Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Granada's Cosmic Tribe know the definition of "electro" in its broadest sense; their new Xtrictly Electro comp keeps the dystopian sound endemic to the genre's most present incarnation, but refuses to restrict itself to one tempo: the standard 130-ish that has sadly infected the otherwise genius genre as a necessity. An international splinter cell of spec-ops and mercenaries are recalled from retirement here, as we hear Calagad 13, Nachtwald, EC13 and many more mechanoid ilk lay down all manner of slick utilities, making up a morbid multi-tool. 5zyl brings further lasery Lithuanian steeze on 'Vilnius Bass', whilst Spectrums Data Forces betrays the existence of a sinister corporate entity, whose business model works towards the object of instilling 'Darkness In My Head' through giant, killer mozzy basses.

Review: The Distorsion camp offers up its first sampler as a way of teasing you with the sort of quality sounds and artists it has on its roster. First up is a three-way collab between Citybox, Hankook & Orebeat whose 'Dangerous Changes' is an intense breakbeat workout for the peak time. Orebeat & Alex Clubbers keep the energy levels high and inject early 00s video-game style synths, Orebeat & Citybox keep it dark and raw with 'Gangsta' and Orebeat & JottaFrank laced up their thrilling breaks with acid lines and sleazy vocals on "Noche De Paris.' This is potent stuff for strobe-lit floors.

Review: Spanish tastemakers Microm Records celebrates a decade of innovation in electro sound by bringing unreleased tracks from the past to vinyl alongside a selection of fresh current works. This project aims to honour the label's achievements while bridging the gap between its past and present and does so in style while also resurrecting hidden gems and encapsulating the evolution of its sound. From the dark, corrugated funk of Dark Vektor's 'Des Control' via MEKA's enthralling, vocal-laced workout 'If Electro' via Negocius Man's 'The Launcher', this is a superb electro collection.

Review: Urgent electro from adept producer and DJ Munir Nadir. His third outing for a new favourite label, the Italian outfit Odd One Tape, this sawtooth croaker is an especially squelchy dance record, drawing on tail ends of minimal techno and noughts electro house, and with perhaps a tad of skweee thrown in too. 'Give Me A Second' and 'Paratoxical' use conspicuous reverb tails and flex-gurgled vocals to spoken and spelt-out effect, while the B-side's 'Sniper' is as wilfully minimal and baleful as it gets, working in a monster of a ghostly vocal underbeat. Finally, 'Flying Ladder' rounds off on a matchingly minimal euphorizer in the 4x4 vein.

Review: Barcelona's 22Recordings mark a curveball with Nativo's new release, moving away from their trademark darkness and ever further into playful and melodic, if still diatonic, sounds. Patently led by the drum machine and the step sequencer, the rising producer Nativo flexes their chops across five tracks of varying speed and tenacity, all of which cross between an intuitive pastiche of dark Italo on one spectral end, and pure outsider house music on the other. The mood is gruff but clownish; it's as if your local fairground had been overtaken by vampire bats and bloodthirsty goths. Closer 'Onivia' is the only moment of respite, bringing an impressive substrate of arpeggios to an overall final-shebang feel.

Review: Platform 23 platform the Italian 80s avant-garde and anarcho music scene on a fresh 12" compilation, kicking things off with an unreleased cover, by the band Nengue, of Los NiNos Del Parque's electro-pop-wave track 'African Beat'. Amid the political unrest of the Anni di Piombo (Years of Lead) - which saw the autonomist Marxist movement, and backdrops of government-mafiosi collusion, labour strife, and terrorist splinter group formations - underground artists found themselves transducing the radical energy of the time into rapidfire releases, put out through DIY networks. Rome's Nengue embodied this, blending industrial, jazz, and futurist influences. Initially, the release aimed to highlight their Kraftwerk-inspired African Beat, but the discovery of their cover of 'Los NiNos Del Parque', described as "powerful anarchic nonsense", became the focal point. Berlin's Bionda e Lupo contribute a remix, with Sneaker's sharp production and Sano's vocals adding a fresh dimension. Andrei Rusu (Khidja) delivers a deep, dub-heavy reinterpretation of African Beat, perfect for modern dancefloors while honoring its raw origins. A vital document of Italy's underground electronic resistance.

Review: Don't forget to put on your Anorax... A new retro-futuristic outing by veteran dance music exec Neil Rushton marks his latest configuration in techno, which has kept mutant ever since the DJ broke from his infamous, 1970s Northern soul label Inferno. If Inferno was a glittery bodysuit, Anorax is like blast-protective PPE. Here Rushton welcomes Mark Archer and Chris Peat aka Nexus 21 back to the fold. Emissaries of the Salford dance music circuit, Nexus 21 have always harked a frontier-scouring, centennial vibe in sound. Their latest release is reissued from 2008, though the Network Records original only cut it to B-side: 'Self-Hypnosis' is a semiconscious auto-state in sound, bringing jam-born orchestra-stabs and sprung synth toms to a strange brew. We're left spiral-eyed.

Review: Nicole and Troy's latest collaboration sharpens their vision for Cath Records, the Berlin-based label they launched as a home for boundary-pushing techno. Their stripped-back but potent style thrives on precision, drawing from deep club lineage while keeping an eye on the future. 'Out Of Control' is a lean, tunnelling workout, its tension amplified by Z@p, the Uruguayan producer whose percussive, swing-heavy take on techno has earned him a cult following. His remix reshapes the track with a ghostly, skipping momentum. 'Woo Woo' flexes a rubbery, low-end groove, built for peak-time propulsion, while 'Fractals' twists through warped, off-kilter sequencing. A sharp, high-pressure release that reinforces the duo's deft touch.

Review: Zurich-based duo The Nightstalker, which consists of Dan Piu and Popshop aka Gary Rich, craft a fulsome musical world that delves into the darkness and offers a mystical allure. Following two acclaimed albums on Berlin's Childhood Intelligence, they return with Isoutopic Fantasia, a mini-album on World Wide Web Records. Featuring six tracks that blend danceable darkness with surreal and playful moments, Isoutopic Fantasia is a fine fusion of deep mystery and bizarre beauty. The music leads through a dreamlike realm where every beat surprises and melodies unfold into unexpected dimensions to create a hypnotic journey where light and shadow converge in perfect harmony.

Review: Nightwolf Records kicks things off with its inaugural release, Hybrid Moments, a bold four track EP that draws on the raw energy of acid house while pushing into electro and trance territory. Nightwolf is clearly unafraid to dive into sonic experimentation here. Each track is filled with sharp snares, electric basslines, and unpredictable twistsipacked with nostalgic nods to 90s rave culture. Layering in vocal samples that sound like they've been ripped straight from some lost retrofuturist cyberpunk narrative, the EP crafts a unique space for both the rave crowd and festival heads alike. It's acid house with a sharp, modern bite.

Review: The second release from Diggers Society Records features NND, who is renowned for both his compositional talent and his skills as a selector. This EP is a real journey through NND's diverse musical landscapes and his rich musical background. The A-side is defined by dark atmospheres and deep, powerful rhythms. On the B-side, a track inspired by the iconic soundtrack of an '80s cult TV show shines bright and is followed by a celestial production that transports you to otherworldly realms while blending nostalgia with a modern techno touch.

Review: Kumquat returns with their second release, his time a various artists' EP packed with sleek tracks perfect for all sorts of movers and shakers. Four standout artists from the legendary French party scene deliver an irresistible blend of wonk and bounce across four groovy cuts. Noiro keeps it slinky and minimal on 'Yougoslash' then Belic & Mani get more stark and twisted with their tech sounds on 'The Flow.' Rancel's sound is laden with a libidinous sax line over clipped and crisp beats and Paradise City Breakers close down with the future tech of 'Mentalist.'

Review: Following outings on Eudominia and Who is Paula, Carsten Fluck and Lucas Lejeune bring their Not Even Noticed project back to Craigie Knowes. Like their last EP on the reliable Scottish imprint, Beneath The Surface has both eyes firmly fixed on peak-time dancefloors. Our pick of a very strong bunch is opener 'Hidden Ground', where razor-sharp TB-303 acid lines, dreamy chords and misty-eyed female vocal snippets ride a rolling techno groove. The quality level never dips throughout, with the warm but spacey tech-house hypnotism of 'Whopper', the deep acid house hedonism of 'Hibiscus' and the electro-fired supernova that is 'Under Your Radar' (whose acid lines are wonderfully insatiable) all hitting the spot.

Review: Welcome to the first drop for the brand new label Ancestros. On this evidence ,it is going to be another one to keep close tabs on if you like direct and raw electro. The first EP is a collaborative one between Nulek and Brian Topham that opens with the blistering bass and searching synth energy of 'Arabia Antigua' before 'Osiris' brings experimental broken beats and wispy, haunting leads to a heavyweight bassline. 'Desierto Intergalactico' brings some acid to the party and 'Vuelve De Los Muertos' closes down with some fantastical nimble drum programming and steppy synth sequences that will make your body pop.

Review: Ratiug Recordings presents a new record with Uruguayans Elias Sternin and Nicolas Arin in tow; it is their fifth to date. Touted as four hypnotising tunes set for puppetted dancefloors, Sternin and Arin procure two tough-stuff yet eerie possessors each, releasing them all in a single sweet bowl in time for Halloween. Sternin's 'Reina' and 'Venemo' contrast one other by way of pinched lead synths and boomy basses thrumming under; both claw at an early Detroit techno style and yet still manage to tease a glowing vivid goo from its otherwise mechanistic productive veins. Arin moves things much more noble gaseous, irradiating light trails of ensembled top synth against heads-down nodder kicks and basses.