Tags: Tech House

Review: In 2007 Juno Records is ten years old, and we've decided to celebrate by releasing 10 singles throughout the year. Each one is a classic dance track featuring new remixes from the some of the most exciting and established names in the business, including Julien Jabre, Spirit Catcher, Dimitri from Paris, Lindstrom, Troy Pierce, Cobblestone Jazz and many more. These releases will initially only be available from www.juno.co.uk and www.junodownload.com. To launch the series we have pulled out all the stops with the re-release of the timeless "In The Trees" by Faze Action, featuring remixes from the legendary Carl Craig and Jerome Sydenham & Tiger Stripes, as well as the brilliant 1996 original mix. A genuinely huge release, this could be the first of 10 future classics! ***Stop press 19/12/07: the Carl Craig mix has been voted #3 in residentadvisor.net's "Top 5 Remixes Of 2007".

Review: 'Unreleased Stuff Part 'I dives into the rich vault of Charles Webster, a revered name in UK house with a career spanning over three decades. This release brings out three hidden gems from his archives that capture the depth of his skill in minimal and tech house production. Side-1 kicks off with 'The Same Thing (instrumental mix)', a refined deep house track with a tasteful nod to 90s acid influences. Over on Side-2, 'Halftoo' delivers a melodic deep house vibe that feels fresh despite its 1997 origins. Rounding out the collection, 'FYU' combines smooth, classy production with that unmistakable 90s touch, creating a sound that feels timeless yet distinctly of its era.

Review: Terry Francis is a tech house OG. He's one of the earliest fabric residents and of course was half of Wiggle, a vital party and DJ pairing that helps shape tech house's earliest forms. He has a fine solo catalogue too and it is that which Mint Condition, the fine reissue label, digs into now to serve up his classic Dubtown. It opens up with the watery dub-tech and liquid grooves of 'Hannah's House' then gets a more melodic dub. 'As You Cry' is an irresistible groove with wobbly bass, sharp hi-hats and that kinetic sense of drive that a good tech house always has. Last up is another Rub N Tug classic, 'Reggae's House'.

Review: Ron & Roland was a mid-90s collaboration between Matt Hodgson (7th Voyage) and Laurant Webb (Housey Doingz) and at their peak they made some untouchable records that perfectly straddled the house and techno divide. This new reissue on Pariter is one of them and it features a trio of cuts laced with visceral acid energy. 'Nassaur Bassed Party' kicks off with crispy drums and snares that cut through the rich bass. 'Acidless Party' gets wilder with extra 303 energy and 'Track Ball Treck' balances dynamic drive with sonic detail for a dubby, elastic groove that was initially recorded at Swag Studios Croydon in 1996 and, with these other cuts, was initially released on Surreal. It's been a cult favourite ever since and still sounds magnificent.

Review: Leeds label 20/20 Vision continues its Full Circle 30-year celebrations with a tasteful series of classic record reissues, all of which are sounds that have been pivotal to its legacy. Wulf n Bear's 'Raptures of the Deep' is up next and was first recorded in 1995 at Hopefield Farm studio and went on to help establish 20/20 Vision on the global stage. Garnering praise from Detroit and Chicago legends like Stacey Pullen and Derrick Carter, it is considered one of the first tech-house records and blends Detroit techno with house beats anyone who has heard Ralph Lawson and Huggy play will recognise. This edition includes remastered tracks, original artwork, a rare dub version plus the best bit - Craig Richards' remix.

Review: Under his Sound Design alias, legendary US house producer Todd Terry dropped his seminal tune 'Bounce To The Beat' back in 1994. 30 years on it is out into the ether once more here courtesy of Hard Times, the newly relaunched label that played a key role in bringing Terry and his peers to UK shores back in the day. As well as the original it comes with two fresh remixes from modern-day tastemakers in Chris Stussy and Dan Shake, both of whom bring it right up to date in style.

Review: Dreamer G's original on Madhouse Records was the kind of underground gem that defined a momentia track that slotted itself into the DNA of deep house in the 90s. Now, it's back, reimagined by Demuir with a fresh remix that injects a whole new energy without losing the original's soulful core. Demuir handles it with finesse, keeping things punchy yet faithful, delivering a rework that feels both modern and timeless. Kerri Chandler, the man behind it all, steps in with his own re-edit, reminding everyone why this track became such a sought-after piece of vinyl gold. His re-edit is all about refinementihe doesn't strip it down; he polishes it, making it gleam just that little bit brighter. For those still holding on to their original copy, this re-release is as much a nod to the track's legacy as it is an opportunity to hear it in a way that's never sounded better. Then there's the deep mix, which has been meticulously remastered by Chandler himself. It's not just a token touch-up; it's a love letter to a track that's stood the test of time. With the sound quality elevated to new heights, the deep mix captures the essence of Dreamer G's original vision, while making sure it feels right at home on today's systems. Ultimately, this rework package doesn't just revive Dreamer G; it affirms its place in house music's enduring historyiproof that great tracks don't fade, they just evolve.

Review: Repeat's 'All & All' series is doing a great job in documenting the immense contribution that UK tech-house pioneer Terry Francis has made to the electronic underground. The genius of Francis's work of the late 90s and 2000s is how it presented a form of purist tech-house that drew as much from classic US deep house as the stargazing futurism of techno. This fifth instalment in the series boasts three decidedly deep excursions. Side A sports 'Loving You', an ultra-dreamy and immersive affair from 2001 that wraps deep house elements around a typically chunky and hypnotic groove. Over on the B-side, the echoing male vocal snippets, sumptuous pads and bubbly electronics of 'Strong Woman' are followed by the slightly more dubby (and even dreamier) brilliance of 1999's 'Love In'.

Review: Nathan Coles and Nils Hess dropped a couple of LPs and a tidy run of 12"s as Get Fucked in the late 90s and early 00s, and now Repeat are taking us back to one of their finest moments. Their debut LP Dot To Dot is a quintessential demonstration of tech house at the turn of the millennium, shot through with a wonky humour which pointed to the impending minimal boom, but still rough and ready like the UK sound which had proliferated around parties like Wiggle. There's also a dash of the Viennese jazz twist you'd associate with labels like Cheap, and more heads down grooves than you can shake a nose bag at.

Review: Bushwacka deserves any plaudits that come his way. He was there at the birth of acid house and went on to foment his own take on tech house. He held a legendary residency at the End in London and of course dropped countless seminal tunes alongside Layo, not least their epic 'Love Story' mash-up. Now the acclaimed but still relevant UK veteran dives back into his roots to serve up the sounds that came before tech house with highlights that would have been heard at the time at parties like Heart & Soul, Release, The Drop, Vapour Space, and at venues like Heaven and The End. Skippy, dubbed garage and driving house all feature in a fine collection.

Review: Toothpick aka Swirl People step out with their newly entitled label Lost In The Swirls, which they have distilled to the more simple name L.I.T.S. Records. The Belgium-based project is an alias of Dimitri & Raoul and they bring fresh house sounds here even though this is a reissue of some classic 90s material. The title track has lush and bright summer pads over driving, tight kick drums. The opener 'May The Funk Be With You' has a classic UK flavour to it with woodpecker-like hits and dusty drum loops under some smart chord work. Last but not least is 'Naked Speedway' which has a warm bassline meandering below expansive chords that bring an early morning vibe. Good stuff.

Review: There's seemingly no end to the mind-blowing vaults of UK tech house titan Mark Ambrose. Even after the extensive three-volume run of reissues on Repeats, Rawax have found more of the South Coast legend's late 90s material that hasn't been reissued yet. Sharks be damned, the Cat Groove 12" is back within reach and remastered to bring the best out of the tracks. The title track is one of those artfully squashed, funk loop-riding jams that turns the heat up without any need for studio showboating - just the right ingredients. 'Floating Around' is a heady tripper crying out for the morning, while 'Hook Up' finds another soulful lick to place at the centre of a groove so crunchy it just has to come from an MPC. Hold tight for 'Warehouse Blues', which injects some nasty, pumping techno energy into the mix with a metallic bassline that comes on like Mr Fingers dipped in chrome.

Review: The Lost DATS Part One: Unreleased House Music 1997 by DJ Romain unveils a treasure trove of unreleased house tracks from the height of his creativity in 1997. The record kicks off with 'Here We Go Again,' a high-energy, New York-style house anthem characterised by its tribal rhythms and relentless drive. 'Over' shifts gears into a deeper, bouncier house groove with an infectious bassline that's tailor-made for the dancefloor. On the second side starts with 'In This House (Main Vox Mix),' a vibrant diva house track featuring Mark Echols, highlighted by its upbeat, piano-driven melody. Closing the collection is 'Methany Deep,' the heaviest track of the bunch; it's a masterclass in minimalism, creating a compelling rhythm-focused slow burner. Each track demonstrates DJ Romain's versatile approach to house music, making this a great discovery for aficionados of the genre.

Review: ACME is Jerome Isma-Ae and WJ Henze and they first wrote their 'Soul Of Life' EP in 1998, back when tech house was still new and exciting. It was one of the genre's biggest tunes at the time and has remained ever popular in the years since for the way it draws on sped garage and techno for its vibes. This faithful reissue offers up the tune in three related but distinctive parts so that you have whatever you need at whatever point in the night you may be. We like 'Part II' with its more balmy and heady cosmic chords.

Review: Not everyone 'gets' house. First, there are those who dismiss it as mindless 4x4 schlock; then, even amongst those who ostensibly enjoy the moods that the genre lays down, there are still individuals who fail to appreciate the subtleties that glue the spaces between the beats, or the musicality that holds the tunes together as opposed the lacks thereof that might make them flop. Whatever the case, Calisto's Definitive Classic (TM) 'Get House' is an ahead-of-its-time house pioneers' artifact, coming as an early example of what some might call tech house, albeit nowadays most would simply assume is acid or breakbeat. Indeed, to truly be able to appreciate the differences betweem genres, you have to just, you know, kinda, just 'get it'.

Review: Toko gifts us another timeless classic from their esteemed archive, this one penned by Attaboy sometime in 1997. Now highly coveted on 12", the label opts for a mint vinyl reissue that is much more affordable than original copies. 'Autopsy In B Flat' offers a driving, late-night house experience, with compressed, echo-laden percussion blending seamlessly with robust bass lines and intricate lead melodies. Then, 'Kookaburra' captivates with hypnotic percussion and bass, anchoring a dreamy yet dynamic journey. Wafty synth stabs and growling square waves complete the sonic canvas, delivering a grandiose deep house experience.

Review: Dana Kelley gets a lot more recognition these days since the excellent Boston Boy retrospective compilations which came out over the past year or so. The late US house heavyweight has a huge legacy behind his various aliases, and now Chiwax are looking at the Beta 12" from 1999. Opening cut 'Left With Nothing' is a powerful dose of deep house with a vocal turn from David Walker, while 'Nastiness' shows how gnarly and experimental Kelley could make his productions when he wanted to. 'Armageddon' is a hot and heavy worked with pumping compression creating the kind of locked in, sweaty atmosphere basement raves are made for.

Review: Steve Bug is one of the titans of the European underground and his label Pokerflat very much defined the tech house sound of the early noughties. His own Ho EP played a part in that and now it gets reissued on Chiwax's Classic Edition. 'Ho (Future Line I)' is a full throttle tech house weapon with dubby low ends and icy hi-hats, while Future Line II cuts up the beat into a more broken pattern. 'Girls On Lighters' keeps it deep with pulsing synths and humid chord infusions over thudding kicks and 'Mohair' closes out this most timeless EP with some more glitchy textures and late night sounds.

Review: US house music producer Dana Kelley's 'Beta' was originally released in a 1999 and became a late era tech house classic just ahead of electronic music moving towards big trance and prog sounds. It is an expensive original to find nowadays so this Chiwax reissue is welcome indeed. 'Beta' exudes a hypnotic energy that is driven by pulsating rhythms and intricate layers of synthesizers to make for a fine fusion of techno, house and ambient elements that will still captivate the dancefloor today. 'Left With Nothing' is a deeper opener, then things get more raw on 'Nastiness' and 'Armageddon' is drenched din soulful pad work. 'Got 2 Groove' is a stomping percussive groove with a busy and cosmic lead.

Review: In its formative years in the first half of the 1990s, IRMA offshoot Calypso Records released some of the finest Italo-house records of the period. By the middle of the decade, though, the imprint was dipping its toe into darker and infinitely more druggy territory. DJ Nabile's 'Moonlight', featuring some chanted and spoken lead vocals byLucio Baradel, played a key role in this transformation. All these years on, it still sounds fresh. Side A boasts two of the earliest versions: the mind-mangling 'Alfa Mix', where dark and moody, Tenaglia-esque motifs ride an extra-percussive tribal house groove, and the more rolling 'Gamma Mix'. Over on the flip you'll find two previously unreleased takes - a throbbing, heavy and warped bass-propelled Alex Neri revision, and Alessio Colina's stomping and hallucinatory 'Tribe Acid Remix'.

Review: To celebrate one year of Lirica, the young but impressive label is starting a new sub-series that kicks off with a special reissue of this highly sought-after album by UK duo Relative Progress. This edition has been remastered and features a fresh design that still honours the original aesthetics. Musically it is a timeless tech house infused with elements of dub, techno and minimal. Opener 'New Horizons' wastes no time in getting going with fizzing pads and crisp drums, and other highlights include the lithe rhythms and deft chords of 'The Onlookers Chant' and the deeper cosmic melodies and dubby beats of 'Heart 'N' Soul'.

Review: Communique Records has been digging deep into the annals of house history and secured the right to reissue this little gem from Ralph Laurenn. His Proper Etuquette EP landed first back in 1997 on the sub-label Party Rock and sits right on the verge of deep house and tech house. 'Right Direction' has fizzing, pixelated and sugary chords over snappy drums. 'Clover' is more loose and fast then 'Hear Me Out' offers a beautiful downtempo excursion into noodling jazz melodies. 'The Touch Of Skin' carries on the old school hip-hop vibes with a dusty broken beat viber for late-night get-togethers.

Review: UK label Rezpektiva unearths another gem from the archives, this time shining a light on Fade 2 End, the elusive duo of Nick Woolfson and Mark Shimmon. Their output may have been limitedijust two releases in 1996ibut what they left behind is a masterclass in deep, rolling, late-night techno. 'Sundance' sets the tone with its undulating rhythms and hypnotic loops, while 'The Passage' weaves together tough beats and drifting synth lines. 'Dreams' and 'Daze' lock into a mesmerising groove, all heady atmospherics and resonant grooves. On the flip, 'Another Day' and 'Another Night' explore the contrast between euphoria and tension, their hypnotic vocals pulling the listener deeper into the groove. 'Feel The Magic' rounds things off with a shimmering, dreamlike quality, balancing lush pads with crisp drum programming. Fade 2 End had a rare touchitracks that feel alive, shifting and evolving as they play out. Now, thanks to Rezpektiva, these lost classics finally get the attention they deserve.

Review: Sushitech's celebration of the superb London tech house collective Housey Doingz continues as part of their own 20th anniversary year. This time they again dig into the archives to reissue a remastered version of 'Fonki' which is yet another hard-to-find Housey Doingz original that first came on Surreal. It's a perfectly dubbed-out sound with plump kicks and cavernous sub-bass but does not lack any bite and drive, which is why it is so loved by the heads. Flip it over for an ever more dubby dub version. Another vital pick-up for OG tech house fans.

Review: 'A Few & Far Between' is an ongoing, multi-part reissue series from the cultured folks at Sushitech as part of the label's 20th birthday celebrations. It features music by pioneering London tech house collective Housey Doingz which has been pulled from their archives and remastered for the occasion. his volume features the much sought-after and timeless 'Without You' which is a perfect example of how this outfit blended the soul of house with the drive of techno into something both physical yet emotive, all driven by 303 basslines. As well as the original, the B-side of this 10" features a nice warm and heady dub version.

Review: We're very much into this 10 x 10" series from Berlin-based label Sushitech as part of its celebrations of 20 years in the game. It is serving up carefully dug-out delights from the treasured vaults of vital London tech house outfit Housey Doingz, and next up is a long-lost and unreleased delight recorded with the legendary voice of house music, Robert Owens, originally recorded over two decades ago. They have aged well and 'Put It All Behind Me' is sure to become an instant new/old modern house classic. As well as the original which channels the vibes of New Day, a dub comes on the flip.