Back in stock: Minimal House/Tech House

Review: Tom Carruthers returns with a fresh drop on Syncrophone Records, comprising the fresh analogue jams 'From Within', 'Zone', 'No Frequency' and 'Malfunction'. All hitting hard with an old-school, sequencer-happy flavour, one which requires no second-guessing, our faves here have to be the basal FM roller 'Zone' and the brash, trashyard B-fronter 'No Frequency', both of which make deft use of the same bassline, yet each to drastically different effec.

Review: Pretty much does what it says on the tin, this one. Classic Tyree Cooper productions in all their glory, plus some remixes of them from fellow US greats. Cooper was, of course, an early pioneer of what was known as hip-house - a raw mix of hip-hop and house that was short-lived, probably because the man himself perfected it and few could ever do much more with the blueprint. 'Hardcore Hip House (Tony Humphries mix re-edit)' is dusty, raw, piano-laced house excellence, 'Acid Over (Mike Dunn edit)' is a more frenzied 303 workout and 'I Fear The Night (feat Chic - vocal mix)' is a jack track for dark and strobe lit floors. 'Video Crash' shuts down with a coarse and textural collision of drums, synths and crashing hits.

Review: The Space Trace label keeps quality high with this fourth outing on wax. Eric Os is on the button for this one with 'Underworld' first to lure you into its world with gently broken bets and moody pads setting an eerie tone. 'Stereophysical' is more jacked up with fizzing synth lines and warped pads over future house beats and 'Elusive' bringing some trance energy to its flashy, bright synths. 'Electrodreammachine' is a wonky electro workout with withering sci-fi motifs, puling synth sequences and raw hits. 'Feeling Real' and 'Cherry Red' complete the EP with more blends of house, electroclash and sleazy guitar riffs.

Review: Fred P's latest release 'Singular Point of Focus' EP feels like a late-night journey into the heart of the dancefloor, a space where euphoria meets introspection. From the opening track, it's clear that Fred is steering us toward something deeper than a simple collection of club-ready cuts. His use of augmented vocals adds an otherworldly quality, with tones that feel familiar but are impossible to place. The EP is a masterclass in controlled tension, with each track building in intensity without ever losing its groove. Fred's voice, subtly manipulated, dances through the layers of deep house rhythms, creating a sound that's both timeless and distinctly now. There's a sense that this is music for those who know, for selectors and dancers alike who understand the unspoken rules of the floor. The richness of the sound design - thick basslines, textured pads, and sharp percussion - draws you in, while the overall vibe remains firmly forward-thinking. This isn't just an exercise in nostalgia; Fred P has crafted a record that speaks to the future of house music while honouring its roots. Each track offers something different, from the floor-shaking opener to the more introspective closing cut, making it a perfect addition to any discerning DJ's crate.

Review: The SEVEN label has an 'in-between house and techno' ethos and next to tap into that is Berlin-based Tal Fussmann with some 90s-tinged prog house that radiates feel-good energy. Blending genre fluidity from the off, 'No Disco' is percussive and freewheeling but with a rebounding low-end and a clear dancefloor focus. 'Release' taps into driving techno territory and is infused with shimmering machine soul warmth, 'Sunset Falling Down' is a clubby broken beat with real poppy intensity and 'Is It Real?' Is a buoyant, arms-in-the-air house closer. The 12" is elevated by a standout remix from Swiss maestro Deetron, who brings some trademark depth.

Review: Get A Life! The second limited edition record from the label brings us slippery, dreamy forward-stases in sound, not credited to any one artist except for remix-edits by Hessa and Alvaro Medina. Between utility and uselessness lie 'Honey Ball' and 'Da F... Out', both of which foremostly serve the floor through their essential functions of central, best-foot-forward beats and mono-ised basses; yet the tracks' also provide a sublime value with their xtra FX: piscid hat slips and indignant voxxes. 'Loco' beams with a similarly "perc-alicious" vocal sample.

Review: London's leading dance distractors Lirica Archives relive a hallmark of the house music catalogue from Jewellery, the zircon brainchild of the late brilliant Murdoch Matheson and an unnamed collaborator. Matheson's death is said to have left a wanting gap in the music world, and the fact that this was his sole release under the Jewellery name only adds to the mystery. The early 1993 record 'Voices' was a singular gem in its own right, crowned on the equally flash girdle that was Aeoniokinetic Records - in the words of one Discogs digger, "deep and melodic early progressive house on an obscure label with only a single release." For those who like their gems so rare as to be thought investment-grade, listen no further.

Review: Features the original Maurizio mix plus the classic Carl Craig remix. Berlin and Detroit combine with some amazing results. Timeless stuff.

Review: Ninja Records looks to build on the success of its first outing with a new outing from Miroloja who are brothers and key players in the Parisian underground with great credits already to their name on Berg Audio, Tzinah Records and OLO RECORDS. Their stripped-back but tight sound is laid bare on opener 'Linkblow' with its warm house kicks and wet clicks soon to make you move. 'Morgan' is speedier with some space-tech vibes and a snappier low-end. Closer 'Krazyteora' then explores a creepy late-night urban landscape with some cyclical drums and synths moving things onwards.

Review: A clearsighted modern interpretation of the central Detroit clubland comes by way of Mister Joshooa, an emerging figure in the city's new underground, already known for his dual talents as DJ and sound engineer. Haunting local strait spots like TV Lounge and Lincoln Factory, and having already featured on Carl Craig's Detroit Love compilation, Joshooa's razzly retrovision of Detroit techno, given enough time and effort, could easily qualify him as a modern classic craftsman, should he continue to play his cards right. Elastic basslines, tactile percussions, and moaning, flexed vocals typify 'Settle Down', 'Snake Oil' and 'Step Up', the last of which closes the day on a super weighty machine funk automatism.

Review: Orbital's debut album is classic album in the techno genre. A name that needs no introduction really, Orbital defined rave and techno through the 90s creatively and performance wise. This self-titled or as many know it by, 'The Green Album' features perhaps the most popular songs of the rave generation in 'Chime' and 'Belfast'. However, tracks like 'Midnight', 'Steel Cube Idolatry' and 'The Mobius' are the birthmarks of Orbital finding their sound that would turn them into Glastonbury legends and soundtrack pioneers. This edition is true to the original 2x12 making it desirable for those new to the album, those who want a second copy or those who want to complete their Orbital collection. Orbital's roots begin here and have them at their most raw. Do not miss out on having a part of rave history with this record!

Review: Overmono is a real techno-making machine that rarely makes a misstep. He's landed on Poly Kicks and XL already this year and now his entry into the long-running and legendary fabric series is another doozy. Here we have the double 12" selection featuring key tracks from it such as his own 'If U Ever' and a fantastic cut 'I Have A Dream' (feat Benjamin Zephaniah) for an LB Dub Corp album of a few years ago. Blawan's typically supersized 'Fourth Dimensional' is another big moment in an album that is jam-packed with them.

Review: Long-serving Italian producer Marco Passarani continues his newly minted Studiomaster label project with its second instalment, serving a quintet of typically floor-focused jams on 'The Temple' EP. Arguably best known for being one half of the looped-up disco duo Tiger & Woods, Passarani is also known and loved for the more techno-tilted offerings he turns out from his hometown of Rome. His latest work sits somewhere in between his two trademark sounds, starting with the throbbing sleaze of opener 'The Empty Temple', with its purposeful bass, paranoid synths and dirty vocal whispers. The fierce, snare-driven rhythms of 'Night Walker' power grubby bass and glistening synths, while the descriptively titled 'Rotten Disco' offers a brilliantly wonky glimpse of future Italo. The distorted percussion and jagged bass of 'Dirty Hands' are aimed squarely at the floor, while the storming closer 'Cheater's Smile' bangs as hard as nails to complete a suitably stirring and tightly produced set.

Review: The eponymous Soultape keeps their label moving nicely in its early days with another colourful offering of minimal and stylish techno. It is an alias of Denis Kondraschenko, who has been producing for almost 20 years, and shows his class on the hooky melodies, zippy leads and well designed sounds that bring such life to 'Plastic Pop Memories'. 'Body Control' is more dark and unsettling for those trippy back rooms and 'Tounan City Breakers' rides on an impossibly deft, funky rhythm with neon pads and a gurgling bassline. Last of all is the glitchy, dubby tech house of 'Not My House' which has real force in its drums.

Review: After almost three decades, Kompakt Records is set to deliver its' 500th release - a ridiculously impressive landmark that few electronic labels have previously achieved. To mark the occasion, the Cologne-based imprint has decided to deliver an anniversary compilation featuring (mostly edited) versions of some of its most iconic club hits, underground gems and early obscurities. It does a terrific job in explaining, via music, the label's contribution to European electronic music culture - think 'maximalist' minimal, off-kilter tech-house, ambient pop, synth-heavy hypnotism and twisted, off-kilter nu-disco. Naturally, all of the label's most significant contributors are present (Superpitcher, Justus Kohncke, Robag Wruhme, Gas, The Orb, Jurgen Paape etc), alongside artists you probably didn't realise had released on the label.

Review: 'Celestial Dance' is Tommy Vicari Jnr and Loopdeville's latest, collaborative contribution to new label Foxtail. 'Go Again' and 'What Kind Of Love Is This' draw on the slung-down timbral strength of amapiano's log basses for reuse in crowd-busting house groovemanship: we hear giggly knock hits stiffening otherwise angelic house ambiences, making for staunch low-end scaffolds. Loopdeville's B-side is the real hoot, meanwhile, as crowd murmurs and restless rhythmic petri cultures heard to come to life across 'Los Pollos', before the r&b inflect 'Do You', which samples what sounds like Miguel, closes on a potent tearjerker.