Lithos, a new subseries.

Review: Mr Banger keeps it tight and future-facing with this new offering from Oward. The opener is the title cut and it's a non-stop sound with bumping drums and bobbling rubbery bass topped with yelping vocals and scattered percussion that makes it super lively. There's a jazzy twist to 'Jardin Secret ' with its sunny strings but the busted bass and relentlessness of the dry, crisp tech drums make it a peak time bomb. On 'La Fete Du Tunnel' things get even quicker with more metallic drums and hits, bulbous bass and a speed tech house sound sweeping you offer your feet. Last of all, 'Spirit De La Fore' is a deeper cut with well-swung drums and fist-pumping energy.

Review: Premade heavyweight Obscure Shape and classically trained musician Conrad team up; Berg Audio proudly welcome them as a new duo addition to their roster, together under the name Urban CC. Throwing back to real-deal minimal-ambient techno of a steezy kind, something between Maurizio, Move D and Ghost, 'Pegasus' and 'Marly' cycle through fluttering dub techno and 1-2-step garage respectively, the latter bringing an eyebrow raising combo of yearnsome garge vocal science and pulsewidth techno shots, post-drop. 'Hadban' sneaks a cheeky drum & bass bullet train onto an otherwise techno-centric platform, marking Sleepnet-style vocal etherics and sold-on-us liquid. 'Shagya' finally restricts the mix, with a dubtech-house full of beeping, filtered vocal shouts; a Strictly Rhythm-meets-Chain Reaction contraction.

Review: Osunlade's latest release continues his transformative journey, evolving from a major-label ghostwriter to one of deep house's most spiritually attuned and culturally conscious figures. His Yoruba Records imprint has long been a conduit for globally infused, soul-drenched house music, but here he turns inward, stripping things back to something more meditative while maintaining his signature warmth. 'Wiggle Room' opens with rhythmic vocals, strings and congas that gently invite movement. The pace slows in 'PASS!!,' building a quiet tension, before 'Hang Nail' introduces Middle Eastern-inspired melodies and sharp, punchy beats. 'Luv' offers a burst of warmth with lush chords and smooth vocals, capturing the essence of that classic deep sound. In 'She Represents,' heavy 303 basslines pay tribute to Shirley Chisholm, intertwining excerpts from her iconic speech with commanding rhythms. 'So Long...Stranger' reflects on the isolation of the pandemic, a quiet moment of introspection, before 'Modular Movements' closes the collection with an emotionally charged resolution. This set offers a journey that balances movement and stillness, reflecting Osunlade's own pathideep, unhurried and reverent, like the house music he's crafted throughout his career.