Review: Three sumptuous offerings of quality grooves from the Aesthetic series, as Paris club scene fave Djebali and Argentinian DJ and producer Jorge Savorett join forces once again. This choice trio definitely veers on the side of the under rather than over stated, preferring to rely on warm rhythmic flourishes and enticing, inviting instrumentation rather than thumping firepower or gimmickry. The beats are tight and hypnotic, with perhaps just the slightest hint of a nod to the shuffling drum machine funk of early Derrick May productions like 'Nude Photo' here and the more head nodding repetition of Chicago jack house there. Aesthetically pleasing for sure.
Review: The latest missive from Constant Sound's consistently interesting Aesthetic offshoot delivers four tracks of high-quality dancefloor fusion, where dreamy and melodic deep house sounds wrap around typically swung tech-house beats. It's an attractive formula provided by French duo Mara Lakour - most famous for their releases on Roots For Bloom and Normandy Records - and one they should considering exploring further in future. We're particularly enjoying the title track, where ethereal female vocal snippets seemingly drift above comforting chords and wriggling acid lines, and the billowing, marimba style melodies of 'Dune', though other cuts 'Elsewhere' and 'Alodret', the latter a locked-in trip into hypnotic early morning territory, are also rather good.
Review: We might all be locked at home with no prospect of any serious dancefloor action before the end of the year, but when we do get allowed out again, boy will there be plenty of high grade weaponry for DJs to choose from. Aesthetic's 14th EP is one such offering, with four artists all serving up one tech house track each. And what good stuff it is too, with Gruia keeping it light and airy but locked to supple beat, and Ciphr inviting us deep down into a dubby, stripped back cavern of deft sound design and lovely wooden hits. Completing the set are Benjamin Joseph's more urgent and direct 'Vice' and a mind melting number from Rodrigo that bends space and time.
Review: Aesthetic are back with another grip of sleek and refined tech house rollers to keep you bumping from dusk 'till dawn. First up, Dudley Strangeways lays down a smooth blend of cosy organ tones and crisp, shuffling drums that lend themselves to the warm-up as much as the after-hours. Loht Vostok's 'La Luz' has a tighter uptempo flavour, but it's still resolutely deep. TIJN takes things in a mellow, introspective direction without slouching on the groove, and Jean Bressan taps into a playful, artfully sculpted vibe with plenty of funk. If you're looking for something sophisticated to slip into a long and winding session, this EP will have you covered four times over.
Review: Aesthetic stride into 2021 with more of that surefooted, stripped back dancefloor finery that makes them a buy-on-sight for serious minimal house heads. Relic is at the controls this time around, leading in style with the sombre keys and snappy rhythms of 'H'. 'I' has a more airy feel to it thanks to artfully sculpted atmospheric tones that linger around the crisp and shuffling beat. 'J' calls to mind some of the dubbier micro house of the mid 00s era with its sliced up, twitchy samples and nagging groove, complementing the other two floor burners on this high grade EP perfectly.
Review: Adam Nahalewicz made an impressive debut with the warm, bubbling house cut he dropped on Recycle, and now Aesthetic have snapped him up for an EP that expands on the promise of that sole track. "Quiver" leads the way with a wonderfully dynamic strain of bumping tech house peppered with fluid sound design and pinprick textures, while "Level Up" brings a fresh dose of warm, melodic synth work into the mix while still riding that oh-so crisp groove. "A.M. Rhythm" is equally melodious, albeit a little smoother on the rhythm side of things and with a gentle nature that should suit the up all night crowd beautifully.
Review: Having impressed with his drop on Aesthetic earlier this year, rising minimal house talent Nolga returns to the label with another batch of sprightly, springy bumpers to fire up your limbs and feed your brain. 'Motion To Delay' matches cascading melodic threads with a crisp, lightly swung rhythm section, while 'Conspiracy' follows a similar thread of wiggy lead lines and curvy bass. 'Fez' takes the template of the first two tracks and tips the balance towards a sumptuous palette of synth tones flitting around the sharp but snaking groove. If you need some smart but playful club tracks in your bag, look no further.
Review: Since 2013 Tijn (not to be confused with J. Tijn) has been issuing a steady stream of high grade minimal and tech house for labels like Decay, Memoria, Moss Co and more recently Vuew. Now he comes to Aesthetic for a varied EP that leads in with the dusky, blue-hued tones of "Waves" - a moment for true immersion and introspection. By way of contrast, "CC" captures the energy of classic mid 00s minimal a la labels like Cynosure - all bugging samples hopping around a swinging groove - and we can't get enough of it. "Sundayyzz" takes things in a spookier direction, keeping that stripped back shuffle but holding down a more mellow energy compared to "CC".
Review: The Aesthetic wagon keeps rolling unabated, offering up the kind of smart, off-kilter minimal tech house to sate the DJs thirsting for the freshest cuts. Gruia is a Bucharest stalwart, representing something of a new wave of Romanian producers flying the flag for the country's fabled minimal scene while striving for new ideas within the framework. "Neutron Starlet" is peppered with playful analogue wobbles, while "Din Eter" centres around heavily processed vocal threads. "Jalea Viului" is a more meditative affair, although still focused on the floor, and "Un Vechi Inceput" opts for a more classic minimal sound.
Review: The funking, bumping sound of Aesthetic continues to bolster the impact of parent label Constant Sound, bringing a more colourful palette to realm of minimal tech house. The latest Aesthetic release comes from emergent talents Josh Baker & Alfa, working in collaboration to summon up some sprightly grooves to put a spring in your step. "Formulate" is especially bouncy, not least thanks to those nimble synth lines, while "No 800" takes things in a tougher direction without losing that groovy swing and rich sense of melody. "Exteria" completes the set with a particularly funky concoction that heads towards the deeper end of the night.
Review: The latest transmission on Aesthetic comes from Nolga, previously spotted alongside Michael James on the Hoarder label. The sound on this EP is pure, classy minimal house executed with a fine ear for detail, leading in with the deep tracking "34100" before locking into the equally immersive "XYZ". The shuffle is strong on this collection, keeping up with the subtly dubby, utterly funky "Line Of Questioning" before launching into the crafty, bouncy tones of "Shelter". Immaculately produced with maximum body response in mind, this is another strong outing for Aesthetic and a promising next step for a highly promising producer.
Review: Matthew Farrow brings his Kepler project back to Aesthetic following sterling turns on Silencio, Pathway Traxx and Pleasure Zone. The vibe is infectiously bouncy on opening track "Us01", while "Heads Down" stays true to its title as it favours a subtle approach for meditative immersion in the tech house tradition. "Dream State" finds Farrow exploring his jazzy tendencies once more with some ace, ear-catching chords that skip around a shuffling beat. "Locker" rounds the EP out with a mellow, dubby groover shaped out by gaseous pads and underpinned by a subtle, wriggling synth line.
Review: The Aesthetic label is steadily growing as yet another strong side to the Constant Sound empire, and they're sounding fit as a fiddle with this latest drop from Niko Maxen. Aesthetic 04 leads in with "Calibans Dance", a swirling, dubbed out affair with intriguing percussive tones to add an intriguing edge to the stripped back house groove. "Lessons" has a heads down, twitchy demeanour it's impossible to resist, and then "Twelvty" summons up some elegant synth strokes that hover in between the shuffling beats. The latter provides more than enough inspiration for Kepler to deliver an astounding remix that plays around with bouncy arps and pointed house rhythms in his inimitable style.
Review: Russian producer Swoy has been spotted alongside Djebali in the past, so you know this cat means business when it comes to minimal house. Recent releases on EWax and OGE have set the scene perfectly for this latest trip into the undergrowth on Aesthetic. "Sunrise" is a heads down groover with subtle threads of melody scattered throughout, while "Imagine" ups the wriggling sound design and threads a lighter mood through the middle distance of the track. "Voltage" drops things back to a loopy, techy sound, and then "Time" drifts into dreamier headspace without sacrificing the crafty little production flairs that make Swoy a standout artist.
Review: Aesthetic got off to a strong start with a various artist release from rising talents Nick Beringer, Niko Maxen, Stevn.aint.levn and Sy. Now they return with a solo release from LOY, who's previously been spotted on labels like Minim and Laate. You can expect sleek and refined minimal house grooves of the highest order, warm and dubby but equally honed for the more energetic hours of the party. "Dubdiver" is especially immersive with its shimmering ripples of brain-massaging melodic content, while "Blind Trip" takes things in a more brooding, emotive direction for duskier moments in the midst of the endless house shuffle.
