Review: Darren Allen's latest release Unseen Realms on Underlying Form offers a deep dive into eerie, slow-building grooves. A1 'Itsony' creeps in with a shadowy, chugging rhythm, pulling you into a world of eerie acid tones and subtle tension. Flip to B1 'Inborn,' where the vibe grows darker, blending tweaked-out layers of sound and murky basslines, creating a disorienting sense of space. B2 'Spiders' wraps things up, weaving a web of squirming acid lines and tight, off-kilter beats that linger in your mind long after the track fades out.
Review: Dave Anderson is a name as prosaic as his music is not. The man has been away for some 15-odd years now but before that drew praise from those who should know such as Carl Craig as one half of Otomi. His skills have not diminished while he has been away as he shows here with a quartet of new cuts on Floodplain. 'Downstairs Groove' is winky and loopy tech with a tribal twist, 'Distant Signal' layer sup analogue drums and woody hits with wispy cosmic leads and 'Edge Damage' is warming, rushing Detroit techno soul. 'Square Dance' is a rhythmic shuffle with pinging bass and cute melodies. Welcome back, Dave.
Review: The long-awaited debut LP from Atlantik does not disappoint. Hailing from Cologne, childhood friends Georg and Clemens have spent over a decade perfecting their hardware-driven live techno and are residents at Berlin's Sisyphos, and openers at Fusion's Turmbuhne. While their sound evolves on this record, its roots still lie in Cologne's minimal techno golden era. With that as a foundation, they blend glitchy percussion, delicate melodies and hypnotic atmospheres into evocative cuts that retain the precision and restraint of minimalism. From the loopy seduction of 'Stay The Fuck Home' to the darker breakbeat energy of 'Oblivion', it's a rich listen.
Review: Glasgow-born veteran and techno heavyweight Gary Beck drops the much-requested ID 'Hopper' on SHDW's Mutual Rytm sub-label, Spectra. He's already well-known for underground anthems like 'Upside Criminal' and 'Fold' but now unveils this long-awaited club cut, which was born from a spontaneous studio session. Featuring a syncopated disco bassline, nods to funk and with an irresistible groove, 'Hopper' lingers long after the dancefloor empties and showcases Beck's production nous in more ways than one. Remix duties go to Bulgarian hardware wizard KiNK, who first delivers a warm, house-leaning version, then flips the script with a high-octane blend of techno and UKG.
Review: Bullet Tooth taps into the energy of old school pirate radio days with not only the title of his new 'Private Caller' EP but also the sounds inside it. The title cut is a pure bad man gem with bad man vocals and bad man low-end oscillations next to crispy 2-step drums. 'Wanted' then ducks and dives with dark moody bass and wobbly synths, menacing percussion and pitched-up vocals. But the best of the lot is saved until last when 'George's Groove' is a deceptively simple but effective garage pumper with speedy drums, playful sax lines and a naughty undercurrent.
Review: Chicaiza, co-owner of Berlin's Kimchi Records, makes a confident solo debut on Off The Grid. These tracks strike a balance between warm, melodic textures and a subtle melancholy that feels both introspective and grounded. Each piece reveals a careful attention to detail, with rhythms and atmospheres that evolve naturally. Perfectly aligned with the label's aesthetic, this release captures the understated refinement of an artist exploring new creative spaces while staying deeply connected to his roots in Berlin's underground.
Review: Deenamic steps up on French label Syncrophone with the aptly titled 'Dub Reflections EP'. Having released on high-grade imprints like Neroli, Yellow Jackets, Visions Recordings and Mate since debuting in 2019, David Pradera has been slowly but surely carving out a fine reputation with his profound house sound. His latest effort features four dubbed-out house jams full of atmosphere and texture. Opener '800 Mistakes' sees moody chords drifting over stripped-back drums, staccato noise and understated bass, before 'Hal 2024' maintains the rich atmospherics with simmering swells, driving stabs and propulsive bass notes. The chord progressions on 'Moonbus' echo into the night as a pounding kick maintains the rhythm, while the undulating bass and piercing drums of 'Think It's Not Illegal Yet' combine with a dramatic arrangement for a gorgeously nocturnal finale.
Review: Principaute de Bowl-Air is a new label founded by DJ Bowlcut, a prominent figure in Seoul's underground scene and on Seoul Community Radio. The label's debut release offers a deep, glitchy minimal house experience and opens with 'Tibetan Bowl', a track built around a Tibetan singing bowl and vocal samples that drop you deep into the surreal world of Bowl-Air. The second A-side, 'The Moment', delivers a hypnotic bassline and glitchy rhythms with a Korean vocal sample repeating 'Now it's the moment you are waiting for.' The B-side includes remixes by DOTT and Rudolf C and closes out a strong debut.
What Is House Muzik (Ricardo Villalobos What Is dub - Emanuel Satie edit) (7:31)
What Is House Muzik (Jazzuelle Deeper Acid mix) (7:34)
Review: Way back in 1994, while he was riding high with the stomping, raw and druggy Wild Pitch sound, DJ Pierre released 'What is House Muzik?' as Phuture Scope. This clear vinyl reissue from Get Physical celebrates the track's 30th birthday, accompanying the acid house pioneer's original Wild Pitch mix - a typically stretched-out, Sound Factory-ready concoction with raw loops, weighty beats and bass and fizzing synth stabs - with the original spoken word acapella and two later reworks. The most notable of these is Emmanuele Satie's on-point edit of Ricardo Villalobos's epic 2015 dub, which cuts it down to playable length while retaining the Chilean's wonky and out-there mix of barely audible orchestral samples, crunchy beats, weird noises and spoken word snippets. Throw in Jazzuelle's tidy 'deeper acid' mix and you have an essential reissue.
Like A Tim - "Wonderline 1" (Prins Thomas Diskomiks) (5:45)
Katerina - "Meet Chu In My Dreams" (5:44)
Review: With acid sounds once again being all the rage, Running Back has decided to launch a new series featuring previously unreleased, TB-303-heavy cuts. The versatility of the machine - which, after all, was initially designed to create basslines - comes to the fore across the EP, from the throbbing, acid bass-propelled techno-jack of DVS1's 'Lower Wacker Drive' and the low-tempo early morning creepiness of I:Cube's 'Folie Noire', to the excitable acid house funkiness of 'Go Kart' by Marko East and Jordi Chu's, and the colourful dreaminess of 'Meet Chu In My Dreams'. Best of all though is Prins Thomas's remix of Like a Tim's 'Wonderline 1', whose TB-303 squelches ride a cowbell-rich disco-not-disco groove rich in the Norwegian's usual loose-limbed, live-sounding drums.
Review: Wisdom Teeth co-boss Facta joins the cats on Incienso with this beautify and wide-armed four track 12". Packed with all flavours you'd expect from the young producer, and more, we're treated to a whole menu of vibes. 'Emeline' starts the trip with a jacking, trippy house note that's comparable to the old Classic Music grooves. It's in good company as 'Felt' soothes the soul with its super woozy, off-key waves, the bumpy rolling breakbeat bleeps of 'Mirage' give us pep and the wonderfully dreamy downbeat sludge of 'Sick Pup' sends us off to the cosiest corners of our mind. Sick is the word.
Review: Fango aka Venice-based DJ/producer Nicola Zanetti lands on his feet with 'Cardinals', orienting himself in the zone of subtle post-EBM chug electro while otherwise pulling off many a variation within said style. It comes after a lengthy spate of EP and singles releasing since 2014, mostly through Peru's Digestibus Music, to whom he returns here: 'North', 'South' 'East' and 'West' encompass every woozy humour from choleric tribal wonk to detuned saw "woo!"s, proving the heterogeneity and dynamism of a fun-loving producer with a many-frequencied ear for the weird.
Review: G76 is on an absolute roll at the moment, as the Romanian producer fails a collaboration with Zefzeed and the pair present their Gef project. This is minimal at its best, loaded with intrigue and weight to bring the steady-trucking, sustained grooves to life. 'Get Up' is a swinging, dubby workout with plenty of bump and more than a hint of sass in its sonic choices, while 'Oscillator' takes a tougher approach thanks in no small part to the looming bass tones floating underneath. 'Happy Birthday' is a swampy, heads-down joint for when the edges of the night are getting a little blurry, and 'Quiz' shakes things up with some positively dirty synth action bearing its presence down on anyone caught in front of the soundsystem.
Review: Detroit dub techno don Luke Hess says that this is his "most eclectic and techno-driven album to date" and that it blends together his signature subterranean sounds with his indelible Motor City touch. It again works well on cultured dance floors but is also a deeply spiritual album that will have your mind wandering to some lovely places. From the opening moments of 'Dokimion' you're sunk into widescreen soundscapes that pair painterly synths with immersive low ends. Cuts like 'Stoicheo' bring serene melodies and closer 'Hiketeria' is a misty, foggy cut that oozes late-night intimacy.
Review: Montreal alias and label Jump Source offer up their fifth future-facing dance cut, 'JS05', to the world. Though not a motif of theirs until now, the artist describes this latest iteration of their sound as "restoring balance", as 'Balance' would at least seem to suggest with its two-phrase phrenodies, tweezy topsynths and four-note bouncy-ball-basses. The ensuing 'Tonearm Extender' and 'Sad Salad' continue to squeeze out Jump Source's impressively superdistinct sound; we can imagine them as born of a future universe in which prosthetic limbs might double up as tonearms (among other gadgets, as of a cyborgish Swiss army knife) and salads are not consumed in leafy green, but rather pill form, hence the sadness. Sadly, this isn't COVID-19 nor pill-food; on 'JS05' there's no loss of taste. In fact, it's a wonderfully whimsical release, a gleeful future vision.
Review: Hamburg techno heroes Kaiserdisco are back with another one on Adam Beyer's always reliable Drumcode. First track "Black Light" pummels away, cavernous and furious in peak time, main hall, festival fashion. This is the kind of track you could imagine someone like Len Faki smashing out at Tomorrowland. On the flip there's a couple more which aren't as pulverising, such as "SQ 80"; this one is more restrained and funky with its massive synth stabs, wonky bassline and dub delays lurking in the background. Finally we have "Manley" which is another slab of funky tech house with sweet hypnotic synth stabs and a smooth rolling groove.
Review: Vinyl debutants The Kid N Cliff (most likely an alias for a better-known artist or artists) are the latest outfit to join the ranks of "interpretation" and "homage" specialists Dirty Blend. There are two tracks on offer, both of which are pleasingly epic and stretched out. A-side 'Don't Be Alarmed' is raw, spaced out and analogue rich, sounding like a light-tough rework of an early jacking Chicago house cut or obscure proto-techno treat from the early 1980s. 'Heavy Thump (Bangdatshyt)' sounds like an edit (or tribute to) something from a similar period - all jacking, lo-fi machine drums, deep and filtered bass, vinyl crackle, Ron Hardy builds, and more sampled drums. Whatever it references - and early Chicago house is the obvious comparison - it's breathlessly brilliant.
Joy Kitikonti & Hamsa - "Tricks Of The Time" (5:51)
Hamsa - "Overthinking" (Farfa Re-Touch) (6:24)
Francesco Farfa & Hamsa - "False Cruelty" (5:39)
Ubik - "Command You To Lie" (Hi-Ryze remix) (5:49)
Review: Musek deliver a fresh V/A comp in the varicose veins of lively progressive house and dilly acid trance (ish), cycling through three originals whilst closing things off on a reimagining of a classic. First there's Joy Kitikonti and Hamsa with 'Tricks Of The Time', a burgeoning journey packed with metallic clanks and scraping basses; next it's Farfa's retouch of Hamsa's 'Overthinking', which does an impressive job at depicting overthought with rabbit-hole filtercut arps and manic calculative leads. Farfa and Hamsa return for the comparatively brooding 'False Cruelty', which peppers its on-a-mission pluckstabs with the odd spaceship UI blurt; and finally, the classic-remix in question is Hi-Ryze's brutal rendition of his Ubik alias' 'Command', the original version of which was released in 1991, and to which Ryze multiplies its deathly yet seductive vibe through madhouse chirp leads and doomy diminished chords.
Review: Theo Kotts taps into some irresistible garage magic here on the cult Fuse label which has long been dominating the sound of the London underground. 'Dark At 3pm' is an urban sound with subtle nobs back top the original UKG sound with dark breaks and fizzing synths. 'Forward Motion' is a nice bouncy slammer with some balmy pads softening the edges and 'Glow' brings a little more heady melody to the fore, although the drums still cruise nicely. 'In Search Of' shows yet another side with crispy breaks and pitched up vocal hooks while 'Strides' slips into darkness once more.
Review: The first release in this new KIDDO series features a collaboration between legendary artist Ian Kiddo and his father, Larry. The one original is 'Sweden' which is a final monster that is laced up with trippy sine waves and fizzing frequencies over a loopy, undulating and metal groove, all brought to life with an alluring rework of an Abba vocal. This 12" also includes a remix by Gathaspar and has already received support from Ricardo Villalobos and the realricardistas crew, so do not sleep on it. .
Review: Known for his hypnotic dance music, Southern Italy's Lomonte delivers three tracks rich in deep disco soul and tinged with a psychedelic shimmerisounds that have already caught the attention of dancefloor icons like Ricardo Villalobos. Attitude Records is his new label and the 'Attitudes' EP, a record that sidesteps passing trends in favour of crafting music with true staying power is it's first release. Opening the Side-A, the title track 'Attitudes' highlights Lomonte's remarkable touch for layering dynamic, textured rhythms into a groove that unfolds naturally, pulling the listener deeper with every bar. Over on the Side-B, 'Can't Get Enough' and 'Summer Vibes' reflect his talent for channeling uplifting moods without ever losing the music's subtle complexity. Rather than chasing ephemeral sounds, Lomonte commits to an honest emotional resonanceihis work feels timeless, not tied to any particular moment or movement. With nearly 20 EPs already under his belt, he demonstrates here why he's become such a respected name: each track glows with warmth, soul and an understated finesse.
Review: Swedish producer Martinou returns with his tenth single which is a double pack that cements his deft hand in sculpting deeply emotive and rhythmically rich electronic music. Spanning six tracks, this latest straddles techno, house and ambient techno with a balance of subtle innovation and classic sensibilities. 'You Took Me In' is an immediate hit with its broken beat structure which allows airy pads and a melancholy melodic line to float atop crisp, polished percussion. It's evocative, the kind of track that slips into your subconscious before you realize it. 'Blur' follows with an electro-tinged beat and a deep, rolling bassline that anchors its shimmering, crystalised melodies. Mid-tempo, it carries a quiet beauty that feels timeless. Other tracks worth mentioning are 'Somewhere', which pushes into ambient techno dub territory, rich in spatial textures and restrained pulse. It's both meditative and propulsive, inviting repeated listens. 'Light (From Within)' takes a more radiant path, channeling melody-forward trance motifs with a subtle emotional charged euphoria that is never overstated. Throughout the double pack, Martinou moves fluidly between rhythmic frameworks and emotional tones. Even at their most restrained, these tracks possess a clarity and purpose that make them idea and suitable for solitary listening. It's a release that reaffirms his position in the modern deep electronic scene, balancing precision and feeling with each track.
Review: Here comes a new double pack from minimal house maestro Thomas Melchior, carried by his own My King Is Light label. On this occasion the Perlon regular is casting his mind back over some established Melchior classics and inviting Thomas Stieler to give them a subtle shake up, kicking off with the 'Spiritual Ways' edit of 2007 cult classic 'In The Spirit'. More recent joint 'Fighter' also undergoes the edit treatment, plus some less familiar tracks which all get remoulded to Stieler's dreamy, expansive style without losing that trademark Melchior shuffle.
Review: Soon, Real Gang Records founder Danny Miller will release a fine joint EP with long-serving West Coast tech-house hero Jay Tripwire. First, though, there's the small matter of this solo three-tracker, whose title - Dracula - references an alternative productive alias last used in 2021. He doffs a cap to hip-house on the devilishly bass-heavy and deliciously driving A-side, 'The Ways Are Mystic', which sounds like his usual brand of after-hours tech-house on steroids. Miller then reaches for creepy spoken word samples from vintage moves on flip-side opener 'F*ck The Future', whose bumpin' beats and bassline come cloaked in unsettling chords and minor-key electronics, before showcasing rumbling 'dark garage' bass, skipping beats and wonky noises aplenty on closing cut 'Groove Hammer'.
Review: The fact that this is the 13th release in the Ohm series catalogue need not impede the assurance of quality by way of superstitions about unlucky numbers. New ones from Modernism, Tim Kossmann, Bec Kaczor and Kirill Matveev work through gassy textures that rasp against negative, membranous moulds, be this on the understated, unassuming 'Love Goes' or the neurotransmissive 'Deserve Rage'. Bjarnar Jonsson has a good radar for talent, and does a bang-up A&R job on this resistant, reactant techno comp.
Review: MRAK impressed recently with his acclaimed EP 'The Pledge' and backs that up here with another fine two tracker on the Afterlife label he co-founded. He is an artist who serves up sounds rich in musicality and is in emotive form here. The first track, 'Reserva,' is a collaboration with 19:26 that features lush strings that highlight MRAK's poetic style. On the flip side, MRAK joins forces with Aimee Sophia for a darker, more atmospheric track. Aimee's haunting vocals elevate the breakdown and infuse the melancholic electronica with a touch of humanity. This release continues MRAK's journey into deep, emotional soundscapes that make a real mark on the dancefloor.
Review: AF1268 turns to the new talents of Nikol, a rising underground soundscaper from Manchester who makes a solid impression with this, his debut solo EP. Already somewhat known for singles on with MASS, his own label, and O.C.D., here he delivers a more fulsome four-track journey that blends modern minimal and electro. The EP features eerie, hallucinatory sounds with ghostly whistlings, acid stabs and hypnotic basslines perfect for more heady floors. It evokes a spectral atmosphere where Halloween meets tech-house while conjuring images of a damp, decaying club beneath a full moon. These evocative and unhinged grooves make bodies sway in slow motion, caught between dreamlike introspection and the rawness of the moment.
Review: Russia's Moonrover Records triple up as a vinyl, digital music and podcasting platform, exploring the outer spatial limits of our shared cosmotic consciousness through sublime, interstellar minimal tech house. Here Stanislav Gontar aka. PRT Stacho crosses the event horizon, as 'Time' and 'Sputnik' offer flux-continual swells between otherwise calculated and regrounded beats. It's like gazing out the satellite window, as warp-drive thrusters on the hull's flanks illume junky space debris as it whizzes past.
Review: The 11th release on German label Retrospect keeps things direct and danceable, filtering retro references through a crisp contemporary lens. The A-side's '9Teen' offers a warped, electro-leaning house cut with driving drums and a hypnotic loop sensibility-funky and functional without overreaching. On the flip, 'Let It Play' leans into acid-flecked warmth, layering nostalgic synths over a bumping, classic groove. The 'Dub Take' pares things down, stretching the textures into a moodier, more restrained version fit for later in the night. As with previous instalments from this vinyl-only series, the focus here is on reshaping the 70s, 80s and 90s-less pastiche, more pressure. No frills, no fuss, just solid tools for selectors.
Review: SaPu returns to his Rhythm by Nature label with Tribal Tales EP, a three-track trip that expands his sound into deeper, even more groove-rich territory. The opener 'Pulsar' sets the tone with spacey pads, filtered percussion and a rolling tribal groove perfect for early morning sets. The title track then ups the intensity with warped synths, acid lines and eerie vocals all aimed squarely at peak-time dancefloors. Philadelphia's Snad closes the EP with a dubby, analogue-heavy remix that mixes up breakbeats and hypnotic acid textures for a trippy finale. It's a confident and cohesive collection.
Danny Tenaglia presents George Vidal - "Out From Obscurity" (6:11)
Danny Tenaglia & Cevin Fisher - "Move That Body" (Antranig remix) (6:32)
Review: The legend that is Danny Tenaglia seems to have been creatively re-energised in recent times, with last year's 'The Brooklyn Gypsy' delivering a gorgeous and celebratory blend of good-time house grooves, mazy solos and life-affirming dancefloor energy. 'Tonight', his latest missive, is another gem, presented in 'beats (intro)' and 'no beats (intro)' variations. Both takes feature many of his aural trademarks - think impeccably programmed beats, a mesmerising bassline and incredible sound design - alongside waves of awesome electric piano solos, dreamy pads and eyes-closed female vocal snippets. Over on side B, he doffs a cap to his days as Twilo resident with a deep, dark and deliciously percussive workout ('Out From Obscurity'), before ANTRANIG delivers a similarly heavy, druggy and mind-mangling take on Cevin Fisher collaboration 'Move Your Body'.
Review: Bonafide and veteran Japanese house legend Satoshi Tommie is back with a second taste of his upcoming new album Magic Hour alongside a selection of fine remixes. First is a Freund der Familie Reshape of 'N01' which is deep, atmospheric and mid tempo techno, while the album's title cut then becomes a swamp, deep, menacing rework from Andrey Pushkarev. Freund der Familie Rewire Fix of 'Phase Space' makes it into a deft, loopy, stuttering workout for the mind and the Satoshi Tommie's Alternate Cut of 'Fast Track' is a killer slow track steeped in dub dynamics.
Review: By popular demand, Traumer's 'District' finally hears a vinyl release; the Parisian mastermind's as-yet underground hit is accompanied by an equally jubilant mega-club tool, 'At Lanta', not to mention two subtler, deeper techno pieces from one of Berg Audio's most essential elements, Kolter. There's something on this EP for everyone, be that dubby wonkers or straighter texture-melters.
Review: A new-ish name, but Obscure Shape and classically trained musician Conrad - the two halves of Urban CC - are already experts at blending high-energy techno with deep, playful textures. Side-A kicks off with 'Mana', a nicely paced, uptempo techno weapon that channels a vintage 90s spirit, full of raw drive and momentum. 'Azul' follows, switching gears into a bouncier, tech house-flavored groove. Deep basslines anchor the track while playful, urban-tinged sound effects add a fresh, streetwise character. On Side-B, label head Traumer steps in with a remix of 'Mana', reimagining the original into a deeper, more melodic journey. Rich chords flow over a hypnotic groove making this a sophisticated and atmospheric alternative to the more direct original. Finally, 'Kredo' closes the EP on a high note i a sleek and classy techno cut. Its clean production, hazy euphoria and warm atmosphere create the perfect vibe for those special late-night or early-morning moments. A dynamic and well-rounded EP that shows both a respect for techno's roots and a clear creative vision for where it can go next.
Waterslide (Gallegos' Blue Playstation mix) (5:36)
Kindness (6:42)
Review: Vyvyan is the solo project of Bonar Bradberry, a perennial underground perfumer with roots in disco and house and plenty of great releases to his name as half of the acclaimed Leeds duo PBR Streetgang. Here, he delivers music for dancefloors when the night turns uncanny by stripping club sounds to their raw essence. Following his 2022 debut album Y, which fused rough percussion with warped melodies, the 'Waterslide EP' pushes on further. The standout title track is minimal and wonky house with synergic synths that burrow deep into your brain and it receives a powerful remix from Gallegos, while 'Kindness' is an amped up rhythm with plump kicks and trippy lines spraying throughout the mix.
Review: Ilkay Yeler serves up a debut EP that explores a fresh house sound that is perfectly suited to the Mood Waves house sound. Up first is 'Donations Feed' which is a kicking tech cut with wispy synths lashing about next to snappy snares. 'Ghost House (Dyson dub)' then gets deep and freaky with a marching beat and meandering pads that bring a ghoulish vibe. There is more kick to 'Space Lounger' but no less depth with more cavernous pads and a turbocharged bassline. Last of all is the more sci-fi leaning 'Wait A Minute' with eerie cosmic energy and a grubby, unrelenting bassline.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.