ILARIO LIBURNI — The Acid Test

Ilario Liburni – The Acid Test, released on Into The Wizard’s Sleeve as ITWS009, is a four-track 12-inch that brings together two original productions and two remixes of “I Don’t Tip” by The Wizzard and TIJN. Released in June 2025, the record sits firmly in the underground space between minimal house, tech house and acid house, with the label presenting it as a limited vinyl pressing. ITWS009 is a particularly strong entry in the series because it combines Liburni’s established minimal-house vocabulary with two different interpretations from artists closely connected to the Into The Wizard’s Sleeve label. Ilario Liburni has been a consistent presence in the European underground house and minimal scene for many years. His catalogue includes releases for Cardinal, Invade, Adams Bite and other specialist labels, covering minimal, tech house, deep house and techno. His earlier vinyl work includes the vinyl-only Tiny Little Squares EP on Cardinal, Blister EP on Invade and several other releases that established his reputation for detailed, groove-focused club productions. ITWS009 therefore arrives as part of an already substantial body of work rather than representing a new artist introduction. The A-side opens with “I Don’t Tip”, the first of Liburni’s two original tracks. At approximately 127 BPM, it immediately establishes the rhythmic framework of the EP. The track operates within the minimal and tech-house spectrum, using a tightly controlled groove and an extended arrangement designed for mixing rather than conventional song structure. Its length of almost seven minutes gives the rhythm section enough room to develop gradually, allowing individual elements to emerge and recede without disrupting the central pulse. “I Don’t Tip” is followed by The Wizzard remix, which retains the original composition while shifting its character through a different production perspective. The Wizzard is closely associated with Into The Wizard’s Sleeve, having previously released the Enough EP on the label as ITWS003. That release was itself a four-track vinyl-only project spanning minimal house, breaks and house, establishing The Wizzard as one of the key figures within the label’s musical identity. The Wizzard’s interpretation makes the A-side feel like a progression rather than simply an original followed by a standard remix. The same core material is reframed for a slightly different club context, with the rhythmic architecture given a new emphasis. At around 128 BPM, the remix also increases the pace by a small but useful amount, making it particularly practical for DJs moving toward a more energetic section of a set. The result remains connected to the minimal-house foundation of Liburni’s original while reflecting the more eclectic approach associated with The Wizzard’s productions. On the B-side, TIJN takes over remix duties with his version of “I Don’t Tip”. TIJN is the label co-owner and one of the central figures behind Into The Wizard’s Sleeve, making his contribution especially relevant to the record’s identity. The remix maintains a 127 BPM tempo and provides a second reinterpretation of the same source material, giving DJs another version with which to work. Rather than filling the EP with unrelated tracks, ITWS009 uses the two remixes to explore how the same groove can be transformed through different production approaches. The final track, “The Acid Test”, is Liburni’s second original production and the title track of the release. Running at approximately 128 BPM, it gives the record its clearest connection to acid house. The track is positioned alongside minimal and tech house in specialist catalogues, but the acid designation is particularly significant: it provides the EP with a more pronounced machine-driven edge after the three versions of “I Don’t Tip”. “The Acid Test” also functions effectively as the closing track because it changes the emphasis without breaking the EP’s overall continuity. After three interpretations of “I Don’t Tip”, the title track returns the focus to Liburni himself and closes the record with an original production. At just under six minutes, it is slightly shorter than the other tracks, but its 128 BPM pace gives the B-side a direct, energetic finish. One of the strongest qualities of ITWS009 is its economy. There are only two original compositions, but each is presented alongside two contrasting remix treatments or interpretations, giving the record a coherent identity while providing enough variation for DJ use. The track sequence also creates a useful progression from the 127 BPM original through the faster Wizzard interpretation, back to the 127 BPM TIJN remix and finally into the 128 BPM title track. The release is particularly relevant to selectors working across minimal house, microhouse, tech house and acid house. Clone categorises ITWS009 across House, Acid, Minimal and Tech House, while decks.de lists House, Minimal and Acid House. These classifications accurately reflect the record’s position between stripped-back groove music and more pronounced acid-oriented club production. For DJs, “I Don’t Tip” provides the foundational groove, while the Wizzard and TIJN remixes offer alternative ways of approaching the same material within a set. “The Acid Test” then supplies the most direct acid-house reference and can work as a transition toward more energetic or machine-led material. The 12-inch format and extended track lengths make the record particularly suited to vinyl mixing, where gradual introductions, long blends and subtle rhythmic transitions are essential. The physical release is equally important. ITWS009 was released on June 13, 2025, as a 12-inch vinyl record, and Into The Wizard’s Sleeve describes it as a limited pressing. The label itself is built around a strong vinyl focus, with its parent company Memoria Music Group describing vinyl as its core business and specialist area. Ilario Liburni – The Acid Test is ultimately a focused document of contemporary underground house music, combining Liburni’s established minimal and tech-house approach with the distinctive perspectives of The Wizzard and TIJN. From the tightly constructed “I Don’t Tip” and its two contrasting remixes to the acid-driven title track, ITWS009 maintains a consistent emphasis on groove, movement and DJ functionality. For selectors and collectors looking for limited 12-inch vinyl that connects minimal house, tech house and acid house without losing its underground character, The Acid Test is a strong and coherent addition to the Into The Wizard’s Sleeve catalogue.