Back catalogue: House

Review: Novaj Records presents its second vinyl release - 'Space Energy', an electrifying compilation EP inviting listeners on an interstellar journey through a wide array of sonic cosmologies, in good stead with the nascent trend of space-age acid house emergent of late. Lauching into the boundless realms of space, the likes of Donnie Cosmo's 'Venus Transit', MLink's 'Frequencia' and Sunaas' 'Flash Dancer' are all as enchanting as they are out-of-body-experience-inducing.

Review: Amulanga, operating out of Thailand, emphasise beauteous atmospheric progressive house, pairing each compilation with exquisite, extra-worldly sci-fi themes. Their latest, sixth vinyl V/A hears additions from Dulus, Acrobat, Ilias Katalenos & Plecta, Taleman and Shri & Alej, each track a seamless infusion of living, writhing organic sound. More than just music, the aim is to imply a narrative, shuttling and transforming listeners over and beyond centrifugal, interplanetary orbits - not just dancefloors.

Review: This is the thirrd release by the amazing Italian producer Ivan Iacobucci for the Perlon label. The previous two were so well received, this next one was destined to come out sooner than later. Perlon fans know what to expect from their label of choice and Ivan delivers the goods. Those addictively quirky and fonky jackin' minimal techno jams. The title track is that and then some! We especially like the sexy jam 'Waiting For My Love'. Expect the unexpected when you flip over the record as 'Close the Door' is a full-on acid banger that combines high energy techno into what sounds like a video game soundtrack theme song! Closing things out is the wild sounding 'Fear & Madness in the Desert'. We are smiling at the thought of someone playing out these corkers to audience. Expect to see WTF typefaces everywhere!

Review: Aiming squarely for the charts once again come German and American minimal maestros Adam Port and Stryv, together joining forces with the irresistibly tremolo'ing voice of singer Malachiii. Few songs in the contemporary climate do so well as those which blow up on social media, and 'Move' is one such case. The present zeitgeist's mode of "hip ennui" is achieved with great celerity here, with the track's instrumental weaving an excessive yet insouciant trance around Malachiii's neon croons. Impressively echoic, it's the fusion of minimal techno and contemporary Afrobeats - both fervently identifiable styles - that make this one catchy.

Review: A four-track EP that seamlessly blends electronic, acid house and breakbeat influences. Opening with 'Keep Off,' the track establishes a driving, pulsating rhythm that sets the tone with intricate synth patterns. 'N64' picks up the pace, with its relentless bassline and sharp percussion, evoking energy and urgency. On the flip side, 'Oscillator' takes the listener into a hypnotic trance-like state, with oscillating synths creating an immersive atmosphere. Closing with 'Diffusion Network,' the track layers complex rhythms and sounds, demonstrating the duo's ability to craft rich, engaging electronic music.

Review: Prog house legend Sasha collaborates with Newcastle's Artche on a stunning new track, 'Hold On,' which blends dramatic, sweeping synths with deep, moody basslines and emotional vocals. The original version is a cinematic journey, building with profound melodies and lush chords that create an expansive, atmospheric vibe. The track is both sophisticated and impactful, with its grand architecture tugging at the heartstrings. The 'Artche Mix' offers a different twist, working in airy, dusty broken beats while keeping the original's vocals and synths. This version introduces a fresh rhythm and texture, yet still retains the emotional core of the track. Both mixes highlight the collaborative synergy between Sasha and Artche, showcasing their ability to craft deeply emotive, melodic dance music.

Review: Sasha is back with another standout release on his own label, Last Night On Earth, this time joining forces with Jody Barr. After recent collaborations with Super Flu and Sentre as well as his solo hits like 'Florian Drift' and 'How to Wear Raybans Well', Sasha remains a leading figure in the melodic house and techno world. Jody Barr, with releases on Krankbrother, among others, brings his rugged, hardware-driven sound to the mix. Their track 'Phaxon' is an elegant, emotive affair, while Einmusik's remix adds a darker, club-ready edge.

Review: Sasha's journey from trailblazer in the late-90s to one of the most influential figures in the dance music scene is a saga that feels as expansive as his discography. Having spent decades shaping the sound of progressive house, his career is a masterclass in reinvention i and collaboration. Whether you're hearing him weave his magic through orchestral synths, deep baselines, or finely tuned atmospherics, it's clear that Sasha never rests on his laurels. His latest collaboration with Joseph Ashworth continues this legacy. Known for his work with labels like Anjunadeep, Needwant and Pets Recordings, Ashworth brings his textured, melody-driven style to the mix, further enhancing Sasha's exploration of emotional soundscapes. The single 'HiFiHi' adds another layer to Sasha's ongoing journey, with the original mix offering cinematic build-ups and euphoric moments, while the LoFiLo Mix opts for a more introspective, vulnerable tone. Together, the tracks highlight a refined maturity in both producers' craft, reinforcing Sasha's place as a key figure in contemporary electronic music.

Review: Secretsundaze, both the label and party, is now helmed by James Priestley alone. Here the long-time London staple embarks on a new journey with his first solo release which features a fresh pair of originals. The EP opens with 'Doesn't This Sun Feel Great' which is a slick, speed house cut that is pent up with joy and celebration and has some twisted vocal manipulations and superb percussive details. 'The Real Sun' is similar in that it features plenty of live percussion, some tropical bird calls and humid synth lines that will get big reactions in the club. On the B-side, Drua's remix brings a psychedelic tech-house edge, while Giraffi Dog closes with his '700 Lakeside Remix' which is a little more sundown and sultry.

Review: Shat is a place in Yorkshire (well, the nickname a village called Skelmanthorpe). Shat is something you hope to never do. Shat is also the alias of an artist who makes progressive house with a 90s twist. This outing is a third on the Party Tricks label and it opens with some swirling celestial pads, dream-scape beats and dusty hits that get your head amongst the clouds. 'Dwingeloo' is a faster slice of progressive techno with freewheeling pads and raspy basslines. Two remixes on the flip that things into very different territory but both of them are going to prove effective in the right setting.

Review: "Yeah, as I gaze upon you, I am overwhelmed by the fact that beauty is an insufficient phrase to describe you. You are the definition of pure perfection, and though many have tried and failed to get close to you, I run that walk into the flame." Echoing the seductive vocal soliloquies heard overlaid in much deep Chicago house - the work of the late Paul Johnson springs to mind - K' Alexi Shelby marks a terrific introduction to this new V/A from Cod3 QR. The label was long the subject of much speculative chinstroking; only in recent years was it revealed to be the brainchild of Laurent Garnier and Oliver Way. Here on this latest output from the label, we hear a mix of technical and tribal moods traverse across a mostly slow-burner sensibility, pinnacling on DJ Bone's bosomy chord viber 'DD'.

Review: The debut album from Ukrainian collective Noneside unites musicians and visual artists under the inspiring words of poet Taras Shevchenko, who said 'Make love, o dark-browed ones.' Framed by a painting from contemporary artist Iryna Maksymova, the music explores the trance and tech house that is destined to bring souls together on the dancefloor this summer and beyond. Shjva opens with fresh and mashed bass and sleek trance pads that are subtle but effective. Lostlojic layer sup deep, bubbly techno drums and bass with an angelic vocal tone and Saturated Color's 'Trancia' is a speedy, scuffed-up tech groove for late-night cruising. Peshka and Yevhenii Loi offer two more future-facing trance-techno fusions packed with feels.

Review: Simic's contribution to Accessory's eighth release is a masterclass in minimal house that ventures into frosty sonic landscapes. On the A-side, 'Third Dream' opens with delicate precision, utilising airy percussion and sparse melodies that leave plenty of room for the listener's imagination to wander. Its hypnotic, minimal structure feels perfectly at home in a late-night set, inviting dancers to get lost in its clean lines and steady pulse. 'When The Foot Falls' follows, maintaining the minimalist ethos but with a touch more warmth, weaving intricate rhythms into a seamless, immersive journey. The B-side shifts the mood with 'An Introduction to Frost', bringing in the krautrock-inspired textures that lend the record its icy allure. There's a deliberate pace to the track, each layer added carefully, building a shimmering, crystalline atmosphere. This progression is taken a step further with Apt E's 'Glacier Dub' remix, which plunges even deeper into the chill, transforming the original into a dubbed-out, weighty exploration of sound. Apt E's treatment introduces a spaciousness that reverberates with echoes, as if the track is playing out in a vast, frozen cavern. Simic's deft balance of minimalist house and krautrock elements results in a release that is equally suited to introspective listening and dynamic club environments. It's an impressive addition to the Accessory catalogue, showcasing his versatility while remaining rooted in the colder, more experimental corners of electronic music.

Review: Over the past ten years brothers Sasha and Sergey Lipsky have been throwing down their own brand of wayward grooves as Simple Symmetry, tapping into a kind of cosmic sound which has been right at home on labels like Disco Halal. Now the Russiann pair have arrived on Multi Multi after teasing the connection with a compilation offering in 2021. On this EP we get dark n' dirty electro throb, ascendant trancey techno, sentimental sax-laden wooze-house (think 'Pacific State' on luudes) and a remix from kindred spirits Red Axes which will do maximum damage on the floor.

Review: Newcomer Liam Sinigoi shares a debut release for Nonsono, impressing us seasoned types with an evidently sparse but efficacious sonic palate. While Sinigoi's dancefloor acumen is second to none, you'd be surprised to learn that most of these tunes were made while he was living on the site of a former hospital in London's Shadwell, not in some action-stations studio. Packed with piquant acid leads and haunting over-synths, the likes of 'Steel's HC' and 'Can't Dance!' make up a sonic tetragram, each corner of which reveals a different side to the initiate producer.

Review: Cracking the back window open, Sleep D aerate our inner herbaria with a gas exchange in progressive techno, letting us in again on their outdoorsy brand of photosynthetic dance music. Always deepeneing their connection to the natural world, the EP opens with 'Green Thumbs' before vine-whipping us into the curious perks of 'Mountain Ash'; both nail a blithe, fairylike spirit, and the flushed-out, unencumbered feel of braving a hike after a cucumber face mask. 'Acheron Cauldron' carries the listener to a volcanic peak, where relentless kick and pulsating bassline brings us to seismic climax, leaving only eerie whispers. Closer 'Magma Flow', finally, is a trance-inducing finale hearing a slowed but thicketed texture, as brambles and stamens cloud our vision of a synth aurora.

Review: Aussie label Foul Play Records snip the red tape with a logographic roll of the dice, and an initiatory two-tracker by resident producer Solar Suite. Described rightly as two techy peak-time cuts, 'Plumb' and its sibling tune 'Second Wind' are alleged to have been made following a near religious experience experienced at Amsterdam club DOKA in 2021. The holy frenzy that follows is indeed a kind of percussive enthusiasmos, centring on deep, resonant sampled shouts and slippery sound design between fidgeting drums. 'Plumb' moves only ever so slightly more harmonic, its underlying chords and "ah" stutters functioning as audial anchors.

Review: Night Vibez first outing on vinyl is a limited affair, with only 200 copies available worldwide. It sees Steb join forces with Dario Rossi for 'Karius 1979', a shimmering, impactful late-night number that giddily blurs the boundaries between sci-fi deep house, trippy nu-disco, and strobe-lit Italo-disco of the sort more associated with basements in The Hague than open-air clubs in Italy. Van Der Kirche and THC kick-start the accompanying remix package with a bouncy, stab-happy breakbeat take that sounds like it could have been recorded in 1990 or 91, before big guns Marvin & Guy re-frame it as a throbbing Chic-meets-Italo-disco workout. To round things off, the Feel Fly 'Piano Emozione' mix is a dreamy, piano-laden trance number that recalls the mid-90s excellence of Robert Miles.

Review: While most party DJs lament their wedding gigs while lauding their fun cool jobs, Wedding Acid Group - the openers of this latest V/A by Undersound Recordings - marks a point of going beyond mere cultural Stockholm syndrome, not just making light of our matrimonial masters, but redirecting those cheugy energies into a killer beatific-corrosive intro.AThen come three more riveting uplifts of a blissful and bouncey variety, from 'Do As I Say' by Albert Ess to 'Singlestranded' by Systelman to 'Love2' by J. Mono, seguing from industrial anvil clankage to a nightbus-bound house closer.