Back catalogue: Progressive House

Review: Italian trio Paradise City Breakers are hardly prolific - this return to Discarded Gems is just their third EP since emerging in 2020 - but their slim catalogue is packed to the rafters with artful and club-ready gems. They hit the ground running this time round with title track 'Televised Justice', a throbbing, undulating roller built around smooth house drums, Italo-disco style arpeggio bass and spacey melodies, before opting for a more trippy and sub-heavy retro-futurist sound on 'Lekkerbit', where intergalactic electro style lead lines catch the ear. Over on side two, 'P City Vice' is a chunky workout full of deep bass and psychedelic TB-303 acid lines, while 'Seeking Treasure' is a breezy, bleeping tonight full of vintage 80s synth sounds and sonic sci-fi daydreaming.

Review: Pascale Project debuts on Craigie Knowes with her 'Good People Only' EP, a melodramatic exercise in bubblegum kitsch, dramatized synth-organ hums and eerily quantized vocal recordings. The title, of course, takes its namesake from lead track 'Cafe Crazy' - a dance-pop hybrid soaked in a simple viscous formula: good vibes and electronic fun. The three originals making up its bulk come laced with nostalgic lyrics recalling hyperpop, but also carry retroisms of noughties dance-pop and trance, 'Hang Out' being the post-ironic jubilant highlight. The lyrics are, of course, written and performed by Pascale Project, and what's more, 'Cafe Crazy' comes remixed and refoamed by D. Tiffany with additional vox by NAP (yes, your eyes do not deceive you - a remix on Craigie Knowes! What?!)

Review: New Zealander via Berlin Philippa's passion for house music, tireless commitment to her craft and ear for what makes a dancefloor tick is slowly but surely starting to pay off. With her recent release, 'Rainy Nights', on Slothboogie and 'Things I'd Like To Be' for Razor n Tape getting a lot of love, Philippa continues to deliver the goods, further lending remixes for Fat Freddy's Drop (The Drop) and Roach Motel (Faith). Here on the 'Latent Magic' EP we're treated to three new tracks highlighting Philippa's deft touch and musical approach to making interesting and leftfield house. Opener 'Hold' sets the tone with lush orchestral strings, crunchy drums and a bouncing analog synth bassline, while 'There It Is' umums hints of Mr Scruff with looping horn stabs, live drum grooves and rolling basslines. All in all, another mighty fine Philippa release recalling the early days of Freerange when artists such as Square One, Shur-i-kan and Jimpster were melding live musicians with electronics, for a refreshing, UK-centric take on house music.

Review: Who doesn't love a bit of poppers, a silly head rush that is very briefly all consuming then gone in an instant. Well this artiss of the same name offers more lasting thrills with this fresh house EP. The titles are all tongue in cheek slights at some of dance music biggest apparent ills starting with streaming giants Spotify. It's a low slung and sleazy cut for early doors. 'Fuck RA' then brings raw retro drums and proto-house vibes, 'Fuck CDJS' is a tropical disco cut with steamy vocals and 'Fuck Social Media' is a sample of a commentator working an Argentina game and getting very excited about Lionel Messi.

Review: The superb Craigie Knowles label is often a place to check out some mad fresh electro but for this one, it welcomes Primitive Needs who head off down a progressive techno trip that will remind you of the 90s even if you didn't experience them the first time around. On opener 'Mesomorph' the drum programming is fresh and slick and the synths are searching, as they spray about the mix with a hint of old-school video game charm. 'Rhizome' rides on high-speed tech drums that are coloured by the warped lines and stabs that peel off them constantly. There is a kinetic bounce to 'Hypha Dose' that will make any floor step things up a notch and 'Desert Power' closes with real soulful urgency and hints of trance magic.