Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: Back by popular demand, this reissue from one of techno's true originators reminds us just how vital these tracks still sound. First released in 1992 and briefly reissued in 2000, these four cuts showcase a unique hybrid of Detroit precision and early European rave energy that continues to inspire. 'The Warning' leads the charge with classic machine-driven Detroit funk. Its rhythm is relentless yet controlled, mechanical yet human. The track feels like a transmission from a future imagined decades ago. 'Ghost' follows with a harder edge. It channels the energy of early Belgium rave with sharp chord stabs and that unmistakable Hoover-style synth. It hits fast and leaves a heavy impression. On Side-B, 'Ex-' is the most cinematic cut. Sci-fi textures, punchy drums and an off-world sense of atmosphere blend the sharpness of UK rave with Detroit's emotional weight. 'Dark Basse' is the banger of the EP with a stripped-back approach. Its minimal but moody framework makes it an instant attention grabber, offering something both haunting and dancefloor effective. These tracks remain timeless and prove once again that true underground techno never goes out of style.

Review: First released in the golden year of 1996 under Joe Manumaleuna's longstanding formative alias DJ Hyperactive, this founding Chi-bleep bluff-caller on 12" took the world by paretic storm just as easily back then as it surely will do now. Communique Records, executive vicars of the Sounds sublabel, now do a stellar job of reissuing this crazy-making clobberer, having first remastered it from the original DATs. 'Muzik Make You Lose Control' and 'Drummer Boy' riff off Chicago's rich percussive history, while 'Circle Of Life' and 'Alteno' go wilder on the monophonic synthwork, to eerily maddening effect.

Review: Fashion Flesh aka John Talaga debuts on ESP Institute with two mind-bending tracks crafted from homemade electronics, circuit-bent gear and tape manipulations. Side A's 'Atoms Revolt' explores the secret lives of machines while channelling chaotic energy into controlled sonic accidents, layered distortion and surreal textures. Side B's 'New Freedom' evokes a dystopian adventure into Detroit's decaying industrial sprawl while fusing Geiger-like pulses and eerie oscillations with fragmented voices into a dark rhythmic storm. Talaga's ability to extract soul from machines is remarkable here in what is a visceral and cerebral EP.

Review: Detroit's Robert Hood returns to vinyl with a techno triptych that distils his vision into something sharp, agile and impossibly refined. Though long synonymous with minimalism, he hasn't sounded this raw in yearsi'Art Form' arrives like a jolt, all jacking 909s and acidic flickers that feel urgent and alive. It's his first straight techno release since 2024, and it pulses with a kind of stripped-down euphoria, framed by Hood's ear for clean lines and stark rhythmic discipline. 'Art Class' deepens the tone, winding through heavier acid modulations that buzz beneath a more spacious arrangement, less confrontational but just as potent. On the B-side, 'Art School' leans into the cinematic mode, pairing sci-fi synth washes with grinding low-end pressure, rolling somewhere between introspection and propulsion. Though the tracks first landed digitally earlier this year, hearing them sequenced here offers a deeper read into Hood's blueprintiacid as method, groove as design. In his own words, M-Plant is about "only what is essential", and these three cuts prove just how much feeling can be encoded in that minimal frame. It's a statement of intent, executed with absolute clarity from one of techno's true architects.

Review: JR Disc has already become a firm part of the Detroit new school with his two previous outings on this label. Once again here he shows off his raw but emotionally poignant style and knack for a catchy groove. 'Bust' has rusty hi-hat sounds and deep, cavernous bass with rough edge drums a la Omar S. 'Wonder Traxx 1' then picks up the pace with heavy but inviting kicks that are again all frayed and dusty while some jazzy melodies bring a cheeky and playful twist. Pure Motor City gold if you ask us.

Review: Irish-born, Manchester-based artist Kerrie returns to James Ruskin's Blueprint label with her third outing for the label, continuing her evolution through weighty, precision-built techno. A fixture of the UK scene and now a resident at Berlin's Tresor, Kerrie draws on her background in record store culture and over a decade of hardware experimentation to forge tracks that are both rigorous and emotionally charged. 'Act Of Resistance' pairs dub-soaked atmospheres with serrated industrial textures, while 'Validation' rides a more urgent, tunnelling pulse. Flip it for the paranoid spirals of 'In Your Orbit' and the slow-burner 'Natural Order', each anchored by detail-rich production and layered groove. Rooted in classic hardware sensibilities but driven by a personal, future-facing vision, this is heady, unrelenting techno with purpose.

Review: Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Sofia Records distils its now well-honed sonic spirit into a powerful EP that pairs the veteran pBPM crew and rising talent Impe?rieux. Prolific Bulgarian synth wizard KiNK leads with 'Let The Bass Kink,' a raw, kinetic dancefloor banger, and KEi follows with the emotionally charged, hypnotic 'Killing God Theme,' while Tegav, which is an alias of pBPM founder Kalin Baychev, delivers 'Stomper,' a percussive and edgy groove. Impe?rieux closes the EP with 'Jarka,' a playful leftfield track pushing dance boundaries with a blend of legacy and innovation. Now a decade strong, Sofia Records marks this milestone by looking boldly ahead.

Review: A potent ongoing collaboration between two techno heads lands on a legendary label, delivering four cuts that span the spectrum of classic and contemporary dancefloor energy. Side-A kicks off with 'ClickClickClick', a tech house burner that lives up to its name as it is bouncy and rhythmically addictive. Its catchy loop play gives way to deeper, murkier textures midway through, maintaining its infectious swing while offering DJs a perfect mid-set curveball. Following it is 'Gearbox', a slick, electro-informed groover with a low-slung, funky bassline. It's high-energy yet controlled, laced with head-nodding bounce and shimmering detail that make it ideal for peak-time dancefloor action. On Side-B, 'Destination 909' is pure nostalgia with a modern polish, bringing in 90s techno grit, trancey atmospherics and a post-rave euphoria that's all tight kicks and laser-focused execution. The production is clean and sharp, but there's an intentional vintage flavor that pays tribute to the roots. Closing things out is 'Reach Out', a hypnotic, dub-leaning track infused with a raw vocal loop preaching unity and rave authenticity. It's spacious, meditative and subtly anthemic. The kind of track that creeps up on you in the best way. All in all, a cohesive, floor-ready EP.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve significantly torn at the top and along the spine***


Amazing next-gen cyborg dance music from sibling duo Mathame (Amedeo Giovanelli, Matteo Giovanelli) , a self-described "audio project" working in ultra-clean progressive house sounds. 'I Will Find You' sounds like a progressive anthem from an Arcadian alternate timeline; think what might happen if Tiesto performed a DJ set in the Halo universe, to a stadium full of Super Soldiers. Its front cover model - a cyborg girl with an augmented plate face mask - is indicative enough of the sound you might expect, but the brothers Mathame's music touches on more than just futurity, with tautly squeezed vocals and "ouch" synths adding to an already impressive uplifter.

Review: Slovenia has been a hotspot of techno since the mid 90s. With its fourth release, Moving Pressure hands the reins to Slovenian producer Obscur, who delivers a sharp and distinctive EP that fits the label's ethos like a glove. His debut strikes a balance between minimalism and physical intensity, carving out a space that feels both hypnotic and visceral. 'F135' kicks off with a brooding atmosphere. Metallic percussion hisses and flexes around a pulse that feels alive, while distant vocals add a sense of alien unease. It is a dense, eerie opener with a beat that crushes forward. 'Soul Eater' follows with a deeper groove. It is rhythmically tight and subtly psychedelic, letting detail simmer below the surface rather than flash on top. On Side-B, 'Stockholm Syndrome' dials the pressure down but keeps the tension tight. Its dry rhythms and austere textures are playful in their restraint, letting negative space do the talking. 'Blasphemy' brings the heat back, adding sharp modulations and tightly coiled percussion that flirts with chaos but never loses form. A well -roduced techno EP that's a cut above the imitations.

Review: Image Recordings continues to establish itself in the techno world, this time with Other serving up some sounds that nod to the 90s but never get too slavish. 'By No Means' is one of those busy, jostling cuts that makes you wiggle ass, head and hips as you get lost in the looseness. 'Full Compliance' is a wonky one for the afters with bubbly bass, 'We Didn't Know' then strides on with loopy pads and cantering drums that exude a cool energy and 'It's Wicked' shuts down with more textured percussion and fractured vocals for a freaky finish.

Review: Spanish label Non Series is one of the most consistent techno labels around. For the heads, this trustworthy label is a blind buy, not that that's necessary when you have equally reliable Spanish techno doyen Psyk on production duties. 'Scope Drift' is four tracks of psychedelic techno with enough groove for your body and acid for your chakras. Add a remix from up-and-comer Erik Leubs, fresh from the excellent EP 'Nontemporal Void' on DJ Nobu's Bitta label, this is a must-buy for anyone into the deeper ends of techno.

Review: US techno standout Selective Response, hardened in the depths of the Los Angeles underground, is admired for his driving, no-nonsense sound. To that end, he delivers a fierce collection of tracks here for Backspin that echo the Hardgroove energy of the early 2000s. With sharp percussion, rolling basslines and relentless momentum, this is rhythmic techno that bridges the gap between foundational legends and new-school innovators. 'Hells Bells' is a big wall of dense, rhythmic energy, 'Inner Heaven' lights up with squealing, glassy melodies that bring euphoria and 'Power Hungry' gets down and dirty. 'Purifier' is a zoned-out closer with a hallucinogenic back-lit glow.

Review: End Of Perception welcomes Italian label head and Acquario resident Viels for a first solo outing that is all about peak time techno with a meditative energy and strong mental imagery. These sounds sit well with those from country peers like Nuel and Donato Dozzy in that they are linear, loopy and full of spectacular sound design. 'Sospiri' is a swampy and dubby sound that is always shapeshifting, 'Movimenti Tellurici' is more intense and sounds like being trapped in a factory during peak production hours and 'Incompleti' has a deep space pulse. 'Destino' pairs thudding hits with synths that encircle you and lock you in the here and now.

Review: Rene Wise returns to Dustin Zahn's Enemy Records with a potent follow-up to his 2022 debut 'Jungle House'. This EP delivers four hypnotic, heads-down techno cuts in his trademark style. The A-side leans into minimalism with 'Anxiety' and 'Insomnia' both bringing stripped-back, tripped-out moods that are built from subtle textures, deep grooves and eerie synth work. On the B-side, Rene ventures into more experimental territory while retaining the moody essence. 'Sakar' builds tension with a constantly evolving synth line, while 'Cutting Thick' brings percussive flair and staccato basslines for the release's most rhythmic, funk-infused moment.