Review: Following Ohm Hourani's infectious 'Barbara' featuring remixes by Ricardo Villalobos and Amir Javasoul, We R The Aliens presents a standout various artists compilation with an all-star lineup of Boronas & Snad, Bartaub, Mountain People, and Nesta. Boronas & Snad's 'Affliction' is rich with haunting synths, rolling MPC percussion, and mind-bending delays. Istanbul's Bartaub pays homage to the '90s with 'Orbit The Dance Planet' which blends bumpy breaks, robotic voices, and ghastly chords. On the flip, Mountain People delivers 'I Am The Void,' featuring shuffled drums and dubby stabs. Finally, Beirut's Nesta closes with 'Tarte Citron' a late '90s tech house track with crisp percussion and catchy vocals.
Review: Released by a Kyiv-based label run by Noizar, this EP serves up a potent mix of minimal and tech house with futuristic flair. On Side-A, 'Ease Your Mind' by Borys offers a mesmerising minimal groove, blending techy, robotic beats with funky, spacey elements. The track's otherworldly vibe creates a hypnotic atmosphere, perfect for both laid-back and deep dancefloor moments. On Side B, 'Los Demeteros"' by Yzer is a heavy stomper, featuring a crunchy bassline that drives the track forward. The eerie, alien melodies lend an unsettling, yet quality to the track, making it feel both futuristic and rooted in the past. The dynamic composition of 'Los Demeteros' draws listeners into its depth, while maintaining a solid, danceable energy throughout. This release is a stunning journey through minimal and electro-techno, showcasing the unique sound of Kyiv's underground scene.
Review: The latest from Bossibility and Look Perry on their Split Series is a precise, layered exploration of minimal and tech house that never quite settles in one place. Bossibility's contributions are subtle yet compelling, balancing clean rhythms with restrained complexity, particularly in 'Morphoder,' where the tension between the bassline and atmospheric layers steadily builds, leaving just enough space for the track to breathe. Look Perry's side offers a contrasting dynamicihis deep percussion on 'Way to the Dance' grounds the track, while 'International Beats' surges with a forward momentum that feels unpredictable, yet right on target. It's an unassuming yet compelling exchange of ideas and proof that simple elements, when handled with care, can pack a real punch.
Review: Boulderhead's I Need Space to Dance EP marks a significant expansion of his sonic horizons, taking in everything from contemplative dub moments to glistening rollers and a psychedelic tour-de-force. Tracks like 'I Need Space' featuring Overnite Oates and 'Dance and Dance Again' deliver shuffly spoken-word tech vibes, sure to become club favourites. Unified yet diverse, the EP appeals to fans of tech-house, prog, broken beat, and minimal techno alike, while Boulderhead, aka Henry James, exhibits the kind of top-tier production skills that hint at the potential for a full-length album.
Review: "Right, OK!" Worm Records offer up their second various artists release for 2024, coming just a neat two months after September's inaugural release featuring Ruf Dug, Wallace, The Mole and Gallegos. Now the label turn their hand to a completely different league of artists, convoking Boulderhead, Wooka, DMX Krew and Jorg Kuning for yet another star-studded audio-strudel, spanning both chilled and heated ends of the spectrum. Boulderhead's A1 is the ludic highlight among the four, a charming Valley Girl voice peppering the vocal track with exceptional backhandedness; we hear talk of floating on clouds and an affect of casual acceptance behind the glitch-science, suggesting vibes of bounciness and breeze. Wooka goes sillier speed garage on 'Make Yourself Comfortable', a challenging charge given the track's otherwise rather jagged jam; Krew and Koenig close things off on a comparatively calm note, the former's B1 opting for a set of bruk-en beats and wet synth yaps, and the latter's 'Imbolc' quiescing with clement Rhodeses and homely drum machines.
Review: Pleasure Zone continues to be an inspiring force in the European minimal tech house scene, and they've really pulled the stops out with this essential new release from Boutiq.808 and Tom Marvin. We're not hip to who these cats are, but their music says it all as they skip through snappy rhythms and bold synth forms with the kind of flair you might find on a Spacetravel record. If you appreciate your quirky minimal played out with a live immediacy and some of that Perlon-esque sauce, this record will be well up your street.
Review: It's often a challenge to find dance music as jovial and goofy and as this, but this charmer from Lisboan musician Rory Bowyer has for once mitigated our need to seek it out. Janky and angular in their formation, the likes of 'Crunching Numbers', 'Bob's Your Uncle' and 'Horizontal Horizon' evoke the feeling of revisiting Kraftwerk's Computerwelt with 21st Century eyes. Simple melodic progressions (bloop style), pff-ing snares and nimble 909s render this 12" an unmissable cop.
Review: It's five up for Spanish label Les Enfants who have done a fine job of bringing some colour and personality to minimal, which can all too often be rather dry and abstract. 'Adapt Or Die' opens up with nice fleshy bass rotations and some characterful synth details then 'High Volatility' gets more direct with an acid-tinged vibe and dirty low ends. A Priku remix then smooth stings out and brings some signature cool to 'Love That Keys' and the original is a frantic collage of hurried loops, deep space pads and progressive energy. Bravo by name, bravo by nature.
Review: Felipe Bravo invites us back onto his patented journey into countless cosmic techno outer reaches with his latest addition to Unknown Milano's UNK series, marking their 21st so far. Opener 'Sputnikwave' riffs off the name of the historic Sputnik 1 spacecraft whilst presenting a sound that is otherwise unconscious in feel; we only get to a real sense of shuffle on the A2, 'Open Secret', when the acid lines begin to furl and skitter. Oh, and doesn't the B1 know the feeling; 'It's Never Enough' presents a muted call-and-responsive set of trance and acid lines, getting at the tired old feeling of insatiability (one especially rife in dance music), while, finally, 'Bilingual Animal' nods at the primal joys of straddling two languages.
Review: Cabinet is a highly cultured label for those who appreciate classy tech and house. Burden is next up with a special limited edition eco-vinyl pressing. On the A-side is 'Time 2 Play' the nice an airy, smooth and frictionless 'Time 2 Play' which is expertly designed, full of atmosphere and deft melodic hooks. 'Music Makers' brings a different kind of vibe with more wooden percussive details, a sultry spoken word weaving in and out and more minimal tech drums all serving to move mind, body and soul.
Review: Cult minimal label Cabinet is back with another vital two tracker, this time from Brudan. It kicks off with the glitchy beats and silky, warming, machine soul of 'Time 2 Play' with its silky grooves soon to lock you into a heady vibe. On the flip is the more stripped back 'Music Makers' which is a little more minimal and abstract in its designs but is just as much of a seductive sound that worms its way deep into your brain. Both of these are tasteful tools for discerning selectors.
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: 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: In the summer of 2023, Upgrade Records launched via a nostalgic, party-starting EP from the previously unheard artist In 5 D (likely an alias for someone a bit better known, but don't quote us on that). For the label's return, long-serving DJ/producer Buckley Boland (best known for his releases on Made To Play, Black Riot and One Records) is the man at the controls. What he's delivered is a nostalgic, sample-rich affair that combines the angular wonkiness and mind-mangling noises of early-to-mid-2000s tech-house with nods towards vintage acid house, electro-house and the hard-to-pigeonhole house filth of the (long gone) Music For Freaks label. Basically, it's all fun-time, party-starting fare, with the bump-and-squelch of 'Daft Sandwich', the bustling brilliance of 'Nude Night' and the break-sporting hustle of 'S/A/M Real Man' standing out.
Review: Analogue pressure from Bufobufo, who stops over in Japan for Cabaret Recordings after earlier international stints with Art Of Dark, Partout and Furthur Electronix. His second single for the label, founded by So Inagawa and DJ Masda, proffers a hypnotic blend, binarising the mood with the sliding melodes of 'Watercourse' and 'Armour Plated' with comparatively sparse and gritty perc-slaps of 'Wood Ant' and 'Cinnabar'. That strange but difficult-to-nail split between of hypnotic intrigue and immediacy is well and truly nailed.
Review: Steve Bug is one of the titans of the European underground and his label Pokerflat very much defined the tech house sound of the early noughties. His own Ho EP played a part in that and now it gets reissued on Chiwax's Classic Edition. 'Ho (Future Line I)' is a full throttle tech house weapon with dubby low ends and icy hi-hats, while Future Line II cuts up the beat into a more broken pattern. 'Girls On Lighters' keeps it deep with pulsing synths and humid chord infusions over thudding kicks and 'Mohair' closes out this most timeless EP with some more glitchy textures and late night sounds.
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: The Red Bul & Gyn label made a good impression with its first release and now the founders Thomas Bulwer and G Glynn step up with a second collaborative EP of fresh tech and minimal. 'Caffeine' is a shot of energy with its rising synth lines and dramatic sense of intergalactic space travel over a busy, acidic bassline. 'Like It Ruff' is an old school throwback with rap vocals and electro beats, then 'Acid Wash Conflict' is a thumping tech house sound with unsettling pads. 'Techno Talk' closes down with a mid-tempo electro sound and retro-future edge.
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: Burnski and Kepler, two names synonymous with the deeper shades of house music, converge on Chris Stussy's Up The Stuss imprint for a collaborative EP that showcases their shared passion for dancefloor-focused soundscapes. 'Solstice', the title track, sets the tone with a hypnotic swing, its subtle rhythmic shifts and infectious bassline weaving a mesmerizing tapestry of sound. 'Contemplate', the second collaborative effort, offers a more introspective vibe, its bumping rhythms and melancholic melodies suggesting a moment of reflection amidst the dancefloor euphoria. The flip side sees the duo explore their individual artistry. Burnski's 'Give' is a late-night gem, its shimmering textures and hypnotic rhythms conjuring a sense of blissful introspection. Kepler's 'Transcend', on the other hand, lives up to its name, its vibrant energy and captivating melodies transporting the listener to a higher plane of dancefloor consciousness. It's a confident opening salvo for 2025 from Up The Stuss, a label that continues to champion the most vital strains of contemporary house music.
Review: A rare outing for Josh Butler's occasional Origins Rcrds imprint, which has so far released a handful of singles and EPs since launching in 2017. It sees the rising star and Kerri Chandler favourite join forces with Bontan, a fellow UK producer best known for his outings on Hot Creations and Crosstown Rebels. It features three passes on 'Call You Back'. There's the original mix, a fluid, loose and sub-heavy slab of tech-house/deep house fusion rich in undulating melodic motifs, sparse riffs and shuffling drums, a fine DJ tool based around the melodic hooks, percussive builds and vocal samples and a rock-solid build-release-build drum track built around weighty kick-drums and hissing drum machine cymbals.
Review: Byron The Aquarius is a bastion of quality modern house music and the seance volume f this series on Phonogramme can't come soon enough. It finds the keys master and former hip-hop producer doing what he does best - laying down raw, dusty beats with captivating melodies. 'Co$mic Felacio (Freaking92)' stars with low-slung menace, 'Gift Of Gab' is a bright house stomper with smudged and smeared chords and 'Willie Wonkaaa' has a darker, more unsettling edge and squealing synth lead. 'Akirashi' is a nice chilled-out beatdown to close.
Review: Atlanta's leading purveyor of dusty, jazz-flecked deep house pops up on Clone's Jack For Daze offshoot with an expansive mini-album of raw, drum machine-driven workouts that sound like they started life as hardware improvisations (though they may not be). There's plenty of sonic gold to be found amongst the six tracks on show, with our current favourites including the sweat-soaked beat tool 'Kimora (Dub)' - basically jacking drums to get sweaty in the mix - the dubby, squelchy bass-propelled dancefloor psychedelia of 'BLACK (featuring Brandon Banks)', and the ultra-dreamy, late 80s Chicago deep house flex of 'Mr JX 8P'. 'Ancestors', a tougher and darker workout blessed with bags of percussive energy, is also superb.
Review: This new collection offers up a quartet of tracks that are all tailored for slightly different moments on the dance floor. On side A, Dani Casarano kicks off with deep, hypnotic grooves that make for an immersive atmosphere before transitioning to punchy, bass-driven energy with other cuts. Side B introduces a new alter ego from Felian and Bruno Schmidt and the pair explore a robotic, looping groove with incidental breaks and nostalgic synths in the euphoric third track. Closing the release in style, Omar Akrhif & Lucretio present a minimalist masterpiece that is aimed at heady after-hours sessions.
Santonio Echols - "Piano In The Light" (Emanuell Echols mix)
Brian Kage - "This Saturday Night"
Ryan Sadorus - "Down Below"
Review: Upstairs Asylum is kicking off the year in some style with a couple of killer new EPs. This one is the first in what is presumably a new series to showcase the talents of the Motor City. Mike Clark & Marcus Harris get things underway with 'Hey' which has a subtly uplifting feel thanks to the bright, sustained chords and cuddly drums. Santonio Echols's 'Piano In The Light' (DJ Emanuell Echols mix) is laidback, playful deep house with magical chord work and Brian Kage brings his classy depths to the smooth grooves of 'This Saturday Night.' Ryan Sadorus brings things to a close with the smoky 'Down Below.'
Review: Kaoz Theory's Organized Kaos series exists for one reason: to collect together on vinyl previously digital-only gems buried in the label's ever-growing catalogue. Volume two naturally sticks rigidly to this script, first offering up a 2015 cut from Dam Swindle (from the time when they were known as Detroit Swindle) - the chunky, rhythmically elastic and insanely bass-heavy brilliance of soul-flecked gem 'Ballin'. Over on the reverse there's more previously digital-only gold in the shape of Ben Rau's 'Be Who You Want To Be', a driving, thickset and suitably heavy chunk of peak-time deep house heaviness smothered in spacey chords, cut-up vocal snippets and booming TB-303 bass. Two tried and tested cuts land on wax for the first time, what's not to like?
Br Beta - "Man Of The World" (feat Luke Eargoggle) (3:01)
Guttan - "Bambakaos" (6:28)
Kenneth X - "Mixed Emotions" (4:02)
Kan3da - "GBG Electro CIty" (5:45)
Singularity Club - "Intercon" (2:28)
Review: Gothenburg Electro City 3 is a third episode in this superb new various artists series. Stilleben label head Luke Eargoggle says that three generations of Scandinavian electro sounds feature on the six track record. It comes from producers based only in Gothenburg which is the capital of electro in Sweden as well as being the capital of the Vastra Gotaland county. From the high energy and hard-hitting electro-funk of Dataintrang's opener to Guttan's more cinematic but no less caustic 'Bambakaos', all shades are explored here with compelling results.
Review: MyHouse YourHouse based out of Cordoba, Argentina is back with this excellent various artist EP. Get ready to be transported to a world of sound, as they leave you entranced and captivated. Let the rhythm spin you on a journey of excitement and discovery. On the first side, Ruper Eliis nails that classic '90s NYC swing on the groovy "3Dimension" followed by Martin Bellomo (Momentz) with the deep and introspective cut "Earltraxx". Turn over the disc and you're then treated to label boss Rypli's trippy minimal funk jam "Past Is The Past" and finally Bernards serves up some proper late-night mood music on the ultra deep "It Doing Fusion".
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