Review: The only known diplomatic dance musical dialogue between Leeds and Barcelona can be found in the cross-national collective MASS, whose principal aim is to connect the two cities as identified hubs of the next-gen dance musical underground. Here the personae grata in question are a crack team of trusted delegates, known by the respective codenames AS Groove, Driahn, Monile and Nikon; each artist-negotiator delivers their own firebrand sonic missive in quick, electrific unison, appeasing the collective ear through a four-point transmissive treaty. Either breaks-laden or bleep-laden sound is stipulated depending on which fine-print line you read and/or which finely-etched groove you play; only track four, 'Seismic', trigger the break(beats) clause.
Review: Batu and Nick Leon united for this surprise release late last year and it now arrives on lovely vinyl where it sounds sublime. The four-track EP blends Latin and UK club influences with a psychedelic twist on Batu's label, A Long Strange Dream which, since its 2023 launch, has gained recognition for pushing experimental club sounds of the highest order. 'Rezz' kicks off with shuffling tight percussive rhythms and 'Yiu' is more intense in its high-fidelity loops. 'Tuvan' is a minimal broken beat stepper and 'Palo' closes with some snappy Latin rhythmic invention.
Review: Blue Hour have dropped a couple of essential new 12"s this month and here is one of them. It's another of their famous various artist's collections, all with a focus on the deeper end of the techno spectrum. The eponymous Blue Hour kicks off with 'Afterglow' which has wispy neon synth trail and soft, rubbery drum and bass blends that take you into a cosmic sky. Dold's 'Warning' is more textural and raw with its percussion and synth energy and Steffi's 'Volley 5' is driving, dynamic, dubby techno for intimate basements. Newa's 'Seduction' is a psychedelic wonder to close.
Spectrums Data Forces - "Darkness In My Head" (6:04)
EC13 - "Profundo" (Interludio) (0:49)
Wicked Wes - "X1000" (feat Space Frogs From Saturn) (5:48)
Review: Granada's Cosmic Tribe know the definition of "electro" in its broadest sense; their new Xtrictly Electro comp keeps the dystopian sound endemic to the genre's most present incarnation, but refuses to restrict itself to one tempo: the standard 130-ish that has sadly infected the otherwise genius genre as a necessity. An international splinter cell of spec-ops and mercenaries are recalled from retirement here, as we hear Calagad 13, Nachtwald, EC13 and many more mechanoid ilk lay down all manner of slick utilities, making up a morbid multi-tool. 5zyl brings further lasery Lithuanian steeze on 'Vilnius Bass', whilst Spectrums Data Forces betrays the existence of a sinister corporate entity, whose business model works towards the object of instilling 'Darkness In My Head' through giant, killer mozzy basses.
Review: The Distorsion camp offers up its first sampler as a way of teasing you with the sort of quality sounds and artists it has on its roster. First up is a three-way collab between Citybox, Hankook & Orebeat whose 'Dangerous Changes' is an intense breakbeat workout for the peak time. Orebeat & Alex Clubbers keep the energy levels high and inject early 00s video-game style synths, Orebeat & Citybox keep it dark and raw with 'Gangsta' and Orebeat & JottaFrank laced up their thrilling breaks with acid lines and sleazy vocals on "Noche De Paris.' This is potent stuff for strobe-lit floors.
AudioChain - "Back To The Time" (Tm Shuffle Myotatuuli dub remix)
Celestial Sphere Aka Hirotaka - "Concept Depth"
Review: Swiss label Introspection Audio Limited hist 12" number five with some exceptional techno workouts from producers based in Switzerland, Finland and Japan. Each track delivers a distinct atmosphere and emotion, perfectly crafted for the dance floor. Alessandro Crimi's 'Always' keeps it deep, dubby and minimalist, Needless layers up delightfully smooth drums and dub chords and a Tm Shuffle Myotatuuli dub remix is frosted with icy static and chilly winds. Celestial Sphere Aka Hirotaka shuts down with a more textured and snappy dub tech vibe.
Review: Swedish label Borft has been digging in its archives again to assemble another volume of what it sees as its most classic cuts. And we don't disagree with these, which are taken from releases that originally landed between 1998 and 1999. Egglady's- 'Prinsessan Och Agget 1' is well-swung and deftly dubbed out with lovely analogue drum sounds cutting through. Nikolas Rowland's 'Headspin' is another smooth one with molten chords and a firm low-end drive. 'Puffy Nipples' from Kord is a wonky number with an unhinged charm and stomping groove that will stand out in any set while Crinan closes with the classy and raw house, dub and tech fusion that is 'Suit 61'.
Review: NECHTO launches its first vinyl compilation with a blend of fresh and familiar global talent from Italy, Croatia, Mexico, India, the USA, and Ukraine. The record includes six dynamic tracks that have already been tested by label head Nastia, such as Namhar's powerful track 'Run Baby Run,' and JNKS with the debut track 'Refill.' New faces include Italian producer Fabrizio Di Santis with '90128,' Croatian techno sensation Insolate with 'Go With U,' and Ukrainian talent Kichi Kazuko with 'Serpents.' Jay York rounds out the compilation with 'Go Back,' which marks his entry into the minimal techno scene with aplomb.
Review: Welcome back to Planet Rhythm where the techno is serious and the grooves compelling. Nachtwaker is behind this one and opens up with the deep and mind-melting 'Post' with its feeling of factory floor automation licking you in. 'Shiver' is another linear and dynamic deep techno cut with synth details peeling off the grooves and static electricity adding some edge. 'Withhold' (Arkvs remix) is more dark and edgy but still stripped back and economical and design and the original rounds out the EP with some nice dubby currents and textural percussion.
Review: Mental health charity label Serenity keeps it sophisticated with its sixth outing and once again donates all proceeds to charity this time Young Minds. It is underground house mainstay and DiY Discs legend Nail who steps up first with a much more breezy and balmy sound than you would expect but it sure is lush. 'Pad On' slips into his more usual and driving house sound but with swirling pads up top for summery refinement. Trixie, Connor Male & Thoma Bulwer then get deep and late night with their punchy 'Impromptune' while Trixie's solo cut 'restless sculptures' is a jacked-up and percussive number that leans into techno.
Review: By their standards, Berlin twosome Nap92 have been positively prolific this year. Having previously confined their output to a sole EP a year, this 12" marks their second of 2024. It is, of course, rather good, with the pair once again offering a collection of retro-futurist workouts that blend early 90s house sounds and late 90s tech-house tropes with plenty of ear-catching samples and agreeable melodic motifs. You'll find plenty of fine fare amongst the five tracks on show, from breakbeat house style opener 'Most Perfect' (where a squelchy bassline, floatation tank synths and eyes-closed vocal snippets catch the ear) and Clav-sporting garage-house shuffler 'Track 3', to the organ-rich MK goes tech-house flex of 'Laurent' and the fiendishly sub-heavy 'Body Body'.
Review: Silias Records welcomes Marko Nastic, a venerated DJ and producer from Serbia who could rightly claim to be one of his country's biggest underground electronic music exports. He brings peak time renegers here with tracks rooted in techno and tech such as 'Sour Pie' with its mechanical drum loops and rickety rhythms run through with blasts of electricity. 'Circuits' is smoother, deeper, more rounded in design and jazzy in melody. 'Que Rico Enrigo' is packed with well-designed sounds and a hint of Latin flair in the vocal sample and 'Clockworksx' shuts down with a thudding, persuasive and chunky tech sound with clattering percussion adding some texture.
Review: Barcelona's 22Recordings mark a curveball with Nativo's new release, moving away from their trademark darkness and ever further into playful and melodic, if still diatonic, sounds. Patently led by the drum machine and the step sequencer, the rising producer Nativo flexes their chops across five tracks of varying speed and tenacity, all of which cross between an intuitive pastiche of dark Italo on one spectral end, and pure outsider house music on the other. The mood is gruff but clownish; it's as if your local fairground had been overtaken by vampire bats and bloodthirsty goths. Closer 'Onivia' is the only moment of respite, bringing an impressive substrate of arpeggios to an overall final-shebang feel.
Review: FaF's Marseille-based label Durite has assembled another Various Artists compilation full of global soundscapes inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms on one side, while the other blends psychedelic Japanese and Chinese samples into trippy, atmospheric cuts. Italian producer Nativo balances deep house and electro with worldly flair, French artist Pagenty keeps ting dubby and slow with snaking leads and hiccuping drums. Fellow Frenchman Blinkduus Dischetto sparkles with raspy synth leads and celestial keys and Crane De Poule then serves up 'Lucky,' the clear EP highlight with its hurried Eastern Melodie and vocal samples over a clipped and tight tech beat.
Review: Vessel Recordings Group is a US label operated by Ira James and next up is Natural Rhythm aka the duo of Thomas White and Pete Williams. They have been working since the 90s on their own brand of house and as this EP shows it is stylish, rooted in tradition but full of contemporary designs. 'Jillybean' is raw, stripped back and perfect for backrooms. 'The Chase' is a slamming cut that pushes on with classic vocal samples twisted into something new, and great swing. 'Son Of Orange' is another lo-fi, high-class house sound with real weight and machine soul and 'Pocket Ops' closes out with dubby techno energy. A fantastic, no-frills EP to get this label underway.
Review: Navigare Audio proudly presents the long awaited remix-bundle of Ness' classic LP, released two years ago in 2023. Now, with a bang, comes an equally compelling atmospheric techno remix bundle from favourites and friends of the Swedish label. Five trance truncators of fantastic capability come our way from Hydrous, Dino Sabatini, Vladw, Kalumet and Mikkel Rev, all of whom revel in a sweet, Baltic-oceanic feeling, lent coldly and bracingly to Ness' already cryogenic, outdoorsy sound.
Review: Like a Michelin starred chef, Neurotron - an alias you would much more expect to come from the world of drum & bass given its semantics - mixes up just the right amount of serval different ingredients in this classy new EP. There is jazz, deep house, acid, techno, electro, dub and probably more. The opener is a deep one with lovely melodies, 'Alone' is a more club ready sound with smeared pads and acid, 'Hunting' bangs the box in Detroit fashion and 'Woodward' is a blissed out dub house groove that oozes charm.
Review: Eterno's third outing is as enticing as its first two. It's a pensive electro sound that managed to marry physicality with emotionality in perfect harmony. New Balaance is behind this one and opens with the serene, sweeping, widescreen pads of 'XTC' before 'v' rides on tighter, bumpier drums with swirling celestial melodies. 'Bacilica Cistern' explore a different rhythm with thudding kicks from techno and icy electro percussion floating through the cosmos as subtle signals beam down from distant planets. 'Multidimentional Beings' is a brilliantly ice-cold and funky closer with ambient smears and irresistible drums.
Review: Don't forget to put on your Anorax... A new retro-futuristic outing by veteran dance music exec Neil Rushton marks his latest configuration in techno, which has kept mutant ever since the DJ broke from his infamous, 1970s Northern soul label Inferno. If Inferno was a glittery bodysuit, Anorax is like blast-protective PPE. Here Rushton welcomes Mark Archer and Chris Peat aka Nexus 21 back to the fold. Emissaries of the Salford dance music circuit, Nexus 21 have always harked a frontier-scouring, centennial vibe in sound. Their latest release is reissued from 2008, though the Network Records original only cut it to B-side: 'Self-Hypnosis' is a semiconscious auto-state in sound, bringing jam-born orchestra-stabs and sprung synth toms to a strange brew. We're left spiral-eyed.
Review: There is such a great amount of force and weight to the techno served up here by Owen NI that it feels as though his kick drums could move whole mountains. Opener 'The Test Sequence' has mid-tempo but brutal drums with razor-sharp hi-hats, clipped vocal yelps and a lively siren style lead adding further intensity to this most muscular of warehouse tracks. The DX-9 remix layers up more balmy pads to soften the edges and the drums become a little more rounded and dubbed out, while the Arbilla remix takes things into paranoid afters territory. 'Wiggle Room' is a dubby, forceful and heady roller.
Review: Owen Ni invites us on a sonic exploration with this ten-track release, a journey through the realms of ambient electronica and deep listening techno music. 'Beyond Flyhigh' sets the tone, its expansive soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms drawing the listener into a world of introspection and wonder. The Raytek remix injects a pulsating energy, transforming the original into a dancefloor-ready odyssey. Elsewhere, tracks like 'Mover' and 'Arqs2600' delve deeper into hypnotic textures and intricate sound design, creating a sonic experience that's both arrestting and thought-provoking. 'We Are Here' and 'S7lverbox' offer moments of quiet contemplation, their delicate melodies and atmospheric soundscapes inviting a sense of peace and reflection. The release closes with 'Epilog', a fitting conclusion to this immersive journey through sound and emotion, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of wonder and possibility.
Marjan - "Desert Of Heart" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:35)
Artoush - "The Curse" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:22)
Review: Today's Youth is a collection of Ramtin Niazi's reworkings of some of Iran's best loved songs. Here the Iranian artist - and key component part of such storied Persian rave music groups as Ben & Jerry, Kahkli Cru and 1000PA - breathes fresh, shape-cut life into the music of Googoosh, Kourosh Yaghmaei, Marjan and Artoush, refitting them for the abandoned warehouse rave. This is a real eclectic record, taking after well-established dance styles like speed garage, jungle, and dembow, but each track is nonetheless arranged with a gauche left hand, so gauche as to abstract each one from its stylistic reference point enough to sound lytic: unmoored from any total obligation to their origins, be they Iranian or Western European.
Review: Zurich-based duo The Nightstalker, which consists of Dan Piu and Popshop aka Gary Rich, craft a fulsome musical world that delves into the darkness and offers a mystical allure. Following two acclaimed albums on Berlin's Childhood Intelligence, they return with Isoutopic Fantasia, a mini-album on World Wide Web Records. Featuring six tracks that blend danceable darkness with surreal and playful moments, Isoutopic Fantasia is a fine fusion of deep mystery and bizarre beauty. The music leads through a dreamlike realm where every beat surprises and melodies unfold into unexpected dimensions to create a hypnotic journey where light and shadow converge in perfect harmony.
Review: Nikolajev is an original pioneer of Tallinn's techno scene. He is back here on the Sad Fun label with two more of his bass-driven dance floor delights. First up is 'Lego Dub' which has no sharp edges and just silky synths, rolling drums and flanged up sounds that swell with warming intensity. On the flip side is 'Tongue Double' which slows things down and brings a little sense of funk next to some playful synth lines that wiggle about the mix and are underpinned by true low end menace, perfect for maximum volume on a sound system.
Review: Nitechord is an anonymous "ambient-tech duo" that impresses with this fine debut, Lume, which is a meditative exploration of the calmness and mystery of the night as distilled through mid-tempo rhythms and atmospheric whispers. These sounds were first submitted as a raw, uncredited cassette demo in 2002 and have hardly been changed from that state but for the mastering. Tracks like 'Reflect' and 'Near' blend shimmering guitar loops, sub-bass and subtle twangs over dancefloor beats. 'Dim' breathes with layered drones, while 'Absent' offers mournful serenity and last but not least, 'Carry' blossoms into orchestral harmony. A sublime soundscape.
Review: The second release from Diggers Society Records features NND, who is renowned for both his compositional talent and his skills as a selector. This EP is a real journey through NND's diverse musical landscapes and his rich musical background. The A-side is defined by dark atmospheres and deep, powerful rhythms. On the B-side, a track inspired by the iconic soundtrack of an '80s cult TV show shines bright and is followed by a celestial production that transports you to otherworldly realms while blending nostalgia with a modern techno touch.
Review: Vibes Addikt welcomes N.O.B.A into the fold for a new EP back with his powerful, emotional productions. In the past, he has earned support from top names like Amelie Lens and Charlotte De Witte, which gives you an insight into the sort of world she works in. This one opens with 'Shadows From The Darkness', an intense wall of techno that comes with a hypnotic remix by INIGMA who layers in some smart tech-trance vibes. 'The Unit' then delivers an acid-driven techno-trance groove while 'Sunset' brings a nostalgic 90s trance feel with uplifting melodies.
Imaginary Time (Gesloten Cirkel Keep Playing remix) (6:30)
Imaginary Time '99 (Revolutionary Industrial Trance mix) (14:48)
Review: Acoustic instruments played by Charlotte Bill, "disarranged" by Nigel Ayers, Nocturnal Emissions' Imaginary Time is as much of a landmark as it is a total obscurity. The album title itself references a theory prevalent in some approaches to special relativity and quantum mechanics, a representation of time also used in certain cosmological theories. It's not made up, or unreal, but expressed via imaginary numbers. We can understand where Nocturnal Emissions were coming from with this record back in 1997, then. A strange, beguiling percussive experiment that's at once linear and yet pretty obscure. Here presented with two incredible remixes - Gesloten Cirkel's pounding but fun techno take on things, and the misleadingly-titled 'Revolutionary Industrial Trance mix', a slow building amalgamation of drums and vibe - this is strange yet totally accessible business.
Review: Kumquat returns with their second release, his time a various artists' EP packed with sleek tracks perfect for all sorts of movers and shakers. Four standout artists from the legendary French party scene deliver an irresistible blend of wonk and bounce across four groovy cuts. Noiro keeps it slinky and minimal on 'Yougoslash' then Belic & Mani get more stark and twisted with their tech sounds on 'The Flow.' Rancel's sound is laden with a libidinous sax line over clipped and crisp beats and Paradise City Breakers close down with the future tech of 'Mentalist.'
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.
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