Review: After apparently admiring him for plenty of time from afar. Acme now hook up with Soultape for this label debut. It features two new and original cuts - the first is a nice heady number with snappy snares and drums and distant cosmic pads adding scale. 'Spirituality' stays in the outer realms with its bubbling synth magic and distant spoken words and the flipside is all abut remixes. 'Gobustan' (Alex Font remix) gets more darkened abstract for those late night afterhours and 'Spirituality' (Venda remix) is a dubby cosmic floater that encourages deep thought.
Review: South Atoms is an artist from Argentina who brings plenty of Latin flair to this new EP on In Waves. The artwork conveys the underwater fluidity of the opener 'Bersine' which is a rolling and deep tech cut with delicate melodies sprinkled up top next to shards of piercing synth light. 'El Mundo De Las Cosas' picks up the pace with more slapping tech funk and shimmering chords. It is on 'Persea' that things slow down a little with humid pads and tropical vibes over the deep rolling kicks. 'Rinconade' might be the best of the lot with its majestic bell sounds and undulating rhythms worming their way into your affections.
Review: Astral techno cosmonaut Space Dimension Controller serves up his vision of acid on this new sampler via Gerd Jansen's Running Back. The storied producer kicks off with 'Kosmische Conga' which has twitchy and sinewy lines lashing about over mid-tempo drums. 'Echopet' has a dubby feel and nice undulating grocers that are coloured with a prickly 303 that gently weaves its way in and out. 'Minehead' gets more manic as the 303s are louder, brighter, and more manic in their approach and 'Carinacid' then slows down to heavy drums and a mutant acid house and techno vibe that is full of late night menace.
Review: Having made his name with top tunes on Perlon and TWM, Spacetravel now casts himself adrift on a solo adventure with new label L'Amico Fritz. The first EP sets out a solid sonic vision with three tracks of raw and warped electronic sounds. There are undulating and rubbery acid lines on the deep and paddy techno opener "90 BASS888' then 'Tbilisi' layers up icy and supersized hi-hat ringlets over muffled synth rumbles next to distant church bells. It's a nice spaced out sound before 'Simmons Copy' pairs deft and futuristic synth designs with a glitchy beat for 5 am fantasies.
Review: Forbidden Dance Records sure does know how to signup the big boys with previous EPs from Patrice Scott and Dego making a fine impression. Next up is another house don, this time from Chicago: Specter can really go wild with his rhythms and raw textures as shown on EPs for Theo Parrish's label, but here he starts off with something soulful, dusty round the edges and deep. 'Putazo' then finds him embracing the occult with edgy and glassy synth lines zipping about more turbulent groves. 'Run The Course' is a grinding and mechanical groove of the sort he does so well, then 'Humble Pie' is all fizzing lo-fi synths and scuzzy drums patterns.
Review: Magnonic Signal label boss Spin Fidelity aka Antonio Velazquez is well known for his techno outings Subwax Excursions and Parang Recordings. Here he lends his consider skills to a fourth release from the Brussels label Nightflight Records. There is some glistening old school jack and cosmic synth work on opener 'Photon Stream' that gets you locked in from the off. He then shifts down a gear for the widescreen cyber-funk of 'Ancient Love' before heading off on a silky electro tip on 'There Must Be A Way.' Closing out a hugely varied EP is the trippy acid and melodic workout that is 'Magnonic Transmission.'
Review: Mint Condition is exceptionally good at reissuing genuinely buried treasure, with their frequent vintage UK deep house and formative tech-house selections being particularly potent. They've hit the spot once more here, too, raiding the vaults of legendary UK tech-house imprint Oblong and returning with a killer 2002 single from Spincycle (AKA Dave Clements and Andy Davies). A-side 'Making Faces' is a great example of London tech-house from the period - all starry, echoing synthesiser motifs, dreamy chords, smooth bass and hypnotic beats - while flip-side 'Twister' sees them reach for bowel-bothering hoover bass, speed garage-influenced drums and undulating, Swag-style melodic motifs.
Review: This is the fourth and final installment of Sushitech label head Yossi Amoya's reissue series focussing on the work of Eric Spire and his Silver Pearl label. The Los Angeles based producer was on a hot streak back in the late 90s, fomenting a new take on West Coast house music with hard drums and psychedelic synths that lay down something of a blueprint for later tech house a la Craig Richards, Wiggle and co. This useful 12" packs another punch with potent drums and razor sharp percussion across three cuts from some of the Silver Pearl mainstays.
Review: You might think you know the West Coast house sound but are you familiar with Eric Spire and his Silver Pearl label? He's a rather overlooked but influential figure from Los Angeles who dropped some seriously sick records back in the late 90s. They brought a hardness and psychedelic edge to house music that eventually paved the way of the sort of industrial tech that was championed by the likes of Craig Richards with his Tyrant nights and project alongside Lee Burridge. Now Sushitech label head Yossi Amoyal has dug into it to put together a series of 12"s that best showcase this special era.
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: Zombie technology sounds to ooze and overflow with battery acid, as US producer John Spring reissues four future-facing, yet technically millennial-made tracks for Pitched Peach. Produced in the early 2000s by the minimal master-don, real name Johannes Mai, 'FMMF' and its three follow-up tracks prove the durability of an 80s industrial and EBM sound, and that it cannot go extinct: especially when mixed impressively with the tempo and sensibility of tricky minimal techno. 'Traum.a' adds to this with globs of kick, power-up riser and bass stab, exegeting a forward marches reminiscent of platform gaming. Falcko Brockseiper's remix is the only melodic cut, highlighting Spring's advantage taken over an intriguing homophonic happenstance: "traum, oder trauma?"
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.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
sshadess - "Discoteka" (6:28)
The Coomers - "Miso Soup" (7:20)
Girlcop - "Carbonara" (5:54)
Emsho Shoshe & Mat Fink - "Give Up" (5:09)
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.
Dim Dim (Melchior Productions LTD Reconstruction) (6:55)
Redeem (Soulphiction Reconstruction) (7:48)
Stabilize (Leonel Castillo Reconstruction) (7:38)
Stabilize (Mark & Matt Thibideau Reconstruction) (7:22)
Review: Sushitech presents the last part of its 15th anniversary reissues series. Timeless reworks of Paul St. Hilaire & Rhauder's now classic 2018 release 'Reconstructed', featuring legendary producers such as Rominimal heroes Amorf who provide a typically hypnotic reinterpretation of Control, Dutch minimal house maestro Ion Ludwig retains the dubby elements of the original on his rework of 'Stabilized' and likewise Steve O'Sullivan remains in glacial and cavernous territory on another sublime perspective of 'Control'. Elsewhere, Thomas Melchior serves up a typically arcane venture into the deep on his version of 'Dim Dim', while the much missed Soulphiction provides the perfect majestic backdrop for St. Hilaire's amazing vocals play centre stage on his version of 'Redeem'.
Review: Over the last seven years, Stavroz have appeared on labels as diverse as Kindisch, Laut & Luise and Bedrock, but for this new one they've chosen an imprint close to home. Moodfamily presents the Ghent-based outfit's new EP entitled "Gold Town", where IJsbrand De Wilde and Gert Beazar (both DJs and sound engineers) have made the transition to a full band - now joined by Pieter De Meester and Maxim Helincks. The EP describes itself as the soundtrack for an adventure to mysterious outskirts around the globe. From the lo-slung Afro spiritual vibe of "All Day I Zama", to the dusty/jazzy deep house mystery of the title track, or the tripped-out after hours weirdness of "Ghajar" - keep an eye on these guys going into 2020!
Review: Stavroz returns after a year of creative hibernation with the 'Kick Up the Dust' EP, marking a refined yet experimental journey through sound. The title track takes a direct route to the dancefloor, blending remorseless beats with an elegant trumpet and saxophone duet that's as healing as it is intense. Her Eyes Were Red offers a unique emotional blend of melancholy and power, while Dae-El, featuring Poltrock, brings a dreamy fusion of synths and duduk into an ethereal, spaced-out listening experience. The EP's depth is further showcased in Valente, a collaboration with Castello Branco, where Sade-like vocals meet acoustic guitar and horns. An inventive EP that masterfully straddles the line between the club and the couch.
Review: The mysterious STAXX label kicks on with a third outing here, all under the same eponymous artist's name. All three of these nameless tracks explore different deep house vibes, starting with some dusty hi-hats and lazy claps on Track 1, which is embellished with some sweet melodic curlicues. 'Track 2' then hits with a little more of a bump 'n' grind feel and some muttered spoken words for extra atmosphere. 'Track 3' shuts down with a final irresistible house groove that is perfectly undercooked, detailed with just about melody and sure to prove timeless as the years pass.
Kauris 1979 (Feel Fly Piano Emozione remix) (0:49)
Review: Night Vibez first outing on vinyl is a limited affair, with only 200 copies available worldwide. It sees Steb join forces with Dario Rossi for 'Karius 1979', a shimmering, impactful late-night number that giddily blurs the boundaries between sci-fi deep house, trippy nu-disco, and strobe-lit Italo-disco of the sort more associated with basements in The Hague than open-air clubs in Italy. Van Der Kirche and THC kick-start the accompanying remix package with a bouncy, stab-happy breakbeat take that sounds like it could have been recorded in 1990 or 91, before big guns Marvin & Guy re-frame it as a throbbing Chic-meets-Italo-disco workout. To round things off, the Feel Fly 'Piano Emozione' mix is a dreamy, piano-laden trance number that recalls the mid-90s excellence of Robert Miles.
Review: San Diego's Tabby Traxx is back with a second release that will again jack the club. This one is a debut from Steezy Ray Vaughan that blends old school acid into new school tools. 'Stalker' opens with a heavy drum stomp and eerie one-note melodies then Matt's Creepin' mix brings a lashing of acid madness over sci-fi tech drums. 'Flashback' has a more undulating and deep acid feel as the 303 is drawn out over razor sharp hi hats and rolling drums. 'Flashback' (Mike's Vox edit) has a little more menace for those freaky late-night after parties.
Review: Brazilian minimal house experts Stekke are back with Cosmopolitan, which inaugurates new label Chez Panthere. Two typically understated afterhours minded cuts are featured on both sides. On the first is the paranoid, heads-down contemplation of 'Disco Jukebox' which is perfect for Sunday morning (no earlier than 9:00), while over on the flip we have another deep and hypnotic offering in the form of 'Mix-O-Lydian', with atonal sounds underpinned by clipped rhythms that's is the kind of tackle you'd expect Thomas Melchior or Rhadoo would drop on Monday morning.
Etymology (Gari Romalis Electronix Iya Bad remix) (5:49)
Etymology (Satoshi Tomiie interpretation) (10:16)
Etymology (Losoul Lower To Sense remix) (7:02)
Downbeat (feat Audio Werner) (7:04)
Review: Etymology is the study of the history and formation of words in language. Rarely do we find an artist, not least a somatically inclined dance music artist, concerned with such disciplines; usually that strand of things is left to us critics. Yet despite the titular allusion to said verbal science, further references to words on this release by Stekke are scant. In fact, 'Etymology' the track is as wordless as a mute, preferring a pure 120-ish BPM movement of rumbly and understated proportions, emphasising process over object. Flicky hats and unassuming chord hits predominate; we infer that it's the following remixes from Daniel Paul, Gari Romalis, Satoshi Tomiie and Losoul that are the real sonic cognates of interest here, spanning fidgeting minimal trance etymons and derivative dub lexemes. We return to a radical root on 'Downbeat', which features Audio Werner on a muted workout for hand drum and synth swell.
Review: Stefano Chesti aka Stephno has been hella busy this year as this is already his fifth release of 2025. His sound is rooted in techno but with hints of jacked up early Chicago and that's clear again here. 'The Intermittent' is a raw roller with vamping chord stabs to keep you locked. 'Dritto E Tondo' has some brilliantly succulent and pining kick drums powering it along with raw-as-you-like hits and trippy synths and 'Romantic Dub' is just that - warm, zoned out, cavernous dub for late night love-ins. 'Sieben Null Sieben' brings analogue drum sounds and Windy City realness to the fore to close.
Review: Damian Lazarus's Crosstown Rebels continues to serve up top tech tools for jobbing DJs with a new one from Ben Sterling. It's very nearly the label's 300th release and one that does damage from the off: 'Don't Truss' (feat Caitlyn Scarlett) may or may not be referring to one of the shortest-ever prime ministerial chapters in this country's rich history, but what it does do is lock you into the steamy and sweaty drum funk and melt your heart with its superbly angelic vocal. On the flip is 'Bring Me To The Surface' which is a more wonky workout with whirring machines, beeps and squeaks over a punchy tech beat.
Elias Sternin - "Las Cornices De Mis Dolores De Cabeza" (6:06)
Artesano Titer - "Science To Music" (6:28)
Artesano Titer - "White Rabbit" (6:14)
Review: After launching last year with the All Killer No Filler Vol. 1 12", Mephis returns to maintain its mission of shining a light on up and coming Uruguayan artists operating in the trance-techno sphere. The A-side of this second release features Elias Sternin throwing down some driving acid trance styles with a sinister edge which should creep out your club experience nicely. On the B-side Artesano Titer has some further freakiness to divulge with the lingering organ notes and diced up breaks scattered across snappy drum machine jack. The end result is catchy as anything and should go down well with those bumping releases from labels like Partisan and Kalahari Oyster Cult.
Review: Hamburg's Martin Stimming resurfaces with his first 12" in some two years, aligning with Koze's well respected Pampa Records for a two track release that "magnify the opposing sides of his studio psyche". Given Stimming has graced the likes of liebe*detail, Terminal M and Diynamic with his considered grasp of dancefloor dynamics, this Pampa debut is a smart move and shows he's lost none of his production panache despite the aforementioned absence. Lead track "China Tree" betrays a spikiness that will suit the dancefloor perfectly, with the primal bassline and raw, unpredictable drums really getting a grip on your attention. Those seeking some melodic sweetness from Stimming will be all over the B Side "Southern Sun" where Piper Davis's subtly affected vocals are woven into the very fabric of a woozy, kaleidoscopic production.
Review:
For their second installment, the Chateau Chepere crew brings on board legendary producer Stephan Laubner under his STL moniker, with four time warping pieces of music. With his distinctive and intricate sonic palette, Laubner extracts from his hardware different musical colors and shapes to produce singular atmospheres. Opening up the EP is Fly Fly, an epic 11 min minimal house trip full of tension and excitement, followed by Eargrind, an eerie, laid back Detroit leaning ballad. On the flip is Light Up, a spaced out, playful and bittersweet number that will revitalize any hazy after-hours dancefloor. Closing up the EP is Unlike Dislike, a quirky, jacking and mischievous techno workout for the packed club. This diverse ep will pull the listeners and dancers into Laubner's multifaceted, low key but captivating universe.
Review: Bristol's vinyl purists Sex Tapes From Mars continues its journey through the underground with the latest EP from Suburbia main man Cam Stockman. This four-track release is a raw and hypnotic dive into vintage analogue synthesis, acid-soaked basslines and sultry vocal hooks. Stockman shows he is unafraid to push into new relays here as he mixes up classic and contemporary sounds. 'Dreams In The RS' is turbo-tech with charming melodies, 'Chicktikka' brings lithe broken beats and cosmic rays and 'Useless' brings some twitchy acid playfulness before 'The Acceptance Speech' is a more whacked out deep house joint sent back from the future.
Review: Subtil Records introduces newcomer Stoi here and he impresses with his second EP, No Drugs, a mesmerising three-tracker that offers up his distinctive minimal techno style. It's a great blend of hypnotic grooves, intricate soundscapes and understated yet powerful energy that is both for the dancefloor but also more and reflective listening. The opener is a trance-inducing journey driven by pulsating beats, modular rhythms and a visceral, morphing bassline. 'Ro Id (featuring Cclah)' brings melodic warmth and rhythmic intricacy, while the closing track dives into barebones minimalism with eerie, dissonant tones.
Review: Berlin scene stalwart Nico Stojan is back on his respected Ouie imprint that he co-runs with Acid Pauli, with their seventeenth edition here. On the 'Cardano' EP you can sure bet that it is jam packed with glassy-eyed and bittersweet dancefloor narratives, as evident on the sublime title A side title track. Soothing melodies, warm bass and subtle rhythms underpin this melodic deep house journey throughout. On the flip, we have two more numbers aimed squarely at the Sunday morning dancefloor in the form of "Together" and "Inhale", the latter in particular will take you into the exotic with its chilled-out summertime island vibes.
Review: Studio 1's 'Schwarz' EP, brought to life by minimalist maestro Wolfgang Voigt, embodies the essence of 90s minimal techno. Originally crafted in 1997 but released only in 2019, it features three entrancing cuts: 'Schwarz 1,' 'Schwarz 2,' and 'Schwarz 3.' The Studio 1 series, starting in 1995, made waves for its unique formula of monochromatic sleeves and no-nonsense, untitled tracks. This aesthetic not only refined the genre's visual identity but also its sonic minimalism. 'Schwarz' remains a masterclass in stripped-down techno.
Review: Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic label is back with a second volume of its dubs series, this time on nice yellow vinyl with Sub Basics and Fletcher given one side each to shine. Sub Basics goes first with 'Mediterranean', a lovely liquid dub with bottomless depths and perfectly smooth, frictionless drums. Lovely soft melodies drift in and out as the echoing hits and icy hi-hats help oil this most heady of grooves. On the flip, Fletcher offers up 'Sludge' which is a little more tense and menacing, with darker bass and more texture as well as distant groaning pads that keep you guessing and on edge.
Hidden Sequence - "Synapse" (Bluetrain Special edition dub) (8:55)
Review: Dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic label is back with a new dubs series and vol 1 kicks things off with a real doozy on lovely red wax. The boss himself offers up a Bluetrain special edition dub of Hidden Sequence's 'Synapse' which is all icy lines and liquid rhythms which make you think of some frozen lake on a misty morning. Sub Basics (Temple of Sound, Lion Charge Records) opens up with a fresh dub laden track with rippling chords, tons of echo and rolling drums on 'Quarters.' Both are timeless dub outings, as you would expect from this label.
Review: UK mainstay Subb-An makes a welcome return with this fresh new EP on Aesthetic. It finds him in great form with opener 'Seeing Colours' heading off down a nice liquid minimal route with crisp tech drums and twinkling synths up top to bring the magic. On the flip side is 'Plants', a rather serene and sublime cut with more rolling drums and plenty of deft synth designs that bring a certain celestial charm to the fizzing leads. Snad's remix then shuts things down with a more driving sense of tech house rhythm to complete a tasteful EP of heady sounds.
Review: 'Amnesia EP' by Subb An is an impressive showcase from this strong veteran producer, marking a strong entry into the minimal and tech house scene. On Side-1, 'Overdrive' starts with a peak-time groove that's both infectious and compelling, perfect for energising dance floors. Its catchy rhythms set a vibrant tone for the release. Following this, the title track, 'Amnesia', offers a melodic and flighty tech house vibe, weaving addictive hooks that invite listeners to lose themselves in its enchanting soundscape. Transitioning to Side-2, 'Hypnotise Me' dives deeper with an airy feel, characterised by a smooth, deep bassline that envelops the listener in a lush atmosphere. This track's polished production and groove set itself apart. Concluding the EP, Lux draws inspiration from Kraftwerk, presenting catchy rhythms infused with a modern twist that bridges classic influences with contemporary sounds. Overall, Amnesia EP highlights Subb An's potential as a noteworthy talent in the genre, delivering an engaging and cohesive collection.
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