Review: Donnie Cosmo kicks off the all new Circa Groove label with four pumping tech house cuts that worm their way to the heart of the dance floor as well as deep into your affections. There is a heavy spaced out vibe to these tunes starting with 'Stargazer' (Highway Mix) which indeed feels like a cruise through the stars with bulbous bass and fat drums. 'Wired Nag' is just as much of an intergalactic journey with neon synths leaving wispy tails in their wave over rubbery and pumping drums. 'The Deep Cosmo' is more heads down and pensive then 'Curved Space' layers up some celestial melodies.
Review: Winds from remote eastern lands swirl through Dorothy's Dream's latest offering, the 'Blue Bus' EP, a collection that immerses listeners in a realm of minimal mystery. The three original tracks weave hypnotic patterns reminiscent of ancient rituals, where the drums of liberation pulse steadily, drawing you into their rhythmic embrace. The opener, 'Devendra', sets the stage with its captivating groove, layering ethereal synths and whispering vocal snippets that create a trance-like atmosphere. The track unfolds gradually, building an intensity that captures the listener's imagination. Next, 'The Blue Bus' takes a more introspective approach, combining sparse instrumentation with a sense of longing. Its haunting melodies evoke a dreamlike state, inviting reflection and exploration of the inner self. 'Padang Padang' emerges as a standout, featuring rolling percussion that dances alongside shimmering textures, conjuring images of distant shores and forgotten ceremonies. Rounding off the EP, US-based producer Chklte delivers a remix of 'Arambol', infusing the original with punchy 909 drums that elevate the energy without losing the underlying mystique. The Blue Bus EP is a compelling exploration of sound, showcasing Dorothy's Dream's ability to create immersive sonic landscapes that resonate deeply, leaving listeners entranced long after the final notes fade.
Review: Thisisnegentropy's fourth outing looks all the way to Bangkok's own DOTT who runs the More Rice Record store in Bangkok and has studio skills to spare. He heads down a minimal path here with 'Dem Swing' a kinetic mix of dry hits and well swung kicks and tripped-out FX. 'Mind Designer' then gets deeper, with more lovely hits this time landing on tight drum patterns that are detailed with whirring synths and chopped-up vocals. The flip side is taken up by 'Trouser In The Heat', a more manic cut with dense percussive layers and edgy synths that never settle and always keep you guessing. Another fine statement from this top Thai talent.
Review: New Rominimal this week from homegrown imprint Orizont which presents its sophomore release and it's another finely curated various artists affair. On the first side you've got Dragusanu serving up some hypnotic microhouse on 'Asa Dar' followed by Calinie who nails that main room tech house sound on 'Substante'. Over on the flip, Andrei Voica keeps it rolling on the ethereal groove of 'Colors' before the handover to 'Cata' for the morning set with the deepy emotive dub of 'Morning Dew'. Tip!
Review: Dragutesku's deft take on minimal is a mix of the abstract and the surreal if this EP is much to go on. 'Ecliptic' comes first as a vocal mix and is all backlit synth glows, fizzing synths and distant, heart-aching hooks with thumping drum loops front and centre. It is pure passion but also comes as a dub for more late night sets. On the flip is a Traumer mix that rewires the track into a rickety and loopy rhythm fleshed out with smeared pads and last of all is 'Jazzofil', a more downbeat and experimental cut full of weird and wonderful sound sources.
Review: Robert Drewek vs Tomie Nevada's 'Time 4 More' EP was originally released on Unleash Records in 2005. Nine years on and Rawax are reissuing it on black wax and the tunes sound as good as ever. 'While He's Away' is a slick blend of garage-infused house drums and warm synth pulses with catchy vocal samples that bring a hint of old school. On the flip is 'Down With the Bass' which flips the script with a stripped back and militant but silky groove, dubby pads and a head's down vibe that really hypnotises.
Review: This EP is such a favourite that it gets repressed on the regular but still always sells out in quick time. Now it's back once again, this time on a nice white slab. Drewek and Nevada collaborated extensively in the mid-2000s and honed in on their own distinctive electro-techno hybrid as they gained attention with 'Done In 2 Days' which featured on Slam's popular Nightdrive mix album. The original EP containing this track also features other tunes that have aged gracefully while retaining a spiky attitude that resonates with modern dancers. It showcases a range of sounds, from the rubbery acid grooves of 'Follow Me' to the edgy tech vibes of 'More CPU Please.'
Review: Romanian psych-house outfit DRG Series follows heartily in the tradition of dropping vowels and rendering titles in all-caps, helping us to vascularly administer a heavy dose of DRGs. Four disinhibitors - we mean it, as these tracks are incredibly loose in feel - 'Track 1' and 'Track 2' pump and sway through unholy garage house swings and vintage hauled, shoop-a-doop sample oddities; it's only at the point of the B-side when we reach a whistling version of Ciara's '1, 2 Step' set to clinching electro, and 'Track 4' befuddles further with tense, materially informed exercise in soulful bruk. A real eclectic release from an even kookier label, well worth the spin.
Review: Silat Beksi's Modeight label continues to fly the flag for minimal tech house with this latest drop from Dubfound, aka Moldovan producer Dima Kulakovsky. Given the artist's long and winding background in the scene, it's no surprise to hear a classy, refined strain of club cuts twisting their way through this 12". 'Mishkitsunami' is dripping in surrealist sound design without deterring the steadfast groove, while 'Clouds Are Flying Down' revels in pinging synth tones wriggling around the drums. This is tripped out late night business for those who like to tweak out the tweaked party people just that little bit more.
Review: The second offering from the Infrequent label comes from the assured and esteemed mini man Dubtil. This limited 12" kicks off with a silky mix of dubbed-out but paired back minimal tech drums with watery synths and loopy swirls that lock out into the moment. 'II' is clean and perfect for cruising along to thanks to the supple and succulent kicks that are oversized and delicious under the balmy synth smears. 'III' cuts loose with a more warped lead motif and snappy, militant tech house drums below and last of all 'IV' gets freaky with some bubbling and tightly programmed kick and bassline combos. Serious stuff, for sure.
Review: Dubtil finally launches his own label here and it's called Infrequent, which we hope won't be a case of nominative determinism. It's something minimal and tech house fans have long been wanting and this first drop doesn't disappoint. One of Romania's most accomplished DJs and producers lays out a fine vision here with the spaced out tech funk of 'I' kicking off with its dreamy pads and clipped beats. 'II' is even more out of this world with its wiry synths and aline life forms over heftier drums, then 'III' closes out with brilliant drum programming, pinging bass and the sort of smeared pads that bring real death.
Review: Following releases on Dansu Discs, Magic Carpet and Breaks N Pieces, Nicolas Duque returns this week with a new one on London's SITU. The Bogota based producer has been gaining attention for his recent contributions to the music scene, which blend nostalgia with contemporary electronics. The Misdirection EP showcases his versatility between genres, incorporating 4/4 kickdrums and playful bleeps. From the swinging hi-hats and classic bass notes of 'Ritmos Contundentes' to the mischievous yet light-hearted grooves of 'Midnight Library,' this EP is a futuristic display of Duque's artistry.
Andrea Bertoli & DJ Bogdan - "Extremely On Line" (5:36)
Review: Exxtra Beats Records backs up its commitment to pushing things on with a new four-tracker of minimal and tech cuts. Edo Ecker's 'Extraluxxo' has warped synth lines that encourage introspection while the snappy beats make you move physically. Leff's 'Future Problems' has hazy and positive arpeggios that toot away over sustained chords and move at a nice inviting pace. Little Sea offers the snappy drums and gurgling acid lines of 'How I Wanna Feel' while Andrea Bertoli & DJ Bogdan's 'Extremely On Line' is a snappy and upbeat cosmic tech cut with wonky lines adding the charm.
Existencia Pasajera & Dismal - "Hope To See You" (8:23)
Existencia Pasajera & Mati F - "Mental Spirit" (7:23)
Review: Twisted psychedelic sounds and wiry electronics are back en vogue right now and bringing with them a retro touch, which can be heard in the open of this new EP from Dutch label Hoarder. 'I Like The Sun' is crisp, vibrant techno with a 90s edge and after that, it's producer Existencia Pasajera who serves up three collabs. The first is with Dismal - 'Bullet Proof' brings sunny old-school piano stabs to acid-laced and raw tech beats. Dismal also steps up for the hyper-real colours and dreamy trance-techno of 'Hope To See You' then Mati F contributes to zoned-out 90s tech house stepper 'Mental Spirit' to close.
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: Purple Print Records Compilation 3 is a rich exploration of minimal and tech house, bringing unique textures and groovy rhythms to the forefront. Side-1 opens with He Did's 'Mientras Tanto', a fun and infectious groove. The track's deep, rolling bassline and lively percussion make it an instant mood-setter. Following is DeWaal's 'Iceshade', a bouncy, upbeat track that balances playful energy with a steady, deep tech groove. Side-2 moves further into introspective territory with Raz's 'Rora', a smooth and melodic track that drifts along effortlessly, blending subtle harmony with a deeper bassline. Yama Music's 'In My Space' rounds out the collection with a broken beat approach, delivering techy, spacious vibes that add depth and variety to the mix. Altogether, this compilation is a refined showcase of tech house cuts that'll resonate with dancefloor times.
Review: Freerange's City To City series returns with its second edition, this time spotlighting Lisbon. Known for its stunning views, beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife, perhaps one of the city's best-known hotspots is the iconic Lux Fragile, which has shaped the city's sound since the late 90s. Longtime resident DJs from Lisbon are now gaining global traction; to butterfly-net the essence of the coastal metropolis, this new mix LP hears six original tracks from local talents, chief among whom are Megatronic, progressor and ambassador for the city, and Yen Sung & Photonz, two names closely tied to the circuit's deeper-underground corners.A
Review: Cologne's Hoove label makes a welcome return here with more fresh and contemporary house offerings from a range of interesting names. The always reliable Kolter is up first with 'U Make Me Feel' - a nice and inviting, well swung and mid tempo tech cut with some astral pads. J. Feierabend & Rami's 'OK, Captain!' is just as smooth a cruise through space and Thalo Santana then offers something a little different with a more drum led sound - 'Duradura' has pristine kicks and snares with incidental melodies unfurling up high. D&J's lovely 90s throwback deep house sound 'So We Danced' might be the best of the lot.
Review: Limo Trax wind down the tinters and shoot us a knowing look through the Wayfarers, as their latest procurement in slick minimal house and techno blares out the limo stereo. This latest addition to their colours series comes in verdant green, and corrals the talents of Milion, Exonym, Dombee and Wodda, all of whom lay down a clacking sonic technic each. 'Tuin Van Bret' exposes the vibe with beeping chords and an injurious party-starting film dialogue sample, as swarthy, silly excitable funk ensues. 'Hagring' marks the A2 with a "gimme dem" sample and moody swells, while 'Brixton' pays homage to the legendary Lambeth area with a speed garage distributary, reminiscent of Serious Danger's earliest movements in the sound. 'Dark N Stormy' perfects this speedy trend, adding expulsive breaks and oozing licks between the four-by-fours.
Review: This unique 12" project showcases the newly emerging talent of students from Alex Font's weekly online music production course, snappily named Alex Font Music Production Course, by offering them their first opportunity to release and promote a record under the Acme label. The EP features a diverse range of sounds which range from N&O's deft and highly detailed minimal tech cut 'Limited Capacity', Malhiot's 'Flynts Dreams' freaky and abstract late night melon twister 'Flynts Dreams' and Travis Barrington's 'Friends & Enemies' which his one to zone you out at 5 am. Daniels Jack shuts down with another minimal cut 'No Pressure' which suggests the artist will go on to some great things.
Review: Following close behind Macarie's Out Of Streets EP, Verum returns with a further expansion of its sound as a new label in the minimal tech house scene. Olivian Nour sets the mood in compelling style with the subtle jazz guitar licks hovering over brooding twilight cut 'Collateral Damage', while Dorothy's Dream explores skittering, modulated forms on psychedelic workout 'Ten Colours'. Swoy leads on the B-side with the snaking, subliminal mastery of 'Tosmur' and Vern completes the picture with the slinky groove of 'Breath', making this another classy turn for Verum and the assembled artists alike.
Review: This compilation is a sonic tapestry woven from the threads of diverse electronic soundscapes, each track carefully crafted to evoke the liminal space between dreams and reality. It's an invitation to immerse oneself in a world of intricate textures, hypnotic rhythms, and evocative melodies, where the boundaries between genres blur and the music takes on a life of its own. Jonny Rock's 'Legenda' sets the tone with its purposeful groove, its driving energy balanced by a sense of introspective depth. Thanksmate's 'Take A Chance' adds a meditative touch, its gentle melodies and atmospheric textures inviting contemplation and reflection. Dobao's 'Oceano' plunges into a deep, liquid dimension, its swirling synths and hypnotic rhythms creating a sense of weightless immersion. Giammarco Orsini's 'Whirlwind' picks up the pace, its pulsating energy and infectious groove propelling the listener forward. Hiver's 'The Frontier' explores the tension and release of electronic landscapes, its dynamic shifts and evolving textures keeping the listener on the edge of their seat. Sam Goku's 'Lucid Oscillation' closes the compilation with a sense of ethereal beauty, its airy melodies and floating notes leaving a lingering sense of wonder.
Review: DBH welcome Mihai Popoviciu & David Delgado the the Pleasure Zone series with the 'Evolution' EP. Bringing jazzy, sloshy, jerking flavours to the tech house palette, 'Evolution' and 'Shifting' evolve and shift, convoking a delegated moot of propulsive chords and forward-driving janks, conveying the mood of a finely tuned closed clockwork system chugging away like the central engine of a wider contraption. Closer 'Black Light' operates more readily in the lower regions of things, proving unafraid of sounds that lean towards the more peripheral and umbral.
Review: Two years on from their debut release, Venezuelan label ELI.SOUND return with another VA release which should help shine a light on the sound they want to push on their platform. It's a fiery strain of tech house which embraces some dramatic peaks and troughs, as on the vocal-led, acid-speckled thumper 'WAXX03' from Son Of Elita. Things are equally bouncy on 'WAXX04' by Trentz & Cajal, while Direkt ironically takes a less obvious path thanks to the snaking minimalisms of his particular beat construction on 'TRAXX03'. SOEm finishes the record off with a charged piece of statement sampling and squashed, off-kilter machine funk which might well be the best cut on a standout record.
Review: Following the Bowery EP from DubTape, Skip Audio returns to its various artists format with a tidy four-tracker taking an extended journey into the realms of psychedelic house music. Sublee leads the way with the smoky, subliminal sound of 'Shuffle Kings' before DubTape offers up a subtly crooked beat to carry the whispers of pad and errant machine bleeps of 'Ziggurat'. Cosmjn keeps things steady and seductive with the late night tones of 'Grun', and Andy Catana's 'Everybody Dance' toys with broken beats and acid tweaking to get limbs all juicy when you up to your neck in heady party people wanting to get deeper on the dancefloor.
Review: Warm Sounds hits release number 15 with more of its signature house grooves and they come from a pairing who have often worked together before to great effect. That is John Swing feat David Soleil Mon and they offer up a trio of delightfully left-of-centre deep house and minimal cuts starting with 'Find Your Way' which deservedly takes up the whole of the a-side and is a sublime excursion. 'Gaia Planet' is a dusty, lo-fi and mysterious beatdown with chords full of suspense and 'From Within' closes down with more paddy kick drums and wispy synth details.
Review: Cough & Laugh is a rather unusual name for a label and it deals in rather unusual minimal sounds. Following a couple of head-turning first EPs it now offers up this fine various artists release with a trip of tunes from a trip of new talents. Uniix's 'Mindegy' opens up with a glitchy mix of dry hits and sinewy sine waves all peppered with a freaky mix of vocal fragments. Shato's 'Nephilim' then takes a darker turn with ghoulish sounds and synth mutations over an icy beat. Dubfound takes over the flip side with 'Sonya Baskerville', a supple minimal rhythm with well-worked samples smeared into the kinetic mix.
Review: Daniela La Luz is no stranger to Rawax's stable of labels - she's previously released on most of them at different points over the last decade- though Global Transformation marks the first time she's appeared on any of them as Vanilla. The Berlin-based artist sets her stall out with the raw, punchy and occasionally sparkling title track - all woozy keyboard riffs, weighty electro-meets-house beats, tipsy chords and heavy bass - before opting for a deep, druggy, acid-fired and percussively propulsive vibe on 'The Last Window of Time'. Elsewhere, 'Animal Queendom' sees her wrap echoing, dubbed-out and reverb-laden synth riffs around a tough and locked-in beat, while 'All Together' is built around the twin attractions of sturdy, slightly off-kilter machine drums and jazzy electric piano motifs.
Review: The second installment of Multi-Culti's Moon Faze Sun Gaze series is a typically psychedelic affair, with an impressive cast of producers delivering a quintet of trippy workouts. Von Party & Dreems join forces to present "Wet Raga", a spaced-out combination of delay-laden drums, space disco electronics, and Eastern mysticism. The ever-reliable Red Axes fuses heavy post-punk bass, with punchy percussion and minimal wave melodies on the excellent "Boosha Gdola", while Dreems go solo on the weirdo acid-electro bubbler "Sine O'The Tymes". Nick Murray and Kris Baha underpin psychedelic disco electronics with the heavyweight throb of house on "Say Something", before Cocolo draws proceedings to a close with the pitched-down shuffle of analogue wobbler "F33lings".
Review: Phonotheque Records presents Juan Dairecshion (a pseudonym of Juan Bozzolasco) with 'El Metodo' for its eighth release, laying down an extremely well-crafted, tenebrous techno, house and tech house spine-tingler for the sensitive ear come nervous system. The Uruguayan producer is said to possess a broad range, flaunting an ability to indulge both club-ready rhythms and darker, deeper moments, and this is more than laid bare on the exposition 'Low Pression', coining a brilliant new cognate of "pressure" while opting for a kickless, sinister tension, its space-age SFX and eerie percussions landing the tune somewhere between Roswell and a New York alleyway. Things get more orthodox from there, though the record never once lets up on its eerie dance dramatics; 'Nostalgico', 'Re-progre', 'UBM' and 'It's All About Love' are the increasingly ethereal highlights among them, as the record grows weirder and weirder, hollower and hollower.
Review: Celebrating 25 years of Der Dritte Raum, pioneering producer Andreas Kruger presents 25 EINS, a collection of classics and hits, all reconstructed (except "Plasmatica," 1992). This release marks the first in a series of anniversary albums, set to continue with ZWEI. Released on Sven Vath's iconic Harthouse label, 25 EINS captures Kruger's signature blend of techno, trance, electro and house. With timeless tracks and modern productions like "Polarized Echoes," Kruger's distinctive sound continues to captivate generations of ravers worldwide.
Pasillaneando A Modo De Amor En Ta´chira Total (1:38)
Gaita De Aniceto Rondon (1:38)
Vaporum Purpura (2:52)
Isiminaimani (Ricardo Villalobos Y Si No Hay Mani? remix) (18:23)
Isiminaimani (Ricardo Villalobos Y Si Hay Mani? remix) (13:39)
Isiminaimani (Wetsuit's Je Me Souviens remix) (11:55)
Review: The third and most especial edition in the latest selection of versions of the reissued LP by Alonso Toro, Paul Desenne, and Pedro Vasquez - Alzheimer. Coming hot on the heels of an original, as-it-was reissue as well as a gemmy Ricardo Villalobos rerub, this deluxe edition comes in a beautiful yellow and lilac LP box, and features the latter's two remixes as well as an exclusive Wetsuit Je Me Souviens version. A curio of the Venezuelan vanguard, the album was recorded between January 1997-99, and hears the fabled trio of musicians "forget everything" that came before, enlisting the recorded help of every member of the animal kingdom - from mammals to insects - and shooting squarely for a whole new sound-world-order in the process. Sonically flowing between heritage Latin music and minimal electronica, the purpose is to confuse and the effect is indeed confounding, though no less dazzling.
Ich Schreib' Dir Ein Buch 2013 (feat Hildegard Knef) (5:20)
NooOoo (4:59)
Auroville (2:33)
Review: DJ Koze is a master of his craft, and without even so much as lifting a finger, it's proven yet again with his 10th Anniversary Edition of 'Amygdala.' Known for its experimental yet minimal style - which has since trailblazed in his home country of Germany - Koze's knife-edge productions for the LP were far ahead of their time in 2013, breathing fresh life into an often exhausted genre, while also enlisting the help of fellow titans such as Caribou, Apparat, Dirt Von Lowtzow, Milosh and Matthew Dear. It's a classic album of restless detail and domestic lowercasery. Much-aped, but never outmatched.
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