Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: When Cabaret Voltaire returned to the release schedule in 2020 as the one-man Richard H Kirk show, fans were relieved to find that mind-bending meld of 1970s Kosmische, techno, dub, house and space-age experimental electro was as pure as it ever has been - the results being a typically fresh and forward-thinking record the man in question summed up as "no nostalgia... normal rules do not apply. Something for the 21st Century. No old material."

Less than six months later and the big CV has more next level business to offer us, coming in the form of Shadow of Funk, a new EP that offers something of a counterpoint or extension to last year's full-length, Shadow of Fear. Based on 'Billion Dollar' alone - an acid-driven big, dark room banger that closes this EP -this release looks set to make an equally heavy impact, but as with anything this man touches, the joy is in discovery. So, let's leave it at that.

Review: French label Cairo Xpress debuts with a first-ever vinyl outing and a fine one it is too, with six stylish house outings from an array of fresh talents. Wilt's 'Beoyon' has lovely gloppy drums and bass looping under harmonic chords - it's simple but effective. Hermit gets more full-bodied with his textured 'Who Dunnit' and DOTT strips it back to bumping drum track workouts on 'Twitching Softly.' There is more irresistible bounce to Lucho's 'Mesh', Artphorm layers in some old school pianos to 'Daown' and HATT D shuts down with maybe the best of the lot, 'Contrasts In Life,' which is a broken beat, analogue sound with celestial energy.

Review: Data Sync is a sub-label of Non Stop Rhythm and now label head Tom Carruthers is back on it with more of his fierce techno explorations. 'Intel' opens proceedings with some taught synth twangs and stomping drum work that will bring physicality to the floor. 'Force Field' is a similarly stomping sound with bright bells looping up top and 'Syntax' is a raw percussive frother with acid run right through it. 'GS5' (re-edit) is another one with some fresh synth sounds bringing light to the physical low ends and 'Metropolis' gets snappy and jacked up while 'Recon' closes down with some tribal energy and bleeping 90s references.

Review: There is plenty of experimental work at play int his new various artists' collection on Flash. Cloned Existence sets that tone with the brief synth exploration that is 'Wave 1' when Gael & Jolly take off with the much more punchy and thudding techno of 'Paradigm Shock' which is weird up with all sorts of synth designs, effects and layers of reverb. Under Black Helmet ups the ante further with one of those bulky techno grooves that locks you in the moment and Stigmata then brings big room 90s vibes with layers of tangled synth melting the mind. Florian Meindl brings things to a close with gritty, scraping bass, reverb-heavy kicks and pure warehouse techno heaviness.

Review: After the first in this new Mellow Bangers series got us nice and twisted we're delighted to have the follow-up from Italo Moderni. Cryk kicks off with an eerie blend of Italo arps and dark wave drums with electro overtones on 'Double Crash' then the moodiness continues with the depraved bass warbles and crashing hits of Fragedis and his 'Disco Nicotina.' Antoni Maiovvi brings a lightness of touch to his delicate arps and celestial harmonies on 'Stopping Power' and Adrian Marth layers plenty of sugar and pixelated synths into his loopy 'Modernism.'

Review: Here is the third and final chapter of the 'Systema Naturae' series on Berlin-based 012, with fresh deep techno visions from newcomers such as Daniel(i) from Belgium (Whispering Signals) who ventures into foreboding and murky territory on the off-kilter journey of 'Carabus', and there's the return of Greek producer Alex Tomb who gets into some hypnotic minimal techno on 'Paradisaea'. Elsewhere, Leipzig-based Kontinum pushes into full mental overdrive on the strobing cut 'Octandria' and finally you have the collaboration between Mary Yuzovskaya and label head Claudio PRC titled 'Marmor' which perfectly nails that ethereal Sound Of Rome vibe.

Review: Only a hard techno label would be brazen enough to call itself Danger Wank. There is much more worth investigating here though than just the semantics: Fist Of Fury grabs you by the throat with its overdriven percussive loops and flat, slamming drums on 'Minimaythm Demoniae.' It sounds like what happens when you have too many windows open on your computer with sound playing from one that crashes. Al Core brings squealing synths and horrorcore sleaze to '007 Bald Frenchcore' and Celsius tickles the inner war with the abstract sounds and malfunctioning drum patterns of 'L'Appel Du Vide.' Kyo_O's 'Releaser Fucking' gets a brutal LeeloO Hardcoholics remix to close down this serious sonic assault.

Review: Call Super has always been something of an underground darling - one of those untouchable artists with next level skills in the club, and a unique studio sound that excites even the most hardened and passionate fan. 'Eulo Cramps' is the artist's fourth album and one from the centre of a multifaceted project they call 'Tell Me I Didn't Choose This' which includes poetry, auto-biographical writing, painting and music. It is full of personal reflections and his signature melding of jazz, electronica and the unique voices of Julia Holter and Eden Samara. Though adventurous and experimental, it is an album steeped in very real emotion which we can all connect to.

Review: Joseph Capriati has very quickly risen from underground techno player to top-tier titan. The Italian hails from Naples, a famous hotbed of minimalism that has spawned stars like Marco Carola. whose footsteps Capriati has followed in by securing his own Ibiza residency for his Metamorfosi party. The sort if sounds you can expect to hear on that label and at the events are well showcased here on his new mix of the legendary Global Underground series. From dark and driving techno to more emotional and melodic house, it's a colourful and widescreen ride that features a couple of his own fresh jams and many more from contemporary artists.

Review: London Techno Collective's Steve Loss aka Catharsis returns to Berlin's Zhark Recordings for his third release and first long-player. Terrifying Shadows features eight tracks of 'hydraulic techno func (sic) .. and roaring drill mechanisms' that altogether make for some seriously difficult listening. Such disturbing titles as 'Into The warm Embrace Of Deviancy', 'It's So Easy To Corrupt A Soul', as well as 'The Tao Of The Scarred' or by far our favourite 'Tasting Hate From The Cup Of Gods' give you a fair warning of what to expect on this eight track opus: brutalist experimental techno delivered in uncompromising style. Not for the faint of heart!

Review: Given that she released her first solo material way back in 2008, it's taken Factory Floor and Carter Tutti Void member Nik Colk Void a fair old while to get round to recording a debut album. So, has it been worth the wait? Bucked Up Space is certainly alluring, with the modular synthesizer enthusiast charging between mind-mangling analogue techno ('Interruption is Good'), trippy electronic soundscapes ('Big Breather'), buzzing, industrial-strength heaviness (the formidably fuzzy 'Demna'), post-electro wooziness ('Romke'), Radiophonic Workshop style weirdness (the 1960s Doctor Who freakiness of 'Absence Pile Island'), acid-flecked bounciness ('Flat Time') and druggy, slow-motion workouts ('Oversized').

Review: In musical terms, Bill Converse is as iconic as the basketball sneaker with which he shares his name. He's a techno favourite and veteran of the Midwest scene who has come up under the likes of Claude Young and Traxx but very much fomented his own sound. Here the American ace returns to Dark Entries with a new seven-track exploration of raw, analogue-driven techno. His sound blends the acid grit of Relief Records, the hypnotic pulses of early IDM and Detroit's energy all with an unpredictability that mirrors that of his live sets. He makes fine use of classic hardware like the Roland TB-303 and modern modular synthesis to cook up off-kilter rhythms and abrupt shifts that keep you on edge. Another vital and visceral offering from this legend.

Review: Courtesy's second studio album is another no-holds-barred deep dive into the heart of a minimal and tech house dance floor. Eschewing the usual ambient intro in favour of getting right down to business, things kick off with the surging comic-tech of 'I'm Happy I Am Not Susan Sontag', then the slamming drums of 'My Dazed Friend (feat Klo)' come with zoned out and alluring vocal musings. 'Let There Be LOVE! (feat Lyanne)' is another fast but smooth tech cruise with emotive vocal textures and 'Does Every Track Have To Be A Journey?' is a punchy tool which suggests not.

Review: Dance music stars don't come much bigger or more iconic than Carl Cox. The big man with the big smile and famous gap in his teeth has been at the cutting edge for decades. He plays all across the spectrum with high energy and a really infectious style. Now the legend returns with his first album in over a decade and it comes on BMG. It was written over the last two years at his home studio in Melbourne and takes his sound to a whole new level. It is also being played live by Carl on the road right now.