New releases last two weeks: Progressive House

Review: Berlin techno label Time Passages returns with fresh heat, with label owner Binh (Cabaret, Perlon) facilitating the unveiling of yet another new techno truncator from Hamburg's rising talent Difool, who in turn made his debut on the Ejeca owned progressive breaker Tusk Wax. This new one prefers analog beats and retrofuturist synthwork, be that on the flutingly detuned progressor 'Bleep 303', the mid-set mood mutator 'Dark Flow' or the dragging implied armageddon that is 'Moshpit'.

Review: Something ineluctable about the year 1999 haunts music. It's as though the cusp of the millennium wrought a flurry of pre-terror romance, that last slice of postwar epochal gold reaching an ecstatic, elliptical peak before the crossing of a limp, millenarian threshold. Ernesto's second EP for French label Sour leaves us as loosened and open as any such nostalgic rendezvous could, assuming you were born before the fated date. Over brilliants like 'Morning Sweat' and 'Hardware Boogie', the producer joins the likes of Moop Jr. and Lekind in crafting timbral and sophisticated tactiles, chunked analogue basses and filter-designed keys, deepening and advancing our taste in Gay Paree sensuality.

Review: Danny Howells is one of the UK's natural electronic music treasures. He was there in the early days of prog and remains a singular artist who now debuts on another fine institution in Radio Slave's Rekids. His new EP that blends deep house warmth with subtle progressive flourishes and finds him teaming up with keyboardist Elliot Herrington. The title track shimmers with late-night fuzz, while 'Thrunk' builds around a rare-for-Howells bass-first approach that has already made it a favourite among selectors like Honey Dijon, DJ Sprinkles and Jennifer Loveless. All in all, another triumph for Howells.

Review: There are not many tracks that you could call timeless gems in the progressive house and trance worlds - but this track definitely can. Originally released in 1993 on Braniak Records, this track quickly garnered underground acclaim, becoming a go-to weapon for progressive and trance DJs. When Hooj Choons picked it up, 'Sacred Cycles' transcended the underground, solidifying its status as a trance classic. The track's hypnotic blend of ethereal melodies, pulsing basslines and spiritual samples continues to resonate with fans of the genre. The new Fort Romeau dub on Side-2 gives a new perspective to the iconic track. By honing in on the rhythm, Fort Romeau crafts a remix that innovates the track in different ways. The rework strips the original down to its core elements, emphasising groove and atmosphere while giving a contemporary edge that aligns perfectly with today's dancefloors. This release is a smart move by Hooj Choons, bridging the gap between classic trance euphoria and modern electronic sensibilities.

Review: Italian duo Mathame return with a new single, which they wrote to embody the essence of summer through its energetic melodies and uplifting vibe. It was created during their 2024 tours across Mexico and Asia and was refined through live performances in New York City and Ibiza. It has all the hallmarks of a summer anthem, frankly - the sentimental dance-pop vocals, the big synth waves, the happy melodies and the big, bold, accessible drums. It's well produced, bright and shiny and is easy to sing back when dropped on vast festival stages.

Review: 'Move It Or Lose It' isn't just the name of the latest release from Brit producer Joseph Nugent aka Papa Nugs, it's a mantra for our time. Emboldening Big Saldo's Chunkers imprint with an uncaged, high-octane batch of "house" cuts, this is the label's first release for 2025, dialling in to the label's signature bandwidth-filling "chunkers" sound. Rave-ready FX are the order of the moment, as flashes of early trance, progressive and hard house motifs, and Ibizan sample banks all hear Nugs truncate old-school references into a contemporary hip house come rave-breaks template. 'Turn it Down''s irresistible hook, "we're here to have a good time," has to be the bugler's choice moment.

Review: As you can tell from the title of this ongoing series, System Error likes to serve up only 100% party bombs. The third volume lives up to that once more with Parchi Pubblici kicking off with the acid-laced bumps of 'Perfect Vacuum2Disco' complete with zippy synths and snappy percussion. Lanzieri's 'Twisted Tango' hits just as hard with an electro-techno fusion that rides on psychedelic synth loops with jacked-up drums. Raku's 'Valle Dei Templi' has a more pared-back sound with a menacing and rubbery low end and creeping synths that keep you on edge. Phill Prince's 'Indigo' shuts down with something tripped out and retro with 90s techno vibes colouring the drums.

Review: Bulgaria's Prarhamansah is a duo that last released back in 2004, but they have remained active in the intervening years on their local scene. Their return is somewhat epic with this 11-minute-plus new single 'Bouncing Off The Van Allen Belts' a real comic odyssey. It rides on proggy drums but has an ever-shifting eco-system of synths that bring sci-fi twists and intergalactic colour that keeps the mind locked in. After that, the tune comes as various remixes, from the more far-sighted and trance-tinged subtleties of Waterblip remix part 2 to Charter Murphy's Homemade Pulse Drive remix, which is dark, hard techno for strobe-lit raves.