Back catalogue: Minimal House/Tech 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: Four new prangers from France's BOOOoo! crew, startling our ears with audio-apparitions by ghosts of the resident French sceno-system: Jamahr, Mooglee, Jucid and Odeon. 'Black Loops' and 'Flex (Booty Mix)' invade elastic terrains of bass and flicky synth, churn them back through meshes of gradated beats and rond-squelching stab notes. 'The Question Is' eliminates much of the A-side's establishing layers and overdubs, harking rubbery and slip-tastic FX design, countered by the equally sticky 'Jimbeldance'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split on top but otherwise in excellent condition***


Okain brings the class to this final outing of the year from German tech titans RAND Muzik. It's a full-throttle 12" that wastes no time in getting down to business: 'Dirac Sea' combines funky drum programming with nice squelchy acid, warped synth lines and crisp percussion to soon sweep you off your feet. 'Pterodactyl Phaser' is smoother and has a subtle garage shuffle to its low end, while balmy pads keep things cosmic up top. 'Spintronics' then ups the ante once more with thumping tech kicks and lively synth lines. 'Circuit Model' shuts down with some nice psychedelic clouds and a busy bassline. Quality tackle for sure.

Review: A cornerstone of early 90s electronic music, Orbital's Lush resurfaces with renewed energy through the Orbital LEDs reissue campaign. Originally released in 1993, the EP is a masterclass in melodic techno, featuring the iconic 'Lush 3-1' and 'Lush 3-2', two seamlessly interwoven tracks that exemplify the Hartnoll brothers' knack for crafting emotionally resonant, rhythmically complex soundscapes. Reissued on 12" with striking new artwork by Intro, this edition includes heavyweight remixes by Underworld and CJ Bolland, whose reworks push the tracks deeper into the club stratosphere. Underworld brings a dense, propulsive momentum, while Bolland injects a sleek, hard-edged urgency. Yet it's Orbital's originals that remain the centerpiece. Those epic gliding arpeggios, layered synths and rolling percussion conjure both introspection and euphoria. A vital part of their Brown Album, Lush helped define the progressive techno movement, influencing generations of producers. Three decades on, the tracks still pulse with a timeless vibrancy.

Review: UK electronic innovators Orbital have been revisiting their early roots with Orbital LEDs, a limited-edition series remastering their old greats. Now fully remastered and paired with striking new artwork by Julian House, the latest drop highlights the duo's groundbreaking early sound when tracks like 'Midnight' innovated with a blend of hypnotic house rhythms and minimalist influences from Philip Glass and Wim Mertens. Also included here is 'Choice' which stands out for its anarcho-punk edge and bold vocal sampling. Paul Hartnoll has often said he aimed to inject house music with a sense of rebellion and social commentary and these reissues reaffirm Orbital's ability to do that while pushing boundaries from the start.

Review: Heady house label Courtesy Of Balance only releases music that you know will stand the test of time. It's informed by the classic schools of deepness but always with a modern touch and unique character, and next to carry that torch is Ostrich aka Nadir Agha. He's in charge of curation at Montreal's legendary Stereo Club and shows his class here with opener 'Snake Charmer' which is built on a dynamic groove foundation and embellished with wispy pads that take your mind on a wander. 'Promiscuous' is heavy, dubby house stripped back to the core essentials and perfectly executed. 'Buttered Up' is a little more mobile but embellished with nothing chords and smoky vocal soul and 'Broken Science' closes with a brilliant broken beat flourish that is full of jazzy invention.

Review: Mr Banger keeps it tight and future-facing with this new offering from Oward. The opener is the title cut and it's a non-stop sound with bumping drums and bobbling rubbery bass topped with yelping vocals and scattered percussion that makes it super lively. There's a jazzy twist to 'Jardin Secret ' with its sunny strings but the busted bass and relentlessness of the dry, crisp tech drums make it a peak time bomb. On 'La Fete Du Tunnel' things get even quicker with more metallic drums and hits, bulbous bass and a speed tech house sound sweeping you offer your feet. Last of all, 'Spirit De La Fore' is a deeper cut with well-swung drums and fist-pumping energy.

Review: Premade heavyweight Obscure Shape and classically trained musician Conrad team up; Berg Audio proudly welcome them as a new duo addition to their roster, together under the name Urban CC. Throwing back to real-deal minimal-ambient techno of a steezy kind, something between Maurizio, Move D and Ghost, 'Pegasus' and 'Marly' cycle through fluttering dub techno and 1-2-step garage respectively, the latter bringing an eyebrow raising combo of yearnsome garge vocal science and pulsewidth techno shots, post-drop. 'Hadban' sneaks a cheeky drum & bass bullet train onto an otherwise techno-centric platform, marking Sleepnet-style vocal etherics and sold-on-us liquid. 'Shagya' finally restricts the mix, with a dubtech-house full of beeping, filtered vocal shouts; a Strictly Rhythm-meets-Chain Reaction contraction.