Constant Black

Review: The next airdrop from the good ship Constant Black is a various artists affair with four tracks from four artists guaranteed to find a home in your extended micro sesh. Pascal Benjamin takes the lead with "Falkhill", locking into a Romanian-flavoured minimal breaks formation that rolls in resplendent fashion with a particularly choice vocal lick from an undisclosed RnB track. Michael James and Benjamin Joseph nudge the pitch fader up and dial in the swing for the decidedly funky wiggler "The Island", and TIJN keeps things bumping but works in some sharper drum sounds for the tough but bouncy "Maybe". Nick Beringer finishes the record off with the chunky funk of "Nyx", calling to mind Mike Shannon amongst others.

Review: Malaga's Cuartero is next up on Constant Black, bringing a finely honed minimal house sound that fits into the label's shadowy club aesthetic perfectly. "Rame" is a driving, insistent slice of stripped down house with plenty of subtle wriggles and textures gurgling away under the surface. "Melkor" has some tougher drums, not least around the low end, but the same economy of sonics is applied here where the beat takes the lead and the FX skirt and skitter around the beat. "Caterpillar" has a tougher, less swung accent to its beats, but the chunky drum machine patterns are still executed with that stern focus that makes a minimal track pop off in the mix.

Review: Over the past couple of years Niko Maxen has been busy firing out hit after hit of refined minimal with an emphasis on moody atmospheres and intricate, off-centre groove programming. From early releases on Pathway Traxx to recent outings on Roche Noire, Rowle and many others, he's already got a lot of heat behind him, and so it continues with this killer 12" for Constant Black. "Go Gently" is a dense, electrifying workout with a killer beat and spooked out pads, while "Sanctuary" edges towards bubbling modular synth lines perfect for psychotropic warm-ups. "Cosmic Jazz" is a little more straight-up in its demeanour, albeit with wigged out FX sends riding over the top, while "Light Drizzle" heads into tripped out territory once again.

Review: Constant Black continue to bring you the finest in minimal tech house from underground operators and upfront scene leaders alike. This time around they're welcoming back the ever-prolific Noha, who first inaugurated the label back in 2016 with the "Hamal" 12". This time around he's debuting the ISKRA alias, which comprises more of the keenly sculpted, propulsive but healthily unusual brand of minimal house he's been known for, but with an added emphasis on interesting rhythmic formations. "Every Day I Spend With You" is especially delightful on the ears, while "Escape The Sleep" should appeal to those seeking pure, unadulterated, deep grooves.

Review: Burnski and Michael James ignited their Relic collaboration last year with a classy drop on oge, and they're back again on Constant Black with some devastatingly bumping minimal tech house. There's a hi-tech finish to this whole EP, from the moody lead cut "D" to the slippery, funkified "E". The mix is clean as a whistle and maximized for every little production wriggle and shapely bassline to cut through on any system, even in the hazier clouds of pad hovering over "F". Don't skip over the B2 though - as with all the best EPs there's gold to be savoured in the crafty machine shuffle and rubbery b-line of "G".