DJ Mag

Nina Kravitz/Efdemin
Hotter Than July (Naif)

Kravitz impresses with a tracky house tool, while perhaps unsurprisingly, Efdemin takes it deeper, with a blissed out, almost Ibizan vocal at the heart of his sensuous tech house.

Aubrey
Aqua Warrior (A7)

After a long hiatus, '90s tech house hero Aubrey returns. The freaky outer space rhythms on the title track, with its trippy blips and bleeps, and the wired disco techno of 'Beat The Clock' both show that not much has changed chez Aubrey. Having said that, the off-kilter rhythms, organic drums and demented jazz keys of 'African Song' prove he's still an edgy producer.

Dan Curtin
Other (Mobilee)

It's testament to the range of Dan Curtin's work that he's still releasing vital house music a good 15 years after his debut. Compared to some of his material, 'Other' is straightforward, with an infectious melody playing over woozy percussion and a rolling, filtered groove. 'Sandwalk' is of a similar persuasion, but focuses more on the disco influences that Curtin is devoting much of his attention to these days.

Agoria
Solarized (Infine/Different)

Under most circumstances, the combination of opera singers and underground house is a recipe for disaster, but it's safe in Sebastien Devaud's hands. 'Altre Voci', with its robust drums and tripped out filters, provides a credible backing for the unnamed vocalist. 'Solarized' achieves even greater results, with Devaud's lush strings and emotive keys pushing the resonating male vocal to an epic, yet unusual finale.

Orlando Voorn
Power Of Beauty (Divine)

Voorn revisits '90s US house on 'Power'. 'Love Break' combines heavy drums, subtle disco filters - and echoes of that dreamy production feeling labels like Prescription excelled at - with Blake Baxter's velvety tones. Meanwhile, the title track sees Voorn choose a topical dubby sound, propelled by a warbling, Derrick May-style bass; lastly, 'Beat It Up' surprises, a stripped-back jack track documenting a lewd encounter.

San Proper
Keep it Raw (Perlon)

Dutch producer San Proper and Perlon seem like a strange pairing, but 'Raw' offers a modern take on Nu Groove's dark house, with 'December 10th' and the title track fuelled by eerie synths and menacing basslines. However, these are not mere retro tracks, and the robotic screeches, razor-sharp metallic riffs and ghostly organ stabs are enough to guarantee that 'Raw' is a proper modern anthem.