The Truth (feat Bella Hardcover - acappella) (3:41)
Review: The Kwench label is back with more tasteful and timeless house and techno fusions here as Ad & The Persuader link up for The Truth EP. The title cut opens up with some lazy, wavy, dubby grooves with heady pads and then a dub version makes it even more fleshy and horizontal. 'Strolling' keeps things classy and deep cut with pillowy kicks toped with starry-eyed melodies and some glitchy perc. An cappella closes out the EP for DJ use. This is a quietly excellent 12" that oozes quality.
Review: Fourth part of the compilation celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Milanese record shop. This collection is entirely composed of previously unreleased music, exclusively produced for the occasion by many artists of great relevance in the worldwide music scene, who supported the store over the last ten years.
This EP features Ellen Allien, Kreggo, Timeslip89, Itinerant Dubs and Heith.
Review: Amorphic and Tensal hook back in to the machine to dialyse their crafts once more, with 'Highland Frequencies' offering up four, machine-numbered atoning lambs to our mech overlords, following up the equally arrayed 'Distant Landscapes' EP (2024) on Blueprint. Now bringing their distinctive cataloguing system to the discographic vanitas Mord, four more 'AT' tracks make for an irresistibly well-layered, synthetically one-of-a-kind release. Only 'AT4' gets a subtitle, 'The Sleepwalker', where a sandman's slumbrous, lollygaggling beats somehow, at the same time, betray a subconscious, paradoxical restlessness.
Review: Amorphic and Tendal's latest release on Blueprint Records is a masterclass in cutting-edge techno. 'AT1' opens the EP with a heavy sci-fi banger, combining dark, industrial energy with a driving beat that instantly grabs attention. 'AT2' follows with crisp production and a fine-tuned techno loop that brings a big, commanding sound, building on the intensity with a precise, polished rhythm. On the flip side, 'AT7' takes things darker and edgier, with pulsating, minimal beats that maintain a restrained elegance while growing more aggressive as the track progresses. It's a perfect balance of tension and sophistication. Closing out the EP, AT8 strips things down even further, embracing a more minimal approach that complements the earlier tracks while adding a touch of subtlety. The release showcases Amorphic and Tendal's talent for creating forward-thinking techno, with each track offering a unique blend of aggression, elegance and innovation.
Review: Emerald's 25th outing takes the form of another superb compilation with four artists who have already released on the label and plenty of new names making an equally good impression. ANNE kicks off with the deep, thudding kicks of 'Coral Reefs' complete with lush hits to smooth the groove. There is more weight and intensity to the oversized hi-hats ringlets on Mike Konstantinidis's 'Apocalypse', DJ Plant Texture layers in plenty of gritty and grime to his gritty 'Swingers' and Jarrod Yeates goes for a twisted after-party vibe on his intense and unrelenting 'Sesh Gremlin', with many more highlights besides.
Review: After the success of their last outing, A New Chapter, from this label, Balders Audio offers up a second various artists 12" with some punchy techno for loud sound systems. Audio Units opens up with the thrilling drum programming and intense synth textures of 'Transmodality.' Linear System then keeps up the pace with '0724am' which is a sleek, linear, heady techno roller marbled with eerie little cosmic details. Tangram's 'Variant Trials' shuts down with what is a deep, dark, moody acid-laced techno mind melter. Perfect 5 am tackle if you ask us.
Adam Beyer & Enrico Sangiuliano - "Preset Heaven" (8:17)
Timmo - "Muzik" (6:11)
Pig&Dan - "La Bruja" (6:37)
Julian Jeweil - "Nasa" (6:11)
Review: Some serious peak time weapons for the main room on offer here, from the ever reliable Swedish label Drumcode. Usual heroes of the label such as Luigi Madonna, Sam Paganini and Joseph Capriati step aside for some other equally reliable staples. On the A, side label boss Adam Beyer teams up with Enrico Sangiuliano on the evocative and life affirming "Preset Heaven" which takes its cues from early trance with its amazing chord progression. It is something more typical of the label next, on the pummelling warehouse stomp of "Muzik" by Bulgaria's Timmo. On the flip, there's more trance nostalgia on offer again - this time from legends Pig & Dan on the hypnotic/melodic bliss of "La Bruja" which we could imagine melting the minds of festival crowds well into the new year. Finally they save the best for last with French peak time specialist Julian Jeweil, serving up the furious, tunneling and strobe-lit ultraviolence of "Nasa" which will have your adrenaline going from the first beat. It has been a stellar year for the powerhouse label, with great releases by Moby, Dubfire and newcomer Layton Giordani.
The Sixteen Steps - "Signals From The South" (6:28)
The Sixteen Steps - "Promises On The Run" (7:17)
Review: Rampant and 'up for it' as usual, the Cititrax label is back with a new set of wayward technoid experiments for the more trained ears on the dancefloors. This time it's Romania's Borusiade and newcomer The Sixteen Steps who share two sides of a wax plate and, of course, proceed to annihilate any idea of a quiet night in. The former sets off with the mechanical acid bumps of "Infatuation", guided by an eerie set of vocal blurs, and that's followed by the comparatively more beat-centric techno of the apocalyptic "Confutation". On the flip, The Sixteen Steps first lands on "Signals From The South", a house banger with noxious levels of mutant bass at its core, followed by the single-minded industrialism and sheer techno brutality of "Promises On The Run". WOWZAH!
Review: Oh yes, we love it when Theo represses some of his most sought after tracks and this one is particularly well-timed. Leron Carson is still an unknown figure, a kid who used to make viciously raw and futuristic techno tracks in the late 1980's! "China Trax", alongside the rest of his tracks on a different Sound Signature double 12", is totally ahead of its time and if it was truly made in 1987 then it is nothing short of amazing. Of course, it's not just the year it was made in that's interesting but also the fact that it's music without an age, able to be appreciated by any generation of techno freaks. Theo's own "Insane Asylum" on the flipside is also pretty monumental; rigged beats, off-kilter grooves and that familiar spontaneity so heavily associated to the label.
Review: Fearsome techni-techno through the Swiss futurists ENMODA, whose modus operandi is to actively promote and advocate for the local Swiss scene. With chilling textures and an ear for material, sonic grit, a cloister of ten producers are heard going full Eski-mode here, for the first instalment in their yearly compilation, Alpine Express Volume 1. Aptly described as a set of "dancefloor hurters", this is a record that proves the mid-European enclave still have their ears to the ground: pree the classic trance-techno of Marcism's 'Echo' or Ermatik's 'Funk Alt Delight', The Chronics' restlessly fight-or-flight revenant, 'Sonic Memory', and/or TIS' closing jit-tech piano weapon 'I Don't Mind'.
Review: Those with a deep knowledge of electro and techno will be salivating at the prospect of More Than A Machine: Part 1, an EP that boasts cuts from such legends of the scene as Sterac Electronics, The Advent and Christian Smith. All deliver the goods, of course, as does rising star Client 03, whose EP-opening 'Regression Container' brilliantly flips between shimmering, deep space ambient and warming, tactile electro dreaminess. Those looking for more rugged and robust club fare should check Sterac Electronics 'Reinstated', with its' out-there lead lines and machine-gun bass, and the sleazy, up-tempo futurism of the Adveny and Zein Ferreira's 'Seven'. Christian Smith's deep, Kraftwerk-influenced 'Pressure Drop' rounds off a predictably strong EP.
Review: Transmigration return with more brilliantly psychedelic techno sounds which have been carefully dug out from the rich archives of cult UK label Hollistic Recordings. As always, those originals have been remastered and restored and this one features a devastating a-side from Iestyn Polson and Steve Dungey of Projective Vision. Their mind melting and 13 plus minute 'Elevate' is a brilliantly involving mental trip and then on the flip side comes the gurgling and acid laced widescreen prog techno trip of 'Golden Eyed' by Thunderhead aka Polson joining forces with Jason Meherin. Plenty of retro future magic to tap into here.
Review: Drei Vinyl launched back in 2023 and has slowly but surely amassed a respectable catalogue of various artists' releases. This sixth outing is the most straight-up techno offering yet and it opens with one of Spain's finest in Eduardo De La Calle. 'Deva5Vyasa' is heady and otherworld loop techno perfection with synth daubs and conscious vocals peppering the rubbery kicks. DJ Shufflemaster brings more texture to the raw, percussive madness of 'Axiom' and Tensal layers up unsettling and anxious synth murmurs with rising drum tension on 'Thermal Cycler.' Pergo's 'Lume' is a brash, industrial closer full of urgency.
Review: Hard techno is very much back in vogue right now, all across Europe and beyond. Sacred Court taps into that demand with various artists EP that is edgy, raw and effective. It is Dexphase that kicks off with 'Stay True To Yourself' layering up wooden hits, icy hi hats and slamming drums. KOZLOV's 'Darkness' has real dystopian menace to it with the wiry pads that bring unsettling energy to the distorted basslines and hammering drums. Raxeller's 'Corrupted' is hyperderiven with kicks stacked up almost on top of each other as moody trance pads light up the backdrop. Tham's 'Never The Right Time' is a fourth and final highly destructive weapon to keep the rave kids marching.
Review: Soma sub-label Avoidant Records recently put out a fantastic collection fo electro cuts but it was a digital only release. Now some of the standouts from it get pulled together on this fresh new 12"that joins the dots between Europe and Detroit. DJ Godfather kicks off with some rapid fire 313 electro, squirrelling bass and slick claps then 'One Direct Line' from The Exaltics is more cosmic and blissed out with lush ambient synths. On the flip, Flug goes hard with mad digital patterns and Blaktony layers up jacking drums, corrugated bass and dark hits. Great stuff.
Review: DJ Hyperactive's now-defunct Contact was the label that first put out this cult cut from 1996. Some 25 years later it now gets a welcome reissue on Truncate's own self-titled label and features a remix from the techno titan himself. 'Reptilian Tank' gets a breath of new life and a refreshing new remix by label boss Truncate. First up is the original - a head-wrecking, panel-beating techno rave-up with wispy pads and pulsating bass that is full of pent-up energy. The remix is a speedy, stripped-back version that races ahead with all the urgency of a shooting star.
DJ Shufflemaster & Go Hiyama - "Salasa Geometric" (5:20)
Bartig Move - "Asistencia" (5:12)
Tensal - "Esbar" (6:54)
Aocram - "Dreams In NYC" (6:41)
Review: Mord has put together a bumper collection of 17 searing techno cuts as part of its Herdersmat compilation but is also seeing up four at a time on individual 12"s. There is no messing with Part 41 which opens with DJ Shufflemaster & Go Hiyama's ear-splitting, brain frazzling 'Salasa Geometric'. Bartig Move opts for a much more minimal and roomy sound on the rolling 'Asistencia' then Tensal picks up the pace once more with the rusty loops and broken beats of 'Esbar'. Aocram's 'Dreams In NYC' is a swamp, depraved closer for late night mischief.
Review: Robert Drewek vs Tomie Nevada's 'Time 4 More' EP was originally released on Unleash Records in 2005. Nine years on and Rawax are reissuing it on black wax and the tunes sound as good as ever. 'While He's Away' is a slick blend of garage-infused house drums and warm synth pulses with catchy vocal samples that bring a hint of old school. On the flip is 'Down With the Bass' which flips the script with a stripped back and militant but silky groove, dubby pads and a head's down vibe that really hypnotises.
Review: Astonishingly, 18 years has now passed since Gilles Aiken - probably more celebrated these days for his work under the alternate Desert Sky alias - first offered up off-kilter tech-house tracks as Edward. Last year, he impressed with a wonderfully deep and unctuous EP on deep house imprint Smallville; here, he makes his bow on another must-check label, Kalahari Oyster Cult. In keeping with the imprint's love of all things trippy and otherworldly, opener 'Tentacle' sees him wrap chiming lead lines, psychedelic synth motifs, weird noises and layers of percussion to a chunky, locked-in house groove. Aiken then goes off piste via a skewed, druggy and at times dreamy tech-house remix of Trybet's 'Moodsetter'. Arguably best of all though is impossible-to-pigeonhole flip-side 'Dr Octo', which is immersive, unsettling, tactile and eccentric in equal measure.
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.
Egebamyasi - "Fryer State Of Unconsciousness" (6:23)
Tokyo Acid Cru - "Acid Ride" (Mark Archer remix) (8:08)
Review: Foxbam Inc is a new label from underground Scottish talent Foxtrot and countryman and long-time acid lover Egebamyasi. Both feature on this first EP which is a various artists affair inspired by many years of playing and partying in the dance world. HIs 'Freaky Foundations' kick off with flat-footed and hard-assed techno, then comes Mr Gasmark who has roots in back metal but loves "a dark acid cocktail". He serves up a high-octane 303-laced monster banger here in the form of a remix of Araknoid. Egebamyasi's 'Fryer State Of Unconsciousness' is a wall of distorted noise and sheet metal synths that never let up. Last of all is a remix from Mark Archer, half of the legendary Altern8, and here offers up a jacking house cut with fat acid lines tearing it up.
Review: Lost in Music: Post Industrial Dreamscape is a powerful film made by British artist Jermaine Francis. This is its soundtrack and it is a collaboration between Tony Bontana and Francis himself. The soundscape mirrors the film's moody and smoky dissonance as it delves into Post-Industrial Britain's social and political landscape through Francis's life. After being inspired by seeing the film, Full Circle saw potential in the track and remixed it into a loose yet mechanical sound with trippy synths and churning bass, while Ukrainian artist Shjva added her own interpretation that is a much more heady and dee bit of techno with cosmic synth overtones and an otherworldly feel.
Review: Layton Giordani reigns as one of the thing-pins of "techno's new school", and his latest collab with Tiga and Audion is a neat testament to this fact. 'Let's Go Dancing' indeed does make clever use of breathy effects and rising reeses, but the track's main message - its exhortation to go dancing with us - is best conveyed by its vocal message, which, by the sheer power of repetitiousness alone, grabs us by the arm and corrals us into the dance whether we like it or not. A rabble-rousing, slick new techno rumpus, you won't be allowed out of the nightclub for as long as this one plays back.
Review: Yay Recordings closes out another solid 12 months with a various artists' EP that showcases right where the label is at. Heavy Mental kicks off with 'Dabro', a colourful and loopy house jaunt for sunny days. Twowi's 'Metaverse' takes off to the cosmos on lithe electro rhythms with ice-cold beats and widescreen pads. Parchi Pubblici & Lucretio's 'Aladdin Sane' brings some wonky deep tech vibes with of-balance drums and muffled spoken words and Rinaldo Makaj closes down with a fresh party sound perfect for cosy floors. There's plenty of variety here, which makes this a great addition to your bag.
Indo Tribe - "Bring In The Pulse" (MFK mix) (5:10)
Indo Tribe - "In The Mind Of A Child" (First Born mix) (5:04)
The Future Sound Of London - "Hardhead" (Frothin' At The Mouth mix) (6:06)
The Future Sound Of London - "Pulse State" (831 AM mix) (7:20)
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: Berlin's Exit Strategy began their 12"s game releasing EPs in browned sleeves, shortly before branching out into digital-vinyl combo releases with original artwork in the 2020s. Now with over ten years of experience under their belts, they welcome five new artists for a playful bricolage in deep and minimal techno, privileging elite, razor-sharp additive sound design and future-soulful vocal tasters. Ivory's opener 'Rain' epitomises this, while Jimi Jules squelchifies the same formula, and Aera's 'Future Holdings' rolls out the same logic to its ultimate conclusion, veering towards complex, 3D-graphic melodic techno composed entirely of climbing saws.
Review: Six releases in and Michigander label head Brian Kage teams up with the legendary French Techno producer, Taho, aka David Jacopin. The electronic music world knows to put respect on the Motor City, but the "Detroit EP" represents a fusion, emphasizing l'accent aigu - not a typo or spec on your screen that needs cleaning. Between Kage and Taho, their production pedigree includes releases for labels like FXHE, Planet-E, Delsin, F.Comm, and more, so it's no surprise the pairing makes for a masterfully produced EP covering the spectrum of Detroit house and techno sounds, with an added deft touch from its French connection.
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