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 13th release for the Czech Republic techno label Harmony Records and sees a return of a regular contributor in Alfred Czital plus Ayu. This joint EP sees two pieces that are co-produced and then a single track by each, which gives the record a unique flow. 'The Robbery' is an upbeat breakbeat that strides the line between techno and trance. We like how these songs stay in the sweet spot and don't go overboard into a cheesiness like with 'In The End'. For a more psy-trance and techno track to keep in the groove is the refreshing. 'Body High', giving us big flashbacks of warehouse raves in 1994. We love the energy these sustain. With a psy influence throughout, fans of futuristic techno will love these darker bangers.

Review: Belarusian producer Four Walls is back - this time around he finds himself on the new Ultraworld Records imprint from DJ Craft. This one kicks off with the lush prog house and silky synth arps of 'Mind Charger' which soon takes you to the stars. 'Metamorphosis' is a more raw-edged and acid-laced techno stomper for peak time action and 'Summer Nights' is a bubbling, elastic tapestry of new age overtones, thudding kicks, and trance-tinged pads. A remix by Toronto-based Pletnev adds another dimension to this club-ready EP.

Review: Sascha Funke is a long time master of the deep who arrives on the always tastefully diverse Running Back label headed up so expertly by Gerd Janson. He brings a slightly different look here with the wonky, twitchy and tech infused rhythmic stomp of 'Reality'. There is more melody on display on 'Fantasy' with its ever rising synth loops glowing bright with a celestial hue and on the flip-side 'Puzzle' pairs some subtly joyous piano chord stabs over prickly disco-tech beats with molten arps underneath. 'Halle Weissensee' then closes down with a nice stiff and rave ready house sound, snappy beats and tight bass.

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: Partisan is back in action with more of that crafty electro-tinged minimal pushed by label founder Anthea in her razor-sharp DJ sets. Ildec is at the helm for this new release on the label, employing his considerable array of synths and applying them to punchy, infectious workouts for the club while maintaining a necessary sense of fun. '003000009' is a cheekily spooky cut primed for those moments you want to creep the dancefloor out a little, while 'Sunrise In Ukraine' is a bouncy, acidic joint to get bodies jacking deep into the night.

Review: Hailing from the ever more productive Naarm scene from deep down under and now making a mark on Step Ball Chain is Mabel, a fast-rising new name in the techno underground. She has a sound that is psychedelic and unrelenting and is perfect for energetic raves in insalubrious locations. This new outing is a strong statement: the Pleasure Phonetix EP offers five cuts that take in many different influences from the electronic spectrum from tough techno to stripped-back electro via stylish and classy psy-prog. More good work from the ever-more crucial talent.

Review: Shout out to brand new label Planka that opens its account with the perfect entitled Funderground EP. It's a various artist affair that welcomes some new names (to us) to the scene and first to go and first to impress is Moray. 'Lujuria Universal' is full flavour tech with punchy kicks and driving, fizzing bass to get clubs going. Natural Goofy brings twitchy cosmic unease to his hurried 'You Are Alone' then Len Lewis takes things into more physical realms with the loopy tech and astral basslines of 'The Emperor Strikes Back'. It is left to Will Vickers to close down and he does so with the freewheeling and turbocharged house of 'Arf Tone.'

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: The fledgling but already notable UFO Series now looks to Italian producer and prodigious underground innovator Riciar Ghir for a captivating journey through the more energetic house realms, all with an outer space feel. 'Niriba Shuttle' opens with tribal percussion and progressive synths that are coloured by subtle acid lines. 'Silenzio' is slow, heavy and persuasive with its old school piano acting lighting up your soul. There's a twisted tech funk to 'Platter Dreams' that makes it perfect for 2am cruising and 'Bad Egg' sets down with plenty of colour. These cuts will all work several different moments on the dance floor making it a hugely useful 12".

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.