OFF Schallplatten & CDs

Review: If you're looking for fresh sonic experiments which nonetheless hold fast to the dancefloor-worthiness of contemporary European techno, look no further than Rotterdam's Arts collective. Flaunting their selective prowess, the label here present a four-track release from producer Off/Grid, who impressively nails that coveted sonic tension many producers can only grasp after; a sound suspended between dreaminess and forcefulness, a mesmeric militant fist that first packs a punch, but then unclenches to sprinkle magical sand in our eyes. 'Strobe Light Memories' pins this down best; a behemoth of a beat jostles for the attention of our ears, all front-and-centre, only to give way to a cosmically faint breakdown, before returning once again.

Review: Getting lost in space is frightening enough, but what happens when you attach some kind of music player, blasting a constant stream of industrial techno, to your spacesuit? We'd imagine that'd make things more stomachable. German techno duo OFF/GRID deliver four heavy and hard techno ingots on this functional vinyl 12", working hip-house samples ('Jiggy Rhythm'), off-kilter stabs ('Shattered Dreams') and dub techno undulations ('Shifted Reality') into the interstices of the 4x4. Deft and agile tunes, perfect fodder for, say, Fabric, room 2.