New releases last two weeks: Progressive House

Review: Formed in 1992 in Cheltenham by vocalist Mark Diston and DJ Curtis Lewis, Bass Cadets were always ahead of their time. Their sound was a collage of electronic, breakbeat and experimental sounds with a fierce DIY attitude, and this long-lost 4-track EP captures that raw, genre-defying spirit in full force. Now, finally pressed to vinyl for the first time via Relic, it takes in the sleek urgency of 'Feeline', ambient pads of 'Dealay' and kinetic trance techno tribalism of 'Nuclear Starfish'. With tracks that still sound fresh nearly three decades later, this is a perfect time capsule of early 90s innovation

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: Punctuality's fifth release introduces Irish producer Drua and his high-energy new EP which blends late-90s and early-2000s dance influences with smart modern production. Drawing from contemporary hard house, the four tracks feature punchy basslines crafted for massive sound systems and packed dancefloors. Opening with the refracted vocals, M1 organs and rushes of trance euphoria of 'UP,' Drua then goes all prog-hard-house with catchy vocal hooks and skippy bass on 'Job 2.3.'. 'Nightfire' then brings a deep house twist perfect for peak-time sets, while 'Arch In Ur Back' closes with breakbeats and party vocals. Fun, effective stuff.

Review: Big up to northern powerhouse Burnski for steering his Constant Sound label to the not-so-insignificant feat of release number 50. More importantly, the sounds remain as vital as ever and always evolve into subtle new sound worlds. The mantle for this one is taken by Locklead who brings some fine drum patterns to 'Backup' and pairs them with sliding hi-hats and bubbly synth motifs. It's garage-infused but utterly fresh. 'Wizzord' is a darker tech house with searching lead synths and plenty of pent-up energy, and 'Motherland' brings nice jazzy chord work and atmospheric samples. 'Pink Skies' is a bright closer with contrasting synths - some farting, some smooth - and more high-speed, catchy drums that span house and tech.

Review: From Scratch's debut missive "emerges from within" as the mysterious RA, we're told, channels love through every frequency. Opener 'Navigator' leads as all navigators should with deep, guiding melodies and snappy snares that counter the freeform pads while 'Moonblue' wraps you in comforting warmth. On the flip, 'Raleo' radiates joyful energy and 'Redsun' blends tribal rhythms with hypnotic grooves. This record is a companion for every moment of the night from eyes-closed cruising to trippy workouts and back again, all with smart sound design and authentic analogue warmth.

Review: No nonsense analogue house champions the notorious R-A-G team are back once again with more goodies on their home label M>O>S. For this one, they drop four outstanding and acidic deep house jackers. Featuring the skills of Aroy Dee, MaSpaventi and G-String, it is the former who kicks off with 'Touch', which is dusty and far-sighted. He then features with Maspaventi on 'Horizons', which is a dreamy and low-key sound with backlit chords. R-A-G then hook up for 'Wired', which is a twisted and trippy after-party mind melter and 'All Forgotten', which is moody, shadowy and traces a line to the best Detroit house from their long-running Amsterdam studio sessions.

Review: Belfast's Space Dimension Controller returns with six glistening slow-burners that nod to Warp's early 90s Artificial Intelligence era, while gently messing with the co-ordinates. There's a subtlety in the programming: 'Infinite Image' drifts with a low-lit acid bassline and glassy synth layers, while 'Variation Five' hints at the woozy futurism of B12 or Spacetime Continuum. 'The Mirror Dome' and 'Chemical Glass' are deeper stillibuilt less for peak-time than post-club recalibration, hovering somewhere between ambient techno and dream-sequence electro. Even the percussive flickers of 'Reflect Itself' feel fluid, while closer 'Island Eye' stretches out like mist. Not nostalgic, not entirely newijust rich, soft-focus electronics executed with typical finesse.

Review: We're told that this EP is an archive of encoded human memories made to "survive the AI's purge." Anyone listening back to this years from now will be sure we had a good old time, because it's slick and charming, minimal and tech with real soul. Sweater's 'Front Street Strut' is a kaleidoscope of colours, Reyer's- 'Martian Law' brings some stripped-back but bubbly and rubbery funk and Poten's 'Coming Or Going' layers up whirring machines and pixelated synth sequences into something zoned out and warm. Lukey shuts down with the snappy broken beat tech of 'Spectrum' with its bright, singing leads.