Review: Welcome to the Slippery Yard, a new label out of Spain which is sure to turn heads with this fine first release - a psychedelic blend of techno from various artists. A Morgan's 'Air' is urgent and cosmic a la Jeff Mills, Dc11's 'It's All An Act' layers up deft synth details with sleek linear rhythms and Judy's 'Bide Luzea' is a hurried, pulsing, late-night mental techno trip. A further deep and heady trio of tunes features on the B-side with Bassywax's sub-aquatic sound world on 'Amona Left Us Overnight' taking the headlines for us.
Review: Magazine 131 is not the hundred and thirty-first Magazine label release, but rather the first single to be taken from label co-founder Barnt's acclaimed 2014 full-length, Magazine 13. It features two reworks of album favourite "Cherry Red". Tale of Us and Recondite join forces on the A-side, delivering a creepy but strangely inviting version built around a pulsating, modular-sounding groove and trippy, top-end electronics. Magazine co-founder Jens-Uwe Beyer opts for a different approach on the flip, lacing sparse, melancholic melodies and ghostly strings atop a sparse but thunderous, kick drum-driven rhythm.
Review: Barrow Boy is a lesser-spotted alias of the great UK techno talent, Ben Sims. With this project, the Machine man veers into rave-flavoured sounds that are designed for maximum and immediate impact. Here they come on the infamous Retro-Vert label on a suitably garish acid-yellow vinyl. 'Berwick Manor' sets the pilled-up tone from the off with big beats, ravey stabs and retro flourishes. 'The Living Dream' is just as dense and full throttle in its aural assault and 'Dungeons' layers up gallivanting drums and razor-sharp stabs. A No Vox mix of 'Berwick Manor' shuts down with unrelenting energy.
Review: Batu and Nick Leon united for this surprise release late last year and it now arrives on lovely vinyl where it sounds sublime. The four-track EP blends Latin and UK club influences with a psychedelic twist on Batu's label, A Long Strange Dream which, since its 2023 launch, has gained recognition for pushing experimental club sounds of the highest order. 'Rezz' kicks off with shuffling tight percussive rhythms and 'Yiu' is more intense in its high-fidelity loops. 'Tuvan' is a minimal broken beat stepper and 'Palo' closes with some snappy Latin rhythmic invention.
Review: 'Beltram Vol. 1' is arguably R&S Records' biggest release, thanks to its inclusion of the timeless track 'Energy Flash', which through various unexplainable forces has become instantly recognizable as the defining track of Netherlands rave. Revered for its reversed strings, low-murmuring voices (that infamous "ecstasy" sample) and crisp-clear acid lines, the track is backed up by three further bangers: the resonant sonic alkali Jazz 303, the gated-piano'ed Subsonic Trance and the early downtempo / big beat cut Psycho Bass. Here it is again, as timeless and essential as ever.
Review: John Beltran, the iconic Detroit ambient techno producer, returns with the Il Ritorno EP on Roots Underground records, offering four new tracks of emotional techno that reaffirm his legendary status in the genre. It starts off with 'Il Ritorno,' a track featuring a heavy Detroit groove, atmospheric rises and delicate melodies sprinkled with keys. Following this is 'City Sunset,' an uptempo, melodic gem that epitomizes Beltran's signature style, evoking a sense of nostalgia and delivering goosebumps. On thje flip, 'Finally Home' stands out with its memorable melody, reminiscent of the beloved Ten Days of Blue era, bringing back the essence of his 90s work. The EP concludes with 'Carrettera,' a high-energy track that leaves a lasting impression and closes the EP on a triumphant note. Beltran's Il Ritorno EP is a great blend of emotive techno that showcases his ability to evoke deep feelings through his brand of techno.
Review: For his first outing of 2019, Adam Beyer has turned over the parts to his 2014 single "Teach Me" to Belgium's first lady of banging, acid-fuelled techno, Amelie Lens. She subsequently serves up two throbbing, peak-time ready revisions, with the A-side "Main Mix" offering a near perfect blend of booming, kick-drum driven beats, military snare fills, cut-up late night vocal samples and distorted, mind-altering riffs. As the title suggests, the flipside "Acid Remix" sees Lens indulge her love of mind-altering TB-303 acid lines, brilliantly wrapping them around a springier drum track, EBM-influenced melodic motifs and more pulsating, manipulated vocal loops.
Review: Drumcode supremo Adam Beyer has become increasingly more prolific in recent years, signalling a creative renaissance that recalls the undoubted quality of his work in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His first outing of 2024, which follows a quartet of EPs last year, is predictably strong and packed to the rafters with future Drumcode anthems. Fittingly, he starts with 'Let's Begin', where mutilated vocal loops, mind-mangling rave noises and unsettling melodic motifs dance atop a typically thunderous and breathless big room techno groove, before opting for a dirtier, acid-flecked groove, metallic noises and sped-up hip-hop vocal samples on 'Computerized' (hip-techno anyone?). To round things off, he goes darker and denser still on the loopy techno power of 'Red Room', which pleasingly also boasts the same Aisha vocal sample as the Orb's 'Blue Room'.
Review: Two right legends of techno unite here for the latest release on Drumcode. Label chief Adam Beyer presents 'Restore My Soul' featuring Chicago hard techno veteran DJ Rush, their relationship stretching back nearly three decades from when they both started out in the' 90s. The title track is aimed squarely at the main room dancefloor; a seething, mental groove featuring Rush's stern vocal delivery atop, before taking the energy levels into the peak time on the adrenalised thrasher 'Control'. Over on the flip, you are treated to a rework of the title track by DJ Rush himself in his typically stomping and orotund style.
Review: The latest from Swedish techno legend is a full-throttle techno assault, pushing Drumcode's legacy forward with relentless energy. The title track is a peak-time juggernaut, built on heavy chords, pounding kicks and a futuristic intensity that commands the dancefloor. With its driving momentum and anthemic hooks, it's a high-octane statement from two producers at the top of their game. On Side-2, 'Living In The Moment' ventures into atmospheric territory, teetering on the edge of trance with sci-fi textures and sweeping builds. Its long, tension-heavy progression culminates in devastating drops, overloading the senses with a euphoric yet punishing crescendo. With Drumcode nearing its 30th year, this release proves there's no slowing downithe label continues to deliver high-impact techno designed for maximum effect. Beyer and Brown's collaboration is a successful dose of tension, release and unrelenting intensity.
Adam Beyer - "Take Me There" (feat DJ Rush - Carl Cox remix) (6:24)
Matt Guy - "Give Me What I Want" (6:16)
ADHS - "2STEP" (6:22)
Kaiserdisco - "Get On The Dancefloor" (6:51)
Review: The big room techno don that is Adam Beyer is back with more potent techno weaponry on his own Drumcode label, this time with part two of the 12th volume of his A-Sides series. His 'Take Me There' is first up in remix form and Carl Cox flips it into a surging peak time roller. Matt Guy's 'Give Me What I Want' is an emotive banger with big synth energy and reverberating vocals while ADHS's '2STEP' hits hard with its flaming drums and trance-y synths. Kaiserdisco then brings dark, stomping warehouse energy to their raved-ready 'Get On The Dancefloor.'
Review: The Betonska label is on an ongoing mission to release and re-release hidden gems and wantless must owns from the past. This time it's D.Wave's unrelenting yet funky techno offering Biotone that gets pressed up. The title tune is pure, thrilling club music with high-speed Millsian techno vibes. 'Mellectro' plays with a broken rhythm and alien sound designs that are as good for brain as body and 'Oscilloclast' then dresses a perfectly fused jungle techno sound with warped video game pads and 'Paper Tigers' ends on an all-out peak time gem.
Review: Bloody Mary's Alternate States Of Reality on Dame Music delivers a powerful exploration of techno's diverse sounds. Side-1 opens with 'Reality One' (Acid mix), a heavy-hitting track drenched in mid-90s acid energy. The buildup is intense, leading to an explosive release that captures the essence of classic acid techno. Following it is 'Reality Two' (alternative mix), which shifts the vibe with a breakbeat/electro twist, introducing a darker, moodier melody. Flipping to Side 2, 'Reality Three' (909 mix) brings in a more percussive and straightforward warehouse techno feel. It's a banger designed for peak-time moments on the dancefloor. The 'Reality Three' (Slam mix) remix adds a Detroit flavour, playing with tempo shifts that keep the listener on their toes. Blending different styles while keeping the energy high, this is a strong addition to any techno enthusiast's arsenal.
Review: Blue Hour have dropped a couple of essential new 12"s this month and here is one of them. It's another of their famous various artist's collections, all with a focus on the deeper end of the techno spectrum. The eponymous Blue Hour kicks off with 'Afterglow' which has wispy neon synth trail and soft, rubbery drum and bass blends that take you into a cosmic sky. Dold's 'Warning' is more textural and raw with its percussion and synth energy and Steffi's 'Volley 5' is driving, dynamic, dubby techno for intimate basements. Newa's 'Seduction' is a psychedelic wonder to close.
Review: Bluets' debut on Kimochi Sound seamlessly integrates into the label's well established and distinctive style. This one, with a hand-sprayed sleeve as always, opens with "if you can imagine," a confident bit of microhouse that mixes rich melodies and a lively bassline. 'Action Potential' echoes RDMA's aesthetic with its precise beats and on the B-side you will find a vaporous melody that weaves through sparse downbeat house grooves to make for a dreamlike atmosphere. Closing the EP, 'Buong Bilog' features distorted IDM rhythms and a poignant refrain that balances twitchy textures with melancholic tones. This carefully crafted release bridges home-listening electronics with dancefloor clout.
Review: Border Patrol (Stu Adam) brings his talents to Rezpektiva, who gladly represent his first and only EP for the 29th edition of their EPs series. Originally recorded for Middlesboro's Tumblin' Records in the mid 90s and released only in small quantities, the EP displays a canny sense of variety in painting pictures of house music's many possible worlds. The hilariously named 'Mobius Trip' leads the way, trailblazing a fiery string of pitched-up synths and watery stabs in its wake; the more experimental of the bunch, 'D'ya Want Business', is our favourite, bringing pure lowpassed kicks, infectious two-tone electroclash-ish basslines, and what sound like computer keyboard and lasershot sound effects into one heady cyberspatial stew.
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: Byron The Aquarius (Byron Blaylock), from Birmingham, Alabama, debuts his latest EP for French Synchrophone sublabel Phonogramme, 'Dey Know Vol. 1'. Topping up an already hugely impressive backlog of releases on the label recently - from the likes of Abacus, Steeve O'Sullivan and Vitess - the producer and water carrier adds to their catalogue for a varied scrubdown of the more militant ends of techno's sonic politic. An impressove sense of variation is achieved on the expositionally minimal 'Black Is Black', which contrasts greatly to the ensuing space-quagmires of 'Dr Devil' and then the crude, bleepy and frank analog sonics of 'Real MF From The Avenue'. Dreamy narrations of local life abound, precluding the closing 'Rock That 808!!!', a track that is far more sophisticated and well-developed in sound than its wilfully blase title might suggest.
Review: The Spanish Hypnotic Collective label attempts to capture its take on the Detroit Legacy with what looks like a new series of various artists' EP. There is plenty of Motor City soul in the gorgeous synths of Cignol's muted acid and deep house opener 'Distance' which is a soothing and reverential groove, but then its pure party from Barce, Alex Martin offers up 313 style tech and three further tunes on the flip explore blistering electro with high-speed funk and cosmic intent. Mission accomplished and we're already looking forward to the next one.
Shamanic Tribes On Acid - "With The Wind Blows Peace" (9:23)
Shamanic Tribes On Acid - "Vouage To Atlantis" (Percussion mix) (8:50)
Review: Jake Stephenson's compilation Selected Works: 1995-1999 pays tribute to his diverse musical personas and their eclectic styles. Across celestial sounds that traverse genres, Stephenson showcases his timeless production talent that makes his music very desirable today. On the techno-infused side, Bass Meditation's 'Symbiotic' (D-Troit mix) excites with psychedelic chill-out vibes, while Dr. Psychedelic's 'Hypnotic Tripnotic' seamlessly merges elements of psy trance, techno, and rave music. Shamanic Tribes On Acid takes listeners on a spiritual journey with 'With The Wind Blows Peace,' featuring stunning trance melodies that evoke a sense of serenity. 'Voyage To Atlantis' (Percussion mix) further enhances the atmospheric experience with its soothing ambient tones and floaty beauty through ethereal realms. Selected Works: 1995-1999 serves as a testament to his enduring talent and innovative approach to electronic music.
Zarenzeit - "Soo Smooth" (feat Roger Versey) (6:11)
Melchior Sultana - "Nothing Like It Seems" (5:56)
Jan Kincl - "Sugar" (7:06)
Barce - "Stigma" (6:19)
Review: The young but already well-formed Deep Inspiration Show label continues its dedication to quality deep house with a new EP that comes as part of their international artist series. Zarenzeit from Zurich and Roger Versey from Arkansas open with 'So Smooth', a blend of rich keys, soulful loops and dynamic vocals over a sensual bassline. Melchior Sultana hails from sunny Malta and follows with 'Nothing Like It Seems' which features silky chords and a shuffling rhythm ideal for late-night sets. On the B-side, Jan Kincl from Zagreb delivers 'Sugar,' a fusion of house and cinematic disco with organic drums while Spain's Barce closes with 'Stigma,' a melodic union of deep house and techno.
Review: B12's 1993 debut album, Electro-Soma, has long been regarded as one of intelligent dance music's "must-have releases". Offering a decidedly intergalactic blend of otherworldly techno, ambient and deep space electronica, it remains a brilliant piece of work. Here, Warp Records give it the reissue treatment, packaging the peerless original album with a second disc of early B12 rarities and hard-to-find cuts recorded during the same period. There's naturally plenty to admire on this bonus disc, from the shimmering electro bustle of "Transient Pathways" and Motor City futurism of "Debris", to the intoxicating ambient brilliance of "Go With The Hiss". That this material is every bit as good as the tracks included on Electro-Soma is testament to the (then) duo's rarely matched brilliance.
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