Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: Shout out to Greek powerhouse Kinesthetik Recordings for making it all the way to a half a century of releases there. They celebrate in the best way they know - with more tranced-out sounds from artists in their orbit. Giorgio & Andreas open things up with 'Nice One' and its thudding tech drums and cosmic synth lines. Diskinesia gets much more raw and moody with the edgy drums of 'Back & Forth' and Interphase then drops a pair of industrial tech thumpers. Giorgio & Andreas reappear with a raw, roughshod and deep groove and Marcelino Sanchez's 'Motive One' offers dub techno to close.

Review: Known for his meticulous sound design and trippy, psychedelic approach, the Japanese producer gets key tracks from his 2023 Agartha album remixed with contributions from Kompakt veteran Michael Mayer and rising talent Philipp Stoffel. Opening the selection, 'Agartha (Wata Igarashi Sorcery Acid Mix)' plunges into heavy analog territory, channeling old-school acid trance with pulsing basslines and swirling synth layers. It's a trip that maintains a relentless and hypnotic momentum. In contrast, 'Floating Against Time (Wata Igarashi Shimmering Mix)' leans into atmospheric techno, unfolding with a celestial, meditative quality. The track's ethereal pads and evolving textures create a sense of weightlessness, staying true to Igarashi's deep, transportive aesthetic. Michael Mayer steps in with his version of 'Ceremony of the Dead', infusing it with an upbeat vintage techno feel. His remix brims with Kompakt's signature warmth, blending ravey elements with a steady, driving groove. Closing the set, 'Abyss II X Darkness (Philipp Stoffel Fusion Mix)' picks up the pace with rolling basslines and dubby, melodic layers. Stoffel's take is fast and fluid, balancing deep, introspective elements with club-ready energy. A refined touch for floor or sofa alike.

Review: Back on his own Somov Records, Amsterdam native Ignez shares a quartet of tightly wound, emotionally-charged techno lapsers, polarising stripped-back propulsion and moments of spectral calm. Since launching the label in 2019, he's explored a range from full-bodied percussion workouts to spacious ambient drift, and this latest four-track drop continues in that mode, club-focused but spiritually canted. The release trades in memory and atmosphere, evoking the echo of shared moments rather than spelling them out: 'Satindancer' and 'Skies We Share' make literal titular allusions to fabric and atmosphere, evidencing the acuity and sensitivity of the artist to ideas of both materiality and spirituality.

Review: BOOOoo! returns with its fourth V/A, bringing together Ildec, Pagenty, Phase O'Matic, Gogo Gadgeto and label head BOOH for a tightly assembled five-tracker. Steering into the murkier corners of electro but with a light touch, their next comp offers a range of moods without ever dropping to fully into the abyss. From 'Volviento AMT' to 'The System Is The Matrix', each artist contributes a knowing cut, one which leans dark but stays danceable, threading twisted textures and low-slung rhythms without losing sight of playability.

Review: EC Underground is back with more inquisitors of low-end heavy sounds on Bass Scene Investigation vol 1 and again digs deep into the worlds of electro, techno, breakbeat and IDM. The compilation kicks off with the skittish percussive patterns of Illektrolab's 'Making Heads Dip', then heads into moody ground with ADJ, Pablo Funk brings some menacing synth work and Errorbeauty gets all weird and trippy with some mad electronics. Francois Dillinger offers a dystopian electro sound full of irresistibly jacked-up drums. A fine investigation indeed.

Review: Inner City's time on Network Records produced a run of timeless recordings that merged their signature vocal soul with the underground grooves of Detroit. This reissue of 'Ahnonghay' highlights that early golden era and finds the legendary Kevin Saunderson return to his techno roots in some style. The tune was originally released under his seminal Reese alias and marries that raw Motor City energy with sleek electronica that embodies the early techno blueprint. This 12" pressing includes the original mix alongside two standout remixes: Carl Craig's atmospheric reimagining and Dave Clarke's gritty UK techno take. All in all, a vital snapshot of techno's early evolution.

Review: Emmanuel's ARTS is a Rotterdam-based indie techno label that quietly pushes at the boundaries. Introversion has released here before with his 'Hush' 12" back in 2022 and since then has landed on the likes of Fundaments and Makatoo, always adding to his reputation. This one opens with 'Laeddis', which is cantering, full-throttle techno funk with big, oversized hi-hats. 'Found Footage' is a scruffier cut with underlapping kicks and muffled trance chords up top, then 'Tesseract' gets slicke and turbocharged for a fresh future assault. 'Signs' closes with supple, mind-melting synth patterns that intertwine with wispy percussion and thudding rubber kick for pure techno perfection.

Review: Leibniz's return was always going to be interesting given previous work and so it is. Each of the five news cuts exemplifies the power of simplicity with grimy, hypnotic mantras that showcase Leibniz's mastery of the genre. Stripping away unnecessary details, he focuses on what truly matters to cook up a minimalist sound that hits hard. These sounds really emphasise the notion that less is more, with each one full of refined technique and ability to cut through the noise. It's a masterclass in minimal techno that proves what to ignore is just as important as what to keep.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


IO E Palmieri has cooked up the sort of anthemic and festival-friendly techno tune that will be heard all over the world as soon as the sun comes out and the big tops get erected. It has simple but effective rolling beats, some neat and rising melodies and a celestial Italian vocal that will get hands in the air as people march along. Naples-based techno star Debora De Luca then steps up to remix and quickens the groove and tightens up the synths so that are a bit more forceful. It's another effective cut from this big-time circuit favourite.

Review: Manifest drumcode signee Mha Iri shares her latest 'Neon Storm', where geometric blitzes and "get-down" vocals excoriate the dancefloor. The lead track screams with colossal, sinking-feeling synth design, as though a War Of The Worlds tripod were heard stomping on skyscrapers a city away, and that this could possibly an exciting, not terrifying experience. 'Moving Machines' firms the bio-mechanoid vibe, with its added chord crimps, glottal mids and ultra-processed kick centres.

Review: Berlin's Exit Strategy began their 12"s game releasing EPs in browned sleeves, shortly before branching out into digital-vinyl combo releases with original artwork in the 2020s. Now with over ten years of experience under their belts, they welcome five new artists for a playful bricolage in deep and minimal techno, privileging elite, razor-sharp additive sound design and future-soulful vocal tasters. Ivory's opener 'Rain' epitomises this, while Jimi Jules squelchifies the same formula, and Aera's 'Future Holdings' rolls out the same logic to its ultimate conclusion, veering towards complex, 3D-graphic melodic techno composed entirely of climbing saws.

Review: Giammarco Orsini and Intheismah join forces on a release that melds hypnotic techno with progressive and electro-EBM influences. Shadowy textures and haunting rhythms lay the groundwork, while immersive melodies thread through each track, creating a deeply atmospheric listening experience. The fusion of genres feels deliberate and powerful, with a clear intent to captivate the dancefloor. This is a soundtrack for the season's darker moods, where subtle shifts in rhythm and texture keep the energy simmering while hinting at the after-hours spirit that defines the best of contemporary techno.

Review: Canadian-born, German-based producer Ash Luk is best known for his work in Minimal Violence, a band that used electronics to create raucous, vivid punk-rock style live experiences, as well as his role as one half of 'doom electronic' duo S.A.T.I.N. alongside Ireen Amnes. Under the Infinity Division moniker he's created more impressively dystopian sonic adventures that channel a suitably wide array of extreme music styles, from isolationist ambience at the start of 'No Reason' - which then twists into industrial junglist madness - to breakbeaty Sisters of Mercy-style coldwave on 'Weather Prophets'. Fans of Alec Empire's notorious Digital Hardcore Recordings label and its output should find this entertainingly terrifying and twisted up musical vision very much up their street.

Review: The second full length from this Croatian artist's been highly anticipated and it's already won favour from the heavyweights likes of Rodhad, Stephanie Sykes and Nastia for its high-energy bangers and experimental melodies. Full Disclosure shows Insolate's evolution as she embraces creative openness in her artistry. Tracks like 'On Your Knee' and 'Stand Strong' deliver powerful dub-infused rhythms and sharp vocals and, collaborating with guitarist PEP on 'The Proof' brings forth top techno with intense arpeggios. 'Full Disclosure' pulses with glitchy sequences while 'Big City' offers haunting melodies. A fine album from a venerated veteran.