10 essential ’90s house & techno bargain bin nuggets

By VF Team in Features March 20, 2025

Written by

VF Team

Published on

March 20, 2025

Features

Our 10 essential series sees VF and friends of VF dive into our favourite labels, artists, genres, and scenes to pick 10 essential albums, EPs or tracks for any collection.

Ahead of AVA London 2025, Marion Hawkes, DJ and owner of Belfast record store Sound Advice, shares her 10 essential bargain vinyl nuggets for house and techno aficionados.

“With all the buzz around record collecting (again!), it’s important not to get caught up in the hype and pressure to track down pricey rarities that will leave you eating beans on toast for a month,” Hawkes explains. “Yes, those are nice additions once in a while, but with new 12” releases averaging £15 these days, it’s no longer an accessible hobby for everyone.”

Describing her selection, Hawkes says, “When I started cataloguing my collection, I was surprised by how some of my favorite records were so cheap, and many still are, having avoided the influence of hyped trends and algorithms. Certain ’90s genres (tech house, jungle, UKG) are experiencing a resurgence, with younger generations rediscovering them, which has led to prices soaring.”

“Building a collection shouldn’t be judged by value but by quality and depth, and that’s why you dig!”

Motif

Let The Madness Begin

Nuphonic – £2

A storming, euphoric disco house track from Caucasian Boy, Crispin Glover, and Raj Gupta, released on one of the best ’90s UK house labels. The title track features big room sounds—perfect for a euphoric end-of-night moment or as an energy booster mid-set. “Madness” has the vibe of Idjuts, Metro Area, and Maurice Fulton. There are also bonus beats for the mix. This EP still feels as fresh as a daisy.

Jacob’s Optical Stairway

Solar Feelings

R&S – £2

A lesser-known pseudonym of 4 Hero, with a handful of releases on R&S—skip the original and go straight for the two Claude Young mixes. Known for his intricate techno productions, Claude deftly turns his hand to silky DNB on the Groovematic mix, while the Kyoto Soul Dub adopts a darker vibe with Japanese strings and stabs that wouldn’t sound out of place in the Ghost in the Shell animation.

Exquisite Corpse

Hi-Fi Therapy

KK – £4

I discovered Exquisite Corpse about five years ago through a set of reissues I picked up at Piccadilly Records, which always leads you down the path of exploring the back catalogue. While navigating Discogs, you’ll find a few 12″ records that are easy on the wallet.

Dark, pulsing psychedelic breaks dominate Hi-Fi Therapy, which reflects their signature sound. At times, it can feel overwhelming due to its dense delivery, but it’s worth giving a chance. There’s a shift in mood on “14,” where soaring vocals make it a lighter, more accessible track, perfect for dropping into a house set.

Robbert Heynen was also a member of Psychick Warriors of Gaia. With a sound similar to Exquisite Corpse, they are another group worth exploring down the rabbit hole.

Hutton Drive

Escapades From the Edge of the World

Soma – £2

An overlooked gem from Dominic Capello on Amber Line, reaffirming the Glasgow/Detroit alliance with a 13-minute cerebral techno masterpiece.

You can still pick up much of the Soma back catalogue for just a pound or two. Filter through the heavier tracks to find more adventurous and rewarding records, particularly from the 1995-1997 era (Maas, Muzique Tropique, Sixteen Souls, Russ Gabriel, Otaku, Allergy, Human Arts, etc.).

DJ Q

The Red Ant EP

Go Beat – £1

Glasgow’s Paul Flynn was heavily championed by Carl Craig in the mid-’90s, around the time of filtered house and chopped disco samples, and I ended up picking up nearly everything he released.

His long, chunky house rollers hit all the right notes, working incredibly well for heads-down vibing and building the dancefloor up nicely for a euphoric peak. Each EP often featured a downtempo track as well, showcasing his versatility as he explored IDM.

In fact, you can pick up much of Q’s catalogue for under a fiver. It’s definitely worth checking out his debut album and the We Are One 12″.

DJ Bigfoot

Hello

Covert – £1

A trippy, wigged-out dreadhead 12″ from West Midlands producer DJ Bigfoot. Blink, and you’ll miss the two releases on his Covert label, but those lucky enough to find them in the bins shouldn’t hesitate to grab a copy. With ominous cinematic vocal snippets, wonky wubs, and half-step beats, it sounds like a bad LSD trip—perfect for dub techno heads. A bonus Surgeon mix is included for those who prefer heavier jams.

Also, check out Round Records from Birmingham around the same time for more off-kilter headmelters.

The Horn

Rural Sex Parts One & Two

Evolution – £3

Steven Horne released one of the finest IDM/brainiac techno albums of the ’90s on Hornography. Not many people picked up on it at the time, but with Klasse Wrecks re-releasing some of Steve’s work, it’s great to see and hear a whole new set of ears tuning into the world of The Horn.

Rural Sex Pts 1 & 2 led up to Hornography — analogue, raw, and dripping with soul. One-minute sketches are complemented by meatier tracks, like the computer funk of “Up Exe” and “Gert Frooted.”

I couldn’t choose between both parts and since they’re both affordable, this is a twofer. Ten tracks across two EPs are definitely worth anyone’s coin.

Hawke

Erections from The Namaquadisco Volume 1

Hardkiss – £4

TThe West Coast psychedelic sound is having a moment again, fitting well into modern sets that blend genres freely. With this resurgence, however, come the price hikes, and it’s now difficult to find much of the prolific pioneer of the WC sound, Gavin Hardkiss (aka Hawke), for under a tenner. However, the *Erections* series is still fairly accessible and serves as a great gateway into the Hardkiss sound.

Larry Mison Jr

An Evening With Larry Mison Jr

Gemini – £3

Very effective disco dubs from an unknown source. While the samples are pretty obvious, they’re executed well for maximum effect. “When It Rains” has a sound reminiscent of KDJ from the same era. And it’s cheap as chips!

Lisa Stansfield

The Line – Ian O’Brien Remix

Arista – £1

One of the ultimate £1 bin records. Ian dons his jazz trunks and loops Ms. S’s vocals into a delightful crescendo.

Riding the wave of his debut album Desert Scores and several quality 12″s on Ferox, Pacific, and Peacefrog, this is a solid 12″ to have in your bag for a bar gig, outdoor party, or when the sun is out.

Catch Marion Hawkes at AVA London at The Cause with X CLUB., LSDXOXO, Juicy Romance, Body Clinic and Inside Moves on March 22. See the full line-up here.