Juno Recommends Minimal / Tech House: February 2022

Review: Body Movement hits it's 5th release with Matt Farrows One For Bill EP. Matt known to many as Kepler starts the A side running with 3 solid 4/4 house tracks designed to destoy any dancefloor! On the flip we have his more daker electo alias Relpek with two Electro tracks One for Bill and Mind, showing his deeper side to his productions. We think Matt will be a staple name on many lineups in the future and his talent and production skills are shown on this stellar EP.

Review: We were very impressed by the "sonic dexterity" shown by DJ Pipe on his first solo EP, The Clubber's Paradise, which dropped earlier in 2021. The four tracks showcased on the Berlin-based producer's follow-up are perhaps not quite as impressively diverse, but there's still plenty to admire amongst his warming and melodious fusions of deep house and tech-house. We're paying the dubby, percussion-rich deep house funk of opener 'Sunrise Fiction' and the sub-heavy, synth sax-sporting bump of 'Fragile Transit', though others may prefer the ear-catching chords, restless percussion fills and jazzy bass of 'Gallery Showcase', or the cascading lead lines and chunky, locked-in grooves of 'Touchstone (Alright)'. In other words, it's a fine EP of club-ready workouts that's well worthy of your attention.

Review: Anonymous label Tartan kicks off with two tracks that should pique the interest of anyone who seeks out unusual swerves to spice up their DJ sets. On the A side, 'Took My Heart Away' fuses uncanny sounds from rolling thunder to South Asian vocals, strapped to a brooding beat that should be compatible with the chugging crowd. On the flip, 'Sun' nudges up the tempo a touch and spaces things out considerably, creating a swirling deepest techno mood which might well herald the odd sunrise given half a chance.

Review: He may be something of a wayward techno and minimal house legend - in the past he's put out music on Playhouse, Lick My Deck and Cadenza - but Thomas Melchior has been rather quiet over the last few years. In fact, this outing on Perlon is only the experienced producer's third release in five years. It is though rather good, with opener 'Closer (California Dreaming Mix)' offering a near perfect blend of sparse tech-house drums, floatation tank synth sounds, tipsy sub-bass pulses and whispered female vocals. Melchior's passion for minimal techno/deep house fusion continues on flipside 'Endless Skies', a more sub-heavy affair rich in ghostly chords, crispy machine drums, swelling pads, Joanna Law vocal samples and the gentlest of lead lines.

Review: Soon as you drop the needle on PH Project's opener 'Blue Yellow Twist' here we guarantee you will be twisting your face in mock disc guts. The bassline is a filthy and old-school gem with organ chord stabs and spoken word snippets adding the irresistible sense of naughty house funk. DMA then bangs the box with cosmic synths and hints of 90s post-rave, Pilot System cruise on a chunky bit of bass-driven house and Frozilla & TJ go deep on far-sighted chords and bubbly bass. This is unpretentious, functional but fun house music from a small but already well-formed label.

Review: 20/20 Vision are proud to present 'Fragments Of Reality' - a brand new label homing in on tripped out shades of house and techno curated by Luther Vine (Phonica Records).

The opening track comes from London underground circuits' stalwart and the Fabric resident Voigtmann. The owner of Subsequent, the label that in itself over the last couple of years has broken a lot of new ground , delivers a big room bomb. 'Automatic Chemistry' will soak you in pulsating baselines and acid tinged minimalist breaks.

'Receptivity' jolts you in an altogether different direction.

The track that comes to you courtesy of Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist Priori is a tripped out soundscape of kaleidoscopic surprises. Yet the lush cascading sounds and pentatonic hints demand a delirious limb movement from even the most reserved of listeners. The magic that Priori brings on board has been shaped by his prior exploits eternalised on highly acclaimed releases for Dust World and NAFF.

Flip the wax ang get a load of 'Expulsion', a throbbing Dub Techno masterpiece crafted by Rotterdam based duo D&S. With a nod to genre's pioneers and echoes of analogue Detroit constantly present the Dutchmen's creation boasts silly concentration of energy begging for a prime-time attention.

The talent also comes with a pedigree. D&S had their stellar work noticed and pressed by Girada Unlimited and Space Shepherd labels to name but a few.

Your new essential record bag filler closes with Rupert Marine's blistering Acid Tech workout entitled 'Drifter'. Fresh jacking grooves that Hamburg based musician packs in this particular production are both airy and tight. Surely it's a track worthy of rave aboard an intergalactic Starship on the merit of it's futuristic brilliance alone.

Review: Three years after making their bow, the shadowy TELUM crew continues to deliver deliciously hypnotic, off-kilter tech-house treats. The mysterious collective's eighth EP holds few surprises, but plenty of ear-pleasing, mind-expanding headiness. They begin by wrapping deep space electronics and starry chords around an addictive bassline and smooth beats, before opting for crunchier beats, woozier chords and bolder bass on the cut that follows. Over on side B, metallic motifs, echoing melodies and more trance-inducing arrangements are the order of the day on the third untitled track, while the EP's final missive makes great use of sharp, Mr Fingers style acid bass, reverberating synth squiggles and chords so deep they're positively subterranean.

Review: London label Tessellate has long been a reliable source of garage-influenced tech-house fare, with their compilation style Teamwork EPs fast becoming essential purchases. There are fewer UKG references on the series' latest instalment, but the "late '90s London tech-house goes 2021" vibe throughout is equally as alluring. Local dub sets the tone via the spacey-but-funky-and-melodies flex of 'Rhythm Check', before Occibel reaches for tuneful TB-303 riffs, metallic electronics and chunky, undulating grooves ('Cosmic Disorder'). Karaba's flipside opening 'Paradiso' is a swinging, suitably intergalactic affair, while Duowe's 'Hallucinogenics' brilliantly joins the dots between ambient techno, bleep and smooth, tactile tech-house.

Review: On its original release back in 2017, Samuel Walker and Gavin Royce's collaborative debut album won plenty of plaudits. Listening back to this white vinyl repress, it's easy to hear why. It contains a wealth of fuzzy, bass-heavy and tech-tinged club cuts, with highlights including a handful of wonky, bass-heavy, tech-tinged hip-house mutations (see 'Role Models', 'My Own Thang' and 'Love and Marriage'), the Switch-esque 'Best Track Ever', the thrillingly twisted, mind-mangling 'Warkin' It', and a sleazy, fuzz-fuelled peak-time workout featuring the stone cold legend that is Green Velvet. In other words, if you're looking for weighty, angular and off-beat club workouts, the album doesn't disappoint.

Review: Vladimir Gnatenko submerges you fathoms below the surface here with his beautifully deep, dreamy, trance-y take on techno for this new EP on Where We Met. The Kyiv artist opens with 'Storm,' an emotional track with warm but heavy grooves and none synths that drift about like fireflies around a cosmic campfire. 'Roosblom' is a little more dystopian but still has those succulent drum and bass combos with more exquisitely deft synth motifs. 'Toevlug' is like a techno lava lamp with smooth broken beats and deep space pads. Closer 'Skarrel' is a real mind melter with subtle acid and punchy drum work that is all about losing yourself on the dance floor at 4 am. Sensational.

Review: Hungary's Room 15 label seduces with another expertly designed minimal house EP featuring four different artists with subtly different sounds. Direkt brings silky electronic funk with icy lines and squelchy bass that gets right under your skin. Guy From Downstairs offers something a little more direct and rubbery with his 'Genelor' which has all manner of freaky voices pacing about the mix, and Martin M's 'Outer Space' mines cosmic depths and turns out all sorts of freaky little motifs and alien designs. Venda's 'Simone' is armed through with soulful pads as the slippery drums and bass roll on.

Review: Ukraine's tech house champ per excellence iO (Mulen) is back in action, following up on last year's first instalment of Oldivibes with some more chunky, playful workouts for the floor. Given the title of the release, it's no surprise to hear some trancey flavours threaded through lead track 'Join Me', but they're framed by a tough, pumped up house backbone to get you jacking with approval. 'What I Want' is a dirtier affair, but the spirit is very much the same. 'Hey Hey!' takes things in a trippier direction without dipping the energy and then 'Outgoing Song' completes the set with the standout track - a seductive and spooky groover with the perfect slithers of female vocal to draw the crowd into the palm of your hand.

Review: Following up last year's '&Hope' EP on their Sum Over Histories label, German duo Frankey & Sandrino return this week with a new two tracker featuring two typically atmospheric house journeys for Crosstown Rebels. Embrace the pure dancefloor drama of A side cut 'Optical', a futuristic affair perfect for those eyes closed moments on the dancefloor. Turn over and you have the mesmerising journey into the deep that is 'Gridd' which will captivate you with its rich sonic tapestry that's weaved together using multi-layered melodies.

Review: Keinemusik all-stars &Me, Rampa and Adam Port have already released two killer collaborations this year, both featuring guest vocalists. 'Confusion' completes the trilogy, with Ali Love - a vocalist best-known for appearing on nu-disco and colourful house records - adding a touch of saucer-eyed soul to proceedings. In its original form (side A), the track is a genuinely emotive and tactile affair, with Love's eyes-closed vocals, melancholic piano lines and held-note chords seemingly floating atop a locked-in tech-house beat. The hybrid deep house/tech house sound continues on the flip, via a subtle rework that seemingly puts more emphasis on the production trio's deliciously bittersweet piano motifs.

Review: ** REPRESS ALERT ** Russian DJ/producer Nina Kraviz recorded 'Mr Jones' back in 2013 which receives a reissue on REKIDS here on clear double vinyl. A fine collection of sturdy DJ tools, it features the sensual deep house cut 'Desire' featuring her own vocals, the sonar transmissions of 'Remember' which ventures into techno territory in collaboration with Detroit dub techno engineer Luke Hess, as well as the dreamy hypnotic beats of 'Black White' and closing it out with the minimal basement jam 'Sheer'.

Review: More quality minimal tech house from the Talman camp this week. The label's 13th release comes from Revivis on the Neck Back EP, hot off releases on Neotropiq, EWax and Quality Vibe recently. From the swingin', boompty dub of the title track on the A side, to the bass-driven, heads-down basement jam of 'What You Need', to the hypnotic B side cut 'Open Eyes' which ventures deeper into cavernous and glacial realm. It's followed by a remix by Berlin mainstay Cinthie (Beste Modus) who takes the track all the way back to the early '90s with classic Stateside emotive stomp.

Review: Argentinian producer Rigzz is next up on the Eastenderz label with more those stylishly striped back and dubbed out tech house sounds. This impressive four tracker opens with the heavy bump of 'Fision' which is underpinned with gritty kicks. 'Cenit' layers up more rock solid drums with lively and loose synths to compiling effect. The tightly woven rhythms continue though 'Space3' which has modulated synths stitched into the arrangement for some cosmic vibes and 'Signals On Me' closes out with a fourth and final heavyweight rhythm that will appeal to both DJs and dancers

Review: Russian label Kashatskikh returns with Ki Mi at the helm once again on Construction J for another session in sublime minimal/dub techno. The rolling and dub-laden 'Gratesk' is a proper heads-down groove aimed squarely at the main room dancefloor, while the following A side cut 'Roy' with its subtle 303 acid flourishes is more suited to the afterhours. Over on the flip, we're treated to some remixes from the label's back catalogue, with Sydney's Dan Baartz doing his best impression of iO (Mulen) on the rework of 'System', while a mesmerising tapestry of meldies will captivate you on Adamov's remix of 'Polimer'.

Review: XI is a collaboration between DJ Fett Burger and SVN. They must have some fixation on the number 11, as their previous drops on Going Good and Sex Tags UFO were given the eleventh catalogue number and now this new joint appears on SVN's own SUED label as SUED11. By rights then it should have come out in 2015, but here we are and whatever the reasoning, the music is what matters, and it's predictably delicious. From springy boxjam house business to blown out after-hours cruisers, tweaked out electro techno and blissfully blurry Balearic, there's plenty of ground covered here by two artists with an imperious track record and impeccable taste.

Review: Cult minimalist Fumiya Tanaka last released an album on Perlon in 2019. He now returns with a new collection of precision tool tracks hat have been made by sampling his own sounds from his own DAT tape archive from the 90s. Reconstructing those sounds today in news ways makes for a faultless blend of the old and the new. There are silky, dubby tech house tunes, rich melodic minimal work outs and deep house grooves along the way. This release is the first part of 'One More Thing' with the second part dude later in 2022 as a separate double pack.

Review: Ukraine's iO (Mulen) is clearly feeling inspired from his Oldivibes series as he rips into another grip of retro-leaning club cuts to get crowds positively hyped. 'Like A Splinter In Your Mind' is an especially fruity number rollicking at a high tempo and featuring plenty of 90s stabs and wiggy trance leads to get you juiced up. 'Looking For Million' continues the charge with an acid-flecked gem cast in brilliant technicolour, while 'It's A Dream' takes things deeper with a garage house-styled workout. 'Poisonous Drops' gets into an edgier acid vibe with splashes of breakbeat hardcore thrown into the mix, ensuring all flavours of old-school are well and truly catered for.