Review: Minimal murkery wrapped up in untitled mystery, 'A/B' sees French experimentalist Orree lay down two beguiling pieces of stripped-back bass brutalism. 'A' hits like a twisted instrumental grime cut that's been through the washing machine too many times. Rippled, clean and totally out of shape. 'B' has also been through the same process but then also marinated in high levels of diesel for a sleazier, oily and intoxicating experience. Limited so don't sleep.
Review: Giammarco Orsini and Intheismah join forces on a release that melds hypnotic techno with progressive and electro-EBM influences. Shadowy textures and haunting rhythms lay the groundwork, while immersive melodies thread through each track, creating a deeply atmospheric listening experience. The fusion of genres feels deliberate and powerful, with a clear intent to captivate the dancefloor. This is a soundtrack for the season's darker moods, where subtle shifts in rhythm and texture keep the energy simmering while hinting at the after-hours spirit that defines the best of contemporary techno.
Review: Legendary Berlin techno label Tresor welcome Oscean for a standout debut EP. Oscean is a collaboration between Argentinian scene-leaders Sebastian Galante, also known as Seph, and Andres Zacco. They bring a propulsive sound and dense arrangements across the four cuts. Each one moves fast, with 'Feral' having scraping textures and rubbery drums racing onwards, 'Spacion' riding on a supple drum line that bubbles and boils and as a searching synth pans about the mix and 'Austraal' ends in Millsian style with electronic funk buried deep in its bones. It is the scuffed up broken beats of opener 'Spiral' that wins us over the most, though.
Review: US-born, Germany-based Oshana's solo debut on Altered Circuits is a notable one for peak time party people with high-impact jams that also bring plenty of subtle detail. The tunes are rooted in the vibe of her live sets and fuse classic and contemporary club sounds with razor-sharp studio precision. From the tense, acid-laced drive of 'Above We Soar' to the cavernous, Chicago-flavoured bounce of 'Space And Time Dimensions,' Oshana balances groove with atmosphere perfectly. 'Girls In The Front' is another gem and hypnotic, bass-heavy workout with anthem potential, while closer 'Origins' explores trance-tinged territory before diving back into genre ambiguity. It's a refined, energetic statement from an artist in her element.
Review: The new EP from Image Recordings makes up their third release since their start in 2023, marking out an impressively chill but still poised undertaking in surreal funky techno. Evidencing on their part a keen understanding of the meditative instillations sought by DJs at the early outset of the UK techno explosion. Every track is swung and prescient of the UK funky sound that would emerge later, though this record doesn't quite qualify as UK funky since the latter sound is marked by a soulful (often vocal) influence of jazzdance; rather the likes of 'Same Being' and 'Life In The Shade' are strange ones indeed, with a strangely nocturning, mechanic, speechless quality.
Review: Tne sixth drop on 3no comes trom Otis, who taps into the dark and deadly side or analogue
techno in keeping with previous entrants on the label like The Analogue Cops and Qasio. 'Out Of
Control' Is a creepy slice of acid techno with unsettling vocoder vocal touches ano a slammina
rhythm section, while 'Reactivation Process' ramps up the dystopian electro sonics to devastating
effect. 'D-Generation' turns up the heat with layer upon layer of darkside 303s, and 'Electro
Magnetic Resonance' juggles crunchy industrial percussion atop a pulsing groove that will keep
the floor in motion deep into the night
Review: The fourth chapter in Childhood Intelligence's alternate sub-division, Sunrise Inc, features five neo-braindance artifacts from Outer Order of the Planetary Instinct Alliance. These tracks feature mystic analogue rhythms and vintage sounds that blend haunted synth landscapes with Latin grooves and heavy SH101 low-end frequencies. Intimate and hypnotic melodies and voices create a homage to the past and a prophetic vision for the future and betray a producer with a great musical heritage. Ad in hints of early, dark but soulful Chicago house and some deep and heady moods and wet acid lines and you have a real pearler of an EP.
Review: There are plenty of question marks over the man who founded and still runs the R&S label, but the music it releases remains crucial. This time it is a reissue that gets us excited with Belgian artist Marcos Salon aka The Outlander's debut EP from 1991 in the spotlight. The visceral five track offering is all about high impact, floor facing techno with dramatic synth builds and driving drums. Often thought to be one of the most most intelligent rave release's R&S put out during this period, it still fits right in today with artists like Ben UFO never afraid to reach for the classics.
Review: Outlander is a bona-fide techno great no matter what your particular preference so it is great they are back after a rather protracted time away. In the past he has served up over ten EPs for the cult R&S label but now lands on Sonic Groove Records with'a timeless EP of thought-provoking modern techno. The title cut 'I Am I Was' is percussive and stripped back to its bones, 'Where Is The Exit' gets more spaced out and spooky with searching synth lines and 'Isolated' has an elastic bassline that soon locks you in before closer 'Tuesday Vibes' is another eerie and sparse soundscape.
Review: If you know, you know, and what you will know is that o.utlier is something of a legendary Irish producer. He sets out to melt minds with this new one on Animalia down in Australia. 'Evaporation' is a leftfield concoction with wispy synths that bring static electric feels to moody, stripped back and supple rhythms topped with sci-fi motifs. 'Crop Rotation' is a reverb-rich dub and 'Ionic' is another stripped-back and intriguing sound with shifting synth lines and only the most minimal drums. 'Pulse' is an icy and dubby closer for the heady back rooms.
Review: Ovatow is one of several aliases from the DJ, producer, graphic designer and Frustrated Funk label head also known as Klen. It is one he saves for dubbed out solo experiments and this EP first dropped back in 2007. It stands up now though as a tasteful Collins of electro, dub and techno. 'Flame' kicks off with wobbly synth hooks and ice-cold analogue beats. 'Visitation Dub III' then sinks down into a moody, grainy and lo-fi world of deepest dub and 'A Thought' flips the vibe again with a bright and busy electro workout. It pairs the coldness of machine hits with the liquid soul of some lush synth melodies. Classy stuff, for sure.
Review: Ovatow is but one outlet for Wilco Klen van Bennekom, the man running the Frustrated Funk family of labels from Rotterdam. It's not so often we get treated to a drop of fresh productions from someone normally releasing other people's music, so 10 years on from the last Ovatow outing, it's time to sit up and take notice of this new drop on Frustrated sub label Harbour City Sorrow. There's an echo chamber veneer hanging over this two-tracker which finds the worlds of electro and dub techno colliding with stunning results. If you value deep-diving electronics with expansive atmospheres, this record is for you.
Review: 3 track EP by Overlords of the UFO, including 2 previously unreleased tracks and one track released on an earlier EP named Transcendental Overdrive.
All tracks were produced in the late 90's.
This EP continues the trademark retro sci-fi analogue synth vibe of Overlords of the UFO and is the 2nd release by Enlightenment Records.
Review: Kompakt Extra presents "Speicher 50" from Oxia and Intus. With "Not Sure" Olivier 'Oxia' Raymond delivers the pivotal 50th hymn. A Speicher Jubilee. On the flip an old friend from Bavaria serenades the 50 Jubilee, under a very fitting project name Intus. There is kicking vodka-techno beats, ingeniously out of tune, and a howling guitar lurching us into the seventh sky of spiritual bliss. Nice.
Review: Mord's Body of Divinity EP, featuring Oxygeno, dives headfirst into the raw, industrial techno sound the label is known for. Across six tracks, the release delivers the kind of dark, relentless energy you can easily imagine rattling through a peak-time set in a gritty, dimly lit club. Deep, wobbling basslines and acid-laced elements pulse through the EP, giving it a fierce edge while staying true to that tough, industrial vibe. The second-to-last track introduces a spacey, slightly elevating twist, but never drifts too far from the EP's heavy, mechanical atmosphere. The closer, 'Body of Divinity', shifts gears with a chuggy, more house-inflected groove, making it stand out without breaking the overall intensity. It's one of the strongest cuts on the EP, balancing a bit of swing with that signature Mord grit.
Review: The latest EP by noise and industrial maverick Oxymosoon delves into the intricate interplay of ego, vulnerability and self-reflection. This genre-defying release combines haunting electronic textures with evocative melodies and poignant lyrics to create a sonic narrative that challenges conventional perceptions of self-identity. Each track flows seamlessly while blending ambient atmospheres with bold beats and experimental soundscapes. Oxymosoon's signature style shines through with compelling production and emotional depth all drawing you ever deeper into an introspective journey that explores the beauty and complexity of the human psyche.
Review: WAREHOUSE FIND!: OZY is an electronic musician and dj from Reykjavik. In the early years of his career, OZY released a series of influential records on the Icelandic dub techno label Thule Records, paying homage to the Berlin dub sounds and the abstract shuffle rhythms of Cologne techno. In 2002, the legendary Force Inc./Mille Plateaux label released OZY's debut album Tokei, bringing Ozy to the attention of a wide international audience. Orignialy released in 2000 The release "No Undo" is yet another step further, in fusing techno with new and fresh elements of drum&bass music, making the music incredibly dark and funky. The outcome is a wicked concept of futuristic tribal techno, designed strictly for the dancefloor:
Review: Iceland's Thule offshoot label 66 Degrees was a vital label back in the day. After a 20-year hiatus, it came back strong in August and now follows up quickly with a second superb EP. This one is a carefully curated various artists collection that pulls together some local house anthems new and old. Ozy's 'Sequential Dub' is a super smooth deep house number with lush chord work. Sanasol brings heavier, more raw house drums and grinding bass that will get floors in a sweat. Oz Artists mixes up a raw, mechanical groove with balmy, dreamy pads up top to make for something utterly compelling on 'Atomox; while last of all Terry Cummingz pays homage to dusty Windy City house on his perfectly lo-fi 'Cherry Bon Bon. Classy business for sure.
Review: For the seventh V/A EP to be released by the label, End Of Perception welcome four new artists aboard their fleet; Orbe, dc11, Viels and Peryl. Each artist bringing a respective techno cogjammer to the record, the sound laid out throughout is nonetheless thoroughly misty and wayward; 'Raster' and 'Caduta Nel Vuoto' both sound like probing rovers navigating the treacherous topsoils of some far-off darkened exoplanet without breathable air; the B-side moves more subterranean, its grooves toothier and clearer-headed, as though we'd found a pocket of oxygen under a rock, yet also unfortunately the the object of predation by a wriggling, scuttling alien that's made said rock its home.
Review: The third drop on Tonske's Cogo label welcomes another grip of high-functioning techno freaks to the table. The mighty Jeroen Search leads the charge with the loopy, Hood-flavoured pressure of 'Observer' before Border One throws down a primal mind-warper which is built for creative blending and psychological submersion. ORBE heads up the flip with a deadly, simmering workout built from densely interwoven threads of drums and synth, all the better to open a wormhole up with. Tonske's own sonar bleep stylings offer the deepest foil to the intensity of the other tracks, favouring minimalism as a vessel for pure, eyes-closed techno escapism.
Review: Is there a more reliable and always on form pair in techno than SHDW & Obscure Shape? The German duo's latest outing is another classy techno offering aimed squarely at the dance floor, each with its own subtly anthemic vibes and perfect for a wide range of settings, moods and moments. 'Eraser' is in your face and full of angst and edginess with clipped vocal shouts and incendiary hi-hats. 'Dancer In The Dark' is full of more blistering synth leads, smeared dub chords and closely stacked kick drums and 'Disturbing Behaviour' has a more lithe and acrobatic feel with lashings of acid. Two more B-side tunes take things to boiling point.
Review: The unique thing about Omar S's music is that no matter how much later you listen to it after its initial release, it still sounds mad futuristic. His dusty grooves and otherworldly synth sounds take on many different forms and atmospheres and for this one back in 2010 it was all about occult cosmic worlds. 'Kosmos 1402' has rickety kicks and hits that spit and fizz with grit and grime, while 'Plesetsk Cosmodrome' then sinks into deep astral worlds with rubbery bass bouncing beneath warped pads and 'Skynet 2 B' has a more playful feel with cute chords and a nice skipping rhythm.
Review: This EP from 2010 is an oldie but a goldie, which is pretty much something you could say of everything that this Motor City maverick has ever put out. It finds the former Ford factory worker in techno mode from the off: 'Ultra Fine One' is a pounding mid-tempo cut with airy hi hats and kicks that never quit. The whole thing is marbled with fuzzy synth sounds and a corrugated acid line that pries ever deep. 'Ultra Fine Two' is, in essence, the same cut but with broken beat patterns and different filters applied to the acid line. 'Mid 90's' is gloppy acid techno with warped bass and loopy kicks designed for 5 am freakouts.
Review: Future Romance's Collector II release is a futuristic trek into through the realms of melodic trance and techno, featuring four melodic tracks by different distinct artists. Solee's 'Euphoria' takes trance into the future with a smoother, more reserved approach, toning down the over-the-top elements for a refined experience. Paul Angelo & Don Argento's 'Harpe' delves into a deeper style of trance, characterised by snappy percussion and growling basslines, with influences from goa trance. On the flip side, Drumcomplex & Frank Sonic's 'Ultra Hex' offers celestial-sounding techno that builds euphorically. Closing the EP, Off Night's 'Definition' presents the most peak-time trance track, with epic and big-sounding elements. If you are looking for the future of the trance and neo-trance, check this out this EP from the birthplace of the genre.
Review: Following up that excellent Synchronicity on EP Phonica AM a couple of months back, hero of the Birmingham scene Subb An returns with more underground quality with this new one on the mighty 20/20 Vision. 'State Of Flow' is an emotive and breathtaking affair that's equal parts acid, progressive breaks and UK tech house with a seething Reese bassline lurking throughout that underpins angelic vocals. Over on the flip, remixes come from Adam Pits who takes you beyond the strobelights to reach for the lasers on his ravey take, followed by Armec's menacing experimental techno rework.
Review: The Vuo label comes correct with another heavyweight vinyl 12" that features a trio of techno talents. Ohm & Kvadrant join forces first up for the mighty 'Under Krystallen' which is a brilliantly textured and enthralling dub techno cut with brilliantly loopy bass swinging down low and rattling chords melting off to an infinite horizon. On the flip is Trackmaster Shuffle with 'Under Strobe' which is a more amped-up and techno-leaning cut with pent-up energy and darker bass rumbles. Two tasteful and timeless cuts for heady crowds only
Review: Gale-force sonic apneas from Planet Rhythm, the label and unstoppable phonic force from Rotterdam. The imprint's latest V/A release in the Dubwars series this time takes on its own name, 'Minerals', and welcomes rambunctious techno troilers from the likes of Unknown Code, OFF / GRID, and Luca Accardi. Rhythmically dragged, diminished stab-chords define the A1 and A2 against metal girdered kick patterns, with 'Moment' especially nailing that ever-sought-after sweet spot of energy and anhedonia, a mixed feeling perhaps only achievable within techno's ambit. Dub techno inflections turn to infarctions, as Accardi's 'Minerals' sucks the sonic substrate dry with ballistic echoes, giving way to Gockel's minimal mountaintop NDE, 'Meditation In Tibet'.
Review: Premade heavyweight Obscure Shape and classically trained musician Conrad team up; Berg Audio proudly welcome them as a new duo addition to their roster, together under the name Urban CC. Throwing back to real-deal minimal-ambient techno of a steezy kind, something between Maurizio, Move D and Ghost, 'Pegasus' and 'Marly' cycle through fluttering dub techno and 1-2-step garage respectively, the latter bringing an eyebrow raising combo of yearnsome garge vocal science and pulsewidth techno shots, post-drop. 'Hadban' sneaks a cheeky drum & bass bullet train onto an otherwise techno-centric platform, marking Sleepnet-style vocal etherics and sold-on-us liquid. 'Shagya' finally restricts the mix, with a dubtech-house full of beeping, filtered vocal shouts; a Strictly Rhythm-meets-Chain Reaction contraction.
Review: The seventh V/A release on Mary Yuzovskaya's Monday Off imprint lands on vinyl, with Viels, ORBE, D-Leria, and Yuzovskaya all contributing tracks. Each artist lending their tender efforts to a mutant techno march, Viels' 'Nero' and Orbe's 'Rigging' provide strong titular clues as to their muses; the first uses both the Latin word for "black" and the name of an ancient Roman emperor, suggesting might, militancy and nyctalopic mis-seeing in its dispatch of a blind sonic firestorm; the latter likens production to construction, with its central, low-sined wayfinder sound effect, and dusty hi-hat caroms, suggesting some vessels have windshields that truly can brave the storm. Yuzovskaya's 'Trouble' lands us in hot water, with its startled, far-off vocal snippets and knockout prattles in the left and right lobes; then there's B-leria's closer 'Battito', a living, breathing planetary entity, prone to emit eerily harmonic Close Encounters-style tones and whose atmosphere we dare not cross.
Review: Correcciones Calypso returns from a generous hiatus with the fourth edition of its acclaimed edit series, replete with four re-edits that veer from the subtle to the downright brazen. Thomass Jackson and INigo Vontier invite the French duo Youkounkoun to open proceedings with an insane early 80s edit full of big drums and exotic touches that's been blowing dancefloors all around the world for the past years - and definitely resides in the brazen category, despite a lot of work having gone into it. Olta Karawame make their debut on the series with a powerful, compact edit full of ballsy keyboard riffing and a military-sized kick drum that is guaranteed to have heads banging . To complete the release label bosses Thomass and INigo deliver edits of their own with their characteristic sound, giving this EP maximum a value for money factor and entertainment from start to finish.
Review: Past Inside The Present welcomes back accomplished and prolific ambient master zake, this time alongside Oss and Fax who released the original featured track, 'Polymorph' on Module. Here it gets revisited by a top contemporary team after the hazy and absorbing extended mix kicks things off. ASC then goes dark with his mood rework and Zake himself remixes with a more optimistic sense of crepuscular synth lushness. Aural Imbalance layers in some fizzing and malfunctioning electronic sounds, Ossa suspends you amongst his heavenly rays and Influx brings gently broken beats. Fax shuts down this varied offering with a more edgy ambient sound.
Grasslands (feat Mitchell Yoshida & John FM) (5:41)
Visions Of You (feat Mitchell Yoshida & John FM) (5:56)
Totall Recall (feat Mitchell Yoshida, John FM & Carla Azar) (2:29)
Car Dates (feat Tyesha Blount & Carla Azar) (4:22)
Slide (feat John FM, Mitchell Yoshida & Billy Lotion) (6:18)
Keeping Me (feat Mitchell Yoshida, John FM, Troialexis) (5:41)
Growing Old (feat Mitchell Yoshida, Amir Hasan) (6:02)
Morning Ride (feat Mitchell Yoshida) (5:35)
Selinho Na Calcinha (feat Alexia Bomtempo & Mauro Refosco) (11:53)
Saturn Eats His Young (feat Supercoolwicked) (3:57)
Review: If anything, the hugely prolific Motor City mainstay that is Omar S seems to be getting even more prolific as time goes on. His vast catalogue grows once more here with Fun House, which finds Alister Fawnwoda exploring a wide range of dance music styles alongside guests such as FXHE regular John F.M., plus Mitchell Yoshida, Super Cool Wired, Troi Alexis, Tyesha Blount and more, with all the production, lyrics and mixing taken care of by Omar S himself. The tracks range from seductive deep house to edgy mechanical techno, dubbed out downbeat joints and smooth electronic Detroit soul. It is yet another crucial chapter in the FXHE and Omar S story.
Review: We didn't see this coming but we're very much delighted it has: the peerless dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan with a full length of past triumphs and unreleased gems on Nina Kraviz's always adventurous Trip label is always going to be worth hearing. The Brit stretches his legs and pulls out all the stops here to cover plenty of ground while reaming true to his signature sound design excellence: bouncy, minimal but strobe-lit cuts like 'Kesk', twisted 90s techno sounds like 'Grun', barely-there IDM-adjacent sounds like 'Groente' and ice cold dub cuts like 'Botala'. A real masterclass.
Review: This is the third full-length album by veteran Swedish producer Ola Obergman who has been producing since the turn of the millennium on respected imprints such as Skam, Borft and Futhur Electronix. A heavy collection of 808-based fusion in classic Pariter style, Mirror Counterpart is a cohesive effort featuring some truly impressive productions; from the early proto-house sound of the title track, to the Detroit influenced hi-tech soul cuts on the second disc - 'Indeterminacy' and 'Stellar Triangulation' respectively - going into 4/4 robot funk on the second disc with 'Alice Matter' and 'Uncertiny Principle' being the highlights. Superb.
Review: Obscure Shape's Zukunft is a dark, high-tech techno experience that delves deep into the realms of futuristic soundscapes. Released on Planet X Records from Iceland, this album is packed with intense, brooding tracks that keep the energy relentless. Side-1 opens with 'Die Ruckkehr,' setting a powerful tone with its pulsating rhythms, followed by 'Zuruck In Die Zukunft,' which continues the dark, driving atmosphere. 'Children Of Men' closes the side with haunting, cinematic vibes. Side-2 introduces 'Verblendung,' a track that builds tension with its deep, swirling bass, while 'Inception' and 'Der Poet' push the boundaries of techno with intricate, layered beats. Side-3's 'City Of God' and 'Imagination' explore more experimental territory, with 'Genetic Bliss' offering a pulsating conclusion. On the last side. it all comes to conclusion at a high note with 'Easy For Ecstasy' and 'Wandervogel,' both tracks blending intensity and atmospheric depth.
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