Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: Facta's latest for Wisdom Teeth opens with 'Jets', a low-slung, sub-sloshed throb that's quietly become a DJ favourite-Ben UFO has spun it as an opener multiple times and you can hear why. It's bouncy, tactile and disorienting in just the right measure, setting the tone for a seven-track suite that finds the Londoner weaving through dubby techno, cheeky minimal and post-step psychedelia with that recognisably prismatic touch. 'On Deck' pivots into springy broken house, full of teasing builds and frayed edges, while 'Bunt' pairs heavy-limbed bass pressure with pointillist vocal chops. There's a skittishness to the palette that recalls his most textural club material, but these tracks feel leaner, more distilled-sonic matter reshaped mid-air. Even in the most playful moments, like the bleepy funk of 'Swish', there's an undercurrent of tonal oddness that keeps things slippery. 'Fang' and 'Snooze Alarm' slow the pulse, tracing soft arcs across rhythm and dissonance. As ever with Facta, genre markers are melted down into a coherent sonic vocabulary, full of negative space, strange hooks and glistening decay.

Review: Detroit legend Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes has had a truly massive month with a couple of releases on his esteemed Detroit Wax imprint (which he runs with Niko Marks) and this week he kickstarts his City Boy imprint back into action. This is its first release in 11 years, presenting part one of the Knucklehead Series featuring a fine selection of moods and grooves. First up is the deep down and dirty tech-funk of '1-2-3', followed by the dusty twilight mood music of 'Hold Me Down' and over on the flip is the double 12's most energetic cut in the form of 'Test Unknown' - a sincere expression in proper Motor city style 'hi-tech soul'.

Review: The second Volume of Terry Francis' All & All series hears much of the work of the esteemed tech house pioneer and Fabric resident DJ compiled into a retrospective compilation. One can hear the convergent nature of Francis' tech house - it's in the name, 'tech house', i.e. techno and house - truly come together on this LP. The likes of 'Wish On', 'Helicopter' and 'Funky Future' are honest movers, made with deft precision and accuracy, - and bringing together many different popular styles at the time, from speed garage to tribal to funky house, with tech house resulting as a kind of distillation of them all.

Review: Nine years after they dropped one of their most well-known and pivotal EPs, Frankey & Sandrino reissue it on the mighty Innervisions. Their Acamar EP arrived in 2015 and really took the pair behind it up a level with its meticulously crafted house sounds, serene melodies and general sense of electronic elegance. It perfectly defined the Innervisions sound back then and still very much aligns with it now. 'Acamar' is a free-roaming cut for blissed-out 5am listening and tranced-out dancefloors. 'Lukida' has a slightly more whimsical feel and elastic bassline. This version comes on nice orange vinyl.

Review: Fred P's latest release 'Singular Point of Focus' EP feels like a late-night journey into the heart of the dancefloor, a space where euphoria meets introspection. From the opening track, it's clear that Fred is steering us toward something deeper than a simple collection of club-ready cuts. His use of augmented vocals adds an otherworldly quality, with tones that feel familiar but are impossible to place. The EP is a masterclass in controlled tension, with each track building in intensity without ever losing its groove. Fred's voice, subtly manipulated, dances through the layers of deep house rhythms, creating a sound that's both timeless and distinctly now. There's a sense that this is music for those who know, for selectors and dancers alike who understand the unspoken rules of the floor. The richness of the sound design - thick basslines, textured pads, and sharp percussion - draws you in, while the overall vibe remains firmly forward-thinking. This isn't just an exercise in nostalgia; Fred P has crafted a record that speaks to the future of house music while honouring its roots. Each track offers something different, from the floor-shaking opener to the more introspective closing cut, making it a perfect addition to any discerning DJ's crate.

Review: Inspired by "cosmic vibes and alien sounds", Cut Line Records is a freshly minted imprint founded by New York-based producers Majak and Diego Knows. Wisely, they've decided to set their stall out via a multi-artist EP that offers more than a few hints about what we can expect to hear in the months and years ahead. Naturally, they contribute, rounding off the EP via the collaborative 'Electrik Funk', a smooth, spacey and sub-heavy slab of tech-house funk marked out by cut-up vocal snippets, intergalactic-sounding motifs and rubbery beats. There's plenty to set the pulse racing across the rest of the EP though, from the acid-flecked tech-house funkiness of Pedro Goya's 'Celeste', to the star-fall haziness of Digital Pimps electro roller 'Warning Bells', via the electro-goes-breakbeat shuffle of 'Alien Vision' by Frankula and St Xose.

Review: Belgian label Music Man Records has assembled Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, a 40-track compilation honouring the legendary Destelbergen club that helped shape Europe's electronic underground. Far more than just the birthplace of New Beat, Boccaccio championed raw, futuristic house and techno long before the genres went mainstream. Curated by resident DJ Olivier Pieters and regular Stefaan Vandenberghe, the collection features classy cuts that are also being served up on a series of VA EPs. This one hits hard with jams from QX-1, Fred Brown, Mr. Fingers and Laurent X all going dark, deep and moody.

Review: The cultured Movida label rolls out more of its tasteful tech and minimal jams with the Water Drop EP Part 1. Somfay opens up proceedings with 'Arborvitae' (A Voice Like Water) which is a zoned out roller with chords that encourage you to gaze off to the future. The b-side starts with Luc Ringeisen & Funk E's 'Treinta Y Siempre', a tender electronic lullaby with gently broken beats and then things get much more scuffed up and dubby with Polyfan Polyphenix's 'Polymorph 2' which is a languid rhythm that makes you want to move nice and loose.

Review: There's plenty to get sucked into on this latest 12" transmission from Germany's Movida. It is Part 1 of a new Waterdrop EP from a quartet of artists. Somfay goes it alone to start with on the far-sighted and zoned-out house of 'Arborvitae (A Voice Like Water). Luc Ringeisen & Funk E then link up for 'Treinta Y Siempre' which is a lithe and sleek electro-tinged rhythm with lovely downbeat bass notes and more uplifting melodic patterns. Last of all is Polyfan Polyphenix, a jittery and rugged rhythm with razor sharp hi-hats and twisted vocals that bring a leftfield sound to 'Polymorph 2.'

Review: After a couple of quiet years Ferro's VBX label returns with a bang, as the esteemed Dutch minimal producer links up with none other than Ricardo Villalobos for a run of 'Ferric' jams. Enlightened souls should have some idea of what to expect here, as Ferro's snappy grooves collide with Villalobos' meandering sound collages to create psychoactive termites geared towards twisting out the dancefloor good and proper. This is proper minimal, with the percussion chiselled into fine clicks and pops to leave more space for the trippy elements to weave their magic. The quality comes assured from this new pairing, hopefully paving the way for more collaborations in the future.