Back catalogue: Techno (All)

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: Known for his role in The Pain Machinery and Severe Illusion, Stockholm native Anders Karlsson has more recently begun to explore similar strands of industrial and EBM in a solo capacity as Celldod, issuing several limited cassettes over the course of 2014. Those without the facilities to consume cassettes will be happy to see some of this Celldod material now issued on vinyl thanks to the efforts of Canadian label Suction Records. Some six tracks deep, Pulsdisco features material from the two cassettes of the same name Karlsson released last year and those that like their EBM minimalist and without vocals will find plenty to enjoy here.

Review: Patrick Conway makes his fantastic debut on the Exotic Robotics label here with four tracks of wires electro electronics. 'Spring Sonnet' kicks off with jittery leads and a nagging pad over silky beats, then 'Early Assembly' casts you adrift in an ocean of rebred with scruffy broken beats spread wide apart. 'Vertical Society' taps into some old school rave energy with big horns, pitched up vocal stabs and jungle beats. The remix from the reggaeton king DJ Python then slows things down to a heavy, bouncy groove with brilliant loops dragging you in further each time.

Review: Having spent much of the last few years working alongside Lou Savary in cold-wave revivalists Reymour, Luc Bersier has decided to go solo as Marcel Die Sie. His debut release, which also happens to be the inaugural EP of the Rababoo label, naturally inhibits a similar sonic space to his work with Savary, with each of the three original cuts on show offering a mixture of chugging, mid-tempo grooves, wayward electronics, early '80s new wave synth sounds and a subtly psychedelic mood. There are similarly impressive remixes on the flip too, with De Roo's moody, occasionally spacey IDM style take on 'Poetic Frame' being followed by a hypnotic, acid-fired and trance-inducing interpretation of the same track by Dark Entries artist Anatolian Weapons.

Review: Having been dormant for over three years, New York label Satamile returns to continue spreading the gospel of proper electro music with a six-track EP from The Ghost That Walks. Drexciya enthusiasts will be all over this record; the rubbery melody of "The Angriest Angel" recalls the Detroit duo at their most playful but with a simmering undercurrent of tension that is very much the producer's own signature style. Similarly great are the searing analogue synth buzz of "Seven Deadly Sons", the tribal 303 stomp of "Urban Jungle" and the 808 rattle and Belgian rave tones of "Resident Evil". Those who were lost without the label's presence should rest easy - Angry Angels is easily among their extensive catalogue's best releases.

Review: Tristan Watkins is exploring a horse-themed concept in earnest with his work as Phonopsia on his burgeoning Horse Category label. There's an inherent wonkiness to the sound on this third entry which possibly hints to the meaning behind this aesthetic, with 'Prepaternal (Paternal Revision)' leading in with some delightfully off-kilter synth action around a light and skipping house groove. 'Secrets Of The Pedal Bone' meanwhile deals in a quirky sound somewhere in the region of chiptune but with a little Ceephaxian bite, and 'Ooze' deals in some potent, dislocated techno. 'Figuring Out This Damn Jetpack' goes more explicitly towards 8-bit synth lines, but then gives them a walloping beat, making for some of the most distinctive club gear we've heard in a while.

Review: Rise Black is Maxim Gkikaev, a producer based in southern Spain who also goes under the aliases Mitjun or Ocitin, and is part of the duo Psevdonym. He has released for Fil-Lex, Moustache and locals Another Perspective in recent years, but It is indeed a case of Bad Robot on this new one for Adjacent Possible. From the snarling acid electro bite of opener 'Alania', to the minimal EBM muscle of the title track and the truly dystopian bass dynamics of 'Laser Gun' - Gkikaev is not messing around here. Over on the flip, there are some mighty fine remixes which are equally as worthy of your attention. Benvol's electro-industrial sounding rework of 'Alania' retains that sick 303 squelch throughout, while PX's re-rub of 'Bad Robot' has an utterly majestic style of sonic futurism in the vein of legend Carl Finlow.