Review: Fabio Caria launches his new label, Hoops, as a means to explore the intersection of house and techno through a minimalist lens. The debut release is a collaboration with Hubble under the moniker Fabble and it's a fine one with three meticulously crafted tracks that manage to perfectly balance compelling rhythms with plenty of synth-based introspection. 'Catharsis' introduces a three-note Rhodes piano sequence with flowing pads and psychedelic synths and 'Donald' offers a steady 4/4 beat with sombre pads and powerful sub-bass. 'Persignis' with Italian legend Claudio PRC is the most dancefloor-driven with processed pianos creating an emotional mood and in all, this EP sets a nice high watermark for the Hoops label.
Review: Hackney Electronica is a collective of underground stalwarts who came together during COVID. It comprises the mad prolific Quinn Whalley of Paranoid London, Warmduscher and Decius, as well as Unai Trotti from Cartulis Music and Margo Broom of Hermitage Working Studios. They deal in acid-laced sounds which are a perfect fit for Dark Entires and here explore twisted late-night club sounds that are alluring yet austere. As their name suggests, they capture the vibe of Hackney's backstreets in their music with 'H.E. Nuestro Circuito' and 'Whispers from the Depths' bringing 1980s DIY electronics to a contemporary dancefloor, while 'Efecto Perfecto,' 'The One' and 'Nueva Ola' deliver potent electro powered by big breakbeats. It's a superb EP of tension and transcendence.
Review: Figure label head and longtime German techno titan Len Faki is back with another of his powerful two-track remix releases, and again he mixes up a favourite with a more recent gem. They come under his Hardspace alias, which sees Faki craft a deeper, more refined take that pays homage to his formative years while pushing forward with modern precision. Firstly, he reimagines Benjamin Damage's 2013 anthem '010X,' amplifying its soaring chords with jacking percussion and a beefed-up low end that turns the melodic original into a driving club weapon. On the flip, Faki dives into Aquatrax's late-'90s classic 'Stabilize' by adding a hypnotic, dub-infused loop that pulses with subtle detail and immersive energy.
Review: Venerated veteran Len Faki is the man behind the Hardspace alias and label and it is one he uses to serve up personal edits of his own cuts and favourite classics, all for use in his own DJ sets. This time out he exhibits his meticulous approach by re-tooling two Dubspeeka cuts into pulsing, linear yet atmospheric weapons. On the flip come two different versions of Fanon Flowers's 'Chicago-Detroit' and both are acidic, jacked-up tools for locking floors into a late-night march.
Review: Casper Hastings is neither a ghost nor from Hastings. He is an electronic innovator from Ireland who has built up a fine catalogue on the likes of TXTRL and Sticky Ground. He is back on the Yin Yang label here with another high class assault that draws on electro, jungle and techno. Opener 'Tangerine Meme' sets the scene with crisp drum programming and snappy drum breaks underpinned by warped acid. 'Reaper' is as menacing as the title suggests with more direct, punchy electro and Peder Mannerfelt flips it into a surging wall of techno. 'Ruthless Romance's a devastating edge of breaks-driven jungle and 'Good Medicine' has bleeping synths over wobbly low ends and caustic drum funk.
Review: Yay Recordings closes out another solid 12 months with a various artists' EP that showcases right where the label is at. Heavy Mental kicks off with 'Dabro', a colourful and loopy house jaunt for sunny days. Twowi's 'Metaverse' takes off to the cosmos on lithe electro rhythms with ice-cold beats and widescreen pads. Parchi Pubblici & Lucretio's 'Aladdin Sane' brings some wonky deep tech vibes with of-balance drums and muffled spoken words and Rinaldo Makaj closes down with a fresh party sound perfect for cosy floors. There's plenty of variety here, which makes this a great addition to your bag.
Review: Frenchman Hemka makes a bold entrance on Mutual Rytm with this fierce solo 12" following her standout contribution to Federation Of Rytm III. She has established herself with a raw yet refined style on labels like Token and blends 90s grit with psychedelic textures and personal vocal touches in her work. This new EP delivers club-ready power across tracks like the tense, vocal-laced 'Abyss,' the propulsive 'Time,' and the haunting 'I Can't Shine.' With additional cuts like 'The Bad Place' and 'Unchanged' this is a fine window into Hemka's emotional depth and rhythmic command.
Review: Uruguay has been a low-key hotspot for new school techno and house for sometime. Adding its own voice into the mix for the first time here is new label Ascendancy with a debut EP from Arturo Hernzama. 'Charamusca' is tough, industrial but also astral tech with stark hits and motorised bass. 'Pichikatero' is a little more loose with wonky basslines and shimmering sci-fi synths. There is a spaced-out and trance-inducing magic to the thumping beats of 'Chucaro' and 'Break Manada' closes on a fresh and crisp broken beat.
Review: Detroit-born but now based in Thailand, Scott Hess returns to show his enduring Motor City class with Redlight Bangkok Vol. 3, a third instalment of his vinyl-only series on Adeen. This one opens up with 'En Bloom' which is a Miami bass-inspired jam with crisp kicks and icy cold 808s. Rocco Universal's remix is more deep and house-leaning with some magnificent melodies then on the B-side, 'Whitelight' gets more twisted with elastic bass and snappy percussion. 'Untitles' is a cosmic journey with a funky guitar and dreamy chorus and last of all comes the smooth and serene, chord-laced soundscapes and fathom deep grooves of ''Untitles' which is a classy late-night sound.
Review: After a top first appearance in the series, Dutchman Tammo Hesselink returns to the Mantis project with another deep, immersive release full of his signature hi-fidelity sound design and meticulous drum patterns. Blending dub's echo-laden atmospheres with industrial percussion and the sparse textures of minimalism, his sound design is as distinctive as ever as once again, rather than relying on melody, he sculpts emotion and intensity through texture, space and rhythm. Metallic hits and reverberant effects create a physical, tactile experience that is both abstract and structured, designed for powerful sound system delivery while rewarding close listening. Hesselink offers a cerebral yet visceral trip here.
Everything Is Illuminated (Andre Kronert remix) (7:48)
Everything Is Illuminated (7:42)
Still, The World Is Dark (9:43)
Review: For those who crave dark, detailed, and tightly tuned techno, check this one out from Stephan Hinz. He lands on Odd Even with four cuts packed with tension, immersive atmosphere and precision-crafted sounds for peak-time floors. 'Beneath The Roses' begins with potent kick drums tightly stacked under sizzling synth work and 'Everything Is Illuminated' and 'Still, The World Is Dark' ring more dark, grainy moods for the dead of night. On remix duty, Andre Kronert flips 'Everything Is Illuminated' into a relentless, stripped-back roller that locks you in from the first bar. This one's built for heads who like their techno raw.
Review: Entrancing deep techno from Bristol's Moth Club, embracing the umbral charge of longtime producer How Do, a recent populariser of the sound. 'Void' and its '128 Version' carry an essence of the original dub techno sound and its emphasis on atmosphere, though there are fewer percussive knocks or scrapes here; the track is more a sustained tonic glom of energy, and alludes cleverly, preconsciously, to the more UK-bass informed B-side, with its echoic vocals almost barely perceptible as such until we flip the record over.
Review: The Clergy Ten Year anniversary celebrations continue with a fourth special instalment of their various artists series. It's packed again with the sort of high-functioning techno that DJs always need to construct powerful sets, and that dancers will respond well to thanks to its detailing. Norbak opens with the moody minimalism of 'Sinto', Sciahri explore a more uptempo sound with grainy, gritty loops on 'Antartide' and Phara's 'Faint' gets more twisted with hellish effects and caustic textures all getting you on edge while the pummelling drums bounce out their muscular rhythm. These are evocative cuts for techno storytelling.
Review: The Positive Reaction label is looking to build bridges between North Africa and the rest of the world with the music that it puts out. It has roots in both Tunisia and Berlin and has a healthy respect for 90s electronic takes on electro, breakbeat, techno and trance, which all shine through this new six-track VA. OA gets underway with hard-nosed techno, H0ney serves up lashings of peak time energy and BENKHLIFA drills down into the darkness with a blistering baseline and white-knuckle techno intensity. Elsewhere, MZA's 'Thelea' brings more low-end dirt and DEV's 'Love Affairs' brings lush euphoria.
Hazmat Live - "The Marriage Of Korg & Moog" (4:50)
Review: Passing Currents aims to stand out from the predictable by offering a deeply human touch in its music. This five-tracker backs that up by melding academic expertise with dancefloor intuition and the A-side features txted by Phil Moffa remixed by Yamaha DSP coder okpk after they met during doctoral studies, they flip technical mastery into bass-driven energy while Atrevido' fuses California warmth with analogue electro, Josh Dahlberg's rediscovered 2009 electro gem, 'Ass On The Floor', still bangs and Detroit's Kevin Reynolds delivers hypnotic grooves before Hazmat Live pushes boundaries with a sound rooted in soulful, experimental innovation.
Review: Per Hammar and Berlin-based label Sushitech are a match made in heaven as both have long since proven their credential in the world of dub techno. As the label turns 20, it kicks off its year with an album that has been two years in the making and features a top-quality array of dub techno sounds. Malin Genie features on two of the more kicking and propulsive cuts, while Jannik Jivung adds an organic touch to two more. In between those sounds are percolating slow-mo jams like 'Representant Dubb' and more kinetic sounds like 'TX Files' with its fresh kicks and rolling bass.
Review: The now 20-year-strong Sushitech have been working on this one for two years and finally it drops - a new album from cultured dub techno don Per Hammar. This is a seriously deep journey into his signature sound that melds the genre's most classic side with a fresh modern twist. Cuts like 'Generation Drive' have a nice crisp sense of motion as well as lovely warped pads, while 'Juvial' brings a sense of curiousness with its undulating drums and bass. 'Defender' leans into sleek techno styles and will have you cruising in no time. An instant classic album, for sure.
Review: Having built plenty of hype over previous outings, Hardacre finally drops this long-awaited debut on Alien Communications. It's a standout long player with acid, house, electro and techno all jumbled up into effective, 'floor-facing sounds that are high on power. There are lithe, metallic twitchers like the Kraftwerkian 'Transmission' as well as more future-facing and acid-laced bumpers such as 'Alien Intelligence' with plenty of cinematic and atmospheric bits like 'Radio Command' in between. A classy take on a classic sound.
Review: Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being is one of the most fearless experimentalists in house and techno. He confronts dancefloor disillusionment head-on with Dance Music 4 Bad People, his raw, uncompromising debut for Smalltown Supersound. A veteran of Chicago's club scene, Moss channels four decades of history, highs, lows and trauma into an album that defies escapism. These are not crowd-pleasers but cathartic confrontations dense with abrasive synths, molten drum loops and uneasy textures which all crash together in chaotic, transcendent layers. There's no clean resolution anywhere, instead just tension, dissonance and moments of stark beauty. Far from a nostalgic Windy City love-in, Moss' music reflects a dance culture in crisis and provides a place to rage against it.
Review: We have been digging in the warehouse and have found some copies of one of the faultless EPs that Detroit house royalty Mike Huckaby put out in his lifetime. It features three tracks that are all steeped in deepness and dubby goodness and are unlikely to ever age. 'Wavetable No. 9' is spaced out and rather menacing in a subtle, sparse way. 'Fantasy' is a more airy and light cut with meandering melodic leads and thinking keys that bring a cosmic feel. 'Jupiter' closes out with nimble bass and splashy hi hats joined by conversational synth leads that glow with a late-night warmth. Included in this is a CD featuring plenty of the samples used in the making of the tunes using the Waldorf synth.
Review: Much missed Detroit techno legend Mike Huckaby created The Down Under Kit for the Australian leg of the Red Bull Music Academy's world tour and it's so much more than a simple sample pack, as Huckaby gives a narrated tutorial on creating templates and generating ideas, a fascinating glimpse into his philosophy and techniques. Obviously, there are lots of thumping kicks, distinctively trademark pianos and pads and more to load up, but this pack not only gives you the means of production, it also gives you a guide to how to put it to its most effective use.
Review: As part of Amniote Editions' fifth birthday, the admirably experimental label has decided to release a full-length excursion from Mirror Zone founder Spekki Webu, AKA Heliobolus. The multi-disciplinary artist has decided to utilise both aliases on the album, a way of reinforcing the key conceptual idea behind it - that it is a "story of intertwined storylines" akin to "parallel universes that connect and diverge". Musically, it's an intriguing affair, with pulsating, full-throttle sci-fi techno workouts sitting side by side with darker, more intense cuts, sound design-heavy experimental techno soundscapes, and nods towards the horror end of the cinematic soundtrack spectrum. Throw in a few mutant, noise-laden post-IDM compositions and you have a genuinely impressive full-length excursion.
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