Juno Recommends Minimal / Tech House October 2020

Review: Buckle up for the latest space crusade from Salty Nuts. This one finds Oden & Fatzo at the helm and the trip begins with the slick and seductive tech house perfection of 'Spaceship For Sale' which glides on silky synths to an imagined future. 'Casinomania' bubbles with all the sort of pixelated sounds and hyper real chords that you would get on the gambling floor of a Las Vegas hotel and '69 Party Boys' is another lithe, neon-lit future-tech-funk gem that gets a remix from Fabe. In the popular Brazilian's hands it becomes a little more thrown back thanks to its warm organ bass.

Review: Fresh from fine outings on Port Neuf and Carpets & Snares, Fabian Appolaire dons the Saudade moniker once more for a first outing on Negonthropy's new sister imprint, Thisisnegonthropy.com (try saying that after a few too many light ales). There's much to admire across the EP's four formidable tracks, from the off-kilter Afro-Latin polyrhythms, tight stabs, wonky vocal snippets and deep bass of title track 'Choices', to the undulating tech-house glitch-funk of 'Implications' and the deep, sub-heavy early morning hypnotism of 'Liquid Fluid'. Arguably best of all though is A2 cut 'Con Amore, Como Diz', a fine fusion of densely layered Brazilian drums, fluttering and spacey synthesizer riffs, and jumpy, body-popping tech-house electronics.

Review: French dub techno engineers Berg Audio return with their fourth release in 2020, courtesy of one R.Y. with an A.C. We are not entirely sure who the former is, but the latter stands for Another Channel, a producer from Ausburg in Southern Germany. The acronyms collaborate on the cavernous and glacial groove of 'Move Dub' that is balanced out by its emotive male and female vocals. It comes with two terrific reworks: Mosaic man man Steve O'Sullivan is in fine form as usual, taking the track down a warmer path with a more sensual feel, followed by Roman Poncet aka Traumer's perspective which injects the track with a groovy minimalist stomp.

Review: Having impressed with his drop on Aesthetic earlier this year, rising minimal house talent Nolga returns to the label with another batch of sprightly, springy bumpers to fire up your limbs and feed your brain. 'Motion To Delay' matches cascading melodic threads with a crisp, lightly swung rhythm section, while 'Conspiracy' follows a similar thread of wiggy lead lines and curvy bass. 'Fez' takes the template of the first two tracks and tips the balance towards a sumptuous palette of synth tones flitting around the sharp but snaking groove. If you need some smart but playful club tracks in your bag, look no further.

Review: East End Dubs' Eastenderz label keeps on turning out hugely functional but also charming dub tech that is stripped back to its bones and laced with funk. This new various artist EP packs a powerful punch from the off, with Floog laying down some vital kicks and whirring machine sounds to send any floor into overdrive. Cosmjn then takes us to another planet with his dreamy pads and Vlad Arapasu's 'Egoland' sounds like a classic Terry Francis cut from the mid-90s, so in other words, pure fire. There's no mucking around on 'Mello', a razor sharp closer with hi hats that would cut though steel.

Review: Berlin-based Italian producer Audri has been scattering his smart, fine-tuned machine soul across a handful of labels over the past four years. Picking up the thread from the emotive and inventive end of the 90s techno spectrum, his latest drop on Albion should appeal to all those who can't get enough of that B12-flavoured sound. 'Inner Movement' sports plenty of classic Motor City influences, but given a crisp modern finish. 'Dizzy Freq' has a deeper demeanour that jacks and jives in equal measure, with a nod to the formative sound of bleep techno. Domenica Rosa delivers a fun and freaky twist on the original, before the legendary Titonton Duvante dubs things out nicely on his version of 'Inner Movement'.

Review: Earlier in the year, Chilean minimal maestro Ricardo Villalobos reached an agreement with Rawax for the long-established label to release a series of singles and, more remarkably, a digital-only, hour-long track called 'Matsu'. This brown, marbled vinyl 12" is the first in the sequence of singles to hit stores and contains two typically lengthy workouts. Lead cut 'Aslohop' leads the way, with Villalobos once again delivering entrancing action built around oddly programmed, distinctively swung South American drum hits, curious noises and a hypnotic, undulating bassline. Flipside 'Detrand' is an even more spaced-out and druggy affair, with various barely audible samples subtly rising and falling for 21 minutes atop another deliciously out-there rhythm track.

Review:  The ever-prolific Burnski is back on Constant Sound with some upfront bumpers that once again demonstrate his standing as a leading light in the modern tech house movement. 'Process' manages to balance moody, melodic atmospherics with a rock solid rhythm section, while 'Systems' takes things in a decidedly more jacking, tracky direction. 'Long Train' keeps the pressure up with a mean low end and some whipcrack claps to made your head spin. 'Effect' finishes the set off with a sumptuous dub excursion that will appeal to all those who like Basic Channel headspace matched with a sturdy house groove.

Review: Burnski and Michael James ignited their Relic collaboration last year with a classy drop on oge, and they're back again on Constant Black with some devastatingly bumping minimal tech house. There's a hi-tech finish to this whole EP, from the moody lead cut "D" to the slippery, funkified "E". The mix is clean as a whistle and maximized for every little production wriggle and shapely bassline to cut through on any system, even in the hazier clouds of pad hovering over "F". Don't skip over the B2 though - as with all the best EPs there's gold to be savoured in the crafty machine shuffle and rubbery b-line of "G".

Review: Earlier in the year, Mint Condition started offering up gems from the bulging back catalogue of Housey Doingz, an all-star collective of early UK tech-house producers (Terry Francis and Nathan Coles included) whose numerous late 1990s releases did much to popularize the sound they helped pioneer. The label has already mined their fabulous debut album, Doing It, and has now decided to reissue their 2000 EP House Utensils. A-side 'Kitchen Spasm' is a bustling, loose-limbed treat that layers aggressive acid lines and jumpy bass over a hip-swinging breakbeat house beat. The original mix is complimented on the flipside by a more slamming, funk-fuelled tech-house style 'Dub' mix, while the track sandwiched in between, 'Lounge', is a lusciously positive chunk of chunky '90s tech-house puritanism.

Review: While the label has been operative since 2014, it's only in the last couple of years than Russian imprint Shanti Radio Moscow has finally found its groove. By and large, the label's releases are wonderfully hard to pigeonhole, combining tech-house rhythms with inventive instrumentation and a wide range of stylistic influences. This EP from newcomer Minnado continues that trend, moving between the plucked gypsy guitars, sweet strings and hazy vocal samples of 'In Silence', the picturesque, soft-focus dancefloor shuffle of 'Just For Today', the Eastern European-acoustica-meets-German tech-house stylings of 'Sofia', and the piano-laden sweetness of 'Ori'.

Review: More tough rolling tech house with The White Isle in mind (quarantine style, of course) on the ever reliable Gruuv imprint. Label head honchos Audiojack take over for this one, fittingly titled Isolation Tapes 1.The music takes a much different turn than expected over the EP's three tracks: from the tunnelling back room dub of 'Introspection' (feat Polarbear) to the slinky and hypnotic trance inflections of the utterly euphoric 'Stellar' on the flip, which is followed by a collaboration with ascendant London-based duo Eli & Fur on 'Obsession' that goes for an early '90s Chicago vibe in the vein of Larry heard et al.

Review: Romanian producer George Gavanescu (Monochrome / Premiesku) aka Floog starts a new label running parallel to his eponymous imprint. This one is called Floog & Friends and the inaugural release is a collaboration with scene stalwart Priku - he one Atipic and Motif fame. FLF 001 features exactly the kind of lean and hypnotic subtlety that Rominimal fans are seeking: from the glitched-out and dubby reductionism of A1, to the cavernous and glacial '002' which is perfect for for building up to more energetic moments on the dancefloor, or the heady, boompty bounce of '003' that's is perfect tackle for getting weird at the afterhours.

Review: After a lengthy hiatus of well over 12 months, Miroloja has fired up the Olo Records imprint once more, this time to house an EP of studio hook-ups between himself and prolific Ukrainian producer Silat Bekski. They begin with '300 Miles', a gorgeously positive chunk of sun-kissed tech-house perfection that sees them layer spacey chords and an undulating, Tangerine Dream style synthesizer melody over a crunchy and impactful beat. The track that follows, 'Cockpit', is a more bass-heavy chunk of trippy goodness that ticks rather a lot of contemporary tech-house boxes, while epic flipside 'Ovni' sees them cleverly combine beats reminiscent of Romanian minimal techno with all manner of quirky, glitches samples, including what sounds like a jazz drummer warming up.

Review: He may have focused on Dave Seaman's Selador as an outlet in recent times, but Mannheim's 8 bit have certainly been championing the work of Danny Howells too. After two electrifying releases in the form of 'Whiterock' and last year's terrific Players EP, the industry veteran follows through with another riveting new EP for Nick Curly and Gorge's ever reliable imprint. Get stoned into the groove on the low slung and bass-driven funk of 'Paradium', be utterly hypnotised by the sublime and dubby deep house of 'Spindles' until he takes you back into the ether on the moody after hours workout of 'Chordlock'.

Review: Having previously offered up collaborations with userUNKNWN on Rhanamh and Pianoforest Records, Soyro has finally been given a chance to showcase his solo productions. Esser is a quietly impressive first EP, with the fast-rising producer flitting between picturesque dreaminess underpinned by typically crunchy drums (the gorgeous title track), bubbly deep house/tech-house fusion ('Intercept', whose lengthy breakdown is an energy-building delight), and darker, more sludgy territory (the Eastern European minimalism of 'Too Far', which sounds like it was partly inspired by the joint works of Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer). As debuts go, it's a confident affair full of tightly focused club cuts.

Review: Before the pandemic hit, Manchester's Lauren Lo Sung was one of the most hotly tipped DJs in British tech-house, with a production career that was just beginning to flourish. While the closure of clubs has meant she'll have to wait to continue her fine form behind the decks, she continues to offer up occasional EPs that mark her out as an artist to watch. There's much to her admire on her latest outing. Lead cut 'Momentum' is sweaty and rave-ready, with much of the action centred on a mind-melting, effects-laden acid bassline, skippy but metallic drums and warped vocal samples. She cannily combines elements of deep house, techno and mid-90s garage on 'Hypnotise', which is fittingly given a deeper and more squelchy re-boot by scene stalwart East End Dubs.

Review: Over the last three years Dragut Adrian AKA Dragutesku has firmly established himself as one of Romanian minimal techno's leading lights. It's for this reason that Dualism, his first full-length excursion, is so hotly anticipated. So, does it hit the spot? Undoubtedly. Dragut is particularly good at crafting wonky, off-kilter tech-house and minimalistic techno tunes that are sparse and unusual, but also boast tons of percussive funk and swing. These kinds of club-ready tunes form the DJ-friendly backbone of the album, with occasional deeper, darker or even stranger deviations (see the creepy 'Paranormal' and squelchy, electro-fired melodiousness of 'Apus') providing welcome variety. As a result, it's a set you can listen to from start to finish, despite the dancefloor-focused nature of its construction.

Review: Chat Noir Tools's third missive comes from Marseille, in the steamy South of France, where Jo'z has cooked up some spaced out house and techno weaponry. He's a producer with a decade in the game behind him, and yet this is his first solo EP. The first side is straight business, with tight and taught tech drums and snapping hits run through with withering sci-fi effects and yelping vocals and fizzled bass lines. On the flip, 'Drop The Bass' is a celebratory tune which soars into the cosmos on pounding kicks, while 'Trance NRJ' pairs bird class with turbocharged bass and slapping hits to get any basement in a sweat.

Review: Carl Craig's iconic Planet E label is back without another instalment of its Detroit Love series. This one has been mixed by former Cadenza associate Mirko Loko, who offers a look at contemporary techno with a Motor City bent. Greats like Derrick May, Carl Craig himself and Stacey Pullen all appear and represent in style, while Spanish pioneer Eduardo de la Calle impresses with his high tension 'My Own Transition' and master of the Deep Fred P nails us to the floor with his late night and spiritual house groover 'Vision In Osaka.' This is another timeless entry in this fine series.

Review: Following up that terrific remix for homeboys Disuasiv a few months back on Curtea Veche, London based Romanian caLLy returns with this brand new killer which inaugurates new Ibiza based record store More Than Music's new label arm. It's more of the same ethereal tech-house that you've come to know from the man - these are the kind of rolling and understated grooves that will put you in a trance at Sunwaves on Mamaia Beach this summer. From the hypnotic and subtle groove of "Yes No, Maybe So" or when he really brings the funk on the bouncy and trippy tool "Decisions" which also gets a terrific rework by Concealed Sounds main man Martinez. The Copenhagen based Swede delivers some serious swing on one of his renowned concealment dubs.

Review: Carpets & Snares returns to action with some jaunty, off-kilter club fodder from their friends in the Portuguese tech-house community. This time round, the producer at the controls is Pandilla Ltd, an artist best known for unleashing 12"s full of tactile glitch-funk on his self-titled imprint. The real killer here is opener 'Bleu', a gloriously jumpy, shoulder-swinging fusion of tightly snipped electric piano stabs, jazzy synth-bass, Akufen-esque drums, curious vocal samples and oddball percussion sounds. Dan Andrei provides the obligatory flipside remix, re-casting the track as a deep, low-slung chunk of analogue house haziness perfect for wonky late-night sessions and bleary-eyed after-party shuffling.