Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: Data Sync is a sub-label of Non Stop Rhythm and now label head Tom Carruthers is back on it with more of his fierce techno explorations. 'Intel' opens proceedings with some taught synth twangs and stomping drum work that will bring physicality to the floor. 'Force Field' is a similarly stomping sound with bright bells looping up top and 'Syntax' is a raw percussive frother with acid run right through it. 'GS5' (re-edit) is another one with some fresh synth sounds bringing light to the physical low ends and 'Metropolis' gets snappy and jacked up while 'Recon' closes down with some tribal energy and bleeping 90s references.

Review: The Spanish Hypnotic Collective label attempts to capture its take on the Detroit Legacy with what looks like a new series of various artists' EP. There is plenty of Motor City soul in the gorgeous synths of Cignol's muted acid and deep house opener 'Distance' which is a soothing and reverential groove, but then its pure party from Barce, Alex Martin offers up 313 style tech and three further tunes on the flip explore blistering electro with high-speed funk and cosmic intent. Mission accomplished and we're already looking forward to the next one.

Review: That man Glenn Underground is back with more of his masterful melodic house workouts as GU aka CVO. 'Jack & The Madman' goes super deep with moody drums wired up with burrowing, melancholic synths and time-keeping hi-hats. 'Nutso Jack' lands with some tribal drum heft and a melange of percussive details and wispy synths while 'Acid Disco (Supadisco)' is a woozy ste night exploration of jazzy keys and solar pads with soft cid lines weaving their way in and out of the beats. It's timeless and fresh once again from this Chicago mainstay.

Review: Marco Calderoni seems to have released just one thing and that was his How to Use The World Volume 2 EP back in 1991. Sound Metaphors Records has now remastered it and recompiled it for this all new pressing which sends you deep into his mix of ambient, house and Balearic across six sublime cuts. '7 Heavens' is the glistening opener with nice deep analogue beats, and 'Exploring The Unknown' carries on the same vibe before 'How 2 Use The Sky' is like a perfect post rave comedown. The second half is another scintillating mix of silvery, shiny synth lines and dusty analogue drums that sounds like little else before or since.

Review: Given that they started their ascent to EDM superstardom over a decade ago and have already released a string of genuine crossover anthems, this debut album from Camelphat is undeniably overdue. So, was it worth waiting for? If you like their brand of festival-friendly dance music hedonism, then you will genuinely love it. The assembled 21 tracks scattered across three action-packed slabs of wax draw influence from many interconnected styles - mostly electro-house, tech-house and techno, but also indie-dance, synth-pop, nu-disco and more bass-heavy flavours - and repackage them as distinctively Camelphat style productions, complete with contributions from numerous collaborators and guest vocalists (Noel Gallagher, Skream, Jake Bugg, Yannis Foals, Jem Cooke and Christoph all feature).

Review: Joseph Capriati has very quickly risen from underground techno player to top-tier titan. The Italian hails from Naples, a famous hotbed of minimalism that has spawned stars like Marco Carola. whose footsteps Capriati has followed in by securing his own Ibiza residency for his Metamorfosi party. The sort if sounds you can expect to hear on that label and at the events are well showcased here on his new mix of the legendary Global Underground series. From dark and driving techno to more emotional and melodic house, it's a colourful and widescreen ride that features a couple of his own fresh jams and many more from contemporary artists.

Review: The sea has always been integral to Japanese culture and is regarded as symbolising sustenance and spiritual depth. In this Deep Diver album, Charles A.D. draws on ancient diving and fishing traditions to create aquatic soundscapes that blend 90s house, Detroit techno, Japanese minimalism, New Age and Pacific jazz into something sublimely absorbing. The album ebbs and flows like the tides soon after opening with the title track which captures the sensation of deep-sea propulsion through rhythmic bubbles and slow-moving chords. Subsequent tracks, like 'Underwater Ruins' and 'Bubble Ring', fuse ambient and techno and highlight Charles A.D.'s mastery of minimalism.

Review: The second instalment of Clayton's retrospective series, this double vinyl is a remastering of unreleased and hidden gems from the American programmer-cum-producer. Featuring staples in the San Franciscan's discography such as 'Box Selection' and 'W-Shape', which sees an exclusive remix in 'W-Shape revisited'. The result is a futuristic techno-house marvel, with it's minimal (occasionally ambient) tone, the composition is analytical in its construction. Each beat feels perfectly placed as dictated by a formula, a chemical blend of glitch, techno, and ambient house. This record is a must for fans of the 90s techno scene, especially in Detroit where you can hear the influences that those artists had on these tracks.

Review: Courtesy's second studio album is another no-holds-barred deep dive into the heart of a minimal and tech house dance floor. Eschewing the usual ambient intro in favour of getting right down to business, things kick off with the surging comic-tech of 'I'm Happy I Am Not Susan Sontag', then the slamming drums of 'My Dazed Friend (feat Klo)' come with zoned out and alluring vocal musings. 'Let There Be LOVE! (feat Lyanne)' is another fast but smooth tech cruise with emotive vocal textures and 'Does Every Track Have To Be A Journey?' is a punchy tool which suggests not.

Review: Renowned producer, remixer, DJ and record label owner Carl Craig is one of the few artists who can truly claim to have shaped the sound of
modern electronic music. Making music since the tender age of 17, Craig has created everything from ambient soundscapes to jazz
during the past 20 years, but it's his work in dance music that is at his core. 'Sessions' is a long overdue album that brings together a personal
selection of Carl's incredible back catalogue, from his early work under the aliases Paperclip People and 69 to worldwide hits like 'Throw'
(recently covered live by LCD Soundsystem) and groundbreaking tracks like 'Bug in the Bassbin'. Alongside the classics, the two discs also showcase why Craig is still such a powerful force in music today with a diverse range of remixes for the likes of XPress 2, Theo Parrish and many others. For his rework for Junior Boys'. 'Like A Child' he was just nominated for a Grammy.
The selection also includes previously unreleased tracks, alternative versions of his own productions, as well as some exclusive unreleased
remixes. 'Sessions' reminds us of how exciting and unique Carl Craig's productions and remixes are and why he remains at the top of his game,
a retrospective of one of the world’s most influential and groundbreaking figures in electronic music.

Review: As a paid-up member of Seth Troxler's extended Visionquest family, it's perhaps no surprise that Detroit new-schooler Lee Curtiss's contribution to the Watergate club's mix series is brimming with warm, touchy-feely tech-house. From start to finish, Watergate 08 sounds like an audio advert for the Visionquest sound; that pleasingly melodic fusion of heavy low-end, off-kilter synth pop posturing and tactile, MDMA-friendly electronic grooves. It's the sort of effortlessly delicious sound that lends itself well to a mix album, and as a result Watergate 08 is a lovely listen. With superb contributions from Footprintz, Maceo Plex, No Regular Play, Kim-Ann Foxman and Curtiss himself, there's plenty to get excited about.