Tech My House 3

The best definition of tech-house I ever heard was "it's the stuff that boys call house and girls call techno". To me it's really a non-genre, and more just a hinterland. That said, there's lots of it. And here Berlin-based Elektrotribe have very kindly gathered together 10 tracks' worth for us, on this third installment in the Tech My House series.

Given that much of what gets called 'house' these days – at least by Beatport et al, and by DJs/journalists/PRs/promoters under the age of 30 – is pretty much techno anyway, it's no surprise that Tech My House 3 errs on the 'tech' rather than the 'house' side of things. But it's a pretty good snapshot of the sound of electronic dance music in 2009 (for better or worse). My personal highlight would the rather funky Edition by Digital Filth, with its jaunty Chi-town b-line, but I'm also liking the trippy Funbox by Pete Nouveau… and then there's Ware Road by Tiari which, if I ever make a film and there's a scene where a band of survivors are fleeing clouds of fall-out through a post-apocalyptic urban landscape, I'll use as the soundtrack (quite like it, in other words, but only in a weirded-out, fucks with your head, uneasy listening kinda way).

I should maybe also share with you the fact that I've – gasp! – never taken ketamine. So I'm prepared to accept I might be missing something with music like this. But that's unlikely to change, so you'll have to make your own mind up. When you're done waving at horses*, that is.

About the label: Elektrotribe has been around since 2006, and used to be based in Paris but is now based in Berlin. Previous releases have covered bases from straight-up techno and minimal to techy D&B from Dark Machines and, of course, lots of tech house. At their website you can hear (and buy) the whole catalogue so hit 'em up if that sounds like your kinda thing.

*See In Bruges, one of the funniest films I've seen in a while.