Joule Imprint France Vinilo y CD

Review: If you're vibing on the current wave of proggy, trance-inflected tech house then you're sure to dig this new one from debutant producer Valen. Yoyaku sublabel Joule is carrying the Redsphere 12" fresh from a release with Janeret & Miroloja, and sure enough the tracks strike a fine balance between warm, fulsome tones and sleek minimalism as you would expect from the Parisian constellation. The title track in particular has a refined strain of dub at its core, but never at the expense of the rhythm section's steady locomotion. There's a rolling breakbeat slant to 'Blinding Lights' which should satisfy the warm up crew, and 'Divinian' gets into something cheekier thanks to its rubbery synth wriggles, ensuring you've got plenty of options when you slide this one in the bag.

Review: Fresh from collaborating with Dubfluss on the Rowle-released Intergalactic EP, tech-house scene stalwart Rowlanz pops up on Joule. There's much to admire throughout, not least title track "Jogger". It sees the long-serving London producer add wonderfully spacey chords and supernova electronics to rolling tech-house beats and a suitably heavy synth bassline. Elsewhere, "LH9" is an ultra deep and hypnotic affair rich in dubby bass and dreamy electronics, while Zendid's fine flipside revision of "Jogger" strikes a perfect balance between flotation tank dreaminess and minimalist dancefloor haziness.

Review: Expoz by JanaretT & Miroloja marks another successful collaboration between the two camps, delivering four tracks of beautiful spacey melodic techno and tech house. The A-side opens with the title track, 'Expoz,' a club-focused tech house anthem that balances techy elements with pulsating melodies, setting the tone for the EP. Following is 'Fraistival,' offering a slightly progressive house vibe with a captivating melody that flows seamlessly. On Side 2, 'Anomisk' emerges as a catchy builder, drawing listeners in with its infectious rhythm and evolving layers. Closing the EP is 'Vertu,' a chill deep house gem perfect for late-night sessions, exuding class and elegance while maintaining a melodic allure. The resulting collaboration continues to give us tracks that are both hypnotic and immersive.