Klakson Holland Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Electro might be trendy as Tik Tok right now but the Dutch label Klakson has been treading its own path through the genre since way before it was so hyped. This new Shapes Of The Roots Part 1 & 2 collection from D Roots is one of its strongest releases to date: eight tracks of proudly analogue electro that explore an array of rhythms and storytelling celestial worlds. Things start frantically with 'Breaking Fakes' and 'Miami 21' then more funky drum patterns arrive next to the squelchy, squirreling synth lines. There is pure dance floor fire in tunes like 'Russian Roulette' and ice-cold trips like 'Alone In The Echoes' all making this such a quality LP.

Review: Steffi's Klakson label is one of the few real creams of today's electro landscape; inviting only the very best of the best artists, few of its contemporaries can really say they've managed to achieve the same feats in the same space of 20 years or so. The latest V/A EP to grace their rolling stocks, 'Weaponized Fuel On The Acid Playa', looks ostensibly like it could be homage to old-school UR or its many Dutch copycats, but in sound, it hears back completely differently, feeling like a future electro hellzone in which all manner of evil mutant experiments remain on the loose. By far the best-produced electro EP we've heard in recent months, you won't be disappointed by the likes of Shcuro's 'Feel' or Driven By Attraction's 'Weaponize'.

Review: Frank De Groot has an accomplished history in gnarly electronics which reaches back to the 90s, and he's been recording with Steffi's Klakson label as Fastgraph for most of that time. Here the label are returning their attention to one of his most sought-after joints, the incredible Evasive Manoeuvres EP. This is the kind of electro to make you sit up and pay attention - it's uptemo, dark and edgy, with an atmosphere you could cut with a knife and a grubby, underground attitude perhaps only bested by the Bunker Records crew. Serious gear for those who like their electro as moody as possible.