Electro charts

Review: Serenity is a mental health charity label that is now back with more sonic gold, this time in the form of a reissue of Marco Bernardi aka Octogen's 'The Journeyman' from 2008 on Soma Recordings. It is an immersive, emotive sound with lush and ethereal pads and a moody bassline that keeps you locked. The B-side offers two original tracks from Bernardi 'Travelling to the Sun' is one to hypnotise floors with its hypnotic chimes and raw drums, while 'Little Tiny Crickets' delivers a fast-paced IDM twist with some killer synth work. As always, proceeds go to charity this time Papyrus UK who support youth suicide prevention and MusicSpace.

Review: It's rare that an electronic album is the biggest album of the year, or at least the most hyped. That's certainly the case with Syro, Richard D James first official release under his Aphex Twin moniker for some 13 years. So, is it in any good? For starters, it sounds like an Aphex Twin album. Listen through to the 12 tracks, and many of his familiar staples are present - the "Digeridoo" era rave breakbeats, the mangled synth-funk mash-ups, the intoxicating ambient-era melodies, the warped basslines and the skittish drill & bass style rhythms. There's madness, beauty and intensity in spades. In other words, it's an Aphex Twin album, and - as so many have pointed out since the album's release was announced - there's no-one else quite like Richard D James.

Review: On their latest EP for Incoherent Data, producer Valerio Della Notte prove themselves to be not only a slick producer but also a rather amazing vocodist. Setting about exploring the boundary between human emotions and digital tech, 'Silicon Love' sets the stage for a four-track, new beatific bust-up of galactic proportions; unfortunately we can't make out the lyrics, but that more or less doesn't matter, due to the existence of auditory pareidolia; we hear what we want to hear. A2, B1 and B2 are equally as weighty and synthetic glitter-caked, bewitching the ears with power chords and mega-triads of the most excessive and luxuriant variety. Only 'ZXC' dubifies things somewhat, steering more quizzical through glassier square leads, like a cutting room floor fragment from a mid-career New Order studio session.

Review: Dan Andrei is arguably one of the finest selectors of this generation and a master minimal producer who makes electronic music of the highest order. His latest outing sees him inaugurating his own brand-new label alongside Claudiu Stefan. Rainbow Hill is a platform for their more personal ideas and starts with four more of Andrei's brilliantly deft yet dramatic tracks. 'Numan's Touch' kicks off with rolling drums and bass and a fine eco-system of cosmic pads, twinkling keys and fizzing synths that are theatrical and involving. 'What Else?' then gets darker and more intense with heady loops and wispy pads, and again the ante is upped and the darkness pervades once more on the tense and taught dub-tech roller 'This Is What I See'. Last of all, 'Bluer Than Ever' floats above the floor with airy pads and radiant chords. A perfect 5am vibe.

Review: Dsum's latest outing Double Distance on Back Door comes on clear vinyl and is another celestial electro voyage. Opener 'Protons' has all the energy of the particles it is named after while 'Running Around' is a deft blend of melancholic chords and silky electro drums. The title cut is an introspective one with pristine electro soundscapes imbued with plenty of thoughtful pads and a touch of acid. 'Nebula' takes off a little more of a pace but never forgoes gorgeous ambient melodies and closer 'Silent Spreaders' is a suspensory bit of interplanetary ambient with synth sequences riding up and down the scale to beautiful effect.

Review: Overground label co-founder Rickie is next up with four classy outings that operate in the worlds of minimal and tech house. First out of the blocks is the nice and futurist 'Foreknowledge' with its beeps and pulses colouring steely tech grooves. 'Controversial Sequence' is more zoned out with balmy pads bringing some far-sighted cosmic ambiance and 'Experiment X' on the flip does as all B1 cuts should - gets more loose and weirder for the late-night crew with wispy melodies and panning synth drones. 'Revolution' shuts down with a nice rueful and melancholic feel in the pads.

Review: The Fourier Transform label outlay an arresting sonic journey on their debut release, bringing together breakbeat, ambient IDM, ambient techno, and prog house under a single banner. Opening with Inkipak's 'Betwixt', we're met with sonorous low-mid square waves and machine-gun-fire breaks, recalling the breathtaking, verging on apocalyptic expanse of a warehouse rave turned laser light show turned warzone. We break from this warring weir with 'Omnicron Acid' and 'City Of Tomorrow' by Gimmik and Brian Kage respectively, which lowers the intensity and sonic flow via spacious atmospheres and dudding percussive pops. Finally, the perfect fusion of the former two moods is achieved on 'Corrosive Tongue', the lead synth on which sounds like just that.

Review: Ruben Benabou marks out and identifies another sonic constellation; this is a rapid indie trance-dance four-tracker of galactic ambition and scale. Drawing inspiration from sci-fi soundtracks, and the warmer currents of electro, leaders 'Message To Nowhere' and 'Words In A Void' also recall the gladdened awe of space disco, with twinging leads skirting about the stereo like passing shooting stars. The Hacker's version of the title track plays back like an 8-bit minigame version of the main mission, with its pocket-generated drums, while 'A Thousand Nights' is a prime exercise in retro synthwave, and the perfect closer.

Review: Kompakt's Total 24 compilation is the nest episode in the label's amazing series. This cd version opens with Hamburg's Ada remixing Heiko Voss, followed by Jurgen Paape's vibrant 'Chee-Caruso.' Newcomer Deer Jade delivers the frolicsome house track 'Jukurpa,' while Jonathan Kaspar's 'Are You' captures the euphoria of his DJ sets. Hardt Antoine impresses with his dynamic style, and Sascha Funke pays homage to German showbiz with 'The Heck.' Tee Mango joins with his unique sound, and Joyce Muniz teams up with Sara Blum for the uplifting 'Beats & Lines.' Gui Boratto collaborates with Darren Emerson on the captivating 'The Shell,' and Rex The Dog offers the heartfelt 'Laika.' Raxon's 'Beskar' showcases his Star Wars inspiration, and David Hasert and Nicone's 'Wasting My Time With You' is a highlight. Reinhard Voigt's quirky 'Der, der mit dem Gummiball sang (Orange)' features various animals, while Argia's 'Love Keeps You Running' blends groove and pop. Wassermann's track concludes the compilation with a touch of Arabian Nights magic. Total 24 is a diverse and engaging collection that exemplifies Kompakt's ability to curate exceptional electronic music.

Review: Eris, aka. Enrica Falqui and Dea Dvornik, mint the Plexus 4 label with the 'Glimmers' EP. New outings breed novel vibes; so too does this exciting new house pairing bring future-facing, melancholic electro-progressive flavours to the table with opener 'Kundalini Rising' and A2 ensuer 'Serpente'. Both tracks shimmy and plod through the twinned vibes of alien atmospherics via a driven whimsy, nailing a sweet interplay of seriousness and affability. B-siders 'Anticipation' and 'Game Over' contrastingly move more minimal with things, using, revelling in the natural monophony of, their various analog synths, their delectably dedicated studio gear. The final track ends on an eerier note, suggesting murkier future ambi-topias to navigate.