Tags: Tech House

Review: LOCKLEAD's Kemickal Affairs EP delivers four tracks designed to ignite dancefloors with an electrifying blend of house vibes. Side-1 kicks off with 'Zero's Delight,' a spirited and slightly jackin' house anthem that sets a fun and sexy tone. Following up is 'State Of Peace,' delving into a more techy and minimal groove, perfect for those seeking a deeper, more introspective vibe. Flipping to Side-2, the title track 'Kemickal Affairs' takes the listener on a journey through a deeper groove, reminiscent of 90s era house sounds but infused with a contemporary energy. Closing out the EP is 'Morning Krew,' characterized by its pumping bassline and seamless fusion of house and tech elements. With its dynamic range and infectious rhythms, Kemickal Affairs is destined to work well on any club floor.

Review: The long beloved Balance series of DJ mixes gathers two prominent figures in the history of dance music for this one episode - Dave Seaman & Quivver. The two are paired up for this double CD set that also features two new tracks to make this project even more appetising. Both Dave Seaman and John Graham aka Quivver have over 30 plus years in the business each, with DJ gigs and credits lists that go on for days to read and their experience shows here. Highlights include Dave's heavy driving remix of 'Low Burn' by Underworld, Ben Archbold's epic 'Psychedelic Halo' and Timo Maas's bass heavy remix of Polaroit's 'Apart'. Dave and Quivver's mixing is flawless as usual - their ability to take a handful of strong tracks and make an epic journey is something they have earned their stripes doing, now you can experience it from the comfort of your living room.

Review: Evasive Records are still going strong after an initial founding in 1999. Run by DJ and producer Rob Pearson, a staple figure of Southeast London's tech house scene at its underground apogee, Evasive's take on the style is an authentic, diversive example of the genre's truest origins. Lovable Rogues is Pearson in collaboration with fellow tech pioneer Lee Humphreys; this is their second EP together, a special follow-up release (now reissued), not least since it logically follows on from the very EP that launched Evasive, 'Look Into Your Eyes / Chica / Twilight Manoeuvres'. Made by the pair in the deepest rural German sticks, the 'Interger' EP betrays tech house's early indebtedness to broken beat, acid jazz and electro, the B2 'Thursday' coming as the tricky favourite here.

Review: The Politics Of Dancing label hits release number 30 here with a suitably fresh new offering that finds the eponymous label head stepping up with three balmy new tunes. 'Let's Do This' is fresh as you like house music with deep drums and heady pads circling round in cosmic fashion. Boris Werner's Bleep remix is a little more driving and thumping for the later hours and then 'Mamma' again gets its head up amongst the stars with more colourful synth work before the liquid and loopy house pumper 'Never Stop' closes out a lively and vibrant EP.

Review: Digwah keeps it tough on this next drop on their own self-titled label. It's a ninth outing and in the time it has taken for those to come out, increasing numbers of people have been catching on to the label's work and making it a 'must check' in their mental lists. This one opens up with 'Couldnt Hate You' which has some Ian Brown vocals samples stitched into a glitchy and menacing beat. 'Open Ended' is just as twitchy and anxious with steely drums and brain frying synths all working hard to fire every synapse in your brain. Effective stuff.

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: Reboot has been committed to the art of minimal tech house for a long time now, and his sound evolves with the same measured elegance as his DJ sets. There's space for balmy deep house chords and disco loops in the stew now, but crisp functionality and tracky immersion remains the order of the day as 'Make You Move' locks into to its seductive arrangement. 'Alternate' toys with swirling, dubby synth work around the steadfast beat, while 'Unstop' piles on a little more hand-drum action for a dense, engrossing rhythm workout - whichever mood you're after and however long you want to ride them, these tracks won't let you down in the mix.

Review: French label Skylax is back with its Wax Classic offshoot, this time welcoming its most prolific talent, Signal ST. His Teenage Catalog is a superbly sophisticated house outing that looks to the traditions of the likes of DJ Sprinkles and the smoky depths of German label Dial. This artist showed his chic sounds in fine style with his acclaimed album Zapoi And Other Dysfunctional Love Stories here in 2021 and now offers up five more mesmerising tracks, including the captivating 'Going Home' and the mysterious 'R2D2 Secret Lover.' The EP also takes in the silky allure of 'Stayin Around' and the ethereal beauty of 'First Drift (Park Mix),' alongside the sweet rhythms of 'Genau.'

Review: Kiria Records is back here with the fifth release by Zenk, which is a melodic but sci-fi tech house EP that starts with the jittery beats of 'Oniromantic'. Rigid synth sequences and slivery metal hits give it a future feel while 'Khubaba' gets more tight and kinetic and abstract. The more tough and pumping 'Nefertiti' is another carefully interwoven mix of sinewy synths, hiccuping effects and warped bass that is topped with a sensuous female vocal and 'Nefertiti' (Costin RP remix) then gets zoned out and trippy with a more balmy sense of synth soul.

Review: Public Possession welcomes back Aroma Pitch for another four tracker that bares all their usual hallmarks - namely lots of warm analogue sounds that unite everything from driving to Balearic beats via big room nu-disco and playful in-between sounds. 'Millennium Surfer' opens with a wash of gently twirling synth arps and 80s drums, there is a fantastically bubbling bassline and dubby feel to 'Balearic Shift', while 'Staub Groove' is a more thumping house cut with weird synth textures. Without doubt it is closer 'Areal Earth (dub)' that wins the EP with its ethereal pads, dreamy vibes and smooth dub house low end.