Jeff Mills needs no introduction, of course. Jean-Phi Dary is the keyboardist that Jeff Mills and Tony Allen worked with for the Tomorrow Comes The Harvest project. When soundchecking prior to gigs, Mills and Dary would find the most efficient way of setting up would be for the two of them to jam and improvise around grooves to check everything felt balanced. Out of that grew this six track project of real-time spontaneous and only lightly prepared tunes, giving us a block of leisurely, very light techno with an extremely jazzy and improvised, casual feel.

Opener “Super Solid” throws us straight back to balearic 90’s beach party afternoons, chilled yet confident, and sets the tone for an album dominated by piano and Rhodes-style keys that some might find a little on the cheesy side. This will sometimes meander off into pure virtuoso jazz like “Twilight”, while at other times, such as in “Ultraviolet”, the two varying-electro-factor versions of “Residence”, it sticks to narrower melodic ranges and more repeated patterns. Tracks like “The X Factor” (absolutely nothing to do with the TV show) add some more unusual and sci-fi sonic twinkles.

There’s a definite sense of indulgence here, but it’s handled with a nicely understated approach that doesn’t feel like showing off, or leaving the audience behind. Fans of classic Jeff Mills tracks who buy this expecting techno might be a little surprised to get jazz instead, but if you go into this open-minded and in the mood to relax, it’s an indulgence that’s refreshing, the sonic equivalent of aromatherapy and some bath bombs.

“A New Instability” was first presented as a 32-channel piece at Ina-GRM in Paris, who commissioned it. Now, it has been mixed down into stereo for more casual consumption- a two-part, thirty-minute gradually unfolding pseudo-drama of noise, drone and human atmospherics. In varying combinations- sometimes slow waves, sometimes more abrupt drops and switches- drones, hums and glitches are introduced and removed.

A kendo dojo in Switzerland provides the majority of the human sonic material, and the pull between crowd fighting sounds- even if only practices- and the resolutely sombre and arhythmic drone work provides the contrast at the core of the work. The fighting sounds sometimes seem quite brutal, though their usage and volume is so subtle that it’s hard to be sure. The fighting records remind me of CNSNNT’s’ “J”, even though that piece is brutal and this work is an exercise in softening the violence.

Side B offers up more in the way of short electronic bleeps that feel skittish and make proceedings feel more uncomfortable, and longer alarm-ish sine waves that provide an uncomfortable tension- amplifying the contrast between the percussive but ultimately safe fighting sounds and the digital drama happening alongside.

It’s an unusual work, and in stereo, curiously understated- experiencing it in a higher-channel-count environment could potentially have been very disorientating, whereas here, the disquiet is a gentle itch rather than dizzying. Intriguing soundscaping.

The sixth six-pack compilation from the Univack label is half made up of the winners from a competition called “Progressive En España”, where a jury selected their favourite progressive house tracks from submissions. So in a genre where to be steadily unnoticeable is not always a criticism, there must have been something the jury heard in these tracks to impress, and if I had to guess I’d say it was production quality rather than originality.

Not Demure’s “Hang In There” ticks along until a nice toothy, decidedly synthwave drop, while Daniel Camarillo & Noil’s “Caresess” features a range of vocal snippets and effects that make it feel like a dub version that ought to have a full vocal version floating around somewhere. Orgymu5ik’s “Space” has large doses of ‘90’s progressive, adding a little urgency and then plenty of sci-fi atmospherics and reverb in the drop.

The three competition tracks fit in well with the other three tracks in the release. High On Mars’ “The Dark Bedlam” isn’t bedlam but it’s dark, with an entertainingly ravey stab lead melody arriving just before the three minute mark. Despite its name, “Symphonic” from Nasser Tawfik and Messier is quite unambitious and feels a bit routine.

Whosane! & Essio’s “Flying Spaced Tipsy Stoned” is the anachronism of the pack, thanks mainly to spoken-sung vocals from Eva layered thickly across the whole track. It’s got much more of a party vibe but it’s interesting to hear that get melded with moodier prog house elements.

It’s a very strong pack of tracks- unsurprisingly, since half of it was chosen by a jury- with an undeniable production quality. Only one of the six tracks seems to want to stand out, but as a DJ friendly reliable bundle it packs a lot of quality.

Ben Peers’ “auto-mátiqa” is a set of four long electronica pieces created (like so much else) during lockdown in 2020. It’s relatively minimal in its sonic palette, and it explores the sense of randomness, in music that has been both composed and algorithmed (if that’s a word).

Opener “mátiqa” begins with three minutes of a simple but shifting melodic pattern, before the abrupt arrival of rubbery and expressive synthbass and unexpectedly frenetically programmed but soft kick drums. Second track “máqina” is much more conventional, a mellower series of slow chord washes with the familiar pace contrast effect of pulling rapid, curt, glitchy rhythm programming against the languid and plaintive melody sounds.

Third track “mátiqo”, by contrast, foregoes the slow elements and is packed with skittish, energetic clicks and beeps- with occasional echoing space between flurries serving as the substitute for space. There’s something of an Aphex Twin vibe about it at times, but without some of the edge and attitude outside of the ambient works. This rolls on almost unnoticed into final track “auto-” as the energy and fizz slowly dissipates and longer calmer notes are gradually reintroduced.

It’s a smooth long-term listen and a greater sense of the structure and flow of it as a 52-minute album is only really noticeable by stepping back and considering it as a whole- in shorter sections and quick Spotify drop-ins it may seem a little bit of a mess. It is worth taking the time to appreciate it as a whole, certainly.

Avar Garden runs his own club in Malaga, and this four-pack of melodic techno (two originals, two remixes) is undoubtedly designed as a DJ-friendly pack with that space in mind. Here’s hoping DJ’s will be able to use them.

A somewhat freeform vocal from a singer who’s prominent on the track, yet feels like they’re ad libbing in the absence of a written melody, gives “Oopart” an unusual vibe as that freeformness on top contrasts with a tight, slightly acid 120-bpm-ish techno base. The Animal Logic remix lightens it up a little but sticks remarkably close to the original in form.

“Spirits” foregoes the lazier side of the title track and offers up a more steady driving instrumental dominated by a clarion call synth sound. It’s encouraging and full of purpose. Again the remix barely diverts from the original, with Carsten Halm’s version lightening the melody gently but keeping the same identity overall.

It’s a smart, reliable pack of mid-set melodic techno but it doesn’t sparkle or surprise.