DJS: MOST CHARTED - TECHNO - MOST CHARTED IN SEPTEMBER 2015

Review: Given the recent increase in both industrial music and rave-era "intelligent techno", it's perhaps unsurprising that Lindsay Todd and Stuart Leath have decided to reissue this early missive from influential Dutch combo Psychik Warriors Ov Gaia. The four tracks that make up 1989 were initially released on an eponymous cassette in 1989, copies of which now change hands for serious money. While some of the duo's later work did veer towards crusty trance, these tracks are raw, intense and intoxicating, with the percussive power of SPK, the rush-inducing, bombastic intent of Robert Hood, and, in the case of the brilliant "Intoxication", the early hallmarks of what would later be dubbed "intelligent techno".

Review: Rhode Island young gun turned Berlin success story DJ Richard has come a long way. After the success of his White Material label (known for its dusty and dirty house workouts) he's snapped up by Hamburg institution Dial for a full length album, and it does not at all disappoint. Grind is an inspired journey through Richard's many musical dimensions, showing off some sides to his sound not heard previously. After the black metal inspired intro of "No Balance" he gives us the smooth and majestic deep house of "Nighthawk" and "Savage Coast" that are more typical of the Dial sound but there's also the dark atmosphere of "I-Mir" and the brilliant "Vampire Dub".

Review: There's a delightfully celebratory feel about this debut volume of Cititrax Tracks, a new 12" series from Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. As beautifully presented as we've come to expect, Tracks Volume 1 boasts a quartet of dancefloor-ready smashers from a blend of new faces and label stalwarts. Amato (aka The Hacker) kicks things off with the glistening EBM funk of "Physique" - all restless synth refrains and pounding bottom end - before LIES affiliate Tsuzing go all dark, psychedelic and twisted on the thrillingly intense, acid-flecked "King of System". An-I go all DAF (with a touch of Front 242) on the fuzzy and dystopian stomper "Mutter", before Cititrax regulars Broken English Club delivers a storming chunk of industrial-tinged analogue funk ("Glass"). Bravo!

Review: The undisputed godfather of Australian techno Cam Bianchetti aka DJ HMC has enjoyed a deserved second coming under his Late Nite Tuff Guy guise but this is where it all started with these two classics. First track "6AM" originally released in 1996 is a true mid-nineties zeitgeist that could have been spawned during an evening at the Packard plant in Detroit, but actually conceived in Adelaide. It's overdriven acid backed by the pounding kick and metallic hiss of a 909 just like Plus 8 Records were doing back in the day. What can be said about 'Marauder' that hasn't already? It's resurgence as a Berghain anthem in the last few years is well deserved. This rendition being a much more serious and restrained version than the 2001 version. Get your hands on this timeless piece of history.

Review: NYC's Patricia is one of the most hyped artists of the moment, let's be honest. But it's all worth it right? His last release, Body Issues was one of the most celebrated releases of last year, and rightly so. Rest assured that this follows in suit. Six cuts of haunting and subterranean groove that will shock you to your core. Opening track "Mercury In Retrograde" makes it clear from the get go with its morose and cavernous groove assisted by the most rusty of analogue rhythm patterns. Just in case you hadn't caught onto his vibe, "Life Is a Hideous Thing" spells out his modus operandi loud and clear with its gothic take on stripped back early Chicago house in all its lo-fi glory while "Needs A Nap" features the most tunnelling, almost Jeff Mills like melody transporting you into the abyss. Tip? Absolutely!

Review: For the latest instalment in Clone's suitably robust Basement Series, sometime Numbers, LIES and Hemlock man Randomer has joined forces with forgotten techno producer Cadans. Randomer's presence isn't all that surprising - he's appeared on the occasional series before - but it's heartening to see Cadans, whose last 12" dropped in 2013 - back in action. The resultant tracks are, naturally, formidably dancefloor-focused. While there's much funk to be found on rolling flipside "Lopttarump" - think jaunty, acid-influenced hooks, rubbery electronics and stomping bottom-end - it's A-side "Angry Fiddle" that most impresses. The beats are, of course, thunderous, but it's the looped melodies, popping electronics and relentless vibe that really stand out.

Review: Bjarki, a new producer hailing from Iceland, makes his debut on Nina Kraviz's Trip with an effective two-piecer aimed at the dancefloor. "I Wanna Go Bang" is straight, hard-hitting and boasting an instantly memorable vocal which you'll probably be hearing around the dances this summer. "Orange Juice Man", however, is the complete antithesis of it's A-side cousin, where Bjarki opts for a deeper, chuggier kinda groove that's more suited to the corner-dwellers than the first-rowers.

Review: Liverpool's Binny started on his techno path back in 2012 with an EP on Orbis, and it's taken him only three years to rise to Dax J's Monnom Black imprint, a label reserved for the darker of techno joints. In apt style, "Mispress" kicks things off in a menacing fashion, blasting out heavy kicks, minimal melodies and rough shots of percussion, followed by the bouncier but nonetheless charged belter that is "Outline". Over on the flipside, "Quarantine" is a dirty squelcher in the style of Surgeon and Regis, while "Event Horizon" recalls Jeff Mills at his poignant and would sit incredibly well in a set by the man himself. Belters.

Review: Smooth yet dusty and rusty retro house on offer here from D.K. Aka 45 ACP on L.I.E.S. offshoot Russian Torrent Versions. Taking an interesting change in direction from its usual choice of banging peak time techno tools. Also worth mentioning his album "Change Of Tone" was also released this year on the former. All the tracks on this release here sounding reminiscent of early nineties school Chicago house and all in rather convincing fashion. Analogue purists take note! More promising things on offer from this mysterious Parisian producer.

Review: Last year, Dutch producers Robin Koek and Nick Lapien impressed with a couple of contributions to EPs on Prologue and Tikita under the Artefakt alias. Here, they've been given a chance to showcase their sound further, via a debut 12" for the mighty Delsin imprint. As the title suggests, they're stargazing sorts, and all three tracks feel like they were inspired - in part, at least - by the original futurist ethos of Detroit techno. Of course, there are other influences - see the tumbling, intelligent techno style synthesizer melodies and acid flashes of "Transit", or the attractive depth and ambient chords of "From Our Mind To Yours" - but these simply serve to enhance the prevailing mood.

Review: Another release from Spencer Parker's Work Them imprint. It's brutalist peak time techno from Manchester's Sam Coates, now based in Berlin and you can tell, if these four relentless belters are anything to go by. The A side features "Man Ray" a bleak, peak time monster that could have easily come out on Mord instead and "Movement' which channels that old grating, loopy, Downwards vibe so well. On the flip is the cyclical madness of "Ulterior Motive" with its mesmerising synth melody and kicks on the clap, respectfully referencing Robert Hood. Finally "Menifesto" is more restrained with its warped MDR style melody and true roller of a groove.

Review: Argentina's Jonas Kopp continues with his onslaught of relentless club ready futurism and Tresor makes a welcome home for his no nonsense aesthetic. "Khaa" pounds away at you with constant laser zaps and snarling synth line that you could just imagine peak time at Berghain. "Nahn" is reminiscent of the Planetary Assault Systems classic "Kray Squid" with its grating and hypnotising chime melody and its absolutely mental. On the flip we have "Hank" a tool that hammers away in a more stomping fashion with its brutal kick and its persisting synth stabs. Finally "Sinistro" is an absolute epic; a beatless exploration with a psychotic melody that has just got be heard, assisted by sombre pads and demonic screams.

Review: Australian label Butter Sessions is back with another one of its split releases, this time themed as Sounds From The Suburbs, adding two new faces to the roster in the process. Tina Wantirna drops some techno science on the chilling and dubbed-out "Track 1", while second newcomer Cale Sexton goes for the house approach on the piano-led "Everybody Hz". On the flip, label boss and badboy Sleep D offers a twisted piece of pseudo acid in the form of "Vermondo Vermango" - check his recent guest appearance on NTS Live's Reverie programme for a whole stack of similar new material from the man - and Dan White returns to the label with "Rhythm Works", a piece fit for Axis or any Jeff Mills set. Hotly recommended.

Review: Don't you just hate it when remix EPs come filled with dull, similar-sounding reworks? Happily, Ostgut Ton is above all of that. Their choice of producers to remix cuts from Nick Hoppner's recent album, Folk, was inspired, and the results are uniformly superb. There's a brilliantly analogue-sounding rework of "Relate" by Chicago's The Black Madonna that doffs a cap to Jeff Mills, acid house and early British rave, and a trippy, dub techno-influenced, Berghain-friendly take on "Come Closer" by Lilt. On the flip, Dutch veteran Aardvarck makes "Grind Slow" sound like a mixture of instrumental industrial pop and hypnotic techno, before Herva steals the show with a rather brilliant, ambient-meets-experimental dub revision of "Rising Overheads". The latter may not be dancefloor dynamite, but it's really rather good.

Review: Rohan Walder's prolific output continues with another release on Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S. It's been been a banner year for Walder with releases recently on sister label Russian Torrent Versions and Clone Basement Series earning him his stripes. He unleashes six more bastardised takes on techno for this new EP. From the sublime exotic percussion workouts on the title track and "Bell Jam", the rusty and stomping warehouse grooves of "Brutus" and "Dem Thing" it all crosses rather gracefully over on the rather fierce "Juju". This guy never fails to deliver, check this out!

Review: On the day today tonight, Ethyl & Flori launch their own imprint, E&F Records. With dancefloor focus, EFR001 guarantees crowd reactions reminiscent of Clinton's welcome home after machine-gunning 400 buffalo.

Review: Especial welcomes one Alphonse to the label. A true missing in action, last seen by his crew dancing atop a bus, here literally forced him to give up the tape of Same For Me. A peane to his life? Possi bly. Mixing techno beats and (proto) rave breaks, all under his own unique and heartfelt message. Discovered on the outskirts of Letchlade, down the bottom of an abandoned traveller site in a delapidated caravan with just the clothes he was in, while clutching an armful of reel-to-reels masters, a pack of 20 B&H and 1 can of Strongbow, Alphonse's story is one of party obsessive gone AWOL. Mumbling periodically, words deciphered and names dropped. Frome, Stroud and whisper it, Castlemorton, led to rehabitlation, a bath, shave and slowly enticing is musical knowledge to share. With a few scraps appearing here and there, including a micro(dot) of disco editing knowhow given, here though he finally is able to share his experiences by looking back through making music of the future. Same For Me starts with Sterns intent, all hats, kick and fx to the max, a Fantazia of expression, before toms and 808 snap and the sermon begins. But wait, where is the bass? Boom! Subs squeeze ribs while flute lifts minds skywards. "A valuable tool in life. Concentrate on something makes you happy..." To bring this in to fold, the Junior family member is given the tapes to show what he can do. The most subtle start lulls you in to a sense of is that it? There must be more. Building. Building. Break and...hands to the sunrise. "...Thank you. Same For Me. Same For Me."

Review: Despite his penchant for crusty old gear, and regardless of whether he's making house or techno, there's a hazy positivity to Michael Bouldry-Morrison's work under the Octo Octa alias. It can be heard in his various early releases for 100% Silk, his excellent More Times EP on Running Back, and on this Detroit-influenced 12" for Deep Blak. That positivity manifests itself in different ways across the four tracks, which range from the bubbling, stargazing deep house of "Body Drift", and the spacey, ambient-influenced techno of "Future Out", to the ear-pleasing riffs, comforting chords and hissing percussion hits of "House of Snakes". Best of all, though, is "Keep" a veritable, rainbow-tinted starburst of electronic beauty and tactile grooves.