Cocoon Germany Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Cologne-based producer Jonathan Kaspar returns to Frankfurt's Cocoon with two widescreen techno tools that marry tension and release with his signature finesse. 'Power' builds from sparse beginnings into a taut, pulsing peak-time moment, steered by a metallic, almost tuba-like synth that growls and drones with increasing urgency. It's a patient burneriminimalist in structure but maximal in impact, with a mid-track break that explodes into chaos before being reined in by precise, glistening synths. '1993' flips the mood entirely, introducing a more emotional, melodic toneiits trance-leaning motifs and softened drums conjuring a euphoric comedown fit for sunrise. There's a subtle nostalgia running through its harmonic progressions, but Kaspar never lets it drift into sentimentality. Instead, he maintains clarity and control, drawing dancers into a final, reflective moment. As his third contribution to Cocoon, this one feels especially distillediraw, focused, and proof of his ability to craft emotional depth from tightly-wound elements.

Review: Since Sven Vath's 2022 album Catharsis was an epic, triple-vinyl affair, it seems fitting that this remixed version is equally as vast. There are one or two surprises - see Krystal Klear's grandiose, big room trance take on 'Feiern' and a wonderfully pitched-down, chugging and bleeping re-wire of 'Catharsis' courtesy of Mano Le Tough - but for the most part the revisions offer different takes on big room-friendly techno and drowsy Germanic tech-house. That's no bad thing though, as the highlights come thick and fast throughout, with our picks of a very strong bunch including the deep, dreamy and intergalactic Florian Hollerith version of 'Silvi's Dream', a thumping, frankly nightmarish Planetary Assault Systems revision of 'Nyx', a dubbed-out-but-jacking Detroit techno take on 'Butoh' by Robert Hood, and Robag Wruhme's wonderfully wonky interpretation of 'The Worm'.