Back catalogue: Electro

Review: Bristol's cultured Innate label is back with a first outing of the year and it returns to their various artists format with a mix of talents all making their mark. UK veteran Tom Churchill opens up with 'Unknown Unknowns (Edit)', which brings plenty of fuzzy and lo-fi aesthetic to jacked up drums and spaced-out pads. Rai Scott then shows her class with 'Suasion' that sinks down deep into immersive drums and is subtly lit up with simmering strings. Innate co-founders Owain K and Gilbert then hook-up under their brand new alias Curved Space and showcase their love of electro with 'Reverie,' a dreamy cut that glows with nice celestial melodies and will have dance floors in a zoned-out state. Last of all it's Lisbon mainstay Jorge Caiado who debuts with the chord-laced 'Floating Without Lifting,' a sophisticated and serene jazz-techno cut that takes you to the stars.

Review: Released back in 1996, Test Pilot Vol 1 has remained a highlight of the Viewlexx label ever since and has been one of those records that command regular calls for a repress. Kudos to I-F then for finally heeding these shouts and presenting a remastered edition for the masses. For the uninitiated, this 12" features classic Hague cuts from I-F and Jungian Archetype, another alias of the Viewlexx boss, with all four perfect for introducing a sense of bedlam to the dancehall. "Who Are You...?! (Theme From Paranoid Stranger)" in particular will bend many an unprepared mind. If you don't own an original edition, grip this remastered version and hold tight for a brand new second volume of Test Pilot featuring Gesloten Cirkel and Roberto Auser!

Review: Berlin party crew Aller Ende Anfang presents their debut release, featuring five diverse and energetic tracks. The first side begins with the bass-heavy computer funk of 'Hyperdrive' by Icelandic producer Jadzia, followed by Bielefeld Murder Boys' peak time techno remix of Lord Pusswhip's 'Sveigth' and Unwucht's 'Back Da Fuck Up' - and catchy mixture of donk and ghetto house tropes. Over on the flip, Crouds goes for a bass-heavy and off-kilter UK sound on 'Splinters' and one more sci-fi beat programme courtesy of Hungary's LAU om 'Hangover'.

Review: The Jaffa Kid is a pseudonym from long-serving braindancer Daniel Pringle, who also released a lovely 12" as Qeta on La Beaute du Negatif last year. His recent output on Bandcamp has been a lot to catch up with, but he's also snuck out releases on Deeptrax, Obsolete Future, Utter and Pulse State. Now he comes to Cold Blow with another six divine drops from unheralded dimensions, spanning a spectrum of energy levels from the feisty thrust of 'Itled' to the sad-eyed somnambulant electronica closer, 'Dolt'. Grabbing hold of melody with two hands and creating his own variation on the braindance theme, The Jaffa Kid once again proves himself to be a leading light, appearing on a label which is buy on sight.

Review: Sydney's Jensen Interceptor comes through after a productive and successful 2017, that saw him follow up his material for Boysnoize Records with a killer 12" on the infamous Central Processing Unit. The electro newbie lands with yet more previous industrialism on the E-Beamz imprint, a truly hyping label that is on a non-stop roll at the moment. "Hydro Systems" is a gnarly, headstrong bombshell that's all hands on decks thanks to its wild and fiery percussion, and "Automate" follows up on that with a dark, bleeping wormhole of sonics. The B-side kicks off with "Bubble Boy", a bubbling whirlpool of FX-heavy bass tones, and "Horner Acid" breaks out the techno guns with its twisted, interlinked layers of low frequencies.

Review: For the fourth release in the electro-acid V/A series 'The Electro Guilde', Zodiak Commune present a three-split 12" from the combined forces of Johnfaustus, Akkaelle and AXIS3340, with a doombound selection of ominous tunes in the style. 'Deimos' and 'Dione' are Johnfaustus' opening odysseys and the latter especially blindsides us with its strained synth strings and trepidatiously tuned sixteenths. B-sider 'The Plants Move' is pitiless by comparison, annihilating everything in its path with bodying impacts and piquant pluck-slips; 'Ashes', on the close, incorporates guttural, stretchy sound design below a skeletal, atrial mix over and above.

Review: Bitterfeld continues to blaze its own electro trail with a seventh outing that again its top draw. This one is a various artistic collection under the title For A Bitter Tomorrow: Band 2 and opens up with Salomo's 'Bodytalk', a crisp and ice cold electro rhythm before Interviews bathe you in gloriously deft sci-fi melodies on 'Let Go' and Qwerty's 'Kisela Neman' then brings some madness with crashing hits and molten acid lines. Jonbjorn's 'Chica' closes with similarly high impact electro sounds and raw textures.

Review: It's double digits for We're Going Deep who serve up a 10th bit of cub-ready weaponry here. This latest techno offering is a various artists affair with cultured Dutchman Versalife opening up with 'Skirmish 101', a booming bit of electro with the fattest synth lines you can imagine, and plenty of reverb. Acid Pimp's 'Acid Baby' is a wild and wonky 303 workout and Jamie Anderson & Owain K then combine for something much more soporific. 'Basement Dub' is as deep as you like. Konerytmi's 'Aamunkoitto' shuts down with some sleek, supple acid for mind, body and soul.

Review: Marking over 16 years as an artist, Robert James unveils his debut album Battle of The Planets. A milestone in any musician's career, the LP illustrates the breadth of Rob's tastes and influences, exploring the rugged terrain of planet electronica. Ranging from breaks and electro to house and techno, Battle of The Planets was made during lockdown, a period of creativity and isolation for many artists around the world. Across 10 skillfully produced cuts Rob takes us on an intrepid adventure into the cosmos, where mysterious atmospheres and uplifting melodies sit side by side with captivating dance floor rhythms. Many shades of his personality come through on this album, all tied together by his unique sonic identity; informed by his years spent on the dance floor, behind the decks and in the studio. On Battle of The Planets Robert James presents a distillation of his extensive knowledge and experience into one succinct, highly engaging body of work.