Back catalogue: Minimal House/Tech House

Review: In 2007 Juno Records is ten years old, and we've decided to celebrate by releasing 10 singles throughout the year. Each one is a classic dance track featuring new remixes from the some of the most exciting and established names in the business, including Julien Jabre, Spirit Catcher, Dimitri from Paris, Lindstrom, Troy Pierce, Cobblestone Jazz and many more. These releases will initially only be available from www.juno.co.uk and www.junodownload.com. To launch the series we have pulled out all the stops with the re-release of the timeless "In The Trees" by Faze Action, featuring remixes from the legendary Carl Craig and Jerome Sydenham & Tiger Stripes, as well as the brilliant 1996 original mix. A genuinely huge release, this could be the first of 10 future classics! ***Stop press 19/12/07: the Carl Craig mix has been voted #3 in residentadvisor.net's "Top 5 Remixes Of 2007".

Review: Having built their reputation through 12" singles for the likes of Crosstown Rebels and Poker Flat, Dan Berkson and James What deliver their debut album, on their freshly minted imprint Modelmaker. Interestingly, Keep Up Appearances is an altogether warmer, melodious and more evocative set than you'd perhaps expect, with a smattering of rich downtempo cuts joining a solid selection of dancefloor-friendly deep house. You can hear a classic dub techno influence in cuts such as "Keep Up Appearances" and "Shadow Theory", while the acid-flecked, soul-soaked "Make It True" sounds like classic Osunlade. Best of all, though, are the more forthright efforts, with the ragged "Seraphim" standing out.

Review: Cabanne, Agnès, Seuil, Ultrakurt, as unyielding Minibar bedrocks, offer new deep and shaky cuts. Inviting John Thomas & Barbara Goes for an exceptional funky time that will surely sparkle in 2008. Cabanne, digging up the woods on Zip and Dan Bell's lands, met amazing inhabitants. You'll love Your Mad Friend and Linc's fine and striking funksters. Only Spasm, Copacabannark, Ditch and Gregorythme were missing for 'compléter' La Cène (1)! It's all about house, minimal twists and tricks Minibarians love. Put a hand on the first minibar cd release. You'll enjoy the free bonus cd home-mixed by Cabanne, and really cool illustrated Minibarians' stories!

Review: Though his career has taken many turns over the last decade, DJ Koze has remained that most illusive of creatures: a minimal-minded producer with an ear for a melody. This fourth full-length, packed to the rafters with big-name collaborations (Apparat, Caribou, Ada and Matthew Dear all feature), continues his move towards the home-listening sphere. So, while many of the heady rhythms and shuffling grooves hark back to his stripped-back past, Amygdala impresses with its woozy songs, genre-straddling fusions (see the modern soul meets deep house of "Homesick" or the steppy, tropical vibes of "Marilyn Whirlwind") and homely atmosphere.

Review: Floating Points' new album, Cascade on Ninja Tune pushes the cult producer's sound into all new territories. The eight tracks, each up to eight minutes long, allow his to explore sounds and grooves in full form while a subtle homage to Manchester runs through the album. Tracks like 'Afflecks Palace' featuring harp melodies and electronic bleeps, and 'Key 103,' named after a beloved local radio station, is another delight. Nearly a decade after his debut Elaenia, Floating Points has masterfully integrated his experimental ventures beyond club music into these expressive dance floor creations and remains in a class of one as a result.

Review: The impeccable Lithuanian label Greyscale is a real leader when it comes to dub techno and already they are racing into 2024 in fine style with a first full-length of the year from label head Grad_U! The sublime and immersive Sustain has eight larges ambient soundscapes that are detailed with field recordings from another planet. Each one is alluringly empty and beautiful, intriguing and unsettling to make for an escapist trip to another dimension. The way the producer manages to conjure up what feel like familiar emotions in such a faraway world is second to none and will leave you wanting to do it all over again the second it ends.

Review: To celebrate 15 years in the game and coming via Lithuania's Greyscale label, Gradient delivers Dub Stories, a two-CD masterpiece that focuses on his evolution. CD1 opens with 'Dub Story 1,' setting a vibrant tone that flows into the airy 'Dub Story 2.' Tracks like 'Dub Story 3' and 'Dub Story 6' pay homage to classic dub roots, while 'Dub Story 4' and 'Dub Story 8' push creative boundaries with dynamic melodies. CD2 continues the journey with the deep, evocative 'Dub Story 11' and the celestial 'Dub Story 13.' Tracks like 'Dub Story 16' offer serene, minimalistic breaks, while 'Dub Story 19' delves into deep, contemplative layers. The album closes with 'Dub Story 20,' a grand finale that leaves a lasting impression. Dub Stories is a fitting tribute to Gradient's legacy and a shining example of quality in the dub techno realm.

Review: It's been over ten years since Thomas Melchior made his bow on Perlon, and the house and techno fusionist has released most of his best work on the imprint since. Here he returns to the acclaimed German label with a series of six "meditations" - long, drawn out compositions that variously doff a cap to hypnotic tech-house (see the excellent, jazz-flecked "Meditation 5"), tribal-influenced, spaced-out grooves ("Meditation 6") and woozy, evocative deep house ("Meditation 3"). Best of all, though, are the album's more melodious moments, with opener "Meditation 1" - a loopy, picturesque concoction that sounds like an unlikely collaboration between Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Ricardo Villalobos.

Review: Route 77, the third album from Mirror System, Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy's chillout project, offers a serene sonic journey through spacious, dreamy soundscapes. A mellower counterpart to their work as System 7, Mirror System's music blends soft tech-house rhythms with lush electronics and Hillage's signature guitar. With a travel theme inspired by the vast American Southwest, Route 77 is rich in atmospheric grooves. The album features contributions from The Orb's Alex Paterson, Dan Donovan and Marv Brookes, adding to its laidback yet intricate vibe. Standout moments include reimaginings of Manuel Gottsching's 'Sunrain' and Ry Cooder's 'Paris, Texas', which fit seamlessly into the album's flowing textures. The closing track, 'Sonora Desert Edge (The Abyss)', incorporates a poem by Allen Ginsberg, creating a vivid, immersive auditory experience. Route 77 is an engaging blend of ambient trance and chillout music, perfect for deep relaxation or reflective listening.

Review: Given their famously militant approach to music formats, it's a surprise to see Paranoid London's previously vinyl-only 2014 debut album finally being issued on CD. For those who missed out first time around, it's well worth checking. As you might expect, it makes great use of both vintage analogue equipment and similarly old skool influences, in turn doffing a cap to Phuture-style Chicago acid, Inner City, hip-house, Green Velvet, Dance Mania style ghetto-house, and stripped-back, dancefloor-friendly machine soul. Despite the ragged nature of some of the material, it's both hugely listenable and hangs together impressively - no mean feat given the DJ-friendly nature of the tracks. It all adds up to a retro-futurist treat.

Review: Stiroll's Sofia marks the Ukrainian artist's return to Greyscale Records with his first full-length album, painting a sonic portrait of a day in the life of a suburban area. The album invites listeners to experience the subtle intricacies and layered sounds of a community awakening, bustling, and finally resting as night falls. The journey begins with 'Intro - Dusk,' a brisk and atmospheric opener that evokes the early morning stillness before a city stirs to life. The full chord remnants and distant echoes set the stage for the day ahead, capturing the anticipation of the morning. 'Standbye' follows, offering a more airy and purposeful vibe, moving away from minimalism to suggest the first signs of activity, as if the world is slowly beginning to wake. 'Foundamental' continues this progression, riding along with gentle sounds punctuated by flares of static, hinting at the humidity and energy building in the air. The track flows effortlessly, mirroring the natural rhythm of a day gaining momentum. As the day matures, 'Sequence To None' introduces more serious, conflicting chords, perhaps reflecting the push and pull of daily routines and interactions. The crisp production and deep bassline ground the track, offering a sense of structure and direction. Midday arrives with 'Vidlunnia,' a sparse, downtempo piece that feels like basking in the warmth of the sun. The chords wash over the listener like rays, creating a relaxing, chill-out atmosphere with a broken rhythm that invites reflection. The pace slows with 'Interlude - Fall Moon,' where a churning, almost mechanical heartbeat drives the track forward, building tension as the day begins to wane. The ominous mood that emerges in the second half hints at the challenges that often accompany the close of a day. 'Nulle Part' shifts the mood with a more pronounced beat, offering a straightforward yet catchy rhythm that feels both harmonious and conflicted. The hypnotic quality draws you in as it moves toward a positive, yet complex resolution. 'Fall Control' then soothes with heavily processed sounds, offering a brief moment of respite before the album's closing tracks. 'Hope' stands out as the most original dub track on the album, blending strings with a lofty melody that soars before plunging into deeper, more uncertain territory. The track feels otherworldly, capturing the complexities and contradictions of hope itselfia fitting theme as the day begins to wind down. Finally, 'Outro - Dawn' signals the end of the day and the album, with ambient washes that gently alert like a clock, leaving the listener with a sense that it is time to close. Sofia is a meticulously crafted album that encapsulates the ebb and flow of daily life in a suburb, bringing together the sounds of different people and languages into a unified, sonic narrative.

Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from deep house legend Ron Trent. Over the years, he's fine-tuned his musically complex, emotion-rich sound to a tee. This fourth album, the follow-up to last year's more mixed up Dance Floor Boogie Delites, sees him at his most cosmic and melodic. Think smooth pads, darting synth doodles, hypnotic - and occasionally percussively complex (see "Atmosphere" - grooves, and twinkling piano melodies. For those who appreciate his slightly soft focus approach, it's a delight, with some genuine gems to behold. "Sweetness", "Space Dance" and the darker, clubbier "Blood & Fire" are arguably among his best tracks of recent years.

Review: Seven years after Superlongevity Five, Zip and Marcus Nicolai's Perlon ushers in its 20th anniversary celebrations with the long-awaited follow up. 18 exclusive cuts from label family and firm friends old and new, Perlon's whole range is on display; from the pensive, restrained and dense house music of Baby Ford right through to the cosmic p-funk of Kalabrese, every Perlon shade and hue is on display. Highlights across the deep, widescreen trip include Villalobos's freaky "Gonzo Funk", the planet-leaping jacks of Spacetravel's "No More" and the late night trooping power of International Anything's "When It's Dark". Super.

Review: Kompakt's Total 24 compilation is the nest episode in the label's amazing series. This cd version opens with Hamburg's Ada remixing Heiko Voss, followed by Jurgen Paape's vibrant 'Chee-Caruso.' Newcomer Deer Jade delivers the frolicsome house track 'Jukurpa,' while Jonathan Kaspar's 'Are You' captures the euphoria of his DJ sets. Hardt Antoine impresses with his dynamic style, and Sascha Funke pays homage to German showbiz with 'The Heck.' Tee Mango joins with his unique sound, and Joyce Muniz teams up with Sara Blum for the uplifting 'Beats & Lines.' Gui Boratto collaborates with Darren Emerson on the captivating 'The Shell,' and Rex The Dog offers the heartfelt 'Laika.' Raxon's 'Beskar' showcases his Star Wars inspiration, and David Hasert and Nicone's 'Wasting My Time With You' is a highlight. Reinhard Voigt's quirky 'Der, der mit dem Gummiball sang (Orange)' features various animals, while Argia's 'Love Keeps You Running' blends groove and pop. Wassermann's track concludes the compilation with a touch of Arabian Nights magic. Total 24 is a diverse and engaging collection that exemplifies Kompakt's ability to curate exceptional electronic music.

Review: A comprehensive snapshot of the GU label's penchant for expertly curated mixes that blend deep electronic textures with driving rhythms. The opening track, 'Pulse of the City,' moves with a slow, deliberate groove, gradually building momentum as layers of percussion and synths draw you in. As the compilation unfolds, it transitions smoothly between moments of hypnotic, bass-heavy depth and bursts of euphoric melody, encapsulating the energy of a live set. Every track feels intentional, each shift in mood purposefulithere's an undercurrent of excitement throughout, but it's never forced. A polished, immersive journey that reinforces Global Underground's reputation for precision and style.

Review: Ricardo Villalobos has clearly found a kindred spirit in former Sun Electric and Moritz Von Oswald trio man Max Loderbauer. The duo has been remixing together for some time, delivering some notable reworks, including a stunning minimal jazz re-imagining of Nightmares on Wax's "Aftermath". Safe in Harbour marks the Berlin-based pair's first original work together under the Vilod alias, and continues their theme of melding elements of fizzing jazz, minimal, and dub techno. It's an impressive set, all told, full of wonky, off-kilter fusions of live instrumentation - most notably some brilliant drumming - glitchy electronics and a Berghain-friendly attitude. In fact, it may be Villalobos' most impressive studio work to date.