Back catalogue: Minimal/Tech House

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Drop Music marks a marvellous quarter of a century of releases with this new slab of vinyl featuring some gems from disco funksters Crazy P and the house mainstays Inland Knights. Crazy P go first with 'Disc Odyssey' which is perfectly indicative of their much beloved sound with its low slung kicks and funky bassline. Inland Knights then offer a trio of in demand & unreleased tracks. 'Overnight' is a bumming deep house joint, 'Walk On' has an icy late night vibe and balmy pads and 'Do It Again is a more playful closer, with some killer b-line action. All four, needless to say, are timeless gems, and the fact the last two are appearing on vinyl first the first time makes it an even more desirable cop.

Review: Amulanga, operating out of Thailand, emphasise beauteous atmospheric progressive house, pairing each compilation with exquisite, extra-worldly sci-fi themes. Their latest, sixth vinyl V/A hears additions from Dulus, Acrobat, Ilias Katalenos & Plecta, Taleman and Shri & Alej, each track a seamless infusion of living, writhing organic sound. More than just music, the aim is to imply a narrative, shuttling and transforming listeners over and beyond centrifugal, interplanetary orbits - not just dancefloors.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The Raw Joints series is one of the best things about the ever-excellent SlapFunk Records, and now the Dutch label is back with a fresh bout of sounds from some of the most inventive artists operating in the minimal house sphere. Ferro's "Electric Sunshine" leads the charge with a militant groove and a rubbery bassline to die for. William Caycedo has a rugged, sample slicing thrust at work on "Mi Casa", while Malin Genie takes things far out on the wonderfully freaky "Superposition". The record wraps up with Ingi Visions, whose "RJG" wriggles into a skippy 2-step groove that will have bodies shaking uncontrollably when it gets deployed in the dance.

Review: Drop Music marks a quarter of a century of reliable and ever-on-point sounds with a special series of EPs that embodies what it's always been about, offering up both classics and never-before-released tunes. This one kicks off with 'Make A Move' which is chunky low-slung tech. It unfolds at a relatively slow tempo but that gives the fat acid gurgles time to really hit. Inland Knights then serves up the next three cuts, starting with the bass bin bothering sounds of 'Push It', the more silky tech loops of 'Long Time' and the vocal-laced acid-tech swagger of 'Same Talk.' Here's to the next 25 years.

Review: The endlessly fertile scenes that are minimal and tech house yield more essential DJ goodness here as Bread & Butter assembles a selection of talents for this ninth various artists' release. Alex Font & Aron open up with 'Walking On Clouds' which is not as airy and dreamy as it might sound, but does lay down a nice deft minimal groove. Beiger has a more sunny outlook with the mellifluous synth clouds of his 'Audible Illusions' and Mihai Pol then brings ouse late night jazz house cool to his 'Bip Bip.' Iuly B completes a varied package with the heady loops and wispy cosmic synth motifs of 'Bouncing Lights.'

Review: Infinity Plus One channels the murky heat of 90s Detroit into four cuts that throb with machine soul and analogue bite. Based in the UK, the producer debuts with a raw but focused blend of electro, house and technoihis nod to the Motor City filtered through a distinctively UK lens. 'Innocent Beginnings' pairs chunky kicks with haunted synth washes, laying the groundwork with a bass-heavy strut that feels both grounded and widescreen. 'Dusk And Darkness' leans darker, stitching 808s and breaks into a rolling, rave-adjacent groove, all tension and propulsion. On the flip, 'Stand For Love' dips into classic deep house mode, slowing the pace for a moment of emotional clarityigentle pads circling a tender vocal loop. Closer 'Ubiquity' rides a twisting bassline into atmospheric club gear, its big stabs and lurking low-end pulling dancers into a heady zone. A full-spectrum debut that honours the roots but refuses to settle in them, this is warehouse music made with reverenceiand a sense of forward motion.

Review: A compelling journey through minimal and tech house, blending futuristic elements with rich, danceable grooves. Side-1 opens with 'Survival', a track driven by a deep bassline and a sci-fi atmosphere that's both hypnotic and forward-thinking. The title track, 'Redemption', follows with techy, space-infused techno energy, creating an expansive soundscape. Side-2 brings versatility to the forefront. 'Connected (Kevin Tribute mix)' is an undeniable dancefloor weapon, packed with uptempo beats and a bold fusion of house and techno influences. It's a vibrant, big-room-ready highlight. The EP closes with 'A Loophole In Time', a downtempo treasure that transitions into jazzy, lounge-inspired ambiance, offering a smooth, melodic finale perfect for late-night introspection. 'Redemption' EP demonstrates Infinity Plus One's mastery of mood and groove, providing a versatile collection that moves seamlessly from high-energy dancefloor moments to introspective, melodic reflections.

Review: Inner City's time on Network Records produced a run of timeless recordings that merged their signature vocal soul with the underground grooves of Detroit. This reissue of 'Ahnonghay' highlights that early golden era and finds the legendary Kevin Saunderson return to his techno roots in some style. The tune was originally released under his seminal Reese alias and marries that raw Motor City energy with sleek electronica that embodies the early techno blueprint. This 12" pressing includes the original mix alongside two standout remixes: Carl Craig's atmospheric reimagining and Dave Clarke's gritty UK techno take. All in all, a vital snapshot of techno's early evolution.

Review: "Listen, man..." goes the schematic guiding voice on 'The Blueprint', the opening track on this eponymous EP from label debut artist Inner West. Leading us by the ear through its tricksy minimal truncations, the new Portal Records signee follows up recent gyratory funks form Tommy Vicari Jnr. and Jah Mex, operating in similarly techy, minimal blue veins as theirs. Ensuer 'Dream Reality Sector' titularly alludes to the corporate manufacturing of dreams, evoking this through stark minor seventh chords and deeper persuasions, whilst the following 'Good Time' ensures ours is indeed real good, through undertowed basses and emphatically hip vocal "yeah"s. 'The Message' concludes the EP on a rule-breaking hip-hop piece, with programmable funk basses and furthermore knowing utterings, from an implied street vernacular source.

Review: This isn't Interstellar Beats' first rodeo for the UK's OGE Music. This upstart Cheshire cat also made an earlier self-titled four-tracker in 2023, and now comes fresh on its heels with a glassy glamp housing four more beady beds of sound. 'Space Loops' and 'Small Talk' are twin siren songs of sfumato funk and house, not treading too lightly nor too heavily. 'Room Service' and 'Do It Again' follow as jankier, verging on bluesy blowouts, their titles giving vibes of a luxury hotelier's idealistic fantasy. The B2 is especially gritty and echoes the more streetwise garage house sounds of old, though we've come a heck of a way to minimal.

Review: Leibniz's return was always going to be interesting given previous work and so it is. Each of the five news cuts exemplifies the power of simplicity with grimy, hypnotic mantras that showcase Leibniz's mastery of the genre. Stripping away unnecessary details, he focuses on what truly matters to cook up a minimalist sound that hits hard. These sounds really emphasise the notion that less is more, with each one full of refined technique and ability to cut through the noise. It's a masterclass in minimal techno that proves what to ignore is just as important as what to keep.

Review: Berlin's Exit Strategy began their 12"s game releasing EPs in browned sleeves, shortly before branching out into digital-vinyl combo releases with original artwork in the 2020s. Now with over ten years of experience under their belts, they welcome five new artists for a playful bricolage in deep and minimal techno, privileging elite, razor-sharp additive sound design and future-soulful vocal tasters. Ivory's opener 'Rain' epitomises this, while Jimi Jules squelchifies the same formula, and Aera's 'Future Holdings' rolls out the same logic to its ultimate conclusion, veering towards complex, 3D-graphic melodic techno composed entirely of climbing saws.