New releases last eight weeks: House

Review: Much loved doom monger emo kids Depeche Mode have always been ripe for remixing by new generations of electronic music artists and so it is that there 'My Favourite Stranger' gets a series of re-rubs here on Columbia. Tech house mainstay Boris Brejcha remixes first and elongates the grooves with mournful pads up top. The Ela Minus remix of the same tune brings some extra textured and darker moods and the best is saved till the last if you ask us. The Lond Island Sound remix is high speed and tinged with electro synth work as the moody vocals echo about the mix to trippy effect.

Review: Lapse Records welcomes Los Primos here as they debut their excellent new EP Under-Stompin'. This fresh project is the brainchild of Toronto's Cosmic JD and Aaron Santos, both affiliated with the Hypnotic Mindscapes label and party collective. They showcase their singular take on tight, twitchy cosmic tech house across a quartet of its that start with the snappy snare work of 'What We're On' before 'Primitive Holiday' (feat Masayuki Tomita) is more raw and coarse with sharp hits and spraying basslines. 'Vicky's Out 4 Blud' (feat Nicolas Cage) takes things into a more cosmic direction and the 'The TS Chronicles' is a warped afters banger.

Review: Spaced Repetitions is a new label by veteran producer Manuel Tur who has always been known for his deliciously deep sound. For the imprint's fourth outing, he serves up two versions of a tune by Ingrid Lukas taken from last year's album ELUMELOODIA. The Estonian-Swiss singer, pianist and composer's angelic vocals remain in place up top as the dubby drums roll down low and all manner of icy synths and gassy melodic tinkles pepper the groove and get you into a celestial state of mind. The dub version allows that to come to the fore even more.

Review: Hailing from the ever more productive Naarm scene from deep down under and now making a mark on Step Ball Chain is Mabel, a fast-rising new name in the techno underground. She has a sound that is psychedelic and unrelenting and is perfect for energetic raves in insalubrious locations. This new outing is a strong statement: the Pleasure Phonetix EP offers five cuts that take in many different influences from the electronic spectrum from tough techno to stripped-back electro via stylish and classy psy-prog. More good work from the ever-more crucial talent.

Review: Multi Culti introduces Orchid's vibrant tribute to Spain's trance era on this album which merges Balearic allure with a rejection of modern techno's commercialism. Orchid, isolated in a psychedelic-deprived nation, yearns for the cultural fusion of sex, power, love, and sweetness found in Spanish-speaking music scenes. Techno Valencia beckons listeners to immerse themselves in a nostalgic journey, evoking the soulful resonance of a bygone musical era. Through exploration of archival sounds, Orchid resurrects the essence of pure musical expression, inviting a return to a time when music was deeply felt-a testament to passion and fun in an age of commercialisation.

Review: First released in 1992 on Muzak, an Italian label headed up by Leo Mas, Fabrizio Lazzari, and Andrea Gemolotto, this crucial 12" played a pivotal role in shaping Italy's dancefloor electronic scene of the early 90s. Infused with influences from Detroit and New York, it forged a unique sound that is still fresh today. Now, it sees an official reissue with a great remix of 'Futureless' by Berlin-based Trent. This revamped version strips away the breakbeat elements, infusing the track with a new acid vibe. The reissue breathes new life into a timeless classic, bridging the gap between past and present electronic landscapes.

Review: youANDme has always been an important cog in the wheel of underground house and techno and his recent PPPPP was another fine project that has also spawned plenty of equally brilliant remixes. This is a second collection of them and it kicks off with the Polish master of perfect loop techno, Head High aka Shed. His bulky, barreling drums and big percussive loops come with plenty of bounce and raved up vocals. After that come Ian Pooley's dub, and Johannes Albert's deep house trip. Sasha, Roger Sanchez and Laurent Garnier have already been banging these so now it's your turn.

Review: As the artist alias kind of suggests, Abyssy takes a deep dive into the unknown depths of the human spirit. It finds the artist returning to Simona Faraone's label after several years and finds him exploring electronic sounds of the 70s and 80s, blending Berlin school minimalism with Detroit techno's soul and funk. It is a record that ranges in mood and tempo as it heads into oceanic depths where wispy pads and chattery percussive patterns collide in unusual ways. It's a largely abstract album of unusual sound designs and genuine electronic discovery that often has you wondering just how certain abounds have been made.

Review: Domenic Cappello is a long time legend of the scene who has been in the form of his life of late. As such he finally drops a much anticipated and long awaited debut album 'Basement Philosophy on Alien Communications that comes 20 years after he started making beats. Cappello's sound permeates the whole record as it traverses diverse sonic landscapes with captivating potency. Opening with 'Mushroom Waltz', dreamy pads and lively chords set the tone, leading into the soulful depths of 'Midnight with T'. 'Early Flight' builds cerebral atmospheres with characteristic snapping drums. 'Acid Rain' evokes nostalgia, while '3am Jamaica Street' pulsates with peak-time energy. 'Moon Jump' offers languid melodies reminiscent of classic Underground Resistance and electro-inspired 'Burning Past' and 'Not for Instagram DJs' conclude ta high class record in style.

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.

Review: The impeccable Lithuanian label Greyscale is a real leader when it comes to dub techno and already they are racing into 2024 in fine style with a first full-length of the year from label head Grad_U! The sublime and immersive Sustain has eight larges ambient soundscapes that are detailed with field recordings from another planet. Each one is alluringly empty and beautiful, intriguing and unsettling to make for an escapist trip to another dimension. The way the producer manages to conjure up what feel like familiar emotions in such a faraway world is second to none and will leave you wanting to do it all over again the second it ends.

Review: Detroit house hero Kyle Hall returns with his biggest project in some time in the form of Transmissions, a new double album on his own well-regarded Forget The Clock. All six tracks have enigmatic, functional titles and the music is as idiosyncratic as ever. Each one veers more towards techno than is Hall's usual style, with pulsating synth lines and tight, dusty drum tracks making for stripped-to-the-bones grooves. Later on, things grow ever more abstract with twisted acid lines screwing their way through the increasingly ragged and roughshod drums. These are perfectly imperfect jams from a master of the form.

Review: Global Underground is one of the longest-running DJ mix series and it has always been one of the best. Plenty of big-names over the years have made their mark, often more than once, and now it is the turn of the famously long-playing New York titan Danny Tenaglia to show us what he's made of. He brings his signature grooves and a hint of Latin flavour to proceedings on this, a third and final installment of his trilogy for the series. It is mostly contemporary names serving up new school sounds but all delivered with Danny's cultured and old school DJ mentality.

Review: The Milano Undiscovered series has been expertly overseen by Fred Ventura and now clocks up a third installment. It again delves into Milan's dynamic techno and house scene between the years of 1988 and 1992. Unveiling a trove of unreleased demos, it highlights the city's burgeoning underground culture during this period. Influenced by the pioneering sounds of Chicago, Detroit, London, and Sheffield, Milanese producers embarked on a creative journey, crafting their own distinct interpretations of electronic dance music. These demos offer a glimpse into the innovative spirit and diverse sonic landscape that defined Milan's contribution to the global dance music scene during this transformative era.