Back in stock: Progressive House

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, record slightly warped***


The 39 Orbits pair of Nick Annies and Twink put out only two releases and they were back in 1993. In the years since though, they have become real digger's delights that now fetch high prices on the second-hand market if and when copies come up. But not anymore - Cosmic Soup has assembled this welcome 180g 12" which features tracks from those original records as well as one previously unreleased cut. 'Mercury' is pure dreamy post-rave prog house, as is the slightly more direct 'Outer Limits.' 'After Life' is high-speed house with lush synth work and 'Orbit's Theme' gets more deep and inwardly reflective.

Review: Renato Cohen has been kicking out jams of all shapes and sizes for many years, but this new outing on French house classicists Skylax amounts to some of his best work in ages. 'Roaring' is a disco-tech cut with dazzling arps loping in sugar, pixelated circles over the striking beats. 'We Desert' then gets more loose with synths spraying about with a mind of their own and plenty of cosmic colour. On the flip, the open gets reworked twice, first into a more heads down and bendy acid workout for the afters and also as a hands-in-the-air piano Balearic classic.

Review: Diesco & Vince Void pay homage to the early 90s golden era of house music while channelling the spirit of progressive, Euro house and classic rave on this new four tracker. Each piece captures the warmth and euphoria of that formative time while pushing the sound into fresh contemporary territory. With a clear reverence for the past, 'El Tigre' opens with some big rave horns and lush prog beats a la Sasha & Digweed. 'Untitled C' is another retro-future prog sound with widescreen pad work, '8-Bit' is an unabashed revival of 90s rave with prominent horns and pianos leading the way and 'Jobby' is a trance-tinged closer full of Ibiza energy.

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: Something ineluctable about the year 1999 haunts music. It's as though the cusp of the millennium wrought a flurry of pre-terror romance, that last slice of postwar epochal gold reaching an ecstatic, elliptical peak before the crossing of a limp, millenarian threshold. Ernesto's second EP for French label Sour leaves us as loosened and open as any such nostalgic rendezvous could, assuming you were born before the fated date. Over brilliants like 'Morning Sweat' and 'Hardware Boogie', the producer joins the likes of Moop Jr. and Lekind in crafting timbral and sophisticated tactiles, chunked analogue basses and filter-designed keys, deepening and advancing our taste in Gay Paree sensuality.

Review: The Florentian Cabaret return with a four-track EP that traverses progressive and tech house. 'Cerere' sets the tone, its hypnotic groove and atmospheric textures creating a captivating sonic landscape. 'Rippol' picks up the pace, its driving bassline and infectious melodies building towards a euphoric climax. On the flipside, 'Love Me Or Leave Me' takes a more introspective turn, its melancholic chords and haunting vocals exploring the complexities of human connection. 'Salto Quantico' closes out the EP with a burst of energy, its pulsating rhythms and soaring synths taking the listener on a thrilling sonic adventure. Deep grooves, emotive melodies, and captivating soundscapes.

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: Barcelona-based label Exarde's latest compilation gathers a select group of producers whose intricate, cold minimalism defines the label's identity. From the jagged percussion of Kvrk's 'Access Denied' to the hypnotic rhythm of C.ru.z's 'Tecno-Logico', each track offers something different yet unmistakably rooted in Exarde's vision. J6's 'Cyber Crisis' injects an anxious energy, while Sancra's 'Obscure Consciousness' offers an immersive experience, drawing you into its murky depths. As TrascendAnce's 'Whathehell' dissolves and reforms, rhythms begin to shift in unpredictable ways, leading to Dissocietisociety's 'Oda A D.houle', where a metallic sheen gives way to a stripped-back, almost clinical production. Nicolas Longo's contribution pares everything back, reducing the sound to its essential components. Curity's closer delivers an uncompromising, propulsive end, capping off a collection that feels both cohesive and meticulously crafted.