Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: This new 12" from Glaswegian producer Harvey McKay sees him reworking Daniel Avery's 'Drone Logic' into a driving, big-room missile i and it absolutely slaps. Upping the tempo and leaning into a more percussive framework, McKay doesn't just touch up the original's swirling psychedelia, he rebuilds it for peak-time pressure. The acid line is still there, twisted and stretched, but now it rides atop galloping drums, shimmering hi-hats and the kind of pneumatic swing that's become McKay's signature. It's a brand new release on Phantasy, pressed in a limited run of 500 and already a fixture in the sets of Avery, McKay and Erol Alkan. The sound is somewhere between soulful techno and heads-down warehouse hypnosis i powerful without being punishing. What's clever is how it stays true to the hazy mood of the source, but flips it into something entirely more immediate. As a one-sided 12" it's a bold statement, but one that's easy to understand: it only needs one track when it hits this hard. Built for high ceilings, smoke machines and stretched-out moments mid-set, this is an edit that earns its hype. A slow-burn classic reborn as a proper dancefloor weapon.

Review: Esente Records' young journey continues with a second offering that builds on the good work of the first. This one comes from Bucharest's BRYZ and is a masterclass in refined electronic minimalism. Opening up the trip is 'Slippery,' a fluid blend of supple rhythm and texture with plenty of characterful sound designs and details peeling off the beats. 'Self Definition' follows with introspective tones that invite personal exploration and on the B-side, 'She's Infinite Bliss' delivers an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere while 'Eternal Sheevy' closes the journey with a timeless, lingering resonance. Each track reflects the deep, minimal aesthetic Esente is known for-subtle but not lacking power, and introspective yet dancefloor-ready.

Review: Carriego reemploys early Detroit techno and 00s minimalism, crafting a piezo powered four-track journey consisting in deeper, supersawed atmosses, and spanning electro to new wave. 'Hazard' sets a tense mood, while 'The Bridge' swells and quells pads and hip breaks voxes. 'Curtain Call' weirdens things, with popcorn string plucks piling on pylons of tension, while 'Seems Like' concludes on a snappier, momentous hush-hush. It's the fourth EP so far from the Frenchman, and an impressive one at that.

Review: The good early work of the Third Stream label carries on with this seventh missive and it's a various artists affair featuring some top talent. Alex Font gets things underway with 'Keep Moving', which is aloof, rolling minimal tech defined by a billowing lead which does what it wants. Kyle&Sam's 'Chapter 36' is an ice-cold and deft, steel-plated tech cut a la Melchior's best and Altarf & Backhauser -keep the synthetic, abstract aesthetic going with their occult machine whirs and loopy drum funk on 'Yeah.' Dumi & Nopau's 'Time Measurements' is like a long-lost Ricardo Villalobos cut from his most famous album.

Review: Montreal's Jump Source makes it six with four tracks engineered for maximum impact on the dancefloor. Side A features 'Bleach' and 'Condenser,' which are all about building and sustaining tension through bold, cyclical progressions. 'Condenser' was co-produced with Sabola and leans heavily on the Roland SH-05, which anchors the track with analogue grit. The mood shifts of the flip with vocal-driven cuts from Martyn Bootyspoon and Frankie Teardrop adding a hint of introspective flair to the club ready grooves. 'On' takes a confrontational edge, while 'Get It Done' rides a cooler groove.

Review: Two standout tracks from Priori's This But More get a stripped, emotional rework from Loidis, which is of course the introspective alias of Brian Leeds aka Huerco S. and Pendant who is known for his minimal, textured approach. Here, Loidis stretches the originals into hypnotic, slow-burning explorations. The rhythms remain intact but feel deeper, warmer, like echoes from a distant rave. It's dancefloor music in slow motion: eyes closed, head lost in the groove. These extended versions don't just remix, they reimagine while blurring lines between ambient and club, motion and stillness. It's a compelling fusion of restraint and rhythm, perfect for late nights and deep-listening sessions alike.

Review: Peverelist stands as a defining figure in UK electronic music, shaping the intersection of bass-driven sound system culture and forward-thinking techno. Emerging from Bristol's fertile underground scene, his work as a producer, DJ and label head has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of UK dance music. Closing out his long-running series, he distills his signature sound into four meticulously sculpted tracks. 'Pulse XVII' bookends a skeletal, stepping groove with shimmering synth strings and crisp chord stabs, injecting a dose of Motor City euphoria into his typically weighty framework. 'Pulse XVIII' strips things back to bare essentials, constructing a taut, jacking house cut from pulsing low-end and precisely placed percussionia masterclass in restraint and impact. The energy escalates with 'Pulse XIX', where dub techno textures are reworked into something sharper and more urgent, its rolling momentum underpinned by a driving rhythmic core. 'Pulse XX' then flips expectations, shifting into leftfield steppers territory with elastic bass motifs and alien hooks, recalling the producer's earlier experiments while pushing his sound into fresh terrain. It's a fitting conclusion to a project that has consistently balanced dancefloor functionality with a forward-thinking approach.

Review: After a short hiatus, FA>lE Records is back with a new offering that reminds us what made the label so vital. Podime is behind it and makes a heartfelt nod to the early 2000s UK tech house scene by channelling the spirit of pioneers like Nathan Coles and Terry Francis. Each track brings tight grooves, swung percussion, and deep, funk-laced energy that defined the golden days of Wiggle and The End. 'Idnina' is a nice early evening cruiser, while 'Sonouede' brings a party vibe with its soul samples and shimmering synths. 'Fiasco' is a more triable tinged effort with layers of jumbled percussion and 'Sample Abuser' strips it back to late night dreaming with undulating drums for the heads. Proper UK flavours.

Review: Wordlessly issued by the 2022 launched label Different Times, this minimal-trance-breaker from Shjva and Stereometrix (Ukraine) follows after the former duo broke from their shared Plan alias formed in 2021. They now operate separately but on a single record; sometimes collaborative chemistry works best when it goes hand-in-hand with individual creativity. Three A side inductors by Shjva kick the record off through a range of tensile tools, from velocity sensitive e-drum primers to sweeping mini-dub-trance workouts, reducing the listener to a puttylike state. Then comes Stereometrix's sole contribution with 'No Need To Squeeze', which deserves its singular B-side status as the digging inquisitor's choice, with its flexuous melo-arps, distant silences and sample-and-held counterpoints: truly a melodic masterstroke.

Review: A new-ish name, but Obscure Shape and classically trained musician Conrad - the two halves of Urban CC - are already experts at blending high-energy techno with deep, playful textures. Side-A kicks off with 'Mana', a nicely paced, uptempo techno weapon that channels a vintage 90s spirit, full of raw drive and momentum. 'Azul' follows, switching gears into a bouncier, tech house-flavored groove. Deep basslines anchor the track while playful, urban-tinged sound effects add a fresh, streetwise character. On Side-B, label head Traumer steps in with a remix of 'Mana', reimagining the original into a deeper, more melodic journey. Rich chords flow over a hypnotic groove making this a sophisticated and atmospheric alternative to the more direct original. Finally, 'Kredo' closes the EP on a high note i a sleek and classy techno cut. Its clean production, hazy euphoria and warm atmosphere create the perfect vibe for those special late-night or early-morning moments. A dynamic and well-rounded EP that shows both a respect for techno's roots and a clear creative vision for where it can go next.

Review: Capodopere's eighth release comes from the enigmatic Vid, a dedicated genre explorer not bound by usual rules. Side A's 'Transpose' features a groovy dub bassline and intricate percussion that mesh together into a hypnotic rhythm that invites fluid body movement and deep mental immersion. Vid's subtle, warm textures make it both a dancefloor weapon and a cerebral experience then side-B's 'Stereochord' shifts to a darker tone with sequenced patterns and a deep bassline underpinning industrial textures and eerie echoes. The track's relentless energy and nocturnal atmosphere make it a real afterparty gem.

Review: Darcoform present a captivating four-tracker where minimal frenetics collide with backend sonic mental processes, producing no end of strange fidgety sounds. With side A, Vid's 'Soundscapes' and Cim Pian's 'Visions Of Neverland' conjure a twin gnosis through slipping frameworks made up of 2-step breakbeats and vocal samples. On the B, Mtps unites introspection and groove in 'Book Of Truth', interlacing vampish textures and beats, presaging Durosai's closer 'Str8 Chillin' which lays back with its arms folded over a mechanised punctuatiosn: "rock the dance", it goes, in celebratory conclusion.

Review: Vyvyan is the solo project of Bonar Bradberry, a perennial underground perfumer with roots in disco and house and plenty of great releases to his name as half of the acclaimed Leeds duo PBR Streetgang. Here, he delivers music for dancefloors when the night turns uncanny by stripping club sounds to their raw essence. Following his 2022 debut album Y, which fused rough percussion with warped melodies, the 'Waterslide EP' pushes on further. The standout title track is minimal and wonky house with synergic synths that burrow deep into your brain and it receives a powerful remix from Gallegos, while 'Kindness' is an amped up rhythm with plump kicks and trippy lines spraying throughout the mix.

Review: Paris-based Loris is a cult minimalist who heads up his own aeTERNUM MUSIC and plays plenty of the scene's most tasteful events. This new extended project finds him serving up an array of solo cuts and collabs with the likes of Praymond & Abe and countryman DJ W!ld. The latter, 'Dirty Busines', is a standout with its shimmering rhythm looping beneath percussion that sounds like it was recorded next door. 'Standardized Human Era' is a clean and synthetic, sparse and abstract sound for 5 am, 'Dekstra Orelo' is a slow motion dub percolator with plenty of mad effects and trippy treated vocals. All in all, this is like the soundtrack to a perfect afterparty.

Review: Remarkably accomplished techno minimalisms from Hamburg producer Stimming, who's been dazzling his contemporaries with his highly touching works since the early 2000s. The artist's latest full-length LP follows the precedent single 'Keys Don't Match', with its stammering sound design and abeyant, textural purities, which echo the slow-building sublimities of DJ Koze, Apparat or the Keinemusik crew. With the condensate vocals of Dominique Fricot heard throughout, this one-of-a-kind record reminds us not to take or use the hackneyed phrase "unique production style" too lightly. His really is. As it was with 'Keys Don't Match', which clinched a 15-year first relationship through the metaphor of mismatched keys, the entire record, from 'The Origin' to 'Feeding Seagulls', has us stimming with intrigue.