Back catalogue: House

Review: TV Hill Records starts things off rough and curiosity-rousing, with a technical itch from OG AG (Andrew Grant) in collaboration with fellow producer Dimneonsum. A mid-paced deep techno calculator, 'What's Up Everybody' pares back any semblance of emotion for pure robotic urgency, with every sound moving in juddering clockwork lockstep in an abstracted world of pure, preservative mathematic topology. Opener 'San Fran' pits nervous FM loops against an equally anxious Shepard-tonal riser, while calmer moments such as the beatless 'Drakey' still disquiet with their eerie glassiness. One for the bleepy heads, the only humanistic element is the revelatory vocal sample on 'Found Out'.

Review: Jihoon links with some talented musicians including Thomas Xu, Omar Meftah, Eric Meftah and Ian Gold on this brilliant new three-tracker on One Spoke. It kicks off with the sublime 'Good In The Bad' which is a jazzy viber with flute lines dancing their own dance above lovely contemporary broken beats. 'There Is No End' layers chords, synths and jazz drums into a richly atmospheric groove before last of all the whole of the flip side is given over to a Thomas Xu & Ian Gold remix of 'There Is No End' that is gloriously sunny jazz-fusion at its finest. These will keep you warm no matter the weather outside this winter.

Review: Mosaic main man and peerless UK dub techno titan Steve O'Sullivan has paired off against Fletcher for this latest heavyweight 12". As ever the foundations are solid on the opener 'Passenger' - smooth drums and bass perfectly sit with one another, but this one really comes alive with the most impossibly subtle but inescapably uplifting little chords that suggest that no matter what shit you have going on in your life, things will be OK. It's a classic amongst many on this label. 'With That' is another tight, compelling and tech tinged dub roller with real bite and drive, and 'Treading Water' then blisses you out with its liquid chords and sense of endless infinite groove.

Review: Electronica production duo Arnau Obiols and Kayyak, who've laid down a name for themselves for their distinct blend of cultural influences and captivating soundscapes, here present two new tracks that seamlessly fuse Afro-inspired rhythms with groovy organic beats. Barely letting us clock for a second that these are in any way electronically programmed or sequenced, this fresh Compost Records 12" hears its two new cuts, 'Faith' and 'San Diago', abound in the ambered, sandy interim of a clear-skied evening, in which cocktails flow and smiles widen. Remixes by Prins Thomas and Medle & Dele Sosimi do just as well to complement the mood.

Review: The left of centre musical universe of Crosstown Rebels ushers in this lively new EP from Oceanvs Orientalis. 'Neutrality' features on the A-side and is a spiritual fusion of steely tech house beats and spine tingling chords, angelic distant vocals and lots of loose percussion all with a slightly psychedelic feel. On the flip is a Nick Curly remix which pairs whitings back and settles the beats into one of his signature tech house frameworks with hooky little pads and late night allure. Good stuff.

Review: The dynamic duo Octave One starts off 2024 with a new EP that features new versions of two of their own classics and a brand new song. 'Price We Pay' has two remixes featured here, with the both being massive main stage crowd pleasers. 'Mirror Image' is a slick downtempo track that shows the pair's creativity for making great dance music. Last, the new version of 'A Better Tomorrow' is updated to be more futuristic and spacey. Messages From The Mothership Volume 1 are a great sign of things to come as Octave One explores more of their long and impressive discography.

Review: Ohm and Kvadrant return to their spiritual home of Kontakt with more of that grandiose dub techno immersion they do so well, plumbing epic depths both within and beyond the functional demands of the dancefloor. 'Precious Little Diamond' kicks the record off in a steady-cruising form, guided by a smooth minimal tech house beat as the engine for some choice dub techno chords and mechanical hiccups. Deadbeat then takes the helm for a version which plunges into abstract echo chamber sonics he's spent decades perfecting before Levon Vincent completes the picture with a remix which heads into the outer limits of deep techno immersion.

Review: Ohm and Kvadrant continue to offer their services in the dub techno vein; clearly, this isn't their first Kontakt. 'Treasure Of Kings Garden' reflects a single fantasy: the muted pleasure of discovering a forbidden gem buried at the bottom of his royal majesty's grounds. We imagine Ohm and Kvadrant's king to be a tyrant; necessarily, in fact, his sadism is the exact measure against which this diamond's value can be measured. The three mixes of the sole track 'Precious Little Diamond' unfurl like different stages of bejewelled delight and respite, from the initial 4x4 discovery to Deadbeat's halfstep black market laundering, and followed shortly by Levon Vincent's impressively textural evocation of cathartic relief, on receipt of such requisitioned-then-resold royal riches.

Review: The Dutch folks at Kalahari Oyster Cult sure like to serve up music that melts minds at 5 am, or they do if this new one from Olsvanger is anything to go by. It is a futuristic techno exploration with 'Grand Slamming' opening up with a mix of sleek linear drums, pulsing sonar synths and supersized hi-hats that bring the energy. 'Paranoweed' is a pure and unadulterated looper that undulates with a subtle funk and 'Bubble Toy' brings some deft sound designs and minimal synths to sci-fi effects and more sweet rolling beats. 'Quadi B' closes out and sounds like a tense and paranoid underwater search for malevolent aquatic life forms.

Review: Garage Hermetique unleashes four cuts by Berlin's Onirik and collaborators, all recorded at his Schlesi studio hidden beneath the Schlesicher Tor U-Bahn station. A 'special and chaotic' place, it clearly proved a fertile ground for sonic alchemy, with the 'Good Bye Schlesi' EP traversing a smorgasbord of moods and atmospheres, from the mardy tekkno stomp of 'Rabenflug' to the pensive tone float of the aptly-named 'Ebb & Flow' via the effortlessly sleazy synth gyrations of 'Meier Low Rider' and the nervy Drexciyan shuffle of 'Critical Massa'. Class.

Review: Multi Culti introduces Orchid's vibrant tribute to Spain's trance era on this album which merges Balearic allure with a rejection of modern techno's commercialism. Orchid, isolated in a psychedelic-deprived nation, yearns for the cultural fusion of sex, power, love, and sweetness found in Spanish-speaking music scenes. Techno Valencia beckons listeners to immerse themselves in a nostalgic journey, evoking the soulful resonance of a bygone musical era. Through exploration of archival sounds, Orchid resurrects the essence of pure musical expression, inviting a return to a time when music was deeply felt-a testament to passion and fun in an age of commercialisation.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Robert Owens is absolutely one of the voices of his generation. He has lent his tender tones to more classic tracks than you could possibly mention and he continues to do so nowadays with a wholeness generation of producer who want a touch go his authenticity. He has recently achieved another career milestone with a superbly poignant new single that comes with sublime remixes. DJ Spinna's re-flip adds his usual sense of soul and Adeen Records label head Camille then brings some South African Amapiano vibes. Nico Lahs takes it on with a heavy house groove and Scott Hess brings some classic acid jack to his version.

Review: A follow-up to last year's successful compilation 'Faith Presents: Ain't That A Groove', is given to us by the London-based label Faith ran by DJs Terry Farley, Stuart Patterson and Dave Jarvis. The high energy house party sound kicks off with Nolan who features the legendary house voice of Sir. Robert Owens. Hilit Kolet isn't shy with the extended remix of 'POV Siren'. This sound is synonymous with Feller and Heller DJ sets of the mid 90s. Philippa's extended remix of 'The Night' by Roach Motel backs that one up with another prime floor filler with hardly any let up. Lastly, Terry Farley, Wade Teo & Kameelah Waheed brings he deep groover "Dancing After Dark" to the party. These tracks will have you and the nightclub crowd out dancing all night.

Review: The Roulade label is doing things right - not only is the music they are serving up superb, but so to do this second 12" comes with great and original artwork. Its neon glow and diffuse light capture the vibes of the synths on the opening cut 'C'est Party' perfectly. It's a melodically rich tech house cut with rubbery bass and great spoken words from a world disco dancing competition. Occibel's 'Give 'Em Some Rest' is busy and dense with whirring sci-fi synths, funky Prince riffs, thudding house beats and plenty of colour. Add in two more equally vibrant and characterful cuts from Hearthug and Wooka on the flip and you have one of the most unique EPs we've heard in some time.

Review: Crosstown Rebels continues its spell of dance albums releases with a fresh one from Oceanvs Orientalis (Safak Oz Kutle), Portrait Of The Obscure. After three superb singles on the label over the past four months, this nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Istanbul-based talent's rich, globally-infused, captivating sound. As if to bottle the essence of the awe of travel, either everyday-real or astral - and the personal developments and realizations that come of it - onto a single record, Portrait Of The Obscure skirts the possible limits of progressive dance, fleshing out a talent for layering that we'd wager many artists only ten years or so ago would've thought impossible. Just listen to the hullabaloo that is 'Neutrality'; despite the name, it's hardly neutral at all, coming as an immense positivisation of moving parts and godlike sonic entities, which sound to dance around a central kick axis, one that we're surprised Oceanvs was still able to fit into the mix.

Review: Deep house producer Shuya Okino shows his class once more on another tasteful outing, this time via the Extra Freedom/Village Again labels out of Japan. For this one he revisits his 2011 album Destiny which was made with help from the Japanese funk, boogie and jazz-funk outfit Root Soul and replays and remakes the tunes. The originals become more disco-leaning and horn lead jams here with Okino's warm, rubbery basslines, P-funk synths, loose live beats and cute keys. The result is an album that sounds like Earth, Wind & Fire making modern soul and it will improve your life no end.

Review: Orbital's debut and self-titled album (also known as the green album) is a classic example of the UK rave sound in 1991. Featuring the hits 'Belfast' and 'Chime', this important piece of electronic music gets some loving attention in the form of being remastered for the first time since release. But that's not the only thing - this CD edition also comes with a bonus CD featuring rarities and remixes from the time. What better way to celebrate 25 years of this amazing band and its cherished history for their role in helping create the sound of techno.