20/20 Vision Schallplatten & CDs

Review: 20/20 Vision present the debut release from Manchester based artists Armec. Following releases for Cultivated Electronics and Furthur Electronix, the Caged EP hits the ground running - with a record that spans heavy club-ready electro and futuristic soundscapes. Complete with a hefty remix from German acid connoisseurs Hardfloor.

'Caged' sucks us down the rabbit hole with dense textures fortified by an infectious groove, vast pads, and bubbling synth lines. The Hardfloor remix of 'Caged' submerges us into an acidic electro trip - fuelled by quirky melodic licks, a menacing low-end and body shaking drums.

On the flip side 'Curvature' is an out-and-out understated bomb. Propelled by a squelching, supercharged bassline which soars over Armec's signature textural landscape, it's reinforced by razor sharp hats and a heavy kick-drum. 'Replicants' is a side-winding, emotionally charged cut that feels truly fresh and forward-thinking. Deep, luscious pads are underpinned by a superbly engineered break-beat driven groove.

Review: Falko Brocksieper is a cult German minimalist who was favoured by the likes of Craig Richards and his Tyrant project. This new EP from 20/20 Vision takes a deep dive into his back catalogue to unearth a gem that first arrived via Treibstoff Recordings almost 20 years ago in 2006. 'Frantic Formula' is a nice liquid cut with wispy sci-fi pads and rolling grooves for early evening warm-ups, while 'Outrun' gets more upright with its jumbled drum loops and gurgling bass. 'Covert Action' is another masterfully languid and elastic rhythm that layers up cowbells, wobbly low ends and silky loops that soon lock you into the groove. A welcome remaster and reissue for sure.

Review: To date, Kim Cosmk has generally done her own thing - self-releasing a string of digital-only singles and albums which variously mix and mangle elements of electro, IDM, techno and dubstep. Here she pops up on an established label - Ralph Lawson's 2020 Vision to be exact - for the very first time. First, she whips up a frenzy courtesy of the fuzzy and aggressive riffs of techno roller 'Night Flight', complete with creepy chords and foreboding motifs. She then delivers raw, heavy, industrial-fired electro on 'Ore', whilst warped dubstep and electro are brilliantly mixed on 'Nocturnal'. To round things up nicely, 'Drifting' is a partial vocal number built around a wobbling dubstep bass with punchy electro drums and twinkling pianos.

Review: Random Factor's 'On The Air' EP is a hugely sought-after classic by those who know. It came on Ralph Lawson's ever-reliable 20/20 Vision and now, as it turns 25 years old, he has decided it is the right time to get it remastered and reissued. 'On The Air' is first up on this fine EP from Carl Finlow and it has serene synths that bring to mind Detroit techno soul over pulsing bass and slick drums. 'Lockdown' has a raw vocoder vocal over punchy drums and twitchy synth stabs and 'Undercurrent' is another weapon that has more than withstood the test of time as it bumps along on funky drums and is overlaid with more playful synth patterns. 'Disconnect' is a crunchy and 8-bit closer with pixelated synths and screwy acid lines. Superb.

Review: Luther Vine's Fragments Of Reality and its various artists series have been a real doozy for 20/20 but now the sub-label offers up a first solo EP. It is Snad who gets the gig and he is a house producer from Berlin making big waves right now. This one follows outings on Chicago's Kimochi Records, Chez Damier's Courtesy of Balance and the Dungeon Meat label and is another raw, stripped-back offering of tough house. 'Bootlickerz' is a bristling cut ready for the peak time, 'Goobernatorial Candidacy' has a more stripped-back but just as compelling groove and 'Per Savour' goes deep into late-night goodness before closer 'Butt Heads' picks up the pace once more.

Review: Following up that excellent Synchronicity on EP Phonica AM a couple of months back, hero of the Birmingham scene Subb An returns with more underground quality with this new one on the mighty 20/20 Vision. 'State Of Flow' is an emotive and breathtaking affair that's equal parts acid, progressive breaks and UK tech house with a seething Reese bassline lurking throughout that underpins angelic vocals. Over on the flip, remixes come from Adam Pits who takes you beyond the strobelights to reach for the lasers on his ravey take, followed by Armec's menacing experimental techno rework.