Back catalogue: Minimal House/Tech House

Review: Scharnhorst is back with more house sounds that blend the past with the present thanks to the work of RP. The opener here is a super sleepy and low-key house sound with lazy drums that sink you into a reverie while some well-sampled and classic 80s vocals are slowly but surely introduced to awaken the dance floor. '13' is another dreamy and unhurried deep house cut with a languid groove and more 80s references, this time with the swirling pads that float up top. '12' has a more churchy feel with grand pads adding scale above the frayed drum lops and finger clicks. The final rough-cut diamond on this package is '11' with its smudged pads and time-stretched vocals.

Review: Latest from the Scharnhorst camp (not to be confused - please - with the historic German battleship) comes the five-track future disco booter from producer RP. All tracks here resound with the vestigial aura of a classic disco cut, except they've rerouted back through a busted amp operated by Tiesto standing in as soundboy (the sidechain is real). Meanwhile, the track titles are conspicuously absent of vowels, suggesting lips sealed tightly to the point of speaking through teeth. 'DNTKNWWHTCNSVYFRM' is difficult to speak aloud; perhaps the implicit message is to say less and to move more. Best among this bunch is the closer 'CHGRNDLMR', which brings out a beautiful Balearic guitar to temper the otherwise brusque drums.

Review: RQZ invites us on a sonic adventure with this diverse and captivating EP. 'Sunset Strip' sets the scene with its hypnotic groove, a pulsating rhythm section interwoven with atmospheric textures and subtle melodies. The track gradually unfolds, revealing new layers of sound and taking the listener on a mesmerizing journey through the depths of RQZ's sonic imagination. 'MK Ultra' delves into darker, more experimental territory, its ominous soundscapes and distorted rhythms creating a sense of unease and intrigue. The track's title hints at its mind-bending nature, as RQZ expertly manipulates sounds and textures to create a truly unsettling yet captivating sonic experience. On the flipside, 'The Rhythm' provides a stark contrast, its driving percussive groove and infectious energy demanding movement and commanding attention. This track is a testament to RQZ's ability to craft dancefloor-focused cuts that are both hypnotic and exhilarating, showcasing a different facet of his production prowess. With its diverse sounds and moods, this EP is a testament to RQZ's versatility as a producer and his ability to craft captivating electronic music that pushes boundaries and defies expectations.

Review: The debut EP from The Set Records arrives as a vinyl-only offering, shunning digital realms in favour of pure analogue sound. This limited edition record shines a light on six standout artists - five from the UK and one Dutch - who've carved out their own corners of the deeper house spectrum. From the first groove, TSR001 pulls listeners into a nuanced exploration of house music's more intricate layers. Garage rhythms hum next to progressive beats, with each track offering its own distinct energy. It feels like a journey into the heart of a dancefloor before the lights come up - familiar yet full of surprises. What makes TSR001 especially exciting is how each artist brings something different to the table. There's a sense of variety that never strays too far from the EP's overarching vibe, which is smooth, sophisticated, and unmistakably underground. These are tracks for the heads, the DJs and anyone who knows the satisfaction of holding something rare and tangible in a digital world. The lack of digital presence ensures this isn't just a release but a coveted collectible. Collectors, be warned - missing this means missing out completely. V.A. TSR001 is here, it's elusive, and it's gone before you can press play twice.

Review: is/was sublabel Data Disk follows up on the strength of Teakup and Gladstone Deluxe's releases with this seriously sizzling joint from Aussie man in Berlin Rudolf C. Following up on his standout releases for the likes of X-Kalay and Lost Palms, he rocks up here with some knotty tech house pumpers with grit rubbed into the joints, favouring a detailed and disorienting vibe which is carried by the ample rhythm section. It's bassy, freaky and fun without ever sounding pastiche, catching an edge for the twisted end of the dance.

Review: Tokyo-based artist Ryota OPP is launching his own label, Encrypt Nude, to showcase his unique sound having worked before with greats like Meda Fury/R&S and Le Temps Perdu. With extensive experience as a buyer and curator at Tokyo's Coconuts Disk Ekoda, Ryota draws influence from his favourite non-dance music artists like Santana, Jaco Pastorius, and Herbie Hancock and infuses that with jazz, minimalism, experimental, and ambient elements into a unique take on deep house. The A-side 'Palace' blends ambient, ethnic percussive sounds with cosmic Detroit vibes, while the B-side offers a psychedelic deep house trip inspired by Terry Riley's minimalism and Motor City's raw machine soul.

Review: Konfus Records continues its impressive early work with a fourth vinyl edition that sees them welcoming Matthias Schildger to the family. Together with Rupert Hartick, he cooks up the powerful Dudes EP which offers a nice blend of tracks that explore different moods and grooves. Schildger appears under two of his well-known aliases - MS and CNTRL - first with the bubbly and deep minimal loops of 'Lose Control' and then with the airy, subtly uplifting and high-speed smoothness of the dubby 'Tranceparents'. For his part, Hartick offers two nice and punchy kicks for when the floor needs a jolt.

Review: Aaron Andrew's Chubby label doesn't rush things. Since launching in 2018 and now only just hitting its sixth release though the music sure is worth the wait and is proof that quality will always win over quantity. Leonid's twin brother, Al Smith opens up with the cuddly and cosmic depths of 'Drama Room' before getting more dark and unsettling with his twisted synth modulations on 'Full Of Music', which then becomes a gorgeous downtempo cut with star-gazing pads and splashy hits within the Specter remix. Dan Piu picks up the pace for some delightfully warm deep house dynamics on 'Days Gone' and 'Snows Of Solaris'. Last of all is the more scuffed up, heads down deep house murk of Rai Scott's remix of Dan's intro tune, 'Day's Gone'.

Review: Swung Selections is back with a second volume of club ready tech house bangers. There is a great blend of retro nostalgia and fresh and forward-facing sound designs across the four-track selection. Soulfreq's 'Holiday Break' begins with twisted old shock bass and slapping hits. Retrospect then keeps it smooth with the nice cool tech bubbler 'Pickled Moose,' No Results Found wigs out the floor with the wriggling synth madness and electro rhythms of 'Tackle Maestro' then Harrison BDP shuts down with the thumping house of 'Buggin Out.'

Review: Way back in 2002, in the midst of his rise to global recognition, Ricardo Villalobos delivered a one-off EP for Linear as Termiten - though at the time his involvement was not widely known. It has become something of a sought-after minimal techno classic, with copies of the original 12-inch changing hands for serious sums - hence this Rawax reissue. It remains a fine record. A-side 'Why Did I Love My Wife' is Villalobos at his most propulsive - the kick-drum is pretty sturdy - while still reliably trippy, out-there and intoxicated. 'Nordhorn', a deeper affair in which melancholic melodies seemingly hang in the air over a typically wonky and loose-limbed drum track, is also superb, while 'Frank & Hennes' is a lolloping dab of downtempo psychedelia featuring samples from a heady old folk-rock jam.

Review: Berlin's Keinemusik bring fresh amapiano flavours to the heretofore mostly minimal house label, courtesy of a fresh collab between label honcho Rampa in collaboration with newly welcomed wunderkind Swazi producer, Uncle Waffles. Named after the national genesis of singeli, among other recognisable dance styles - Tanzania - this is a still-steaming ambient amapiano number, one that will not, by our estimation, go unnoticed as a bridger of two sounds. The fast riser Uncle Waffles, a 24-year-old from Eswatini, has already graced Billboard as a progenitor of the next-gen amapiano sound, and 'Tanzania' here sees an official release remix-release, not long after the debut version of her single here has already climbed the charts.

Review: Burnski's Pilot label keeps it fresh with more sounds that operate in the middle ground between house, tech and garage. This one is a split EP that kicks off with Vitess's 'You Got Work,' fizzy, sugary cosmic cut with bouncing drums. 'Play My Game' is another trippy and astral affair with disco energy and wispy synth melodies that hit different. Robin Graham steps up on the flip with 'Not Here 2 Party' which is a low-slung tech cut with a sordid little bassline. 'Pipe Dream' gets even more abstract and minimal with sleek drums and dry drums rolling onwards.

Review: Juuz Records box up, package and release the fifth edition in their vinyl only series. Silat Beksi, Soyro, RWN and Zlatnichi are the latest artists to be spotlit, and all of them deliver a seamless minimal techno experience, teeming with tics and fidgets, the four-piece sonic equivalent of a gut microbiome. Usually, we like to home in on the oddest tunes and we'll certainly indulge the impulse here; Silat Beksi and Soyro's 'Shout In 30 Seconds' makes impressive use of gurgly, subharmonic dream-voices, swabbed across the otherwise sticklike mix, like glue holding a skeleton together. Equal technical and ambisonic itches are scratched on Fedo's closing 'Lena Told', whose transitional vocal scramblings play back like furtive rumours spread through a fragile transmission chain.

Review: Berlin tech house heavyweights team up here on 'You Are Safe' a collaboration between &ME, Adam Port and Rampa on their Keinemusik imprint. The city natives hand in a collection of deep and evocative cuts, that are brought to life by some exceptional studio engineering, sitting somewhere between the sleek late night grooves of local imprint Souvenir as much as it does Innervisions with its melodic and futurist edge. Highlights on here include the hi-tech soul of "Civilist" calling to mind the sonic grooves of Toto Chiavetta or Ame, the sultry r'n'b of "Up & Down" featuring London songstress Chiara Noriko or the slinky moodlighting of "Bumper" featuring frequent collaborator Nomi Ruiz of Hercules & Love Affair fame. Keinemusik came to life in 2009, naming an existing friendship linked by the interests of six members - five DJs and one graphic designer/painter. Five releases per year have been released ever since, solely laid down by members of the crew.

Review: Mexico's Rebolledo has played an important part in Comeme's development over the years, and his nutty strain of electronic dance music fit perfectly in line with the label's tone of voice. Never straight enough to be categorised as house but always too structured to be labelled simply as ambient, Rebolledo is one of the few artist's truly making 'outsider' music these days. This latest album, Mondo Alterado, is perfect for anyone wanting something deep and mystical but that still carries enough weight and shape to be played to other human beings. In fact, a big part of the tunes on this LP verge onto the 'dance' side of things, but the producer has a distinct knack for making that sound constantly surprising, a sort of perennial sonic morphing that steers clear of any concrete genres. TIP!

Review: Percussion, rhythms and intricate polyrhythms have always laid down the foundations of Reboot's music ever since he first arrived on the scene three years ago. Since that debut, "Be Tougher / Letters" from back in 2007 on Luciano's Cadenza imprint, the talented German has made a fast and steep rise to becoming one of dance music's hottest properties. He has seen single and EP releases on Cocoon, Below, Love Letters from Oslo, Motivbank, Below and Ricardo Villalobos' Sei Es Drum imprint in addition to highly acclaimed mix CDs for Cocoon and Cécille. Shunyata, his first ever LP marks his return to Cadenza and keeps his ever flowing, tribal polyrhythms at the centre of its sound.


Its title is loosely translated from its Buddhist origins as ‘emptiness’ which is not used here in a negative sense but as a reference to the album’s state of impermanence and constant state of flux. Utilising the album format, Reboot manages to make the individual tracks start at one point and lead to somewhere completely different, keeping the entire record moving in a constant and kaleidoscopic motion. He builds these spiralling grooves or intricate polyrhythms by interconnecting instruments such as congas, bells, cymbals, woodblocks, shakers, steely drums and aluminium barrels, binding them together to weave an evolving groove. Added to that, stranger sound elements such as field recordings, cut up, distorted vocals, pings and gurgles permeate the percussion layers whilst a spongy bed of compressed bass fills the low end.


The focus is once more on the dancefloor as tracks like the peaktime "Hermano," the deepness of "Dreliach" the hypnotic "Me Show," and the darker vibes of "Save Me" all play testament to. However, there are also some more unexpected moments such as the skipping and melodic "Rambon," the spiralling "Down Pantha," the sedate opener "Uruana" and the sampled guitar that appears on "Sanchez Says." It's very structural nature makes Shunyata an album in the true sense of the word, demanding full and repeat listens to fully appreciate its beauty.

Review: The freshly minted Occult Vision label has a distinctively different ethos and approach. It was established to release full-length excursions (that's albums, kids) only, thus offering producers they work with the chance to stretch their musical legs (so to speak). For the label's debut, they've turned to long-serving Frankfurt producer Frank Heinrich. His first LP since 2016, On A Grind sees the German frequently blur the boundaries between tech-house and deep house, with solid and sub-heavy grooves being overlaid with a mixture of heady sonic textures, glassy-eyed vocal samples, glitchy percussion, twinkling keys and tipsy, mind-mangling musical motifs. Highlights include the jazzy tech-house dustiness of 'Tombant Jazz', the deep and heady shuffle of 'Sweat', the ragged, acid-fired hedonism of 'Outwork' and the sweat-soaked peak-time pump of the nostalgic title track.

Review: One of the "Godfathers of UK tech house" (there are many contenders for this unofficial crown), Eddie Richards began the Time Travel series to reposition this snappy sound in its most modern form. Ironically, this means travelling back in time, then revisiting the present with older, better tools. Tech house was born in London, and yet in terms of popularity and influence, it has transmigrated to the furthest-flung regions of Europe and Asia in quicktime. How can we possibly reintegrate its original sound, let alone refind it? A veteran of the unstoppable waterwheel that was Camden Palace, Richards makes as honest an attempt as you can hope for. He doesn't bother with track-titular profundity, instead embracing names like 'Dream2', 'Moody' and 'Eightone8', suggesting tech house, despite the "tech", should be an off-the-cuff sound, one not chiselled and burnished to perfection. 'Danger' and 'Tease' are proper blemished tech house mother-genes, while for the 'Love Is (Dub)' crosses into u-chambered dubtech territory, with a bespoke, rebarred hi-hat to boot.

Review: Luc Ringeisen makes his long-player debut here with Page Blanche, which includes plenty of his surround sound experimentations converted to stereo and ranges from beatless sound design to peak time bangers. 'De Velours' is a quick standout with dub undercurrent and wispy drums and pads, 'Walking Stuck In A Giant Cosmic Bubble Gum' is a trippy piece with undulating synths and a deeply buried rhythm and 'Je Vais Compter Jusqua Trois' is a lush late night sound for the comedown.

Review: Fresh from serving up his first 12-inch single for almost eight years, Studiotek founder Darren Roach - an underground aggravator since the late 1990s - pops up on Limousine Dream with his most expansive release yet. Low Ranger is the long-serving producer's debut album and, in keeping with his previous output, keeps both eyes firmly on the dancefloor. It's a wise move, because there are plenty of genuinely peak-time-ready cuts on display, from the low-slung punk-funk-meets-tech-house flex of opener 'The Truth' and the bumpin' heaviness of 'Pier 23' (whose bassline and beats recall the original 1988 version of '3AM Eternal'), to the deep tech-house shuffle of 'Low Ranger Don't Stop', the dubby and spacey shuffle of 'BB' and the sparkling tech-funk headiness of 'Augusto'.

Review: Rubicon marks the first physical edition of Galcher Lustwerk's driving-themed alias, Road Hog. Collecting tracks from seven releases spanning from 2014 to 2021, Rubicon serves as the project's Greatest Hits (for now). Including tracks from the Cleveland-dedicated album 'Tour De Hog' as well as the sharp toothed 'Spares' and 'More Spares' the pithy 'Haul Ass' plus some cinematic favorites from 'DWB' and 'On The Lam'. Originally meant to be digital only and listened to while driving, demand for certain tunes to be pressed to vinyl has risen with each release. From the Road to the Club, Lustwerk's got you covered.

Review: Frenchman Rodriguez Jnr moved from his native Paris to the sunny climes of Miami not long after the pandemic. He had already started recording the music that features on this new album before he left, and finished it off in the US. You can hear the influence of both settings as he cuts more loose than ever before. His signature synth craft and elegant melodies remain, but there are also collabs with hip-hop's Stereo MCs, his own partner Liset Alea who is an esteemed vocalist, and Giorgia Angiuli. It adds up to a super smooth and sophisticated album with plenty of earworms.

Review: Techno mainstay Marc Romboy has always made sounds that betray his love of space. He recently made that more explicit that ever with the start of a new compilation series titled Music From Space and after a fine first volume comes a second, called Dimension B. It features the music he has used to open his latest podcast and radio shows series, eight tracks in all from artists such as Thodoris Triantafillou, Til Fussman, Nicolas Masseyeff and Romboy himself. There is plenty to love her from sleek and serene outings from Captain Mustache to Kiberu's lush 'Your Eyes.'

Review: Rone's debut album made a big mark when it landed back in 2010. The record now celebrates its 15th anniversary with a special reissue on neon pink transparent bio-vinyl that will surely mean original and and plenty of new ears will once again fall under its spell. The groundbreaking record launched the French artist's career with its playful, dreamy journey through simmering techno and lush synth-scapes. Gentle rhythms and woozy melodies fill the stereo field to create an immersive experience perfect for sunny and hazy afternoon alike.