Back catalogue: House

Review: Berlin's Cocktail d'Amore and Tokyo's Ene Records have come together once again to present the music of Solidair. The duo of Cocktail alumni Luigi Di Venere and Jules Etienne present three tracks aimed to induce a dance floor hypnosis. Orgonite (Riding the Waves) does just that, a slow build awash in the ebb and flow of acid tinges, just enough to wet your whistle on a Saturday night. The original mix keeps the skeletal support but throws in a life preserver of 8 bit gaming synthesis. Frisky arps call and respond to each other before making way for sinewy pads to lift off. Tiger's Eye sets itself onto cruising speed incorporating elements of late 90's acid techno with the sleek and smooth clubbing aesthetics of modern day Berlin.

Review: Giuseppe Scarano's musical journey began at a young age, DJing in some of Puglia's best clubs like Clorophilla, Guendalina, Discorama and Heartz Festival supporting top tier DJs before launching NICEPEOPLE in 2018. His latest is on Constant Sound sublabel Cardiology and features four deep and dusty cuts. From the low slung disco loops of 'In Your Own' and the particuarly thumpin' Same For You' on the A side. Over on the flip, there's the swing fuelled deep house of 'Freaky' and some late '90s filtered house in the form of 'Best Places', cleverly sampling a pop classic from the same period.

Review: DJ SizleCaude is the head of the Herbal Soundz label and this is his first EP. It's one steeped in classic house knowledge and Chicago-referencing sounds. That is particularly true on 'About Time' with its spoken word sermon over dusty old drum sounds and hefty deep house drums. 'Kindly Listen' cuts it up with razor-sharp hi-hats and swirling pads that sound like a church organ in meltdown. Last of all is 'Ntho Tse', a swirling cosmic cut that takes you on a voyage through lush synth work and heartwarming pads before settling on a nice jazzy vibe.

Review: We know you're not supposed to because it's often said to be a cheap marketing gimmick but frankly, we love a good anonymous new producer to get wondering about. And here we have just that in the form of Skat who opens a new series with a one-sided 12". 'Skat 01' is a worthy tech cut with minimal drums loops and brushed metal surfaces all wound up into a tight groove and overlaid with some rudely vocal raps. It's the sort of tune that brings a unique character to any set and is sure to get the crowd demanding its ID.

Review: Since debuting a decade ago, Sleep D has refused to settle on one specific style or sub-genre, though in recent years the duo seems to have settled on a sound that prioritises hallucinatory, TB-303-driven sounds, weighty techno grooves and nods towards mid-90s ambient techno. These elements are much in evidence on the Australian outfit's latest EP, though there are also audible nods to neo-trance and the formative years of the psy-trance movement. They first join forces with Ivy Barkakati and Furious Frank on the constantly rising, mind-altering neo-trance throb of 'Border Control (Ahora Si)', before reaching for seriously trippy electronic motifs, creepy chords, metallic-sounding electronic bass and sturdy house beats on 'Post Pump'. Closing cut 'Bass'd in Berlin', meanwhile, immerses us in ambient electronics and mutilated choral samples before introducing a seriously pulsating, trance-style groove.

Review: Ohio duo Stash Magnetic (AKA Nick Riggio and Rebecca Magnetic) have previously caught the ear of Adrian Sherwood. Here they make their debut on Al Mackenzie and Chris Kentish's Field of Dreams Recordings imprint via a typically hazy, slow-motion fusion of pitched-down, mind-altering machine beats, bubbly synthesizer lines, moody chords, gnarled electric guitar solos and Magnetic's dystopian lead vocals. The duo's atmospheric and apocalyptic original mix comes backed by a trio of tasty reworks. To our ears, the standout revision comes from Richard Sen, who adds a little drug chug, a chunky synth-bassline and a number of suitably spooky musical touches. We'd also recommend Dan Wainwright's Dub, which sounds like a post-punk-era Adrian Sherwood revision of a glassy-eyed synth-pop jam.

Review: 500, 12" 180g, hand stamped, individually numbered records, single press only.

Review: Over the course of 2012, LA based producer Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker aka Gifted & Blessed aka GB has been stealthily responsible for some of our favourite releases at Juno, be it the self released and brilliantly presented EP The Provider or his return to All City with the vintage Detroit electro flex of Seven In Twenty Four or the all too on point Eglo emission The Abstract Eye. The Steoples project done in collaboration with fellow West Coast musician A Race Of Angels surfaced earlier this year and glowered with the kind of resonating warmth you would expect when Reyes-Whittaker's music is complemented by the angelic yet fragile vocal refrain of his studio partner. Despite originally being restricted to the digital domain, tracks such as "Nature Of The Soul" seem tailor-made for sliding across a slab of wax so it's great to see The Steoples EP finally get a 12" release. Such delays haven't dampened the impact either, which is a clear sign of timeless music. Along with the aforementioned "Nature Of The Soul" - a scratchy concoction of house-not house rhythms, sweet keys and swirling basslines tailor made for the vocal - the duo preside over plump and wonderfully melodic analogue beatdown excursions which bode well for future material The Steoples are apparently working on.

Review: 
For their second installment, the Chateau Chepere crew brings on board legendary producer Stephan Laubner under his STL moniker, with four time warping pieces of music. With his distinctive and intricate sonic palette, Laubner extracts from his hardware different musical colors and shapes to produce singular atmospheres. Opening up the EP is Fly Fly, an epic 11 min minimal house trip full of tension and excitement, followed by Eargrind, an eerie, laid back Detroit leaning ballad. On the flip is Light Up, a spaced out, playful and bittersweet number that will revitalize any hazy after-hours dancefloor. Closing up the EP is Unlike Dislike, a quirky, jacking and mischievous techno workout for the packed club. This diverse ep will pull the listeners and dancers into Laubner's multifaceted, low key but captivating universe.

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: Hot on the heels of 2021's stellar release of The French Connection's "Speechless" LP, Balance head honcho and legendary producer and DJ Chez Damier teams up again with Camille and Adeen Records for another trip around the the world with Lima, Peru's Surco's Groove, "The Lima Project." This beautiful release titled "What Is Love?" delivers hard hitting versions of the track in the original, dub, instrumental, and an acapella with stellar remixes from Snad and German producer Damien Rausch. Be it France or Peru, Balance and Adeen knows how to take you on a musical journey. We can't wait to see where they go next!

Review: The much loved Melodies International label takes another step away from its usual remit here by reissuing a second bit of classic house music following on from the excellent Hanna 12" late last year. It comes from cult London pair Synchrojack aka Dean Slydell and Greg Wheeler who first put it out on Ferox in 1995. "Daylight" is high speed, high class house with bubbling drums, bass and synths all making for a powerful yet fluid groove that is underpinned with punchy kicks that won't fail to make you move. Flipside "900th Lifetime" is similar in its full flavour grooves and tightly knotted bass. Both cuts are sure to be everywhere this summer.