Back catalogue: All genres

Review: There is a great backstory to this new one on Blue Hour: when Stockholm producer, DJ and promoter Maya Lourenco aka Parallax Deep was digging for music in the local Snickers Record store, she found two classic goa and psy trance tracks that particularly interested her. As such she snapped them up, took them home and began to work on her own distinctive edits of them, rearranging sections, cutting up bits and adding extra details while never getting too far away from the essence of the originals. Her edits of those two originals - 'Gobi Desert' by 100th Monkey & Tristan from 1995 - and 2000's 'Bunker' by Four Carry Nuts - are pressed up here and both sound brilliant.

Review: Illegal Alien continues its 16th anniversary celebrations here with another volume, the fifth, of its limited edition Illegal Alien XVI series. Across all eight volumes once they are out there will be a total of 44 exclusive tracks and 46 great artists all tracing the evolution of techno over the last decade and a half. This edition is a superb one that fins plenty of innovation in techno, from the paranoid and warped synth energy of DJ Shufflemaster's 'Bizarre' to the tightly woven and intricate synth layers of Urban Groove's 'Aftertouch' via Unkle Fon's dry, stepped back techno funker 'Violet.'

Review: Merman is a brand-new label from Spain bringing some searing techno heat. This debut 12" is a fierce four-track with different arts taking care of each aural assault, starting with Elektrabel. 'Sernafet' is a manic mix of loopy snares and pulsing synths, metallic drum sounds and sweeping filters. SPIDJ brings a little more heavyweight techno funk to 'Fuerza Analogica' and Akenaton then gets raw, dark and dirty with the industrial menace of 'Cambio De Actitud.' The Zenobit3 shuts down with some spritely electro-tinged techno on 'Milikis Suffering'.

Review: Nation of Jak offshoot Dirty Blends was established by label chief Melvin Oliphant as a vehicle for "interpretations" and "homages" - in plain-speak hush-hush reworks, tribute tracks and those that sample liberally. The label's latest release is a compilation of sorts, featuring as it does cuts from a trio of artists. The Falcon steps up first with title track 'Sound The Alarm', a raw, jacking, bouncy and positive mind-melding blend of lo-fi synth stabs, sweat-soaked beats, fire alarm noises and restless drum machine fills. Over on side B, Grizzly Knuckles' 'Mad Bell' - a breathless, house tempo techno workout built around a nagging synth-bell loop - is followed by label regular The Jak's 'Aftermath', which sits somewhere between jacking lo-fi techno, UK funky and stab-happy Soca-house.

Review: Jumpin' & Pumpin' looks back into the seminal archives of The Future Sound of London here to reissue their fantastic The Pulse EP from 2008 which also featured tunes from Manchester pair Indo Tribe. It is they who start with 'Bring In The Pulse' which features some Happy Mondays hallelujahs, mad rave whistles and bristling electronic breaks. 'In The Mind Of A Child' (First Born mix) is then a bouncy techno cut with more visceral synth and acid lines and The Future Sound Of London kick off the flipside with 'Hardhead' (Frothin' At The Mouth mix) which is an assault of breaks, congas, whistles and rave signifiers. 'Pulse State' (831 AM mix) is that perfect tune to zone out to on a late night drive on the motorway.

Review: The Vuo label's Elemental Mood Series hits a fifth volume now and still the goods keep on coming with no dips in quality. Modernism opens up with 'Computational One', a deep rolling minimal house cut with dub warmth and deft designs. Sibling brings a little more texture to 'Soundscapes' with its frosty chord work and TM Shuffle's 'Skyline' then explores the bottom of the ocean with its nice icy hi hats and liquid rhythms. Submoon closes down with 'Remote Viewers', a far sighted and cosmic-tinged dub tech roller.

Review: The sixth edition of the Luther Vine-curated Fragments Of Reality offers up four new workouts bulging with urgency and style. Upfront and upbeat disco house from Rhythms of Prescott opens the collection like a volcanic eruption, 'Three One Two' being the work of Irish-born, London-based Wizkid, definitely a name to watch out for. 'Dress 2 Sweat' by Aguila follows, with 90s-inspired filtered vocal samples gliding on top of a warm, sun-kissed bassline. Flip it over for 'Delayed Fizz' by Douwe and Picasso with its chiselled grooves and urbanesque electro twists, while the brassy, cheeky 'Unintended Consequences' by Tom Frankel completes the set in style.

Review: The correctly titled All Killer No Filler series from the Memphis/Monevideo label is back with a second instalment to back up the fine first outing. This effective various artists release kicks off with Elias Sternin's 'Loop Hole' which is a warm, fleshy techno kicker backed up by Stonem's more lithe and broken beat workout, 'Festichola', which brings some retro 90s synth sounds and plenty of colour. Alfalfa's 'Rising Down' is the flipside opener and is a turbocharged retro-future tech sound with cyborg energy. Last of all is a deeper, slower, heavier sound from Two Phase U with the pensive 'You Are'.

Review: Columbus, Ohio DJ, producer and scene instigator Teakup aka Lauri Reponen is back with another EP that follows in the footsteps of local forefathers such as Titonton Duvante, Archetype and Todd Sines. His music blends perfectly the sounds of UKG, breaks, minimal and techno both past and present. 'Signal 23' is a quick-stepping dub tech cut with clipped and funky drum programming while 'Valve' is more rhythmically loose and playful in its elastic approach. 'Felopzd' has tightly wound melodic motifs and clattering percussion over a glitchy but swinging beat and 'Pad Thai Mystic' (feat Foi Oi Oi) closes out with some tense late-night minimalism.

Review: Tensal has quickly established his self-titled label as a place to find fresh and innovative techno. The Spaniard now returns with some of his own wares in the form of this M EP. 'MA1' is an off balance stomper with psychedelic synths rippling over the hard-assed drums. 'MA2' is more raw with fizzing leads ticking your inner ear and dark stomping drums down low. 'MB1' brings percussive flair to the mix with more loose limbed drum funk and all of the above is combined on the dark and intense closer 'MB2' to make for another very useful EP.

Review: Inguma Records hits the mini-milestone of a 10th release with Cognitive Drop, a powerful various artists affair with four top talents all offering up one tune each. Tensal's intense opener 'Collusion' builds through twisted synths and frenzied pads until thunderous drums land to carry it away. Leiras opts for a much more minimal sound with pulsing synths over slipper rubber drums on 'Sensitive Data. Tuber's 'Rapid Eye Movement' is dark, tense and tunnelling techno for brain frying 5 am sets and last of all, Svreca shows his class with his smoother liner techno roller.

Review: Terrace is a guise of Stefan Robbers and there is a sombre sense of end of the world finality to this new EP on Cyphon. 'Territorial' is a dubby electro cut that seems to want to fight for its right to party, while 'Thermon' has a nagging bassline and bittersweet chords that suggest the end is near and resistance is futile. 'Woodward' picks up the pace with some swinging drum funk and muted acid lines that all come with a healthy dose of futurism and 'Ritual' is the most prickly and kinetic rhythm of the lot. A classy EP full of cinematic musical adventures.

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: Following his impressive debut on Submersive's VA Osmotic Particles in 2021, Toki Fuko returns with his inaugural solo release on the label. His Hues of Movement EP comprises three original tracks and remixes by Anthony Linell and Artefakt, all of which embody Submersive's ethos of deep, hypnotic techno. Fuko impresses as always with his well crafted soundscapes blending electrical pulses with catchy drum sequences. Linell's Train remix fuses his style with Fuko's to make for a dub-influenced journey while Artefakt's 'Warble' remix takes things into darker worlds filled with unrelenting tension.

Review: Moscow-based deep techno artist Toki Fuko arrives on Russian label Luck of Access with three cerebral tracks forming his glittering new EP, 'Sanctum'. Starting with the expanding and contracting spaciousness of the title track, 'Sanctum', Korotaev allows space for reverberating synthlines to extend outwards, skittering into the distance across the pulsating core of the track, exploring a reflective space that feels at once private and collective. For the second side, everything slows down to a patient, meditative pace. Luxuriating in a moment of slowed breathing, 'Draft' unfolds in a series of exhaling atmospheres, delicately punctuated with strokes of light, glistening on the surface of a rippling body of water. The final track, 'Drift', moves downstream, driven by a winding ambience and decorated with flurries of unravelling organic percussion. At the heart of each of these tracks is a force that feels eternal, held in undulating patterns that continue long beyond their end.

Review: Prolific Ukrainian producer Stanislav Tolkachev returns this week with a new one for Rotterdam's MORD imprint. The How Much Do You Know EP features once again his idiosyncratic style of techno music: whether it's the multi-layered and widescreen arrangement of opening cut 'Pockets Full Of Lighters' which is truly indicative of his majestic style on the A-side, followed by the pounding, peak-time minimal assault of 'Zero Seconds Ago'. On the second side, Tolkachev presents more off-kilter offerings like on the experimental beats of 'One-Armed Leg' or the expansive electro of 'Talking Drum'. Tolkachev continues to prove himself as one of the most innovative producers in modern techno music with this release.

Review: Toni Moralez is back with a new project by the name of Echoes From The Grave and it debuts on Mutual Pleasure with four tracks of murky underworld electro. 'Don't B Shy (Turn Around)' is pure sleaze. A dirty banger for dancefloor madness. 'I Wanna Suck Ur Dick (Long N Hard)' is a more lithe and bouncy cut with bright hooks buried below naughty vocals and hurried drums and then 'Take Off Ur Clothes' keeps the filth going with another highly potent electro groove overlaid with some urgent synth tension. 'Take Off Ur Clothes' (feat YBM - partiboi69 Cheek Spreading rework) is a slick and unrelenting minimal electro rhythm with real future charm.

Review: When a label calls itself Bring Dat Ass you can bet your bottom dollar that it's going to release proper sleazy electro. Enter Toribio with a superb four track EP of just that to get this new imprint underway. 'No Pare' is a firing cut the kick off with - synths dart about with their own mind, the tested bassline never lets up and the analogue drums jack for days. 'Work Dat Shit' is a little slower and bumpier with some bright acid prickles and 'Cimarron Palace' then unfolds with the same swing of a UK funky track. 'Anti Narcoleptic' is the best of the bunch - a weird and wonderful wonky out with clattering percussion and jumbled drum madness.

Review: The sophomore release on Miami's Alchemista comes from Translate (Teo Pellegrino) and Joel Pulso, two rising Argentinian producers who join forces for some seriously mental techno excursions on 'Cuadricular Dreaming Pannel'. The first side of this essential 12' features the hypnotic interplanetary minimalism of 'Specific Angles' reminiscent of classic Sleeparchive, followed by the majestic and cyclical title track which this time takes its cues from Jeff Mills' unmistakable Axis sound. Over on the flip, the title track is treated to a surefire remix by the inimitable Oscar Mulero, head of Pole Group, who manages to inject more dancefloor dynamics into the arrangement, accentuating the spacey elements underpinned with a stronger rhythm department while staying true to the vibe of the original.

Review: The Fuori Orario label is back after making a fine debut with another notable EP. This one fuses electro, acid and breaks into something fresh and comes from Trascendance, who you might better known as Riccardo from fine EPs on labels such as Imprints, Metropolita and Elma Rivaga. 'Ultraverse' is the sleek and serene opener with its gurgling acid lines and progressive melodies over tight, pent up beats. 'Glifico' then ducks and dives with a spooky and haunting late night feel and 'Sonicsenses' layers in all manner of freaky vocal whirs. 'Temporaton' is last up and has a dark heart and real menace.

Review: When you look back at the first PlayStation several landmark releases spring to mind - Resident Evil, Tekken 2, Crash Bandicoot - the list could go on much longer and should definitely include Wipeout and Wipeout 2097. Both were renowned for combining high pace, futuristic visuals with contemporary electronic club music from some of the biggest producers and acts at the time. Less remembered, in Europe at least, is the Ape Escape series, an intense party-platform title which arguably has the greatest dance music game score of all time. Comprising six tracks from that saga, this compilation of Soichi Terada's soundtracks emphasises that bold point. Opening on the crisp, punchy techno drive of 'Specters Factory', we find ourselves in suitably spooky jungle ('Haunted House'), rumbling dnb ('Spectors Castle') and roughneck hardcore bass ('Coasters'), among other made up genres. A collection which resembles Terada's amazing 1996 album, Sumo Jungle and makes a case for the Japanese enigma as one of dance music's most underrated geniuses.