This Top 10 list comes from Beatport’s Top 22 tech house music track sellers of 2022. You can listen here, open Spotify, or follow our Spotify page by clicking on the three dots next to the play button. Enjoy!
UK-based record label Strakton Records proudly released their mind-blowing compilation, ‘Strakton Miami 2018.‘ The EP features music from Kapes, Pais, Joseph, Guccii, Fabio Angeli, Giovanni Angelucci and Ameryka, Virox, and AloR.
Giovanni Angelucci kicks things off with his soothing house anthem, ‘You & I‘. A light-hearted marimba, wooden percussion, vocal chops in the second drop and warm bass all combine to give this track the easy-listening summer vibe that fans will instantly fall in love with.
Ameryka’s track ‘Ocean Drive‘ keeps the summer vibe alive. It’s a smooth transition from ‘You & I’ and takes things up a notch with his funky, disco-inspired house anthem. Driven by a groovy bass guitar, a subtle strat guitar in the background, and subtle male vocal chops, evident in the breaks.
Fabio Angeli takes us deeper with ‘Funky Sound.’ A darker atmosphere with smooth male vocals and a warm saturated bass. Velvety claps and hats fill the air with swing, while a gorgeous piano slowly high-pass filters throughout the track.
Guccii appears with his bass massive tech house tune, ‘Dirty‘. Like Valentino Khan, ‘Dirty’ has heavy kicks, deep bass, and pitched-down vocals. The elements of this track combined, give it a deep vibe. However similar to Khan, ‘Dirty’ has its own identity. The detuned piano in the final drop has a distinct effect.
Joseph brings a deep dark future house energy in his hard-hitting release, ‘Fuse In The Club.’ Elements of fluctuating pluck synths, scintillating bass, and heavy growls, ensures this track will be a club hit.
Pais combines trap and future bass with ‘On That.’ Trap-inspired breaks create a hard-hitting influence on this future house-inspired arrival. Dirty electro synths and resounding bass flood the airwaves.
Kapes delivers his uptempo ‘Androids‘. With the break beginning with a low-pass filter on the master, it eventually eases up before reaching the enticing climax, where significant, coruscating lead synths dominate the drop.
Virox changes things up. He brings a dark house sensation with South American elements in the aptly titled track, ‘Flamingo‘. Grim, brooding horns, synths, and bass flood the track’s breaks. The flamenco guitar and authentic Latin-percussion elements follow, arousing listeners with a unique sound and experience.
Closing out the EP is AloR, who goes against the grain with his downtempo, ‘The Wakandian‘. Driven by pitched-down African vocals, resonating sub-bass, horns and subtle screech synths, the first drop his heavily trap inspired. However, he changes things up in the second drop when he implements a 4/4 kick pattern, which is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Check out the entire ‘Strakton Miami 2018’ compilation album below and purchase or stream it here.
UK tech house DJ Producer Paolo Mojo was born Paul Bimson in St. Helens, Merseyside, England and based in London, United Kingdom. His aliases include Parade and Paul Bimson. His style incorporates techno, house, electro, acid, funk, breaks, and disco.
Paolo mixed Renaissance Digital 01, which was the first DJ mix exclusive to iTunes. He even compiled EQ Recordings’s Balance 009. Pete Tong named Paolo one of the hottest producers in 2008 on his show, BBC Radio One. Paolo also has two very popular mixes for Tong’s Essential Mixes as well.
Paolo Mojo is one of the leading lights in the underground house music scene. He has a massive global following and a consistent production schedule that keeps him in demand worldwide. This hectic touring schedule amassed him a formidable global fan base. He graced the decks in such nightclubs as Womb in Tokyo, Ministry of Sound in London, Avalon in Los Angeles, Eden Terrace at Nocturnal in Miami, Warung Beach in Brazil, Wonderland in Ibiza, Chinese Laundry in Sydney, and Zouk in Singapore.
Paolo has an extraordinary work ethic in the studio. His special re-edits are endless. He’s an innovative DJ with enviable technical ability. His hard work, talent, innovation, and drive for perfection results in a high profile discography. In turn, he is amassing a substantial loyal underground fanbase. These factors will ensure he remains a star of the scene for many years to come.
Paolo’s label Oosh is at the center of his work. Two of his releases earned the title BBC Essential New Tune by Pete Tong. ‘JMJ’ (2007) and ‘Sirena’ (2008) earned the title ‘Top Tunes of the Summer’ for their respective years by Tong as well. He has two top ten hits in Beatport.
The label has expanded to include the cream of house and techno producers such as Wally Lopez, Rene Amesz, DJ Yellow, Noir, Jim Rivers, Juan Sanchez, King Unique, Alan Fitzpatrick, and Saeed Younan. It also included the first Paolo Mojo ‘Ten To One’ compilation release in February 2011. His associated podcast Ooshcast has become one of the most popular downloads since its launch in December 2009.
In 2010, he released ‘Crazy For you’ on Noir, ‘Disco Kiss’ on Hysterical, and ‘He’s The Man’ on Younan Music. He followed these releases with remixes of Saeed Younan’s ‘DC 2 MIA’, and Rainer Weichold’s ‘Tango For Noemi’ for German label Great Stuff.
In 2011 Pete Tong’s Essential Selection playlisted ‘Mmmm Daaa,’ which released in Spring under Strictly Rhythm. His much-hyped ‘All Night, Alright’ released in June on hot Italian label 303 Lovers. 303 Lovers is home to Manuel De La Mare, and Alex Kenji, who subsequently remixed the track. Finally, his ‘Welcome To the Factory’ sampling track of the same name has been personally approved by Angel Moraes and released on Chus & Ceballos’s Stereo Productions label.
Elsewhere, his track ‘1983’ released in 2012 on Eric Prydz’s Pryda Friends has become a true club classic. He’s also released tracks on Pryda and Mouseville (the only ‘outside’ artist to do so) and a varied and vast list of other labels. Bedrock, Saved, NRK, Cr2, Toolroom, Renaissance, Great Stuff, Positiva, EQ Recordings, Factomania, Little Mountain, Curfew Nervous, Ego Records and the list goes on.
Miami DJ Luis Ponce, aka Lu.Pon was born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida. Both inventive and innovative, Lu.Pons music continues to define musical trends.
Luis has spun at Eden Terrace at Nocturnal alongside Richard Vission, Donald Glaude, DJ Dan, Oliver Moldan, and Paolo Mojo.
A resident at Clique Wednesdays at Trade Nightclub Miami, which is one of the most prestigious nightclubs in the Miami Techno scene, Luis has established himself as an integral part of that weekly event. He has spun with some of the top names in techno such as Richie Hawtin, Chris Liebing, Claptone, Green Velvet, Magda, and Josh Wink.
Miami is where my heart is and music is the fuel that moves me
Luis also has a residency at Sankeys, Ibiza, the mecca of electronic music and is rapidly becoming known on the White Isle not only as a deejay but as a producer as well.
With new productions on the way and working with labels such as Infamous, Tres14, Innocent Music and Bilingual Recordings to name a few, Lu.Pon keeps setting tones and inventing new sounds for the world of electronic music and its fans.
Tech house music DJ/Producer Rafa Barrios was born in Sevilla, Spain, in 1986. Fourteen years later he realized his passion, music. He became a lover of the underground sound of the Iberian Peninsula, which would subsequently become synonymous with Stereo Sound.
Rafa Barrios said,
I think that my music goes beyond a simple track, I work on my tracks as if I were dancing on the dancefloor, thinking what can make many people dance. It’s what empowers me to keep working daily on a dream to reach, and every time I think more that working hard, is how you can get your deserved rewards.
Here is a man whose dream is to find the music that makes people dance. He is a true music lover’s DJ, putting himself on the dance floor with the crowd, feeling the vibe and conveying it through the music, thus creating a shared experience. He believes if one works hard, consequently, one receives his just reward.
His style of music was closely akin to the incomparable Iberican Sound of Chus & Ceballos. When he became aware of Stereo Productions, signing with that iconic label became an important goal. In his mind, Rafa would be a part of the outfit and ignite dance floors by incorporating that sound into his tracks. What he did not realize at that time, is that he was becoming a member of the Stereo family.
Like any healthy family, Rafa was encouraged and mentored in the Stereo Groove. The love of and respect for the essence of the music are the driving forces that transcend everything else. Rafa’s work ethic, love of the music, and desire to satisfy his crowds, made him a perfect fit.
Rafa has a remarkable career, releasing tracks on such labels as:
As well as his own label, Dood Records.
One of our recent favorites is the recently released, ‘Horizont,’ out on Stereo Productions. Doused in the groove is one statement that can be made the second you take a listen to this one. A rather playful sub-bass maintaining itself on a mid to low frequency is what embodies this well-received offering. On the breakdown, a crafty progression that some may deem as a melodic arpeggio instantly takes a grip on you and keeps you right on your toes! ‘Horizont’ doesn’t lose its Iberican tech house appeal for one second, and Rafa Barrios maintains the banner flying high for this sound.
Spanish tech house DJ-Producer Oscar L is one of the hottest underground artists in Spain and arguably the world. He is underground, but not constrained to one specific genre. The core of his style is house to tech house. However, he includes whatever sound is necessary to complete the production, which makes him versatile. In this sense, his style is free. If he is an artist, then call him ‘Maestro.’ He has an infinite number of orchestras at his fingertips and can release his creativity. He is an experimenter and innovator, thusly not an imitator.
He described the elements of his sessions as,
Siempre un sonido muy pistero con lias de bajo y percusión con mucho Groove que hacen del que el set sea muy rítmico!
Loosely translated, this means he is a mercenary behind the decks. He produces his Groove as he blends percussion and classical vocals with a driving bassline, resulting in a very rhythmic set. He exemplifies the Iberican Sound, pioneered by Chus & Ceballos.
He has that rare ability to interact with live audiences to orchestrate what we love to call the Vibe! The Vibe is the synergistic blend of music with emotion to provide real music lovers with an everlasting experience.
He has tracks and remixes with some of the most prestigious labels in the industry such as:
As if he isn’t busy enough producing and touring, he has an outstanding weekly radio show called, DMiX. The radio show treats his fans to his live sets as well as performances by some of the world’s finest artists.
One of his latest tracks is a collaboration with Sean Collier, released in January 2017 on the Stereo Productions label. Amply named, ‘Code Red,’ is quintessential Iberican Sound. Amazingly addictive vocal trail chops that echo and pans from speaker to speaker in a truly meticulous fashion. The dark driving baseline cautiously moves in between the realms of tech Iberican house and techno, while multi-layers of bass patches blend in with scorching amounts of ooze.
This original will thaw the Northern Hemisphere and ignite any dance floor south of the equator. Code Red quite simply was fashioned to keep you entertained from start to finish.
Tech house artisan Oscar de Rivera exemplifies the characteristics of what’s known as the Iberican Sound. Constancy is a word used to describe Oscar, which I found fascinating. Constancy is the,
quality of being unwavering as in purpose, love, or loyalty; firmness of mind, faithfulness.
His love of and commitment to are the motivating factors in producing the Stereo Sound. And this is a common theme among the artists close to Chus & Ceballos. Their sole focus is finding a distinct sound incorporating all expressions of house music and techno. It’s as if Iberican Sound is a genre.
House music is the core of Oscar’s sound. He summons his years of experience, creativity, technological expertise, and love to produce the music fans have come to know and love. Even after twenty years, he is still evolving as an artist, not content to do the same thing over and again.
We chose to profile the tech house track, ‘Who I Am,’ out on.
Oscar de Rivera shows no mercy to his avid followers with his monstrous tech house offering, Who I Am, out on Stereo Productions. He turns all knobs to high heat, blending down the groove and vox to the perfect auditory perception. His prescription for those primed and ready to destroy the dance floor is the four to the floor kick drum and deep percussive innuendos. The low-end bassline groove is sophisticated and complex. It’s elusive, but still, augments each beat giving us a glimpse inside the mind of this brilliant producer.