Oscar Mulero

Review: Nearly two decades into his recording career, techno purist Oscar Mulero shows no signs of slowing down. While this may be his first full-length excursion for three years, he's released countless club-ready singles since. Perfect Peace, his fifth album in total, is arguably his most diverse and interesting set to date. It sees the Spaniard expanding his horizons, combining off-kilter dancefloor excursions - think Autechre or the noise-soaked lo-fi antics of the L.I.E.S camp, rather than dark and pulsating peak-time fare - with spooky IDM, angular electro, clandestine ambient cuts and moody soundscapes seemingly inspired by film soundtracks. It's a wonderfully evocative mixture, all told, and in our opinion stands head and shoulders above his other albums.

Review: The third sampler from Ben Sims' barnstorming Machine mix compilation presents another four cuts of militant, unrelenting techno from some of the finest operators in the field. Oscar Mulero heads up the A side with the spacious, ominous march of "The Calling," which contrasts sharply with the jacked up, tense energy of "Distorted Logic" by O Aka Phase. Tasha's "In The Zone" kicks of the B side in a head-spinning loop of rasping drums and disorienting layers, and then Sims himself rounds off the record with the poised and deadly "Drop Out." If you're after a potent collection of chiseled techno bombs guaranteed to do the business, then look no further.