Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: Belgian DJ and producer FAiG has been making techno for decades under several different aliases for plenty of top labels. His latest on Planet Rhythm is another hefty slab of subversive sonics with 'South West' layering up streamlined drums and bass with rickety percussion that pans about the mix as distant synths flesh things out further without ever detracting from the rhythm. 'Logg' is more unhinged and urgent with manic synth loops and alarming sirens getting your hackles up as the drums bump on. 'Deep Within' is stylish 90s techno with funky claps skating over the pumping drums and silky bass. 'Taro' runs out with sub-aquatic and dubbed out loopy deepness. It's simple but done well and impossibly effective.

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: Irish techno legend Sunil Sharpe makes his debut on the Posh End Music label here with a pair of signature gems. 'Cahersiveen' kicks off with buoyant and bouncy broken beats that constantly recoil through a warm, fizzy rush of Detroit-inspired synths. 'The Oasis' is his other contribution, and this one rides a little slower but with some serious low-end heft and the same textured synth craft. In between, two cuts from Fear-E. 'Dalleagles' is a manic one with stark, hard-assed low ends and anxiety-inducing pads and 'Gael Force' keeps up the intensity with loopy madness that twists you inside out.

Review: Roman Flugel's 2004 banger 'Geht's Noch?' is a cheeky electro anthem that became a schoolyard ringtone staple, and now it is back for its 21st anniversary on Running Back. The original was part of a Cocoon compilation and this reissue features remixes that pay homage to its playful mood. Luca Lozano's ' 'Gehts Garage Remix' introduces UK funky elements, Peder Mannerfelt's version builds dramatic tension around the iconic riff, and Aasthma delivers a colourful, anime-inspired take. EDM bigwig Steve Angello brings some signature oversized electro maximalism to his version.

Review: Hungarian electronic music producer Laurine Frost's Cabaret Nord lands as the debut release on Spanish label Andermedt, and it's nothing short of a radical statement. A vault of unreleased material over five years in the making, it's a return to Frost's 4/4 roots but filtered through his signature lens of dark mysticism and surreal funk. Earth-shaking drums, warped grooves and grotesque theatrics unfold like a ritualistic performance in each track as he twists techno cliches into something deeply personal. As such Cabaret Nord blurs lines between satire and sincerity, rhythm and poetry. It's not comedy-it's an avant-garde theatre of sound and a mind-bending triumph that demands immersive listening.

Review: Belgian label Music Man Records has assembled Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, a 40-track compilation honouring the legendary Destelbergen club that helped shape Europe's electronic underground. Far more than just the birthplace of New Beat, Boccaccio championed raw, futuristic house and techno long before the genres went mainstream. Curated by resident DJ Olivier Pieters and regular Stefaan Vandenberghe, the collection features classy cuts that are also being served up on a series of VA EPs. This one hits hard with jams from QX-1, Fred Brown, Mr. Fingers and Laurent X all going dark, deep and moody.

Review: "Instead of escaping somewhere else, this time I want to be here." We're not 100% sure if that's Fabiano or E35 Netherlands quoted, and woe betide anyone who thinks they can interpret such cryptic (not to mention borrowed) quips without asking the person who said them what they meant. Nevertheless, Landmarks very quickly presents itself as an ambient beauty born of this planet and nowhere else. At times the sounds are challenging - heavily textured tracks rather than the lush dreamscapes we often associate with the rather reductive 'ambient' label. Sometimes things are quite eerie, like the disquiet that materialises around halfway through 'Flowers On The Hospital Grounds', and the dense static waves of 'Saturated Memory On A Rooftop'. At other moments, tones invoke the mystery of night skies over Earth, or the rhythm of a world filled with enough life to mean we're still finding new species today.

Review: Multiple Angle Distortions (M.A.D) is the second of two EPs previewing The Future Sound of London's upcoming 2025 album. It dives into darker, more percussive terrain than before and blends acidic 303 textures with brooding orchestral layers as the cult FSOL continue to expand their sonic palette. Grammy-nominated Daniel Pemberton guests on the striking 'Improvisations,' which is a live recording from a London fashion show, while closing track 'Northern Point' showcases FSOL's own custom-built synths. The result is a heady fusion of house, electronica and techno with an experimental edge that is both cerebral and immersive. M.A.D affirms this outfit's legacy while still pushing boundaries decades into their career.