THE DROID Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Hybrid Collective is a new label set out to bring together all forms of electro. The first release is a powerful statement of intent that draws together a crack team of sonic explorers who are all hell bent on blowing up the dance floor. The brand of extra the opener explores is industrial and mechanical, with Kim Cosmik's 'The Ascent' twisting metal and contorting synths into a ragged rhythm. The Droid's 'Upgrade' is a more futuristic blend of cyborg funk and Broken Joe's 'Fallen Crane' is full of spooky lines and jittery rhythms. Ekata's 'Dark Drive' rounds out with a straight ahead banger.

Review: Lloyd Stellar was not really a man gifted an extraordinary name when he was born. Rather, it is the chosen alias for Dutch dude Erik Griffoen, but he's surely made the name his own with a rapid rise in the number of releases of his music so far this year. Now Stellar gets has mitts on 20/20 Vision alongside The Droid, aka Ben Evans. In line with the label's exploration of electro over the past few years, this is hi-tech machine funk through and through, with twitchy synth lines and brittle, crisp drum machine patterns programmed within an inch of their lives. Maintaining a steely, dystopian mood throughout, this is serious electro for the heads, executed with precision and flair.