New releases last eight weeks: Progressive House

Review: Humanoid Recordings co-founder 4d lays down another four-track 12" for the label, scouring the weightier and scrapier ends of minimal and acid house, all while teasing out a retro-robotic edge. Only an artist with a real sense of humour can invoke ideas of 'Stupidity' and 'Quantum Theory' in the same breath; both tracks betray the unified whimsy and intelligence that a successful acid house and techno artist must portray in order to win hearts. The latter uses a particularly sticky, hard-to-pin-down 4x4 kick style; contrast to B1 'World In Our Head', which portrays a psychic model of the outside world through trilling trance lines, and the meek glissandos of 'Sowie Lockers', securing an indeterminate but funky mood.

Review: Barcelona mainstay Baldo originally released 'Ride The Night' as part of digital single Saturdays Come And Gone on Permanent Vacation in 2022. As a fierce and fabulous homage to Hi-NRG, it showed the most muscular, nocturnal side of Baldo's sound and the track took on a life of its own. Now the label have decided to give the track more prominence with this heavyweight vinyl remix package, which kicks off in style with a suitably throbbing workout from Red Axes before switching to the strutting big room style of Alex Neri. Jennifer Loveless zeroes in to the sensual heart of the track with a thrumming low end and a powerful command of the tension in the track, leaving it to Baldo's original to close the EP out in style.

Review: This is the thirrd release by the amazing Italian producer Ivan Iacobucci for the Perlon label. The previous two were so well received, this next one was destined to come out sooner than later. Perlon fans know what to expect from their label of choice and Ivan delivers the goods. Those addictively quirky and fonky jackin' minimal techno jams. The title track is that and then some! We especially like the sexy jam 'Waiting For My Love'. Expect the unexpected when you flip over the record as 'Close the Door' is a full-on acid banger that combines high energy techno into what sounds like a video game soundtrack theme song! Closing things out is the wild sounding 'Fear & Madness in the Desert'. We are smiling at the thought of someone playing out these corkers to audience. Expect to see WTF typefaces everywhere!

Review: Garage Hermetique unleashes four cuts by Berlin's Onirik and collaborators, all recorded at his Schlesi studio hidden beneath the Schlesicher Tor U-Bahn station. A 'special and chaotic' place, it clearly proved a fertile ground for sonic alchemy, with the 'Good Bye Schlesi' EP traversing a smorgasbord of moods and atmospheres, from the mardy tekkno stomp of 'Rabenflug' to the pensive tone float of the aptly-named 'Ebb & Flow' via the effortlessly sleazy synth gyrations of 'Meier Low Rider' and the nervy Drexciyan shuffle of 'Critical Massa'. Class.

Review: London-based artist and Semi Delicious label head Demi Riquisimo brings some peak time future tech inspiration to his new Windows 95 Anthem EP on Higher Ground. He has already dropped signature sounds on Ninja Tune, DJ Tennis' Life & Death and collaborated with Carlita, UNKLE and TSHA, so is very much a man of the moment. In this EP he leans on Italo and acid for his melodic licks which are high speed and glossy as they surge over crispy beats and retro-future keys. Chloe Caillet and Spray also add their own remixes to this tidy new 12".

Review: First released in 1992 on Muzak, an Italian label headed up by Leo Mas, Fabrizio Lazzari, and Andrea Gemolotto, this crucial 12" played a pivotal role in shaping Italy's dancefloor electronic scene of the early 90s. Infused with influences from Detroit and New York, it forged a unique sound that is still fresh today. Now, it sees an official reissue with a great remix of 'Futureless' by Berlin-based Trent. This revamped version strips away the breakbeat elements, infusing the track with a new acid vibe. The reissue breathes new life into a timeless classic, bridging the gap between past and present electronic landscapes.

Review: Frame Of Mind has been one of the best techno and house labels in the past couple years hailing from the Netherlands. This is the second appearance for Synaptic Voyager on the label in total. 'Epoch Ten' exhibits a premier example of the quality ambient techno the label has released in recent years. Fans of As One, FBA, Stasis and Sensurreal are sure to gravitate toward this track in particular. The 90s Detroit vibe is here in many respects. 'Ne Plus Ultra' and 'Reverie' are perfect tributes to the lineage there. The robot funk in 'Milestone' is particularly exciting with this early 90s styled foray into UK techno while 'Parallax' gives off a heavy Innovator and early Warp label impressions. If you are a fan of ambient techno then this is a quick and easy pickup.

Review: As the artist alias kind of suggests, Abyssy takes a deep dive into the unknown depths of the human spirit. It finds the artist returning to Simona Faraone's label after several years and finds him exploring electronic sounds of the 70s and 80s, blending Berlin school minimalism with Detroit techno's soul and funk. It is a record that ranges in mood and tempo as it heads into oceanic depths where wispy pads and chattery percussive patterns collide in unusual ways. It's a largely abstract album of unusual sound designs and genuine electronic discovery that often has you wondering just how certain abounds have been made.