Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: This blistering four-track compilation from a Greek techno label Analogue delivers a no-frills, high-impact set of weapons designed for dark rooms and peak-time chaos. Hector Oaks opens with 'Formal Basica', a tribal bruiser built on relentless percussion and searing momentum, offering pure machine funk with a primal edge. Obscure Shape follows with "'My Muse Is On Vacation'. a grinding, loopy hard techno cut that broods and boils with menace, pushing the tension without ever losing focus. Flip to Side-B and Jerm's 'Forcing Function' plunges into industrial terrain, all metallic clangs and weighty kickdrums, evoking a brutalist rave landscape that never lets up. The closer is Endlec's 'Total Control' which is a deep, shape-shifting techno track that thrives on constant evolution. Layers rise and fall with precision, threading hypnotic sequences into a commanding whole. Each cut stands strong alone, but together they form a formidable combination of well produced techno tracks that can do damage.

Review: A compelling force in deep and dubby techno, Octal Industries were originally formed in 2004 by America's Michael Sickinger and Iceland's Jonas Thor Gudmundsson but are now helmed solely by Gudmundsson, also known for his ambient-leaning work as Ruxpin. This new three-track release blends his mastery of space, texture and restrained groove within the techno framework. Side-A features 'Arborea', a lush dub techno cut featuring Oxun. Airy pads and crisp percussion give it a floating quality, while the haze of reverb-drenched textures keeps things soft and enveloping. It's melodic and deep without ever pushing too hardilike watching light shift through morning fog. Side-B opens with 'Locked Down', a deeper, more rhythmic affair. Subtle, nearly inaudible vocal snippets flicker like shadows in the background, adding a layer of mystery. The track thrives on balance with its rolling bassline that supports delicate floating chords, creating a mood that feels expansive. Closer 'Alotook' steps away from the dancefloor entirely, offering a beatless ambient piece that serves as a gentle comedown. It's introspective and cinematic, reinforcing Gudmundsson's emotional depth as a producer. This release feels like a quiet triumph. Rich, detailed and deeply personal techno that rewards attentive listening as much as it does late-night sets.

Review: Recorded live on September 10, 1993, for BBC Radio 1, this set strips back the studio polish in favour of raw, surging energy, breathing new life into core tracks from their Brown Album era. Their explosive 1993 John Peel session was a broadcast that captured the UK rave pioneers at their most visceral and unfiltered. The versions of 'Lush 3-1', 'Walk Now...' and 'Semi Detached' found here are looser, leaner and more urgent. 'Lush' in particular throbs with a relentless momentum, shedding its original texture in favor of a tougher, more improvised drive. It's a perfect showcase of Orbital's gift for live manipulation, transforming structured studio pieces into kinetic, spontaneous soundscapes. This reissue boasts newly commissioned artwork by Intro and aligns with the legacy of the Peel Sessions as a proving ground for boundary-pushing talent. Critics and longtime fans have praised the EP for its intensity and fluidity, supporting Orbital's status as live innovators. Radio Sessions is a nostalgic artifact and a reminder of how thrilling and forward-thinking Orbital's sound was.

Review: SEXYRECS is back for round two with a selection of technoists all charged with firing up the floor. VNTM's 'May I' opens with booming kicks and unsettling tension. Jerm's 'Scar Tissue' is more in your face with ragged rhythms and lurking low ends that flow through the mix. Obscure Shape taps into his signature scintillating loop sound which is designed to suspend you just above the ground on 'What Connects Us?'. Last of all, Valentina Miceli ups the intensity with 'Fact One', which marries the urgency of early Jeff Mills with the low-end throb of Skudge. Four well-tooled weapons.