OpenAir

Super Flu placed 'Caged' second of 10 on his '333' chart, dated 31 July of this very same year.

Super Flu also played Ritter Butzke in Berlin on 1 August, the very day after that chart placing, for a night billed as Super Flu (Open Air), alongside Aaron Suiss, MUKKIMIAU and Max Joni on the same bill.

Darksidevinyl's 'Caged' is out on Monaberry, an Afro House cut released on 24 July, ahead of both that chart placing and the Berlin date.

Clemente and Yamil's 'Darkest Nights', in the andhim Remix, on Essential Part, sits at fifth on that same '333' chart, a few places back from 'Caged' itself.

The track itself has drums carrying more weight than harmony, the percussion part full throughout, and the whole mix temperate, held tight beneath its own ceiling right through to the very end of the record.

With a string of releases on Mind Connector Records behind him, P.W.R.D steps back up with 'Concentration', a new record that arrives with a remix from Hopper, a fellow traveller on the label's roster. The original is a chunky, chord-driven piece of melodic house and techno, one where the drums sit back and let the harmony do the work, the percussion dense and busy, the overall sound rich and warm.

Hopper, who has called Mind Connector home for his last many releases, turns in a version that leans further into the record's synthetic textures, drawing out the tones and letting them ring. Both versions offer a different entry point into the same core material, one more grounded, the other more expansive.

'Concentration' follows P.W.R.D's 'Dark Faces' from July 2024, his last outing on the label, and continues a run that has seen him release steadily across the last several years.

The chart's fastest tempo this week, 126 BPM, belongs to 'Too Close, Too Far' from FEB, out on Paraiso and charted by Sasha in his Solex (UA) Summer Vibes 2026 chart at number three, arriving on 1 Aug. Across this week's 12 Afro House entries, tempos run 118 to 126 BPM, and this one sets the top of that range.

Paraiso's most active month in the past year was June 2026, when five releases landed. August currently stands at zero, leaving 'Too Close, Too Far' as the label's most recent output. The label's high summer has been marked by releases like this one that carry a dense, percussive drive.

The mix is unusual for Afro House in that the harmony sits out in front of the drums. The percussion is crowded and high in level, sitting flat under the peaks with not much air up top. It gives the track a tightly packed, humid feeling, like a club at capacity. The key is B minor.

Yulia Niko placed Magit Cacoon's new single 12th of 18 in the Melodig Week 21 chart on 17 July. Filed as Melodic House & Techno on Mago Music, it came out the same day.

At 125 BPM in G minor, the track sits in familiar territory for an artist with 21 releases since 1 September 2017, mostly on Renaissance Music, four, Natura Viva In The Mix, four, Global Underground, three, and KATERMUKKE, two.

The most recent release before this was 'The Desire', on ATLANT, 27 March 2026, a reminder of how steadily Cacoon has kept working across a genuinely wide spread of labels this year and the one before it.

A sunny, percussion-forward new single from Peekay Mzee lands on Rise Music this Friday, and it is a neat and rolling record. The drums run nearly the entire length of the track, a constant polyrhythmic presence that keeps everything moving at a relaxed, unhurried, knee-dip pace. The surface is busy, shakers, congas, and metallic clicks all find their place, but the mix is kept moderate in level and headroom, with the top end only moderately bright, so there is plenty of air for the melodies to breathe.

Hyenah picked it up in his Africa Is Forever Charts at the start of this week, placing 'Phala' at number eight in a chart in which three of the ten records come from his own Rise label. It follows his own release with beatsbyhand in late June, and Peekay Mzee's last outing on the label, a rework of Chelalow, back in mid-January, a six-month gap that now closes with a record that feels built for the kind of long, hot afternoons that define both Lisbon and Berlin in high summer.

Super Flu placed 'Golden Times' by Aera third of 10 in the '333' chart on 31 July and was on the bill at Ritter Butzke in Berlin on 1 August for Super Flu (Open Air), a bill that also carried Aaron Suiss, MUKKIMIAU and Max Joni, with Lisbon and Berlin both moving through high summer. The track is filed as Melodic House and Techno on Applied Magic, released on 24 July, tuned at 150 BPM.

Aera carries 33 releases since July 2014 into this one, mostly on Applied Magic, Innervisions, Get Physical Music and Global Underground, with 'Secret Weapons Part 18' on Innervisions, from May, the release just before this. It is a fast, driving piece of melodic house and techno, its high tempo giving the track real urgency, confidently placed within a deep and well travelled catalogue.

ISOLATE says, "Blackloud's contribution to the Momentum Series balances rhythmic precision with groove, bringing together two cuts that complement each other without following the same path."

'Don't Make Me' is out now on ISOLATE, a Melodic House and Techno cut released on 24 July this year.

Blackloud's earlier release, 'Disagree With You', came out on Urge To Dance on 12 June, not long before this new one. His wider catalogue runs mostly through Polyptych Bundles, BeatFreak Limited, Balkan Connection and Diynamic, dating back to 2019.

The track itself runs at 127 BPM, as much harmony in it as percussion, the beat sparse throughout, and the whole mix sitting at a steady, in-between volume, well clear of its own limit right through to the end.

'Beyond Today' is Massano's first release on Tomorrowland Music since 'Something In The Water (Extended Mix)' on 30 January, a gap of about six months, and the label's 44th release of 2026, one of 46 so far this year. The track is filed as Melodic House and Techno, released on 31 July, with Lisbon and Berlin both moving through high summer. Massano placed it first of 10 in his own 'Massano's Beyond Today Chart' on 30 July.

Percussion and harmony sit in balance on 'Beyond Today', with the percussion running sparse throughout. It sits forward in level, squeezed beneath its peaks, and a bright top end lifts the mix. It is a confident, well balanced piece of melodic house and techno, marking a strong return to the label.

Dear Deer said of the release, "On the second track, 'Peren', Ivan Masa explores a more dreamy and atmospheric direction," as high season settled over Ibiza and Mykonos. 'Peren' is filed as Melodic House and Techno, released on 31 July. Innellea placed it ninth of 12 in the 'Bounce Music Charts' on 30 July.

IVAN MASA carries 39 releases since December 2008 into this one, mostly on Monaberry, Eleatics Records, Tulipe Records and ATLANT, with 'Silence (Yulia Niko Remix)' on AXEPT, from July, the release just before this. Neither drums nor harmony takes the lead on 'Peren', and the percussion stays sparse throughout. It sits at a middling level with some room under the peaks, and a bright top end lifts the mix. It is a dreamy, atmospheric piece of melodic house and techno, unhurried in its build and rich in mood.

Sasha placed 'L'amour' by DJ Lucerox and Eli Brach sixth of 15 in the 'Solex (UA) Summer vibes 2026' chart on 1 August, with Lisbon and Berlin both moving through August. The Extended Mix is filed as Afro House on Xumba Recordings, released on 1 May, tuned at 120 BPM in E flat minor.

Percussion does more of the work than harmony on 'L'amour', its drum pattern even and steady. It sits at a soft level with headroom to spare, and a gentle light reaches the top end without ever glaring. It is a delicate, percussion led piece of Afro house, unhurried in its groove and warm in its restraint.

The label Houstrike put out a tidy club record this summer. 'Can't Stop Movin'' is by a producer known as Boxer.

'Can't Stop Movin'' is filed as Progressive House, released 10 Jun 2026. The artist Boxer was last covered on 7 February, with 'Escape The Fire' on Colorize (Enhanced). The label is Houstrike, which appears to run its own shop at Bandcamp.

In 2026 alone, Boxer is credited with six releases on the label, of which 'Can't Stop Movin'' is one. Dosem placed it second on his Morning Runner Chart (28 Jul) out of 15 tracks, a chart in which three of 15 records are on Houstrike. The track itself is even-handed between drum and tone, dense with hits to the beat at a middling level, with moderate movement under the peaks and a bright top end.

Lloyd Barwood's new track is his first release on Last Night On Earth since 'Chain of Thoughts' on 24 October, a gap of about eight months, and the label's 12th release of 2026, one of 14 so far this year. It is filed as Progressive House, released on 26 June, with Lisbon and Berlin both moving through August. Sultan + Shepard placed it fourth of 20 in the 'Centuries Chart' on 4 August.

The track carries its weight in the drums, with a spare figure running beneath it, held back in level with room left under the peaks and a bright top end lifting the mix. It is a spacious, patient piece of progressive house, restrained in its build and warm in its clarity.

Yulia Niko is playing Amnesia Ibiza as part of the Resistance series on 5 Aug 2026, in a line-up that also includes Adam Beyer, Eric Prydz and Maceo Plex. She has 'Astral Harmony' by RewindSir with her. It was released on Wold Records on 31 Jul 2026 and is a confident melodic techno record. In her Melodig chart of Week 22 (1 Aug), she placed it 13th of 16.

RewindSir creates a crisp, clean production with a rhythmic core that is simple but effective. The track's depth is carried by its harmonic layer, warm pads and a dark, emotional synth line that weave together, creating a sense of space and melancholy that feels both expansive and intimate. This is not a track that relies on complex drum patterns or sudden drops. Instead, it works with a steady, hypnotic momentum, drawing the listener into a state of deep focus. The atmosphere is grand, yet subtle, with an understated elegance that fits perfectly into the more refined corners of the melodic techno spectrum.

Every release from the Selador camp is a event in and of itself. Dave Seaman's 'Nightfalls' has been selected as the label's eighth release of 2026 (so far), and this time Dilby steps up with a remix that brings the track to life all over again.

'Nightfalls' has been something of a secret weapon in Dave's sets of late, and it's not hard to hear why. The original, written by Seaman himself, has that classic sound that has been drawing people to the dancefloor for decades. Dilby's remix is a masterclass in restraint and mood, with a settled drum pattern and plenty of air in the top end. It's a temperate piece of work with a fair amount of give under the peaks, letting the harmony breathe and the groove do its work.

Selador themselves say: "If you've been lucky enough to hear Dave play live recently, you will have heard an old favourite tune enthusiastically pulling back the curtains, blinking at the sun, having a good stretch, and returning to the fray for '26 in majestic, remixed fashion."

It's a fitting description. 'Nightfalls' has been charted by Sultan + Shepard, who placed it third on their Centuries Chart on 4 Aug, and it's easy to see why. With the season in full swing in both Mykonos and Ibiza, this is one for the long, warm nights.

Denis Horvat has included the Radeckt Remix of 'Testamona feat. Lilli Ellen' in his latest olfactory chart, which was published on 13 August. The record was placed fifth of the ten tracks in the chart.

The original 'Testamona feat. Lilli Ellen' was made by Denis Horvat and Lilli Ellen, and the Radeckt Remix was released on Vokabularium on 12 Jun 2026. Three of the ten records in Denis Horvat's olfactory chart are on Vokabularium.

Denis Horvat has 59 releases since 17 February 2010, mostly on Innervisions (seven), Spinnin Compilations (five), Afterlife Records (five) and Armada Electronic Elements (five). The most recent before this was '25 Years Cocoon Recordings - Volume Two' on Cocoon Recordings, 5 June 2026. He was last covered on 22 March, with 'Mayflies' on Cercle Records.

The Brazilian DJ and producer Bhaskar placed 'Soul Gazing' at the top of his personal Soul Gazing Chart on 11 August, and it is easy to hear why. A piece of progressive house that favours a soft, even hand over the harder or more complex end of the genre, 'Soul Gazing' has a drum figure that stays steady and uncluttered, so the track lives in its atmosphere rather than in its rhythm. The balance between drum and tone is an even one, with a soft level that leaves headroom to spare and a lit top end that keeps the feeling bright.

'Soul Gazing' arrives on Sounds of Quartzo in an Extended Mix. It follows Bhaskar's 'Synchronicity', which came out on the same label on 22 May 2026 and which was the last release he put out before this one. Since 1 December 2017, Bhaskar has released 30 records, with most of his work landing on Spinnin' Records, which accounts for 17 of those releases. He has also released three times on Monstercat, twice on Found Frequencies and twice on Tomorrowland Music. His previous chart-topping single, 'Discoteka', came out on CONTROVERSIA on 30 March of this year and was last covered in these pages on the same date.

Yulia Niko's remix of 'Silence', a collaboration between IVAN MASA and LVDOVICA, tops her own Melodic chart this week and is out now on AXEPT.

The Yulia Niko Extended Remix takes the track into open, glowing territory, where wide, airy chords do most of the work above a beat that keeps its own counsel. A gentle sense of lift runs through it, the mix letting the elements breathe rather than stacking them, and the restraint serves the vocal well. It is the kind of record that feels bigger for what it leaves out.

The original version and the extended mix are out now on AXEPT, the label keeping up its steady run of releases this year.

In this era of short-form content, producers have an inclination to grab the listener's attention quickly, but for all of its melodic flourishes, the original 'Garden of Time' is a patient, widescreen work that lets its elements breathe. Alex Galvan has a knack for creating the kind of melodic pieces that make their way through the club, and this satelite release is no exception, arriving alongside a massive remix package.

'Garden of Time' is driven not by a single defining hook, but by a sturdy drum figure that remains busy in every section, giving the track a sense of continuity while chords wash in and out above it. The sound is loud, with peaks that leave little room for give, a quality that adds intensity but can also create a sense of relentless forward motion, well suited to peak-time moments.

Among the most striking new interpretations comes from Colossio, whose remix tightens the arrangement and brings the drums even further forward, reframing the original's sprawling feel into something more immediate. This is music that lives between the introspective and the functional, balancing its melodic core with a serious intent for the dancefloor. As one of the label's eight releases this year, it fits neatly into the groove Satelite Records has carved out for itself in 2026.

Matador himself was last heard from on 11 April, with 'Mince', also released on Rukus. Matador has released widely through Perc Trax, Minus, Yoshitoshi Recordings and Armada Music over the years, building a fairly long and quite varied catalogue with each of those labels in turn.

'Olfactory' itself runs at a fairly steady 132 BPM, out on Rukus, credited jointly to both Matador and Denis Horvat together, a fresh pairing on the label together, and a new chapter for both artists on Rukus itself.

Severin (DK) has 'Nydag' on Sueslide, a track that holds a certain kind of radiance in the air. It is the kind of record that seems to find its place in the long, warm evenings of late summer, when the light is low and the day is slowly letting go. With a tempo of 128 BPM, 'Nydag' sits comfortably in the melodic house and techno sphere, but it does not demand attention so much as it invites it.

The drums carry a lot of the story here, with an almost level share between the percussion and the harmony, each element sitting loud and tight against its own peaks. There is a lot of incident in the drums, little moments of detail that keep the track moving forward without ever feeling rushed. The top end stays dark, which gives the whole thing a sense of depth and restraint. 'Nydag' is a warm, dry listen, like the air itself, and it is easy to see why it has been catching the ears of selectors like Yulia Niko, who charted it in her Melodig Week 22 list earlier this month.

'Bora Bora' is Robin M's first release on Human By Default; he was last seen on SHÈN Recordings in October 2024, with 'Nawe'. The single, filed as Melodic House and Techno, arrived on Human By Default on 12 Jun 2026. Hyenah placed it fifth of 11 on the Allele Charts on 20 Aug.

Human By Default describes 'Bora Bora' in its own words: "'Bora Bora' channels organic rhythms and sweeping melodic elements into a euphoric, mesmerizing groove."

Robin M was last covered on 17 May, with 'Siamese Twin' on Ulu Records, and 'Bora Bora' lands as Lisbon and Berlin move together through the same stretch of August.

Eelke Kleijn's remix is the rare piece that gets an A-side right, a little deeper and purer than the Original Mix, but it is the Joris Voorn original, 'Horizon' (filmed as Melodic House & Techno on Spectrum (NL), released 10 Jul), that is the jewel here.

'HORIZON' is easily one of the best pieces of studio work Voorn has released in years, a restrained record with an improbable lift at its centre. He knows what he is doing. On the 'Eelke Kleijn Remix', the drums and the chords weigh the same, so when the filter opens and lets the pads through, the effect is something like letting the light in. Nothing dramatic. There is not much happening across the drums, which gives the record an almost hypnotic pull that rewards close listening.

It is also a loud record, but with some give under its peaks. The top end has a bright sheen, and it could have been brittle, yet Voorn knows how to layer it and he leaves enough space for it to breathe. 'Horizon' and the Eelke Kleijn Remix are out now.

'Vicio Vicio' is Impressum's fifth release of 2026, one of five so far this year on the label. The single, filed as Melodic House and Techno, arrived on Impressum on 21 Aug 2026. Fideles placed it first of 10 on the 'Symbiosis Four - Part Two' chart on 21 Aug.

Harmony sits out in front of the drums on 'Vicio Vicio', with not much happening across the drums themselves. The mix sits loud, with a fair amount of movement beneath its own peaks, and the treble carries bright throughout.

Impressum was last covered on 3 August, with Solink's 'Sonar', and eight of the 10 records on Fideles's own chart carry the Impressum name. 'Vicio Vicio' lands as Lisbon and Berlin move through August together.

NevadaSYSTEM is a well of ideas. The artist has 32 releases since 20 January 2023, most of them on Vasa Records or Spitfire Music, and 'Diablos', a new collaboration with Qian Qiao, lands on Vasa Records on 31 July 2026. It is a different kind of record from the pair, filed under Progressive House but with a weighted harmonic core that makes it feel more like a slow-burning mood piece than a floor record.

The harmony is where most of the attention sits; a busy percussive surface runs beneath it, but the track's level is pushed up so the peaks barely clear, and there is not much air up top. It is dense and smoky, a late-night record for a city in its last warm week, and it closes out a quiet spell for the project: NevadaSYSTEM and Qian Qiao's first release on Vasa Records since 13 March 2026.

A fresh melodic house single is gathering momentum in the final stretch of the Ibiza season. 'If I Go' from Shahin Shantiaei and vocalist Cassia Begg has landed on AXEPT, and it's already drawing heavyweight support from the likes of Bedouin and Yulia Niko.

Bedouin has placed the track fifth in their My Only Crime Chart, while Yulia Niko included it in her Melodig Week 23 selections. The track's weight sits in the drums, which leave a lot of room and sit high in the mix, flat under the peaks with a lit top end that lets Cassia Begg's vocal cut through.

AXEPT says of the release: "AXEPT welcomes Shahin Shantiaei for his label debut alongside vocalist Cassia Begg with 'If I Go,' an emotive melodic house record that blends cinematic atmospheres with club-ready energy. Built around Shahin's hypnotic production, deep grooves and textured sound design, the track unfolds with a sense of tension and emotion before Cassia Begg's captivating vocal takes center stage. The result is a powerful combination of driving rhythms and heartfelt songwriting, creating a record that feels equally at home on a late-night dancefloor or through headphones."

Shahin Shantiaei makes his label debut here, with Yulia Niko's chart featuring six AXEPT records in total, further cementing the label's presence in the melodic house scene. Bedouin, meanwhile, is set to bring the track to the dancefloor as they present SAGA at Chinois Ibiza this weekend.

Guy J placed Mike Rish's new single sixth of 10 in his 'Music For August' chart on 27 August. The record landed on tornn on 24 July, filed as Progressive House and running at 120 BPM, in the last warm stretch of Berlin's summer.

Drums carry the record, many hits landing to the beat in a middling mix with some give beneath its peaks and a bright top end. Sixth of 10 in a chart spanning an entire month of releases is a fair mid table result.

Mike Rish brings a catalogue of 33 releases since 25 October 2019 to the record, weighted toward Meanwhile, Juicebox Music and Anjunadeep Explorations, and follows 'Anjunadeep Explorations Vol. 2' on Anjunadeep Explorations from 16 July 2026. Mike Rish was last covered on 25 March, with 'Patenz' on UGENIUS.

The last warm week in Berlin was the backdrop for this one. Yulia Niko, charting with Melodig, placed 'So Good' eighth of 17 on 21 August, in the Week 23 chart. The track is by Ale F and Kari Bazzo, released 14 August on Los Cabrones Rec, and is filed in the catalogue under Melodic House & Techno.

It runs at 128 BPM, sits in A major (Camelot 11B), and its audio puts the harmony out in front of the drums. The drums leave a lot of room. The mix is high in level and flat under the peaks; it sits bright at the top. It is the kind of record that works the room without ever forcing the issue, letting the musicality do the heavy lifting.

Ale F's catalogue runs back to late 2019, with eight releases since, mostly across Krafted Underground and Exx Boundless. 'So Good' arrives as his first for Los Cabrones Rec, and sits beside the most recent prior work 'Nexo Sónico (EMA)' from February 2025. With a Yulia Niko chart behind it, and a sound that holds the floor with warmth rather than weight, expect to hear more from this one as the season turns.

'Zero' is Solis Records' seventh release of 2026, the label's full count so far this year. Alex O'Rion's record has been out since 7 August, filed as Progressive House. Guy J placed it fifth of 10 in his 'Music For August' chart on 27 August.

The drums run 'Zero', unhurried percussion sitting forward in level with middling headroom and a top end carrying plenty of air. Fifth of 10 in a chart built around an entire month keeps the record inside solid company.

'Zero' is Alex O'Rion's first release on Solis Records since 'Circled Squares' on 5 June, a gap of about two months. Solis Records was last covered on 13 April, with 'C Moon' by Maze 28.