When I scroll through my oldest Shazamed songs, there’s a trail of tech-house memories leading straight back to my old Christchurch stomping ground, Winnie Bagoes.
Picture me: bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, with a deep LOVE for Cloonee, Mèle, and old-school Jordan Brando. I was that girl yapping to anyone and everyone in the smokers, breaking a full-body sweat in the club, two-stepping to my fave Defected and Toolroom-infused sets.
Was it a trend of the late 2010s? Definitely. But here’s the thing about trends in electronic music, they don't function like normal. At its core, this scene is driven by passion. Once you fall for a sub-genre, you’re in it deep. Don’t get me wrong - I'm a perfect example of my taste, range and electronic comprehensiveness growing and evolving over my years raving. But throw on Patrick Topping – Be Sharp Say Nowt, and boom, I'M A TECH HOUSE GAL AT HEART!!!
Now, I know I’ve been shouting into the radio void that “TECH-HOUSE IS BACK,” and every time I do, the text machine lights up: “It never left.” And look, I get it. In some ways, it really didn’t. With the Fisher’s, Dom Dolla’s, and John Summit’s of the world, tech-house morphed into one of the most mainstream sub-genres of electronica ever. It’s accessible, everywhere, and for many new ravers, it’s the entry point.
You could argue that tech-house has always been here. Artists like Lake and Pawsa never strayed far from their roots, and their fanbases? Devoted.
But I’m not talking about the commercial scene. I’m talking about the producers baking tracks for the packed, dark, sweatboxes hooning 'til 4am. A new wave of some prolific artists turning it down a notch and creating a new tech-house sound. That’s where the real evolution is happening.
Tech-house, once loyal to the steady 120–125 BPM, is now kicking it up to 130+.
Why? Well with the rise of hardhouse, hardgroove and techno in artists like Kettama, Partiboi and Malugi (just to name a few) - tech-house has had no choice but to completely up the anti. In order for tech-house to stay relevant it’s gotten much faster.
But here’s what I really want to say: Tech-house isn’t just speeding up, it’s bouncing back.
Trends are cyclical. Right now, openers are playing 140 BPM at 10PM with zero thought to flow or curation of the evening (cue old man yelling at cloud). I don’t want to sound cranky, but honestly? People are getting over it.
Your fave DJs have been smashing Hardgroove, Hard-house and Speedy G sets for the last two years because it was “about to pop off.” DJs loooove being ahead of the curve. But as with every new trend, there’s always another right around the corner to take its place.
There’s big chatter about DJ sets curated for TikTok indulged brains:
Big drop and build ups in every single song
Playing only one minute or less
30+ tracks in a single house or 4/4 set (!?)
And yep, I’ve been guilty of this too. But I’ve promised myself to slow it down, play the full records (yes, the second drop is always better), and stop chasing the gnarly build-up every track.
This may sound like a rant, and maybe it is. But if I’m feeling it, I know a bunch of you are too.
So as tech-house tightens its shoelaces and races ahead a bit, I reckon we’ll see things balance again. Some of your favourite DJs will slow down, vibe out, and meet tech-house back in the middle. Keen.
And now that I’ve yapped your ear off, I better show ya. Let’s get into some fresh tech-house releases that prove, beyond a doubt, that:
TECH-HOUSE IS BACK, BABY.
O’Flynn - 'Banggg'
This tune being a tech-house banger is iconic in more ways than one. O’Flynn, a producer who I have loved in all phases of his career. Once known for smooth disco infused records, and then his underground team up with Frazer Ray. So when he made a TECH-HOUSE record and then put it out on Barry Can’t Swim’s - Earth's Only Paradise label. I knew, deep in my heart - we were SO BACK.
Chris Lake & Ragie Ban - 'Toxic'
Thought I’d give you the biggest juiciest tech-house record of the moment. Chris Lake being the donniest donny of all the land, responsible for (ghost?)/producing all your faves. This song was the icing of the tech-house 2025 cake, shooting to number one on beatport and being absolutely everywhere online. This has some serious guilty pleasure energy and throws me right back to Winnie Bagoes nostalgia!
A BIT DEEPER:
N4tee - 'Bowsey'
Apologies in advance as this spicy number is only available on Vinyl! But tech-house x UKG sounds are becoming more and more popular and this record proves exactly that! N4tee provided us with one of the biggest UKG dubplates of summer - and now backing that up with a tech-house edit is wild. To make it more wild, it's on an EC2A sister label, Bossy. Tech-house approved by Dr. Dubplate? I’m in.
William Kiss & Luke Alessi - 'Hold Up'
Oh the Aussie lads!!! These two alongside Jordan Brando make up a group called Not Without Friends and honestly - I am their biggest fan. Tech-house can be a bit funny because if you go into it thinking everything sounds like Fisher, you’d be seriously mistaken. Potentially more of a 90’s inspired house record but all the elements of something a bit techier, and this sound - is SO in right now. We have to mention Alessi charting #1 right now on beatport with Chloe Calliet - and Kiss being a frequent flyer in the queen herself Peggy Gou’s sets. WHAT A PAIR. This release is in fact on Peggy Gou’s label - Gudu Records (how cool is that!) - It’s giving 90’s tech-house, *in a cool way*.
Papa Nugs & The Trip - 'Keep Rocking (Casa Moda Mix)'
Another record heavily inspired by 90s house, and another that has a completely different sound to a commercially viable tech-house tune - but this is techy house, right? RIGHT. Some bloke on bandcamp called this EP “one of the best collaborations in modern house history” and he’s not wrong. Two underground legends, teaming up to release on The Trip’s London based Tessalate records. Definitely more of a hip-house, 90s fusion but I’m here to educate so I’m sticking with my guns and saying there is 1000% a tech-house influence.
