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: Luschn and Roman Khropko seamlessly blend their styles on 'Rozchyn', a bouncing, elastic groove that pulsates with energy, its hypnotic rhythms and infectious melodies drawing the listener into a world of sonic intrigue. 'High Hopes' takes a different approach, its smooth, tech-infused textures creating a hypnotic atmosphere, like a journey through a neon-lit cityscape at night. On the flipside, Luschn's 'Never Defeat Me' emerges as an anthem for the resilient, its driving rhythm and soaring melodies inspiring perseverance and determination.

Review: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.

Review: Hidde Van Wee hails from the Netherlands but clearly has a respect for electronic styles from these shores, not least classic UKG and tech house. They are both to be heard in these cuts on HOMEGROWN Records, starting with 'Channel 4' which is a big energy beat with wiggling bass. The space-tech sound '5th Avenue' has already had big club plays from the likes of ROSSI. and Chris Stussy and 'Early Riser' then hooks you in with psychedelic colours and trippy motifs over new school tech drums. 'Far Out' shuts down with gritty, stripped back drums, a turbocharged bassline and celestial melodic outlook. Lovely stuff.

Review: Greek producer Stelios Vassiloudid has been making techno moves since the turn of the millennium under a range of different aliases. Here he appears as himself with four supercharged dub techno cuts for Dubwax. 'Lie In Wait' is a really tight, taught affair with pinging kicks and icy hi-hat ringlets. 'MIA' is more warm and vibes with a soulful core and underlapping bass waves. There is a more minimal and abstract sound to the curious dub bumps of 'Reverse Engineer' that encourage you to be at your most fluid. 'Grains' shuts down with grainy lo-fi pads, vinyl crackle and sparse kick that soundtrack an underwater jaunt. There is plenty of subtle variation to these rhythms which makes it a dead handy dub EP.

Review: Given that he's been active as a producer since the dawn of the 90s, it would be fair to say that Sven Vath is well worthy of an authoritative, expansive retrospective. That's certainly what we get here on this quadruple-vinyl mix of classic productions and fresh, eye-catching remixes. It's the latter that dominate the early stages of the collection - see Adam Port's hypnotic, didgeridoo-sporting revision of 'Ritual of Life', Speedy J's acid-fired stomp through 'Ballet-Fusion' - before Vath showcases some of his choice cuts. There's naturally to set the pulse racing, from the twisted, sub-heavy thump of 'Cala Llonga' and the tactile hypnotism of 'Sounds That Control Your Life', to the electroclash-meets-Kraftwerk flex of 'Dein Schweiss' and the ambient techno excellence of 'The Day After', a 21- minute epic from 1995 produced alongside Steffen Britzke as Astral Pilot.

Review: The first ever vinyl record to the name of Italian prodcuer Verniss (aka. VerniB) hears the artist expedite three floor-fillers for the Seekers sublabel Twig. Efficiency is the key word here; each track emphasises less productive floweriness and more floor-readiness, though that isn't to say the record lacks subtle embellishment: 'FS Polymonkey' is especially jamboree-ish, its organic, tuned percussions merging, grading with those which are synthetic. The mood of a metallic biotic rave continues well onto the itinerant B-sider 'Travel Smp'.

Review: DJ Balduin's Mountebank Scientific label tells us that VICARI is "a child of Sheffield's iron hymns and scientist of the subconscious dancefloor." The music he serves up on this new EP tell us he likes stripped-back minimal and tech for the wonky we hours of the morning. 'Freefall' is a skippy rhythm with pulsing synth modulations, 'Pipe Dreams' cuts loose on chunky house drums with off-kilter percussion and 'Dontlikewhatyoudointhere' is another roughshod, dusty and deep house jaunt with a mix of glistening digital melodies and muffled bass. 'Serious Misintentions' is the most trippy and electronic of the lot - a late-night collision of controlled chaos.

Review: 'Celestial Dance' is Tommy Vicari Jnr and Loopdeville's latest, collaborative contribution to new label Foxtail. 'Go Again' and 'What Kind Of Love Is This' draw on the slung-down timbral strength of amapiano's log basses for reuse in crowd-busting house groovemanship: we hear giggly knock hits stiffening otherwise angelic house ambiences, making for staunch low-end scaffolds. Loopdeville's B-side is the real hoot, meanwhile, as crowd murmurs and restless rhythmic petri cultures heard to come to life across 'Los Pollos', before the r&b inflect 'Do You', which samples what sounds like Miguel, closes on a potent tearjerker.

Review: Capodopere's eighth release comes from the enigmatic Vid, a dedicated genre explorer not bound by usual rules. Side A's 'Transpose' features a groovy dub bassline and intricate percussion that mesh together into a hypnotic rhythm that invites fluid body movement and deep mental immersion. Vid's subtle, warm textures make it both a dancefloor weapon and a cerebral experience then side-B's 'Stereochord' shifts to a darker tone with sequenced patterns and a deep bassline underpinning industrial textures and eerie echoes. The track's relentless energy and nocturnal atmosphere make it a real afterparty gem.

Review: Darcoform present a captivating four-tracker where minimal frenetics collide with backend sonic mental processes, producing no end of strange fidgety sounds. With side A, Vid's 'Soundscapes' and Cim Pian's 'Visions Of Neverland' conjure a twin gnosis through slipping frameworks made up of 2-step breakbeats and vocal samples. On the B, Mtps unites introspection and groove in 'Book Of Truth', interlacing vampish textures and beats, presaging Durosai's closer 'Str8 Chillin' which lays back with its arms folded over a mechanised punctuatiosn: "rock the dance", it goes, in celebratory conclusion.

Review: Viewfinder returns to Rescan Records with their third release on the label, a four-track journey through house and techno. The A-side offers two straight-up house cuts, 'Solace' and 'Let Go', featuring infectious grooves, sampled percussion, and catchy stabs. Flip the record over for a techno turn, with 'Roxtone' pushing the BPMs higher and delivering a high-energy workout. Mihail P closes out the release with 'Natural High', a hypnotic blend of breaks, bleeps, and ethereal pads. With its diverse range of sounds and infectious energy, this release is a must-have for any fan of quality electronic music.

Review: Originally released in 1998, the title track is a hypnotic, rolling groove that helped shape the genre's future, its deep, pulsating rhythm and intricate layering exemplify Villalobos' signature style, making it a crucial piece in minimal's evolution. The Mood Mix on the flip stretches 'Heike' into a 13-minute odyssey, pushing its elements further into hypnotic terrain. Subtle shifts in percussion and melody build an entrancing, underground energy, capturing the essence of late-90s minimalism. This version transforms the track into a slow-burning, immersive journey, reinforcing why it became a staple in underground sets. Both cuts highlight Villalobos' early genius, demonstrating his ability to craft intricate, groove-heavy compositions with an enduring appeal.

Review: Interdance impressed with its first couple of forays onto wax and now its third release packs in more fresh talent from South America's underground. On the A-side, Buenos Aires' Vinz delivers two standout tracks: 'Instinto,' a raw, trance-tinged techno trip straight from 1992, and 'Transradio,' which is a cinematic journey with pounding drums and acidic synth lines burrowing deep. Flip to the B-side for Uruguayan producer Juan Dairecshion's deeper, more hypnotic sound on 'Rebel Rebel,' which rides a steady four-on-the-floor pulse, while 'UR Love' dives into murky, Detroit-inspired territory with eerie vocals and twisted melodies inspired by the group name-checked in the title. A bold, mind-bending four-tracker built for serious late-night floors.

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: Claus Voigtmann's Life Miles LP was another fine bit of work from the London-based German, and now two of the singles from it get served up on a new 12" next to remixes from a pair of tasteful underground producers. First up is LA-based Liquid Earth who brings some low-end wonk to 'North Of The Sun' next to acid-soaked grooves and driving 909s. The original pumps a bit harder with a Leftfield cosmic edge. Then comes Youandewan on the flip. He twists 'Lowrider' into a murky and late-night dub cut with warped bass and a signature sense of crispy tech funk. The original is a more high-speed and silky, electro-inspired space cruise with lovely broken beats.

Review: A fresh perspective on classic 80s electronic sounds across this eight-track collection that moulds house, techno and early rave influences into a dynamic, rhythm-driven experience. Kicking off with 'Lightweave', the groove immediately pulls from disco's infectious energy, layering dramatic organ melodies over a crisp, propulsive beat. The journey continues with 'Cubic Pathways', where deep, stomping new beat rhythms meet spacey, evocative melodies reminiscent of the late '80s transitioning into the early '90s. Normally , a producer tied to the sound of Detroit techno for the past 15 years, Johannes Volk shifts his focus to many kids of retro influences from around the world on this album. 'Sense Of Wonder' injects an Italo house spirit with electro elements, striking a perfect balance between nostalgia and futuristic sound design. Meanwhile, 'Exposure' leans into minimal yet incredibly catchy hooks, channeling the mechanical precision of Kraftwerk while maintaining a forward momentum fit for modern sets. The collection's closing moment, 'Zero Zero, taps into the raw energy of early UK rave and new beat, drawing comparisons to the bleep-driven textures of acts like LFO. Throughout, vintage textures and deep-rooted influences are seamlessly woven together, with results that feel both reverent and fresh.

Review: Trent Voyage and Elena Moroder started working together in 2022 and here make their debut on Quirk. It speaks to a duo who have a love of classic US house but have enough skill to bring their own style to it. Elena's dynamic, sensual vocals weave through lyrics about paradise, love and fantasy, with the opener 'Jamiro' a perfect deep house hymn with timeless vibes. 'Show Them' is a more minimal and late-night sound with a twitchy synth and moody vocals bringing more edginess. 'So Good' has a jacked up groove and another magnificent original vocal that harks back to the golden era. 'Cosmic Connection' repeats the trick with a rugged drum sound, then 'Cravings' is built on an electro rhythm with future synth sparks.

Review: Vyvyan is the solo project of Bonar Bradberry, a perennial underground perfumer with roots in disco and house and plenty of great releases to his name as half of the acclaimed Leeds duo PBR Streetgang. Here, he delivers music for dancefloors when the night turns uncanny by stripping club sounds to their raw essence. Following his 2022 debut album Y, which fused rough percussion with warped melodies, the 'Waterslide EP' pushes on further. The standout title track is minimal and wonky house with synergic synths that burrow deep into your brain and it receives a powerful remix from Gallegos, while 'Kindness' is an amped up rhythm with plump kicks and trippy lines spraying throughout the mix.