Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: A&A aka Anton Kubikov and Artem Rudakov, share a groovy, Detroit-influenced casualiser of an EP, bouncing between slipstreams of rubbery bass and slick, soulful chord voicings. Whatever said "blue transfer box" is, we're unsure whether it's wise to ask what exactly said box is transferring, or simply leave the mystery be. After all, it sounds great. And besides, we've also a 'Slow Disco Smoke Machine' to marvel at, one which wafts effortlessly between dreamboats of blue pad smoke and acidic stabs, facilitating the necessary headspace for 'Deep Thought'.

Review: There's seemingly no end to the mind-blowing vaults of UK tech house titan Mark Ambrose. Even after the extensive three-volume run of reissues on Repeats, Rawax have found more of the South Coast legend's late 90s material that hasn't been reissued yet. Sharks be damned, the Cat Groove 12" is back within reach and remastered to bring the best out of the tracks. The title track is one of those artfully squashed, funk loop-riding jams that turns the heat up without any need for studio showboating - just the right ingredients. 'Floating Around' is a heady tripper crying out for the morning, while 'Hook Up' finds another soulful lick to place at the centre of a groove so crunchy it just has to come from an MPC. Hold tight for 'Warehouse Blues', which injects some nasty, pumping techno energy into the mix with a metallic bassline that comes on like Mr Fingers dipped in chrome.

Review: Hot on the heels of his well-received EPs on Linear and Midi Records, Ionut Arapu returns to Rawax with two more top-quality tech-house cuts in his distinctive trademark style. On A-side 'First New Dance', the experienced Romanian producer peppers a rolling, bass-heavy groove with cut-up and layered vocal textures, deliciously wonky electronic lead lines, star-fall sounds and the kind of melodic elements more often associated with 1990s IDM. He opts for a deeper, more melancholic tone on 'Undoing', where emotive chords, dubbed-out electronic motifs and intergalactic synth sounds cluster around a sturdy, peak-time ready groove.

Review: Since making his debut way back in 2007, Christian Burkhardt has amassed an impressive discography - including numerous releases on such high-profile imprints as Cocoon, Eastenderz, Raum:Musik and Oslo. Here he returns to wax for the first time in four years via a rock-solid EP on Rawax. The German producer begins with 'Dice Pop', a tactile and spacey nod to formative, mid-90s tech-house with added sonic dreaminess, before reaching for shuffling breakbeat-house beats, ghostly electronics and raw analogue bass on 'But What'. Burkhardt opts for a bass-heavy, spacey and hypnotic flex on 'Bee Gees', while 'Twofour' is a druggy and mind-altering minimal house roller.

Review: This EP is such a favourite that it gets repressed on the regular but still always sells out in quick time. Now it's back once again, this time on a nice white slab. Drewek and Nevada collaborated extensively in the mid-2000s and honed in on their own distinctive electro-techno hybrid as they gained attention with 'Done In 2 Days' which featured on Slam's popular Nightdrive mix album. The original EP containing this track also features other tunes that have aged gracefully while retaining a spiky attitude that resonates with modern dancers. It showcases a range of sounds, from the rubbery acid grooves of 'Follow Me' to the edgy tech vibes of 'More CPU Please.'

Review: Standout Romanian producer makes a welcomed visit to the Rawax camp. The 'Metaphor EP' is a sublime example of superior primetime house music. 'The Wine Glass' is most optimal for dense crowds not worried about a little sweat and perhaps not enough foot space on the dancefloor. In fact, they love that! This is that kind of house music where you get happily drawn to the floor. 'Heal Dealer' adds a bit of acid and a beautiful underlying melody that is perfect for eyes closed listening moments. 'Doremi' is the ideal B-side as the deeper side to things, then the title track finishing off in style. Ali brings a great balance of techno and house to his sound. Rawax puts out a lot of music it seems like and when it's of this calibre, we just say bring us more!

Review: Sakro's sound has always been expertly designed a perfect blend of form and function. Now in collaboration with Max Jacobson the same can still be said on the evidence of this new three-track offering on Germany's constantly excellent Raw imprint. It kicks off with 'Walking Into Mirrors' which is a full-throttle tech house cut with nice rubbery kicks and busy melodic patterns swirling about the mix. 'Planet Arium' sinks into a deeper, more heady atmosphere with the kicks still driving but the synth work here is more muted and late night. 'Chapter 16 - Remember To Go Home' is an almost ten minute B-side trip to the stars.

Review: First released in 1999, Swayzak's 'Floyd/Doobie' shook the British duo's catalogue. Though it wasn't 'Bueno' or 'Fukumachi', this deep house cut was the next best choice for followers of the then burgeoning tech house circuit. Swayzak were already favourites on this and the deep house scene, and had clawed in acclaim for their involvement in both as early as 1993. One particularly prolix bio deems them the incipients of "1st wave 2000-era progressive deep minimal", which is too analytic even for us manic categorisers. No, we prefer to take these two big-hitters as they are: brimming with enthusiasm for a gadget-packed future, 'Floyd' fizzes and twitches with the pulsing blurts of a saw synth, as if to suggest constant magnetic stimulation from above. 'Doobie', meanwhile, hears our protagonist disrobe the techno utility belt, returning to a wireless home, so to gaze out over a subtly detuned chord landscape set to munching percs.

Review: Swayzak is a micro house, minimal and techno duo, aka James S Taylor and David Brown from the UK, whose name alone will get many older dancers hot under the collar. Their craft was second to none during their peak and here we get a reminder of that with a new outing on Rawax. 'Floyd' is a jazzy dancer with live claps, spinning hi-hats and louche grooves all topped with synthetic synths that never quit. 'Doobie' is a more deep sound with late-night headsy vibes. The drums are supple, the synths squeal and spoken word mutterings add a human touch. Two well-realised and effective cuts from Swayzak.

Review: Rawax lock in a new one from TIJN that adds three more functional but fresh house tracks to their already estimable catalogue. This one kicks off with the silky and seductive, bendy and elastic neon synth sounds of 'Lost Language' which has rock solid drums bringing the drive. 'Keep The Peace' is a fresh one with upright drums that bring a militant march as molten melodic colours are dripped in from above. 'Fable' then spins out on trippy synths and wispy motifs that are perfect for the more intimate afters out there.