Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: Needs' commendable charity drive continues to bring forth the goods, both in terms of good causes and world class club music. Rallying round in support of World Mental Health Day 2020, Shanti Celeste kicks the record off in style with the rapid fire, deep-diving workout 'Fantasma'. OCB keeps the pressure up with the psychotropic techno of 'RS3', while Michelle works up some delightfully freaky synths on playful jacker 'Aesthetic'. Bobby's 'Free Your Mind' is a 90s-tinged, full fat techno production indebted to Detroit, Peder Mannerfelt keeps things stripped and raw on 'Our Levels' and Yu Su weaves a beautiful tapestry of interweaving rhythms on 'Brittney'. Adam Pits' trippy techno sounds resplendent on 'Wind Tunnel' and DJ Sports completes the set with the inventive, dembow slanted funk of 'Needs Dub'.

Review: The Shot of T label serves up a versatile new split EP with CV Smiles kicking things off. A long, drawn-out and emotive synth opens up on 'Home-schooled' and comes layered with bubbly pads and serve effects that soothe the mind. Then comes a rap mix that is detailed with louche bars and more 909 production to make it pop. On the flip side, the masterful Porn Sword Tobacco flips the script with a gurgling, pulsing, deep and linear techno roller in the form of 'Techno Story' which is perfect for late-night sessions.

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: FXHE maintain their monthly heat emission for 2012, with label boss Omar S displaying all aspects of his production prowess (as well as skill for a humorous track titles) across four productions - one of which features the button bashing assistance of one Patrik Sjeren. There's something icily brilliant about the restrained "Income Tax Refund Dance" melding a dark piano riff with snapping 808 kicks and rippling lo fi rhythms which only further justifies the title of Omar S's killer 2011 LP. It's complemented by the far rowdier box jam "The White Castle Song" which jackhammers a simple yet highly flammable key riff over low rent percussion for FXHE's most potent ode to the perfect warehouse moment since the all conquering "Here's Your Trance..." Given the lack of additional info, we presume the Patrik Sjeren that produces the B Side "Untitled" track is the same Patrik Sjeren that released in the mid 90s under a multiplicity of aliases, and his contribution is every bit as incendiary as the track preceding it, whilst "3c 273" sees Omar S slip into pensive utopian electro mode with aplomb.

Review: The exceptionally named Panty Soaker Sound System bursts onto the scene here with a powerful debut EP on their own self-titled label. 'Hormones' marks the inaugural outing and is a track that ignites the floor while exploring self-empowerment and inner desires. It has picked up early praise from Honey Dijon and is a full-throttle and steamy, erotic house sound that is sure to become a bit of a winter anthem. The EP includes three acid-infused original mixes, followed by the Prosumer HorMoans Remix which is a dark stomper with prickly 303 lines and a heavy groove. For those craving a harder vibe, the LUXE Dark Room Remix delivers a broken-beat reimagining with high-energy that takes you to new heights.

Review: New Theo Parrish? Yes please. The Sound Signature boss remains in a class of one and continually finds new ground to explore in the studio, often taking a freeform jazz mindset to roughed-up house and techno that blends the mechanical with the soulful in otherworldly, hypotonic fashion. 'Orange Barrel Action (Yellow Flashing Light mix)' is very much in that mould with lumpy drums detuned and off-grid keys and hissing hi-hats all coalescing into something seductive and subversive. 'Pianamonn' is a deep house foundation topped with weird and wonky keys in inimitable Parrish style.

Review: Marcellus Pittman is one of the forefathers of the raw, gritty, lo-fi house sound that we so strongly associate with the Motor City. This EP for FXHE is a perfect case in point. It manages to be abstract and odd but also exude a human warmth and soul that is unlike anything you can get anywhere else. 'Nyrobi Knight' is a rickety drum workout infused with synth glows, 'Dirty' is depraved and dark and delicious and 'Cherry Lee' is dusty deep house with eerie vocals.

Review: Mother Tongue's 'Yellow Jackets' series is wilfully eclectic, meaning second-guessing what will be on the next release is nigh-on impossible, but undeniably essential. Put simply, each EP in the series so far has been nigh on essential. Happily, volume five is superb too. On side A, Detroit scene stalwart Marcellus Pittman does a superb job of reworking a cult classic - Belgian outfit Arbeit Adelt's 1983 post-punk masterpiece 'Death Disco'. His resultant re-edit emphasises the track's weighty, low-slung groove, mind-mangling electronics and weirdo noises, extending the intro and outro to allow DJs to ride the mix. Over on side B, Chicagoan genius Jamal Moss dons the Hieroglyphic Being guise and offers up a sublime slab of intergalactic excellence, peppering a deep, shuffling, distorted rhythm track with spacey electronics and shimmering, star-gazing melodies.

Review: A mesmerising blend of organic textures and synthetic precision, delivering a fresh take on techno and house. The title track, 'Upside Down', kicks things off with a clever nod to the glitch and microhouse era of the very early 00s. Its gorgeous melody and intricate layering make it both nostalgic and forward-thinking. 'Eyes Between Letters' follows with a deeper bassline and spacious, intricate production. Side-2 opens with 'Beyond Light & Shade', where Asian-inspired melodics weave seamlessly with a balanced blend of techno and house, offering a richly textured and emotive piece. Closing the EP, 'Complementary Senses' delivers profound depth, bringing an introspective quality to its lush production. A unique release tailor made for fans of innovative, boundary-pushing electronic music.

Review: The all-star team of the instrumental world, Polyplus, release a cover of 'Hi-Tech Jazz', a classic electronic jazz track and representative work of the project Galaxy 2 Galaxy, first put forth by Mad Mike's Underground Resistance. As for the choice of cover, the Tokyo jazzdance quartet have chosen well; while they've only gone and done it - reinterpreted Mike's timeless club masterpiece with a full band sound - they refuse to sacrifice any danceability or DJ mixability, doing full justice to the term "hi-tech" despite the freehanded naturalism. Also coming backed by the original B-sider 'Wake Me Up', 'Hi-Tech Jazz' heralds Polyplus' upcoming tenth anniversary album, Cosmic, as well as a jet-setting tour spanning Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.

Review: Given their famously militant approach to music formats, it's a surprise to see Paranoid London's previously vinyl-only 2014 debut album finally being issued on CD. For those who missed out first time around, it's well worth checking. As you might expect, it makes great use of both vintage analogue equipment and similarly old skool influences, in turn doffing a cap to Phuture-style Chicago acid, Inner City, hip-house, Green Velvet, Dance Mania style ghetto-house, and stripped-back, dancefloor-friendly machine soul. Despite the ragged nature of some of the material, it's both hugely listenable and hangs together impressively - no mean feat given the DJ-friendly nature of the tracks. It all adds up to a retro-futurist treat.

Review: Back in 2021 Adam Pits heralded the start of the On Rotation label with his own debut album, A Recurring Nature. Now he's back with a follow-up which finds him stretching out as an artist ever more - a fact which is absolutely evident from the gorgeous ambient swathes of opening track 'Lost In The Ether'. Even when the drums kick in on 'Sleepless', they're more tilted towards fragmented patterns and organic tones rather than rote drum machine sounds. There's space for peppier electronica and steppy heads-down gear, but throughout Pits imbues his sound with the richest synthesis imaginable. In that sense, you can track the path of development from his earlier work while enjoying the adventurous new terrain he's exploring as an artist.