Back catalogue: Progressive House

Review: Novaj Records presents its second vinyl release - 'Space Energy', an electrifying compilation EP inviting listeners on an interstellar journey through a wide array of sonic cosmologies, in good stead with the nascent trend of space-age acid house emergent of late. Lauching into the boundless realms of space, the likes of Donnie Cosmo's 'Venus Transit', MLink's 'Frequencia' and Sunaas' 'Flash Dancer' are all as enchanting as they are out-of-body-experience-inducing.

Review: Volume One of a label retrospective of pioneering early 90s Prog House label Interactive Test Compiled by Alex from Utopia Records and enigmatic Interactive Test founder Franco Falsini. Falsini, responsible for many of the underground classics on the label he founded in Florence in 1991 was first known for his 70s Italian Prog / Cosmic group Sensations Fix. A trailblazer who continued to push the boundaries of electronic music two decades later with Interactive Test, accompanied by the up-and-coming talents of Trance hero DJ Miki the Dolphin, his brother Riccardo and an host of cult Italian music producers. Here we start with 5 tracks from the archive, all highly collectable, remastered for DJs and psychedelic music enthusiastic alike from the best sources possible. Authentic and original dance sounds still hitting the spot in our times.

Review: The Time To Panic label began in style with a release from Ildec earlier this year and now they're back with a various artists split disc which widens out their approach as a label. Samuel Jabba kicks off the record with 'Flatline', a sinewy slice of noirish synth house which will be perfect for anyone wanting to get the dancefloor a little on-edge. Aniano has a similarly full-fat analogue-style sound, but there's a more playful quality to the wonky synths working their way through 'El Terror De Ga?ldar', while Omar Akhrif kicks off the B-side with the dark and dangerous stomper 'Mud'. Javier Carballo completes the picture with 'I Hear You', a perfectly sinister sign off on a record that will appeal to all denizens of the night.

Review: Semi Delicious return for their sixteenth edition with the impressive 'Asylum Of Love' V/A, inviting faces old and new to the imprint. A label noted for bringing together impressive collections of talent, SEMID016 is no exception, with six separate contributions from Krywald & Farrer, Gallegos, Tatie Dee, Omar Smadar & DJ Gear, Scarlett O'Malley & label boss, Demi Riquisimo. The A-side welcomes Krywald & Farrer, Gallegos and Tatie Dee, kicking off with 'Seize The Source' from the aforementioned Krywald & Farrer, before label regular Gallegos tops things up with 'Asylum of Love', and finally, Dee's 'For My Niece'. The B brings the most jubilant of the bunch, 'Check One', while this tonal up-shift continues with 'Hey Party People', before finally closing on Demi's finishing touch that is a version of 'Rocking You Internally' from his own 'Mirage Over' EP, released on the same imprint. All quality house here.

Review: Janky five-track minimal techno from Kiev producer O'Fourtyfour, topping up a slew of releases for the likes of Pahatam and Closer, for this latest one on his own label Sequalog. Truly sounding like the magic goings-on heard from a sly wizard's enchanting table, the devilish concoctions brewed up here include the echoic 'Exalted' and the effervescent 'Topka'. The B-side charts an oddball curve, seguing into snappy dreamlectro with 'Aurora 41' and downtempo dubiousness with 'Green Abyss'.

Review: Olsvanger lays out his vision of tech house here on a superb EP for RAND Muzik that is a perfect mix of OG sounds and styles and new school thinking. It is a fat bassline that immediately gets your attention on 'Phantom Lady' - it brings real funk to the snappy drums and swirling cosmic pads. 'Lotusing' immediately flips the script with a mix of rough-assed broken beats and glistening pads full of optimism. The variety keeps on coming with lovely 90s house update 'Air Balunga' cruising along effortlessly and 'Rezo Mantra' offering far-sighted and elongated deep techno tripping. Brilliant EP with many great sounds.

Review: Garage Hermetique unleashes four cuts by Berlin's Onirik and collaborators, all recorded at his Schlesi studio hidden beneath the Schlesicher Tor U-Bahn station. A 'special and chaotic' place, it clearly proved a fertile ground for sonic alchemy, with the 'Good Bye Schlesi' EP traversing a smorgasbord of moods and atmospheres, from the mardy tekkno stomp of 'Rabenflug' to the pensive tone float of the aptly-named 'Ebb & Flow' via the effortlessly sleazy synth gyrations of 'Meier Low Rider' and the nervy Drexciyan shuffle of 'Critical Massa'. Class.

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


Imagine! by Overlords of the UFO was a global US Progressive Trance hit when it was originally released in 1994 - number one on many underground dance charts for several weeks. Mixmag dubbed it "wicked" and other relevant mags gave it high accolades e.g. XLR8R. Imagine! is a collaboration between Anthony Barker and Lynn Serafinn, both trained musicians and analogue synth aficionados. Whirling Thru Time & Space Mix on Side A was inspired by a poem from 60's cult sci-fi author; Fredric Brown - and UFO Mix is a faster tempo remix of the former. Side B's Deeply Hypnotic Mix is a downtempo remix, incorporating some world music elements, and Surfin' UFO was a very limited licensed track that Billboard Magazine described positively and humorously as "campy and kitschy"

Review: The righty much venerated Kelly Lee Owens has tracks from her recent Inner Song album remixed on Smalltown Supersound here. Loraine James opens up with a take on 'Wake Up' that is all broken beats and abstract electronic sounds. 'Re-Wild' then gets a Breaka remix which layers in plenty of UK continuum vibes, skittish perc and bass heavy drums. Last of all is 'Corner Of My Sky' as reworked by Coby Sey, and it is a busy drum workout for tribal dance floors that will pin you to the ground.