Review: After an absence of a few years, 40 Thieves return to Leng Records with one of their most special releases to date: a hook-up with long-time Patrick Adams collaborator Gary Davis and long serving soulstress Cinammon Jones. What's on offer is a re-make of one of Jones' songs, 'The Gift', whose sweet lyrics celebrate the arrival of a new day. 40 Thieves take, explored first in the A-side 'Disco Mix', sounds like it was designed to be danced to during a San Francisco sunrise - think dub disco delays, hypnotic grooves, bubbly electronics, languid guitar licks and gentle melodies. Over on the flip, they take the track further into 'woozy 6am open air dancing territory' on a superb, stretched out 'Disco Dub' mix, before peppering a killer drum track with spaced-out electronics on the 'Beats' version.
Review: ViGis opening salvo for 2025 brings together four artists from four continents who all blend their own diverse cultural roots and influences into a superb collection of cuts for the club. This is a 12" that offers a refreshing take on familiar sounds and delivers subtle yet punchy variations in style and rhythm. Adema keeps it nice and clean and slick on the deep, bubbly tech of 'Jm Glavio' while Red Pig Flower's 'Stardust' is a zoned-out roller. Artur Nikolaev's 'New Edition' is a deft minimal soundscape with warped lines and bubbles dub undercurrents. Cladu shuts down with 'No Name' which is a more propulsive cut.
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged, record slightly warped***
ViGis opening salvo for 2025 brings together four artists from four continents who all blend their own diverse cultural roots and influences into a superb collection of cuts for the club. This is a 12" that offers a refreshing take on familiar sounds and delivers subtle yet punchy variations in style and rhythm. Adema keeps it nice and clean and slick on the deep, bubbly tech of 'Jm Glavio' while Red Pig Flower's 'Stardust' is a zoned-out roller. Artur Nikolaev's 'New Edition' is a deft minimal soundscape with warped lines and bubbles dub undercurrents. Cladu shuts down with 'No Name' which is a more propulsive cut.
Review: 'Disco Tape', which launched via a must-check 12" back in August 2023, os Sound Exhibitions' multi-artist EP series. This second volume is a similarly action-packed affair that gleefully blurs the boundaries between reworks, re-edits and sample-heavy original productions. Alexny kicks things off with two sun-soaked treats - the percussive and warming tropical disco tribute 'Caribbean Breeze' and the sax solo-sporting dancefloor shuffle of 'Bada Boom' - before Paride Pavone rounds off side A with the jazzy disco-house celebration of 'In Key'. Phil Disco impresses on side B with two killer cuts (the funky bass-propelled disco heaviness of 'Never Gonna Leave You' and the swirling jazz-funk-house bump of 'Disco Ipno', while disco-funk specialist C Da Afro rounds things off in fine style via the insatiable grooves and fluttering flute solos of 'The Choice'.
Review: There's something unavoidably magnetic about the intersection between ambition and self-awareness and this release, by Charonne, Nemo Vachez, Umberto and T Oceans, knows exactly how to tap into that tension. With each track, there's an undeniable undercurrent of both vulnerability and swaggeriproducers twisting minimal beats into something far deeper, dragging you through shadows with a mix of melancholy and movement. You feel the weight of their collective sound but also their defiant lightness, straddling the line between introspective and dancefloor-driven music. It's a textured, driving release with an ever-present air of mystery.
Review: Clock Poets returns with Surrealism, a three-track various artists exploration of minimal techno and micro-house. Dan Andrei's 'Si Un Ecou' is a stripped-back, bass-heavy roller that is simmering with tension before erupting into modulated synths. Root's 'Apophis' delivers swing-heavy micro-house with shuffling drums and growling synth textures which nod to the genre's golden era. Clock Poets' 'Galaxy' on the flip is a sprawling 14-minute live-recorded jam rich in intricate sound design to end with a classy touch. Surrealism masterfully balances moods and textures here and makes for another refined entry in the Clock Poets catalogue for lovers of thoughtful, hypnotic dance sounds.
Crackazat - "Can't Blame A Soul" (Mana dub) (5:51)
Beatsbyhand - "SARS" (6:24)
Review: Kid Fonque presents the sixth instalment of his label Stay True Sounds' compilation series. Showcasing the best of South Africa's dynamic musical talents, this 15-track volume of intense deep house and Afro house cuts is not to be passed over. Highlights on this 12" sampler edition of the wider comp include 'We R 1', a technologically driven, syncopated, trippy Kalahari jam by China Charmeleon and Hypaphonik; and 'SARS' by Beatsbyhand, a hollering ambient amapiano mystery.
Nicola Brusegan, Camilo Gil - "Take A Groove" (6:27)
Nicola Brusegan, Camilo Gil - "Take A Groove" (Jorge Caiado remix) (6:12)
Review: Renowned producer Bodeler makes his mark on the newly emerging Minimal Brooklin label with a masterful display of minimalism on his A1 cut, then respected Argentinian Franco Cinelli remixes and delivers something immersive. On the B-side, Nicola Brusegan and Camilo Gil unite to create a soulful deep house track complete with lush chords and pulsating basslines, and this one is paired with a remix from Jorge Caiado that is sure to electrify dance floors thanks to his knack for crafting statement-making sound and pulsating acid vibes.
Review: It's a sizzling seven up for Moiss Music here as they draw together four different artists to offer up one cut each for this new various artists collection. Boogietraxx goes heavy on the filter vibes on 'S N T' which is French touch disco-house of the highest order. Kellit's 'Pryscoks Sockin Socks' is all about sultry sax lines and loose-limbed disco house beats while C Da Afro gets heads up with the streaming sunshine synths of 'Don't Be Quiet.' Groovemasta shut down with the funky Afro-disco stylings of 'Gonna Make U Rock.'
Revolution Of Tha Mind (Lil Mark Swing Tech mix) (6:15)
Revolution Of Tha Mind (Chris Carrier 909 Tribute mix) (6:10)
Review: Oblivium's first vinyl outing is well worthy of its space on wax as Nicola Brusegan and Camilo Gil serve up the deep than deep house of 'Revolution Of Tha Mind 909 Poems By: Tea Time.' The original Hood mix is first and is one coated in sustained chords, dusty atmospheres and soulful vocal mutterings with plenty of analogue percussion and loopy, swinging drums. The Luciano remix is a more uneasy and stringy minimal version, as you would expect, and then comes a much more raw and edgy number from Lil Mark in the form of his Swing Tech mix. A Varied and vital package is shut down with Chris Carrier's steamy and humid 909 Tribute mix.
Review: Steve Bug is going on 30+ years of writing electronic music and travelling the world as a top DJ with no signs of letting up. It Just Happened is his latest and finds its way to the legendary and iconic Nu Groove records. It must be daunting to release music on such an amazing label. 'It Just Happened' has all the makings of a classic worthy enough for the Nu Groove logo. Veteran Cle who has worked on many projects with Steve is featured here as well. For those that really know Steve Bug's background, they know he is equally involved in house music as he is with techno. Tracks like 'Crew Thing' show his ability to make a standout house track while 'House Music Transcends' closes things out with your hands in the air. We respect Steve Bug so much for his work over the years. When he is old skool mode like he is on this EP, you just have to say respect to the man. Respect!
Review: Christian Rinderman, aka C-Rock, has been a key figure in Frankfurt's house scene since the 90s, consistently delivering deep and funky tracks regardless of fleeting trends. His first release in 1995 included the club favourite 'Funky Dope Trakk,' which quickly gained support from local and international DJs. Ricardo Villalobos, among others, played the tune relentlessly for decades. In 2012/13, C-Rock's own label Lo-Fi Stereo remixed and reissued the track, but those versions have since become rare and sought-after. Now, 'All That Jelly' is reissuing the four original versions, freshly remastered from the original DATs, ensuring they'll remain dancefloor staples for the next 30 years.
Review: Groovin Italy landed a monumental reissue for the label with C'hantal's 'The Realm'. Originally released way back in 1990 on the dance and early Brooklyn based Powertraxx records. Staying true to the original release, it offers the 'Love In D Minor' mix but does one better in tucking in the Acapella version to the A-side so the B-side 2 versions have a little more room to breathe. The added bonus has to be putting on the more rare "Wild Club mix' to the party along with the original 'Rave Mix'. All and all, a very packed reissue of some of the best versions of the track, all on one record. This might just hold the number one spot for best techno reissue so far of 2024.
Review: We all know that it is imperative to stay away from the minibar in most cases, but not here: the French label of that name is a classy outlet for those who like stylish minimal sounds. And who better to serve them up than the rightly revered Cabanne. This two-tracker kicks off with 'Karan' which is a delightfully smooth and heady late-night minimal joint with sci-fi designs and deft synth modulations. 'Straight' then has more defined drums powering forward the spaced-out motifs and slippery basslines. Two high-class sounds for connoisseurs only.
Review: Following years spent serving up sounds on a wide variety of underground labels (Into The Woods, Atipic and Infuse included), Alexis Cabrera renews his productive partnership with Raum Musik - a label he last appeared on four years ago. The EP highlight is unquestionably A-side 'Dreaming of a Silver Future', a sparkling and positive-sounding affair in which spoken word snippets, shimmering stabs, jacking drum fills and tight TB-303 tweaks rise above a chunky bassline and restless drums. Flipside opener 'Your Name On My Arm' is a rugged and decidedly moody affair in which blackened electronics, trippy samples and dystopian sonics, cropped vocal samples and short TB-303 tweaks ride a charred bassline and chunky tech-house beats, while 'Do You Wanna Wonder' is a hypnotic and lightly intergalactic European tech-house roller with notably crunchy drums and a few nods to Twilo-era Danny Tenaglia.
Review: Priku's Atipic imprint is back with a new one by Berlin-based Argentinian Alexis Cabrera this week. ATIPIC 014 features four tracks firmly entrenched in the minimal sound; the off-kilter, low slung breaks of '014.1' kicks off the EP featuring some sensual vocals by The Magic Olives, before the playful groove of '014.2' comes next that's reminiscent of late-noughties sounds on Minus or Oslo. On the second side, you've got the trippy microhouse bleep fest of '014.3' and ending with the experimental, piano-led downbeat piece '014.4'.
Review: Fledging but already fine young label U.Dig out of Croatia is back with more final gold, this time from a master of the form in Alexis Cabrera. He kicks off with the mini-epic that is '1997.5', a real head-melting and elastic acid tune that is perfectly deep and rolling for the freaky afters. 'Straight Up' is more punchy and taught, with low-slung drums and crisp hits powering it forward. Last of all things get brilliantly unhinged on 'Microrama,' a kinetic and densely packed cut with flappy snares blaring synths, withering melodies and a true sci-fi feel.
Review: Berlin-based Argentinian Alexis Cabrera has been knocking out classy minimal and tech house OPEs for a while on top labels like Atypic and Supervise Music. He here arrives on the fledgling Into The Woods label with more of his well crafted late nigh trips. 'Insatiable' is a sublime mix of rubbery bass rumbles and smooth synths that loop in concentric circles and take you ever higher into heaven as they do so. 'Liturgia' is a more experimental mix of loops and synth modulations that bring subtle funk to the popping drums. It's playful and fun and 'Serial Light' shuts down with some jazzy snare work, rolling keys and beams of sunlight through the shutters at 5 am.
Review: Alexis Cabrera has always liked to subvert expectations and cross traditional genre lines in his work. He does so again here on the On_NRV label which brims with inventive spirit. 'Mi Housa Es Tu Housa' is a vibrant minimal house cut with some fresh synth sounds looping through rolling and infectious drums. 'Balas Que Pican Cerca' has a more abstract cosmic feel with menacing sci-fi pads and unreeling drum funk. 'Expiration Pain' has a steely aesthetic with rugged and textural synth motifs looping up through the mix and last of all, 'Under That Blue Sea' is a more balmy cut that allows you to catch your breadth amongst some deeper grooves.
Review: Gaston Cabrera, an Argentinian producer on the rise, delivers a captivating four-tracker for Exarde. 'Romance Electro' sets the tone with pulsating synths and driving percussion, conjuring a dark and hypnotic atmosphere. Cabrera's sound blends house and techno with a touch of Italo-disco, creating a unique sonic tapestry. 'Baile Y Drama' picks up the pace, its infectious groove and swirling melodies leading the listener on an exhilarating journey. On the flip, 'Atmosfera Yonki' is a masterclass in sonic manipulation, its haunting textures and disorienting soundscapes evoking a descent into the depths of a Buenos Aires nightclub. The EP closes with '7AM', a melancholic yet uplifting exploration of intricate rhythms and introspective melodies. With its diverse sounds and undeniable dancefloor appeal, this EP is a testament to Cabrera's talent.
Review: Erol Alkan's faultless Phantasy Sound is one of the most high-quality but musically hard to predict labels out there. British Ugandan DJ Josh Caffe has dropped a few killers here before and has a full length coming later in the year but first is 'Meine Lederjeans'. It's a slow-motion electro-funk cut which vocals that drip with Prince-style sexuality and soul. The Paranoid London remix then does what Paranoid London remixes do - bring the grit, grime and sleaze. It's a raw and frazzled remix with early Chicago acid-house vibes. A superb EP with two very different but equally standout tunes.
Review: French producer Caim impresses us all with their newest EP for Autodidact, 'Nebula'. Whether or not he is self-taught, we could, regardless, believe it to be true, judging just by the sound of this EP alone. Evidently undeterred by the fear of loss of vim in loss of speed, this glassy, prismatic minimal/progressive techno EP gets progressively slower in tempo, beginning on the rousing ghost-scapes of 'Space Cadet' before moving into the waterier Atlantean wonk-chugs of 'Nebula' and 'Crystal Fox'. All three tracks demonstrate the best of Caim's ability to craft dispersive, refractive soundscapes - as if its raw constituent synth parts had been granularly "shone" through a brilliant, many-faced diamond - and still fit them between otherwise gnarly sets of beats.
System Check (Melchior Productions LTD remix) (10:18)
Destino Caminante (Flabbergast remix) (6:42)
System Check (Flabbergast remix) (5:51)
Review: Minimal house legend Thomas Melchior and Montreal's Flabbergast duo bring their skills to remix Calcio Club's cool System Check EP. Melchior is one of our favs when it comes to silky, deep, minimal house and here delivers a remix that retains the original's groove while smoothly transitioning into lush synth vibes. Flabbergast's Guillaume Coutu Dumont and Vincent Lemieux have a sound just as distinctive and offer two remixes that push micro-house's limits. Their tracks feature mind-bending effects, Moog-style synth hooks and a burst of percussion that all lead the remixes to a new level of dance floor ecstasy.
Review: Not everyone 'gets' house. First, there are those who dismiss it as mindless 4x4 schlock; then, even amongst those who ostensibly enjoy the moods that the genre lays down, there are still individuals who fail to appreciate the subtleties that glue the spaces between the beats, or the musicality that holds the tunes together as opposed the lacks thereof that might make them flop. Whatever the case, Calisto's Definitive Classic (TM) 'Get House' is an ahead-of-its-time house pioneers' artifact, coming as an early example of what some might call tech house, albeit nowadays most would simply assume is acid or breakbeat. Indeed, to truly be able to appreciate the differences betweem genres, you have to just, you know, kinda, just 'get it'.
Review: Call Super delivers a superb telecommunication in the form of 'Swallow Me'. We're not sure why Call Super wants us to ingest him, but we're not going to question it too much. The new track samples Kamala Sankaram's performance at the final Resonant Bodies festival in New York in 2019. "In Ancient Greek, ololyga is the ritual shriek of women, a sound so alarming to men that it could not be uttered within their earshot" - goes the liner text. Sonically, Mr. Super blends the ololyga with Hebden-esque shuffles and glossy dance schlop, building a deeply resonant tune sure to kill egos the world over.
Shining Of Life Flutemental (unreleased version) (11:01)
Shining Of Life Flutemental (Lambros Jahmans remix) (5:15)
UNDUB (Space Ritual dub) (10:40)
Shining Of Life Flutemental (Space Ritual dub) (11:15)
Review: Some 20 years ago, Japanese producer donned the K.F alias (the initials of his given name, Kiyotaka Fukagawa) and delivered the astonishingly good 'Shining of Life', a sun-soaked Balearic house treat shot through with Japanese nu-jazz musicality, gospel-influenced vocals and expansive, life-affirming piano solos. This EP offers up previously unheard 'Shining of Light Flutemental' takes. Calm's own 'unreleased mix' retains some of the key elements of the 2004 original while adding morning-fresh flute solos and starry sounds seemingly inspired by Detroit techno. The 'Lambros Jahmans Sunset Mix' is a dreamy and immersive interpretation underpinned by an Afro-house style beat, while the 'Space Ritual Dub' is an almost entirely beat-free soundscape. On 'Undub (Space Ritual Dub)', the same producer wraps echoing flute and piano motifs around a tactile, hand percussion-driven rhythm track.
Review: There's a fair chance you'll already have heard "Cola", experienced production duo Camelphat's collaboration with vocalist Elderbrook. The original version, with its rumbling bass, atmospheric builds, subtle bassline house influence and "she sips the Coca-Cola" refrain, has become something of an anthem since first appearing on digital download earlier in the year. For this first vinyl release, Defected has packaged the now-familiar original mix with a trio of reworks. The most impressive of these comes from German veteran Mousse T. He brilliantly re-casts the track as a bumpin' chunk of celebratory disco-house complete with thrilling piano riffs and an elastic bassline.
Review: Sao Paulo artist and About Disco label head Rafael Cancian once played Motor City Wine party in its native Detroit and was thought to hail from the city itself so synonymous was his sound with what the locals expected. As such he now steps up to Hot Pot with a new pair of edits starting with 'Heaven.' It's a fulsome cosmic disco stepper with low sling drums and plenty of shiny synths as well as soothing vocal coos that help take you to ecstasy. Flip it over and you will find 'Nigeriac' which is a syncopated mix of Afro funk and rock to shake your bones loose.
Review: Exemplary nu-disco wax from the German Kaskadeur crew, lending a much-coveted plodders' energy to two sonic units by disco's twin queens. The slow churn of 'Kaskadeur 08', the eighth in the eponymous series, is characteristic of much contemporary techno-disco, betraying a capacity to urge foot, leg and hip movements in the listener and yet still without so much as a hint of histrionics: a must if you want to leave so much as a scent of cool in today's scene. The mysteriously named 'AN' and 'NE' play back like electrochromic disco hits of yore, though their source material is various, making this a special case of not just editing, but remixing: the A's 'Hearts Run Free' by Candi Staton and the B's 'No Mountain High Enough' by Diana Ross are make for great uses each.
Review: Native Soul Recordings has been around a long old time in dance music terms and now it looks back over some of its finest works with this first in a new series of Best Of comps. Music writer Harold Heath is first up with 'Slipstream,' an effortless smooth late-night house cut with introspective chords and silky pads bringing real depth. The Candy Dealers get more lithe and elastic with the spraying bass and jumbled percussive house of 'Train Of Thought' and last of all, Asad Rizvi remixes Jevne's 'Moderize' with a funky little bassline and chord vamps that keep you on edge. A tasteful package of timeless house grooves.
Review: A classic that delivers the quintessential Euro house experience with its infectious energy and irresistible dancefloor appeal. This new yellow vinyl version brings flashbacks flooding in of the era's vibrant club scene through a mix of upbeat rhythms, catchy melodies and expansive remixes. Side-1 opens with the single version of 'More & More', a track that wastes no time diving into a groove-laden beat and euphoric synth lines. The extended mix that follows stretches the vibe even further, offering DJs and dance enthusiasts a longer ride through the track's pulsating, feel-good energy. Side-2 turns up the heat with the 'Underground' remix, which injects a deeper, more nocturnal edge into the track, perfect for late-night sets. The 'Trance Mix' closes the collection with an ethereal, sweeping take on the original, merging classic Euro house elements with hypnotic trance influences. This release is a love letter to the era of extended pleasure through remixes, capturing both the mainstream appeal and underground allure of Euro house.
Review: Aussie label Picnic defies the notion that 13 is unlucky with an irresistibly fun new 12" from Captn K. 'Get It On' is full flavour house music with squelchy cosmic bass, big hits and prickly percussion, but the icing on the cake is a well worked sample from the soul legend Marvin Gaye. Rather than sounding over familiar as can many samples, this one sounds fresh because of the dazzling action all around it. 'I Need Some Loving' is another colourful house tune that draws from the old school piano era and melts it with some cosmic vibrations and another Gaye sample, then 'It Will Take An Eternity To Break Us' closes out with lush future disco chords and start-eyed melodies over warm deep house beats.
Review: Jurgen Paape has a brilliantly characterful sound and wrote one of our favourite silly records in 'Ofterschwang' some 13 years ago (go check it out, it's brilliant.) We're glad to hear some new music from the long time Kompakt legend and co-founder and once again it's not what you would expect. 'Allein' is a downbeat piece with oriental melodies and gently plucked strings over warm bass. It's not for the club, that is for sure, but the flip side version 'Allein In Italien' sure is. This one is a chugging and brit Italo disco number with retro 80s synth sounds and plenty of joyous grooves.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.