Back in stock: Minimal House/Tech House

Review: Analogue pressure from Bufobufo, who stops over in Japan for Cabaret Recordings after earlier international stints with Art Of Dark, Partout and Furthur Electronix. His second single for the label, founded by So Inagawa and DJ Masda, proffers a hypnotic blend, binarising the mood with the sliding melodes of 'Watercourse' and 'Armour Plated' with comparatively sparse and gritty perc-slaps of 'Wood Ant' and 'Cinnabar'. That strange but difficult-to-nail split between of hypnotic intrigue and immediacy is well and truly nailed.

Review: Dashiell has been road testing these two tunes in his sets for a while, and they have always done a job. They finally arrive on wax courtesy of Foul Play and are sure to get dropped all over the place this summer. 'dfuse all the tension' is the right mix of driving tech but wonky minimal. The bassline is drunk and all over the place while the lead synth has a retro video game feel, and some crisp melodies and refracted vocals finish it well. On the flip, 'da nastiest' is faster and more direct with some turbocharged and bass-driven tech house characterised by another sleazy vocal and phased synth lines that bring a playful twist.

Review: Capybara France returns with its second ever release, splitting a six-track sonic bay between acid house and techno lowriders Guile, Francisco Fresen, F&I, Marcos Coya, Andre Arruda and Raff&rod. All hail from Latin America, for which the rotund marsupial mammal that this label names itself after is likewise the spirit animal. This release pairs a rather arid and minimalist tonal palette with surlier, deeper sonic gateways. Best of the bunch has to be F&I's 'Streets', which blends industrial punk percussions, pitch-drooping dreamatic pads, and street-smart affirmatives in the vocal register.

Review: Selected Pieces from Berg Audio is a fantastic EP that features four standout tracks, each offering a distinct flavor of deep house, perfect for the dancefloor. On Side-1, Kolter kicks things off with 'What A Day,' a track that embodies deep house with its soulful build, warm atmosphere, and uplifting vibes. The clever use of a vocal sample adds an extra layer of emotion, making it an instant crowd-pleaser. Traumer follows with 'Don't Stahp,' a classy, more techy cut that still maintains deep house roots. The dubby chords inject extra depth, turning it into a smooth, dancefloor groover. Side-2 opens with Mihai Popoviciu's 'Waitin,' which features rich, soulful chords that envelop the listener, creating a laid-back yet engaging vibe. Moor closes the EP with 'Kashif,' an uptempo track that stands out with its energetic keys and undeniable party feel. Selected Pieces is a versatile EP that offers something for every deep house enthusiast.

Review: A cornerstone of early 90s electronic music, Orbital's Lush resurfaces with renewed energy through the Orbital LEDs reissue campaign. Originally released in 1993, the EP is a masterclass in melodic techno, featuring the iconic 'Lush 3-1' and 'Lush 3-2', two seamlessly interwoven tracks that exemplify the Hartnoll brothers' knack for crafting emotionally resonant, rhythmically complex soundscapes. Reissued on 12" with striking new artwork by Intro, this edition includes heavyweight remixes by Underworld and CJ Bolland, whose reworks push the tracks deeper into the club stratosphere. Underworld brings a dense, propulsive momentum, while Bolland injects a sleek, hard-edged urgency. Yet it's Orbital's originals that remain the centerpiece. Those epic gliding arpeggios, layered synths and rolling percussion conjure both introspection and euphoria. A vital part of their Brown Album, Lush helped define the progressive techno movement, influencing generations of producers. Three decades on, the tracks still pulse with a timeless vibrancy.

Review: Enshrining its 20th release with a reverent new one from STBR, 'Atelir' on Daydream murks our expectations, bringing a thrilling lowercase slosher to classic black wax. 'Lloyd' and 'Homer' hear two named characters hog the studio, as STBR seizes many an interstitial productive moment in which to vary and excite the mix, though not *too* much. 'Session', meanwhile, brings a parallactic view of the prior two moods, acids squelching and spurting between relatively driven beats, while a closing paroxysm, 'Tourtour', insists we climb back down from our cloud.

Review: Philadelphia producer and DJ Sweater makes a blistering debut on New York's BLKMARKET MUSIC with five cuts that blur the lines between breakbeat, tech-house and low-slung electro. It's a sound rooted as much in dusty record bins he works the counter at Impressions Philly as it is in the warehouse circuits that forged this connection back in 2021. 'The Answer' opens with choppy drums and cosmic static, before both versions of 'Twilight Zone' spin the same eerie motif into sleek machine funk ('Space Mix') and woozy stepper ('Broken Mix'). On the flip, 'Better Ask Somebody' dials up the groove with bumping mids and a ghosted vocal chop, while 'Contact In The Zone' sends things into sludgy, broken-rhythm hypnosis. A bold first outing that speaks in riddles but hits with intent.