Back catalogue: House

Review: Rebirth kicks off its 2024 with a remix EP that serves as "a tribute to the Brescian music scene in its many facets and declinations." The full original project is a complete 12-track album that brings together many different sounds, scenes and generations, with the best bits now assembled on this new 12". The revered deep house master Fred P opens up with some texture spiritual synth depths, K-Lone brings some nice house swing to his version of 'Paline' and edit maestro Rahsaan also keeps it paired back and late night on his soulful take on 'Scent Of An Old Life'. A great reimagining of some moving musical adventures, then.

Review: Coeur De Glace on DKO Records (DKO 34) delivers four fantastic electro tracks, each with unique influences and directions. Side-1 kicks off with Binary Digit's 'U Want Dis,' an exuberant, high-energy track that pays homage to old-school rave with its lively vocal samples. Fasme's 'Morning' follows, blending smooth electro with soft keys and a whimsical AFX melody for a perfect combination. Side-2 features GGGG's 'La Cueillette,' a feel-good, fun and melodic electro tune. The EP concludes with Mud Deep & Sans-Qui's 'Mesonyx,' offering IDM goodness reminiscent of Rephlex, Squarepusher, and AFX. Coeur De Glaceis a vibrant and diverse collection, sure to delight fans of electro and techno.

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


The second release on 3 Mats features a cast of emergent artists dealing in the vibrant seam where electro synthesis and techno focus collide. If you rate labels like Partisan and EYA you'll be into this record, without a doubt. Frankfurt producer Philipp Boss opens up the record with 'Die Schone', a collaboration with Gianluca, while Gabriel Belabbas creates a rolling warm-up delight of electro breaks with an iconic sample on 'Dance With The Speaker'. Muelsa's 'The Future Is A Trap' is a raw, boxy machine workout and Nico Lampariello finishes the record off with an acid laced workout for the darker side of the dance.

Review: The Red Bul & Gyn label made a good impression with its first release and now the founders Thomas Bulwer and G Glynn step up with a second collaborative EP of fresh tech and minimal. 'Caffeine' is a shot of energy with its rising synth lines and dramatic sense of intergalactic space travel over a busy, acidic bassline. 'Like It Ruff' is an old school throwback with rap vocals and electro beats, then 'Acid Wash Conflict' is a thumping tech house sound with unsettling pads. 'Techno Talk' closes down with a mid-tempo electro sound and retro-future edge.

Review: Gothenburg Electro City 3 is a third episode in this superb new various artists series. Stilleben label head Luke Eargoggle says that three generations of Scandinavian electro sounds feature on the six track record. It comes from producers based only in Gothenburg which is the capital of electro in Sweden as well as being the capital of the Vastra Gotaland county. From the high energy and hard-hitting electro-funk of Dataintrang's opener to Guttan's more cinematic but no less caustic 'Bambakaos', all shades are explored here with compelling results.

Review: Two years ago, UK techno mainstay Gabriel made his bow on Rawax's Motor City Edition series with an EP of cuts drawn from his seemingly endless archive of unreleased gems. We're not sure whether the four tracks on this belated sequel are old and new, but they're certainly timeless-sounding and impressively deep. Check first 'Mordax', an impeccable mixture of Motor City star-gazing and analogue deep house blessed with a ridiculously good bassline, before admiring the sun-splashed warmth of 'The Multicoloured Mind', where jazzy piano motifs, sustained synth-strings and warming chords dance atop a loose-limbed house-not-house beat. Over on the B-side 'It's All Pam's (Marseille)' is another gorgeous chunk of ageless deep house bliss, while 'Into Week Two' sees Gabriel once again blur the boundaries between Detroit techno and futurist deep house tropes.

Review: NTS listeners and electro lovers will be well-tuned into the work of Gabriola who has hosted the Magiwire show there for a full decade now. It's an exploration of all forms of electro as is this new EP, Believer. Things kick off in electric fashion with the progressive melodies and warped pads of 'Believer' before 'Inner Engineering' gets busy on zippy melodies with turbulent bass spraying about the mix. 'Winged Sun' slows things down to a precise and percolating rhythm that is run through with wires lead and alien lifeforms while 'Ultravision' is a more jacked up and visceral cut and Bliss Inc Present Equator steps up to collaborate on 'Lux' to close things down in style.

Review: Jorge Gamarra's 'Exercise In Futility' EP is a striking exploration of sound from start to finish, showing his unique flair in the minimal and tech house genres. On Side-1, 'Rigor Samsa' sets the tone with an epic soundscape that merges futuristic and dramatic sci-fi elements. Its heavy, brooding atmosphere is both catchy and dynamic, making it a standout opener that invites listeners on an adventurous journey. Side-2 introduces 'Angular', a track infused with trance elements that create a romp into the future of techno sounds. The seamless blending of rhythms and melodies elevates the listening experience, highlighting Gamarra's ability to craft engaging soundscapes. Concluding the EP, 'Petrichor' is our favourite of the three. It delivers a stunning fusion of 80s darkwave aesthetics with techno influences, with lots of emotional atmospheric and depth with rich textures, evoking a nostalgic yet fresh vibe. All in all, a masterful record.

Review: To mark the passing of three decades since he established the now iconic Environ imprint, Morgan Geist has decided to reissue the label's long-deleted debut 12" - a solo EP that was just his second release. At the time, Geist had yet to develop the disco-leaning but naturally synth-heavy trademark sound he's become renowned for. Instead, he was investigating the stargazing potential of Detroit-influenced techno and jacking-but-spacey house. Check first the lightly bleep techno influenced excellence of 'Sands' and the more driving, upbeat and jacking 'Airpour', before diving deeply into the percussively rich deep techno wonder of 'Smear'. To complete the package, we get a suitably cosmic, pitched down ambient techno revision of the same track by The Connection Machine - back then a duo who had just released a fine EP on Planet E.

Review: Rumors chief Guy Gerber teams up with Innervisions co-head Dixon for the life-affirming dancefloor drama of 'No Distance' with its Afro and futurist deep house elements creating for an altogether epic experience that you'll be sure to encounter in a club this year - if they ever reopen. On the flip, Leipzig's Martin Enke, better known for his work as Llewellyn on local label Riotvan, serves up a dreamy rendition under his alias Lake People. This version of the track is so immersive and complex, it will draw you deep into the ether.

Review: A double A-side featuring 'RESIST!' and 'I Keep on Making the Same Mistake', Ghost Assembly's latest offering is less a release and more a protest on wax. Abigail Ward, the force behind Ghost Assembly, has crafted two distinct yet complementary tracks that pulse with raw energy and emotional depth. 'RESIST!' (Extended 12" Mix) is a primal scream against the injustices of the world. This 111bpm acid track is a visceral call to arms, primed for ALFOS and Optimo crowds. Think of it as a sonic Molotov cocktail: squelching 303s intertwine with a driving 707 beat, while unexpected bursts of Arabic melody add an intriguing layer of texture. It's like DJ Pierre jamming with Omar Souleyman in a Berlin basement. A fragmented vocal sample adds to the urgency, culminating in an icy string coda. The 'Utter Kunt Mix' of 'RESIST!' takes a detour into dub territory. It's a stripped-down, bass-heavy reimagining that draws inspiration from Sleng Teng rhythms. It's a hypnotic, almost meditative experience, where echoes of the Mission Impossible theme collide with the playful energy of Les Negresses Vertes and the raw sampling aesthetic of 'Duck Rock'. It's unexpected, yet strangely compelling. 'I Keep on Making the Same Mistake' (120bpm), on the other hand, explores the darker recesses of the human heart. It's a cinematic journey through heartbreak and regret. A glacial breakbeat provides the backdrop for a mournful bassline that tugs at the heartstrings. Hazel Grove's haunting vocals are fragmented and distorted, adding to the sense of unease, before being consumed by a wave of melancholic strings. A fleeting French voiceover adds a final touch of poignancy. The release concludes with a stripped-back string-a-pella version, a haunting reminder of the track's emotional core.

Review: After the much loved Delano Smith remix of Gigi Galaxy's 'Interview With An Alien' turned so many heads, Det 313 label has secured three originals from the Detroit producer otherwise known to as Gary Martin. Each shows he has a unique approach to the art of groove making, with 'First Night In Lemuria (DET313 version)' slower and more restrained than many in the game - almost like a Sheffield bleep anthem pitched down and augmented with a delightful, prodding bassline. 'Spirit World' is the big room pleaser of the trio, with a bubbling acid arpeggio slowly degrading and re-building throughout and some lovely sci-fi synthery going on. 'Inevitable' is the cheekiest and cheeriest of the three, all sharpened hi-hats and swirling electro beats and breakdowns that reveal its simple but damn effective musical heart to all and sundry. Nice work all round.

Review: After a superb outing on the Ninja Tools compilation, Gogo Gadgeto now steps out with a first ever full solo EP and it comes on the Lumbago label. These sounds are chock full of personality and a little spookiness. 'Gadgeto Theme' has snappy, silvery drums setting the tone under twisted synths and vocals. 'Electric Spliff' gets more warped and wonky with its bold leads and snappy old school tech beats. 'Spooky Adventure' is just that with its rugged drum funk and haunting pads and 'Weird Science (Gadgeto edit)' brings a twisted mix of rock riffs, snappy beats and electronic cool.

Review: Global dance music superstar Peggy Gou comes back with a second super summer single that is widely infused with her own distinctive influences. Chiefly, that is a love of 90's dance anthems, which was rekindled in her during downtime during the pandemic. Released via her own Gudu Records, 'I Go' is a catchy, singable bit of throwback dance-pop with her own vocals front and centre. The old school beats and bass will get any party pumped, with the synth work looks to the cosmos and explores a very different vibe to her previous single. An instrumental and acappella are also included on this lovely 12".

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: Gzardin has a pretty singular sound palette when it comes to his take on tech house. His medleys are bright, his drums dusty, and his chords bring colour and radiance. All that is on show on the opener of this new EP with 'Hentroduction' being a mix of laidback vibes and trippy sequences that occupy the mind. 'Rainy Pain' is more twisted and tense in its make-up and 'Part Time Shed' ramps things up again with techno-leaning low ends and warped synth synths taking centre stage. 'Desserted' shuts down with some new school jack.

Review: The Fourier Transform label outlay an arresting sonic journey on their debut release, bringing together breakbeat, ambient IDM, ambient techno, and prog house under a single banner. Opening with Inkipak's 'Betwixt', we're met with sonorous low-mid square waves and machine-gun-fire breaks, recalling the breathtaking, verging on apocalyptic expanse of a warehouse rave turned laser light show turned warzone. We break from this warring weir with 'Omnicron Acid' and 'City Of Tomorrow' by Gimmik and Brian Kage respectively, which lowers the intensity and sonic flow via spacious atmospheres and dudding percussive pops. Finally, the perfect fusion of the former two moods is achieved on 'Corrosive Tongue', the lead synth on which sounds like just that.

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.

Review: The first release on this label came - as far we can tell, anyway - all the way back in 2022. Three years on, the second is another effective club weapon, this time with an electro twist. Pop Panic's 'Your Body' has mad heavy drums and maximal synth lines perfect for nice loud plays. Aut Zebel's 'Flipped Smile' takes off on a jacked up acid groove for peak time plays and DJ GLC lays in some high speed retro-future synth euphoria on 'Trance Dance' for emotional plays. G Punx shuts down with the gritted-teeth grooves and slamming bass of 'Electro Baked' for menacing plays.

Review: Two And Half Records make the decision here to try and rid the A and B-side distinction on records that we are all very familiar with and instead they refer to each face of their latest 12" as 'dance' and 'listen.'' It makes sense frankly and is often how things go anyway. Swiss duo Quismi kick off this one with twitchy and narcotic tech house with an old school bent. French artist Groenogen then gets wild with bright melodies and grinding synths, r&b vocals and high speed tech funk on 'Twinkle Dance' while ILyes offers the tech silkiness of 'Starting Now.' On the flip is a trio of less direct, more experimental sounds that sure do offer plenty to get lost in on headphones.

Review: It's rather hard to nail the Halloween dance vibe and yet also keep things light and jumpy, but the latest 'Out Of The Crypt' V/A compilation by the sweet folks over at Spooky Wooky have done just that. In fact, they're an entire label dedicated to the cartoon vampire-batty, kitsch smiling pumpkinned, brains-starved nuts-and-bolts-Frankenstein'ed theme: the propulsive monster-mashes therein are just as wicked and weird, with opener 'Je Suis Dans La Nuit' deploying reflective eskimo synths and crepuscular bass progressions; Phase O'Matic's 'Diskotech' making use of raw, flitty bleep leads and dead-of-night screams; and Lazer Man's 'Ozonar 12' opting for hollowed-out dub techno stabs and slinky minimal movements down below.

Review: 'Lords Of Miami' is a fantastic name for this new one from Domesticated, a label run by one of Berlin's best electro aficionados, Robyrt Hecht. Sshadess, The Coomers, Girlcop and Emscho Shoshe each contribute original cuts ranging from the janky to the smooth, with choice bits like 'Carbonara' remaining unpretentious and not-too-produced, yet also peppery on the glitches. Shoshe's 'Give Up' lends an experiment to vocal booty house too, adding an extra creep factor to the genre with freq-scooping phasers on the sample.

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


'Lords Of Miami' is a fantastic name for this new one from Domesticated, a label run by one of Berlin's best electro aficionados, Robyrt Hecht. Sshadess, The Coomers, Girlcop and Emscho Shoshe each contribute original cuts ranging from the janky to the smooth, with choice bits like 'Carbonara' remaining unpretentious and not-too-produced, yet also peppery on the glitches. Shoshe's 'Give Up' lends an experiment to vocal booty house too, adding an extra creep factor to the genre with freq-scooping phasers on the sample.

Review: South African producer and Atjazz label staple Jullian Gomes makes a move away from his regular home to drop this new album Bruno & The Birds on World Without End. It is an adventurous one that gets well beyond the dance floor and comes with plenty of meaningful melodic hooks and well-crafted songs. Guess help bring some fresh vocal charm to his pure beats and crystalline synths with 'How?' (feat Sabrina Chyld - edit) being a highlight. Future house, soulful house, pop house, call it what you will, this is a refreshingly new school take on the age-old sound and one that shows there is plenty of life in the form yet.

Review: Former Factory Floor flummoxer and drummer Gabe Gurnsey grabs us by the groin on this gargantuan groveller of an LP, 'Diablo', his new album. Blending influences from Detroit techno, minimal post-punk and krautrock, it's an impressive follow-up to Physical, his debut solo album for Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound. It hotly heats our hearing with high-octane hygge, and develops nicely out of his former one-off EPs and singles.