Back catalogue: House

Review: Deeper shades of a finely sifted pedigree. Irish label Appian Sounds, helmed up by Al Blayney, champion only winnowed techno sounds, not threshed. A welcome international team huddle in, with these six artists from locales as far-flung as Amsterdam and Valencia contributing the likes of 'Tsuneo' and 'Persist'. The tunes verge melodic as they move through and beyond jankiness, distending die-cut acids and subtly synthetic humanisations, especially in the percussion department. 'Fuego' is the zen roshi's choice, its gaffered, glass-smithed pads topping off a naturalistic percussive surging forward, one best experienced with your eyes closed.

Review: We shall never apologise for our love for the work of Steve O'Sullivan. His contributions to the world of dub techno are second to none. They are also mad consistent both in style and quality which means they never age. Here he steps up to Lempuyang with his Blue Channel alias alongside Jonas Schachner aka Another Channel for more silky smooth fusions of authentic dub culture and Maurizo-style techno deepness. Watery synths, hissing hi-hats with long trails and dub musings all colour these dynamic grooves. They're cavernous and immersive and frankly irresistible and the sort of tracks that need to be played loud in a dark space. In that context, you'll never want them to end.

Review: Caleto Records's eighth outing takes the form of this various artists compilation featuring exclusively Polish producers. The Etat Cru duo of Olszewski and Pawlescu kick off with the wire and sinewy synths and tech house pomp of 'Jasmina' then Jerry M offers two cuts. 'Gutek' is a nice spaced-out tech cruiser with flashy astral pads and 'Gondin' rides on well-designed breakbeats with an old-school bassline. Robsessive's 'Look After You' is a deeper, dubber, grittier cut for late-night vibes and SIM ON's 'Brudas' is all glitchy and dystopian urban landscaping. Poland sure has plenty of talent based on this EP.

Review: Detroit-raised, London-based Demi Riquisimo assembles a dynamic mix of label favourites and fresh talent on Love State, the 22nd release from his Semi Delicious imprint. This six-track V/A hears offerings from Demi himself alongside Clint, Swoose, Lulah Francs, Dukwa, Anastasia Zem & Asa Tate, blending club modernity with classic analogue dance influences, sampling every sonic cate from Italo to tech house. Best among the bunch has to be Swoose's 'Re/Vision' and Anastasia Zems' 'Eternal Beauty', which bring together wasted electro, Italian new beat and trance for well-measured tinctures of dreaminess.

Review: ?aru is a non-profit label from Romania that sits at the sharp edge of the minimal underground. This new double pack of striped back tech gems will see all proceeds donated to dog shelters and NGOs supporting stray pups. Sensek opens with a slithering and groaning groove, 'Machine Morality,' for shadowy afterparties and Gringow brings a haunting melody to 'Towards The Dark & Cold.' Broascka's 'Epitelius' is an abstract affair with microscopic details scattered over a deep, dubby grove and Dragomir closes with two cuts - 'Alone With You' is a woozy late-night roller and 'Illusions feat Adina Oros' is a blissed out downtempo sound for the post-club hours.

Review: Houston's Seven Davis Jr continues his musical explorations via his Secret Angles imprint, serving three floor-focused cuts on 'Is This The Apocalypse'. The long-serving US producer, vocalist and DJ is unafraid of experimentation, and his latest offering delivers a set of forward-facing house and techno hybrids. Stripped, straight to the point, simultaneously familiar and fresh i the club room is very much the focus here. The energetic opener 'I Should Be In Japan' arrives with semi-sung vocals echoing over sleazy bass and fierce four-four rhythms, before 'PBS (Party & Bullshit)' ups the tempo with jacking drums driving spoken-word sass over a stripped-back topography. Finally, the title track powers over swung house drums, with its magnetic bass hook and looped samples providing the bed for paranoid bleeps and call-to-action vocals.

Review: While much of Mark Seven's work on his Parkway Rhythm label leans into the vocal end of the NYC proto-house/formative garage-house spectrum, his occasional 'Parkwerks' EPs are designed to delight those who prefer stripped-back, synth-heavy dubs of the kind released back in the day by the likes of Paul Simpson, Boyd Jarvis, Winston Jones and Timmy Regisford. There are plenty of "hard, raw and raunchy dubs for DJs" on this belated third instalment, with the Stockholm-based Brit offering up bassline-driven, freestyle-inspired brilliance ('Thrust'), cowbell-laden post-boogie proto-house ('Runnin' Dub') and echo-laden NYC electro ('Time Storm'). He also joins forces with fellow proto-house enthusiast Benedek on the lightly acid-flecked, Chicken Lips style brilliance of closing cut 'Got To Find Dub'.

Review: The debut album from Ukrainian collective Noneside unites musicians and visual artists under the inspiring words of poet Taras Shevchenko, who said 'Make love, o dark-browed ones.' Framed by a painting from contemporary artist Iryna Maksymova, the music explores the trance and tech house that is destined to bring souls together on the dancefloor this summer and beyond. Shjva opens with fresh and mashed bass and sleek trance pads that are subtle but effective. Lostlojic layer sup deep, bubbly techno drums and bass with an angelic vocal tone and Saturated Color's 'Trancia' is a speedy, scuffed-up tech groove for late-night cruising. Peshka and Yevhenii Loi offer two more future-facing trance-techno fusions packed with feels.

Review: Dubliner Noah Skelton brings a deep four-track helter-skelter to Zingiber Audio, topping up a well-travelled catalogue whose earprints are borne in the discographies of Amour, Daydream and Mayak. 'Formentario' and 'Pacer' deepen our hearts with fulsome beats n' bass, carefully constructed to manifest in the listener a looser, undammed destiny. 'It's A Flesh Wound', meanwhile, subtly balances emo-breaks and curious acid jazz, with a popout FM and dancing piano plinks proving particularly pacific, not least when set against *those* chords.

Review: After a decade away, this revered Japanese producer returns to the label where his journey first took flight i with a stunning fifth release EP. Effortlessly blending deep house and tech house sensibilities, he crafts a polished, deeply musical EP that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. Side-A begins with 'Summer Solstice', a crisp, melodic opener built on a minimal, techy grooveisetting a next level production right from the drop. 'Be With Me' follows, locking into an addictive rhythm, its deep, elegant production highlighting his seasoned touch. On the flip, 'The Loop Machine' stretches into deeper territory, an epic builder that grows patiently and powerfully, perfect for extended sets. Finally, 'Winter Solstice' brings a surprising yet fitting close, with a funky electro glide that feels clean, fluid and inviting. As if the seasons were changing. This is a masterclass in restraint, groove and feelingia welcome homecoming for an artist who's clearly leading the way.

Review: French DJ and producer Suburb Beat keeps it street with this neat EP on Sounds of Style Records. The opener has a different kind of swagger with crisp, broken, dry drums and lingering bass notes topped with an aloof vocal. It's a nice new twist on tech house and the remix from Nenor layers in more bobbing beats and muted neon tones for a future house feel. It's a tune that again features late-night sounds that hark back to early West Coast tech from the likes of Fresh & Low and 'Aint Got No Home' shuts down with warming deep house tones that come with a sleek electronic edge and subdued sense of cool. Lovely.

Review: Cabale Records is a Parisian label that has, for the last few years been exploring the minimal techno world. It now branches out with its first various artist release featuring some tasteful tune makers starting with Pheek. He brings some loose percussive energy and wonky drum funk to his opener then Mod303 layers in dreamy and immersive pad work to deft, subtle drums on 'Paris City Zoo.' Night No Tori Vs Hubble keeps it deep and dubby with the late-night introspection of 'Deja Vu' then Sten's 'Slope' is a trippy afterhours sound with tumbling synth smears and percolating dub tech beats.

Review: First put out back in 2007, Soundz of Freedom is a landmark album in Bob Sinclar's discography. The French man has long been a towering figure in the world of house music with many chart hits and a DJ diary that takes him on endless trips around the globe. This album helped get him there and is now being reissued for the first time as a double vinyl. It has already been certified gold and features collaborations with renowned stars such as Axwell, Tocadisco, Ron Carroll, Jamie Lewis and Mousse T. Between them they explore plenty of accessible house sounds from deep to vocal to Afro-leaning and they have all aged well enough to still do a job to this day.

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


Like many of Detroit's deep house and beatdown producers, Delano Smith has been an integral part of the city's musical landscape for nigh on 30 years - something amply demonstrated in the fascinating booklet accompanying his long-promised debut album. Musically, An Odyssey is typical of Smith's previous output, mixing smooth, hypnotic groovers and jazz-flecked deep housers with just the right amount of basement soul and melodic complexity. Given that the tracks - all previously unreleased - were recorded in the last two years, it's no surprise to find that the tracks sit together beautifully. Making a high quality deep house album is notoriously tricky, but Smith has achieved that feat - and with a style and grace that marks out house music's true masters.