Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: Electro monarchs Maelstrom, Locked Club and RLGN return to EP-making with a four-track array of acid bangers, happily working together on a split record to celebrate the pan-European electro scene. Their offering is unequal in quantity (2 Maelstrom and 3 Locked Club tunes) but is resolutely equal in heat; 'LA Nuit Est A Toi' is Maelstrom's standout, bleepy and suffocating in its generative, janky fright. Locked Club and RLGN follow up, 'Kill Me' being the best and most suicidally pushy techno track to soundtrack our nightmares.

Review: 59 Bel is back with another transmission from its HQ in Paris and again it's an interesting take on techno. Ian Maur opens with a minimal cut that is urgent and hurried yet barely there. Deluka brings some sci-fi imagery to the loopy sounds of 'My Underground' and Louis The 4th takes off on dry, glitchy minimal beats on the serene 'Ongoing Motifs.' Model HZ's 'Render' is a more synth-laced bit of classically inclined techno and Askkin's 'Life Spectator'' comes full circle with another eerie, sparse sound for freaking out late-night dancers.

Review: Planet Rhythm has been one of the premier hard techno labels for over 30 years now. Exploring some different avenues in the last decade, the label recently launched a series of heavy dub techno related records identified as DUBWARS. Volume two features four different artists this time with each submitting a new piece to the label focus. Fans of Basic Channel's 'Phylyps Trak' should quickly head to OFF/GRID - 'One Stab Ahead' for that main room filler. Gunjack's 'Memory Man' is another upbeat killer in its own right adding a bit of acid along with the melodic chord progression. For the second side, Antic Soul's 'Mandalore' stirs in a bit of house culture to the hard dub techno sound to great effect. Lastly, Lenny San bring's the party to their feet with 'Hedonist'. Heavy techno heads should really enjoy this packed 12"

Review: Pangaea and Leonce's collaboration feels like a natural evolution of their respective sounds. 'Dusted' takes the more energetic route, drawing from UKG's signature drum patterns and crisp, chopped-up vocals. There's a weightlessness to it that feels characteristic of Pangaea's style, with the track riding that fine line between chaos and precision. It's rapid but controlled, capturing the essence of the UKG sound without resorting to tired cliches. On the other hand, 'Stuck' leans into a more understated vibe, pulling from the foundation of 90s US club music. It's relaxed, more patient in its progression, with a warm, spacious quality that contrasts nicely with the jitteriness of 'Dusted.' The contrast between the two tracks showcases the range of both artists: while they're clearly rooted in different scenes, they've found a way to merge their influences in a way that feels both fresh and familiar.

Review: Luigi Madonna returns to Contempo with Sons of Napoli, a release that unites Naples' techno luminaries in a vibrant auditory homage to their city. Gaetano Parisio kicks off with 'Orbita' which blends pulsating rhythms and hypnotic synths into a cosmic journey. Luigi Madonna follows with 'One Coffee,' with its robust basslines and energising synths. Raffaele Attanasio's 'Arenhell' merges punchy beats with ominous synths and dynamic percussion, Markantonio's 'Funk It' infuses tight rhythms with groovy basslines and Manuel Di Martino's 'Take a Break' defies its title with relentless energy amongst many other DJ weapons.

Review: The debut album from Ukrainian collective Noneside unites musicians and visual artists under the inspiring words of poet Taras Shevchenko, who said 'Make love, o dark-browed ones.' Framed by a painting from contemporary artist Iryna Maksymova, the music explores the trance and tech house that is destined to bring souls together on the dancefloor this summer and beyond. Shjva opens with fresh and mashed bass and sleek trance pads that are subtle but effective. Lostlojic layer sup deep, bubbly techno drums and bass with an angelic vocal tone and Saturated Color's 'Trancia' is a speedy, scuffed-up tech groove for late-night cruising. Peshka and Yevhenii Loi offer two more future-facing trance-techno fusions packed with feels.

Review: Get your marching boots on and strap in for a white knuckle ride from fledgling label Body to Body. This second release from the French crew is another thrilling take on hard techno and gabba as Sina XX links up with different artists across four cuts. First, it is with Dance Divine for the flat-footed menace and lashing synths of 'Dancefloor Is Hot' then Metaraph joins for 'Color Of People,' a cut that burrows deep on an oversized bassline and edgy string stabs unsettle the mood. Sina XX & Lacchesi's 'Goth It' is a minimal excursion on tightly wrapped drums and bass that are full of pent-up tension then last of all is the most brain-frying and textural rave of the lot as Enahm and Lessss join in for 'Le Demon.'

Review: The Blue Hour crew have put together this classy four-track various artists EP to round out their year in style. Spekki Webu's 'Cycleon' is the busy opener with silky, punchy breaks and melon-twisting pads up top. DJ Ibon's 'Slug Knife' is more hard techno in vibe with flat, unrelenting drums. LDS's 'Ere Audio' (vinyl edit) keeps that hard style coming with drilling bass and glitchy synths over looped drums that lock you into a hypnotic rhythm. Vel's 'Tunnel' then brings a punishing techno sound to close with all sorts of freaky sounds scurrying throughout the arrangement.

Review: Spooky Wooky return with a newly nourished Pandora's box worth of tunes, welcoming four new producers each for their own scare, as well as an opening fourfold fright. Joining forces only under the name Spooky Wooky, 'Cauchemard Ambulant' puns on the French term for "waking nightmare" terming it a "walking nightmare", with fidgety, motile synth snaps and pops aligned alongside bow can scrape samples and strange monstrous gurgles. Our faves among the solo cuts have to be Lazer Man's 'Fuck The Bass' and Gogo Gadgeto's 'FREAK', both of which seem to convey a sort of crazed elvish otherworld.

Review: Riviera's early momentum continues here with a punchy four-tracker from six on-point artists. Lewis Taylor kicks off with 'Non Stop' which is a straight up and funky peak time then pumper with bright chords and plenty of fun in the atmosphere, Cult keeps the energy high with 'Total Kill' and X Coast & DJ RaDa then offer the acid-laced and turbocharged bass stomps of 'Come Together.' LIL NASSTY then flips the script with some sleazy trap beats with menacing bars and futuristic synth patterns on 'Get It Up So' and DJ Pacifier shuts down with some high-speed ghetto-tech in the form of the relentless 'Fried Again.'

Review: Dynamic Reflection keeps up its impeccable run of form with a tasteful various artists EP featuring some innovative talents. Troy is first out of the blocks with the stripped-back and dubby techno energy of 'Yann' which locks you in with its loopy melodic riffs. Svarog & Ma-Gooch offers the much deeper and heady 'Spaces' with its groaning loops and super smooth linear drums. Luigi Tozzi follows a similarly economical path with the seductive bass and synth loops of the undulating and transcendental 'Haboob' which leaves Jonas Korbl to close out with 'Primal Grade.' Though still steeped in hi-fidelity sound design, this one hits harder with a more bulky low end and swinging bass.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The DJ Kicks series has managed to outlast the vast majority of other DJ mixes we can think of - the good, the bad, the populist, and the plain cash cow. Even the mighty fabric compilations have rebranded and rethought, bringing the original legacy, FABRICLIVE included, to a respectful end at 200 outings. Strange, then, to think, that !K7's mighty offering to the world of "What should we listen to at the afters?" has arguably managed to become more relevant as the years have flown by.

There was a time when the series existed at the lighter end of club fare, with some examples barely even matching that description. These days, though, there's often a dance floor heaviness central to the selections, with Jessy Lanza's broken, bass-driven set a case in point. Pointless attempts to describe the music, and lazy track list namedropping aside, this is energy-packed, heads down, futurist stuff packed with infectious percussion.