RICARDO VILLALOBOS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: We're never short of new Ricardo Villalobos material and he's generous with his time as a mixer, but this project offers something different from the Chilean mad scientist of minimal. A Mountain Of One are a duo who deal in Balearic-leaning pop with a subtle charm and an adventurous spirit, and they initially approached Villalobos for a single remix of one of their tracks. As a fan of their sound, Villalobos ran with the project and it wound up as a full remix album of seven different versions. On the earlier tracks Ricardo takes a surprisingly light touch, while the later stages find us knee deep in the mesmerising roll of his minimal house, shot through with dubbed out ingredients from the original songs. It's surprising and satisfying in equal measure, showing Villalobos at his best and quite the scoop for A Mountain Of One.

Review: Given that Ricardo Villalobos was one of a handful of guest producers who featured on Oren Ambarchi's recent Hubris album - a krautrock-influenced minimalist techno exploration that also boasted contributions from Jim O'Rourke and Mark Fell, amongst others - it seems fitting that he's been roped in to provide two new remixes. The Chilean's contribution to the album was largely rhythm-based, and his two lengthy Variations - each stretched across one side of wax - promote undulating, heads-down dancefloor hypnotism above all else. Naturally, his drum programming and use of subtle stylistic shifts is as on-point as ever, with Ambarchi's original textures being manipulated into mind-altering new shapes.

Review: Way back in 2002, in the midst of his rise to global recognition, Ricardo Villalobos delivered a one-off EP for Linear as Termiten - though at the time his involvement was not widely known. It has become something of a sought-after minimal techno classic, with copies of the original 12-inch changing hands for serious sums - hence this Rawax reissue. It remains a fine record. A-side 'Why Did I Love My Wife' is Villalobos at his most propulsive - the kick-drum is pretty sturdy - while still reliably trippy, out-there and intoxicated. 'Nordhorn', a deeper affair in which melancholic melodies seemingly hang in the air over a typically wonky and loose-limbed drum track, is also superb, while 'Frank & Hennes' is a lolloping dab of downtempo psychedelia featuring samples from a heady old folk-rock jam.

Review: Back in the mid 2000s, at the height of his minimal-era fame, German-based producer Ricardo Villalobos released a now highly sought-after compilation of his early singles from the late 1990s, Salvador. Rawax has wisely decided to reissue it on wax, stretching the material across a trio of 12" singles. This first volume features a trio of must-have early Villalobos treats: the Playhouse style micro-house-meets-wonky deep house epic 'Lazer@Present' (here renamed 'Lazer Present'); 1998's 'Unflug', where his now infamous obsession with the percussion sounds of his native Chile combines with spacey synths and heavy grooves; and 1999's proto-minimal hypnotism, the superb (and seriously wayward) 'Tempura'.

Review: Originally released in 1998, the title track is a hypnotic, rolling groove that helped shape the genre's future, its deep, pulsating rhythm and intricate layering exemplify Villalobos' signature style, making it a crucial piece in minimal's evolution. The Mood Mix on the flip stretches 'Heike' into a 13-minute odyssey, pushing its elements further into hypnotic terrain. Subtle shifts in percussion and melody build an entrancing, underground energy, capturing the essence of late-90s minimalism. This version transforms the track into a slow-burning, immersive journey, reinforcing why it became a staple in underground sets. Both cuts highlight Villalobos' early genius, demonstrating his ability to craft intricate, groove-heavy compositions with an enduring appeal.

Review: First of all, wow, how did this one already turn a quarter of a century old? It still sounds as wildly inventive now as it did back then and is fully deserving of this reissue. '808 The Bassqueen' is a truly mesmerising sonic journey that pushes the boundaries of electronic music with Villalobos's trademark blend of minimal techno and experimental soundscapes. He crafts a hypnotic and immersive mix of intricate rhythms, pulsating basslines, and deft synth textures that defy categorization and showcase Villalobos's mastery of groove and his ability to captivate listeners with subtle yet powerful sonic manipulations. This is the sound of a true visionary at work.

Review: Following the skittering, syncopated arrangements and left-handed excursions of 'Aslohop' and 'Detrant' back in September, Ricardo returns to Rawax with two more broken rhythms. 'Neunachi' is a classic Villalobos wonky shuffer with off-grid kicks and a rainbow of wet, cavernous noises. Take away the demonic reverse vocals and you're in microhouse territory. 'Detrant' is a much more driven affair, up-tempo and thicker, electro kicks off-set by a far-away chant. Each cut going the full nine yards; if ever we've had time to truly lock in to Ricardo's famously enduring grooves, it's right now. Neun out of ten.

Review: After a couple of quiet years Ferro's VBX label returns with a bang, as the esteemed Dutch minimal producer links up with none other than Ricardo Villalobos for a run of 'Ferric' jams. Enlightened souls should have some idea of what to expect here, as Ferro's snappy grooves collide with Villalobos' meandering sound collages to create psychoactive termites geared towards twisting out the dancefloor good and proper. This is proper minimal, with the percussion chiselled into fine clicks and pops to leave more space for the trippy elements to weave their magic. The quality comes assured from this new pairing, hopefully paving the way for more collaborations in the future.

Review: Ricardo Villalobos and Samuel Rohrer have never failed to cook up real magic in the studio over the years. They have been working together again closely and the fruits of their labours form this new MICROGESTURES album. It is made up of five tracks that are all mind blowing detailed when you listen in close. Each one is constructed from infinitesimally small details that all coalesce into stringing minimal techno rhythms of the sort that will boggle brains at 5am in the club or get you lost in the deepest recesses of your own mind if you listen intently on headphones.

Review: In the formative years of his career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ricardo Villalobos frequently utilised a handful of alternative production aliases - first Minta Spacew (one EP way back in 1993) and then more frequently Richard Wolfsdorf. Tia, first released way back in 2000, was the Chilean minimal maestro's second outing under that alias and has become a sought-after EP in recent times - hence this Rawwax reissue. A-side 'Echt Rot' is typically Playhouse-era Villalobos, with cut-up vocalisations, odd noises and spaced-out electronic snippets riding a crunchy minimal-house beat and looped, mind-mangling TB-303 bassline. Title track 'Tia' features simmering orchestral samples clustering around a typically wonky, stripped-back beat, while 'Feurwasser' sounds like the blueprint for many of his later minimal techno workouts.