Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: High-octane experimental trance via freetek via hardcore from Hamburg collective Phantasia, with an absolutely flooring, walloping debut release. The fact that four different artists might each bring their own mood to the table and yet hear their respective sounds unified bespeaks the brilliant mastering job held down here: Dolomea's 'Augural' and Rupert Marnie's 'Elastic Thoughts' commit to a mutual sonic trustfall, one seeming to writhe about in rhythmically unpredictable fashion through pressure-cooked, rubber-ballistic acids, and the other rootling its 4x4 kick snout into floors down under. The B-side goes electro, culminating on the brilliant brainwash by Finona Rider, 'The Impact', a track haunted by the voice in its own head.

Review: London label Fourier Transform welcome back Rekab (James Baker) and label debuter Mre for 'Ace High'. 'Armadillos' rolls up its chassis for a serious exercise in minimal weight, reconstituting tuned percussions as it trundles along, while Rekab's 'Always Having Fun' posits an ideal life-mode: a steady, direct current of enjoyment, set to hedonically calculated beats. 'Climbing High' rebates the percussions for a subtle lark's ascent in deep acid, while 'Ace' complementarily descends across cross-rhythmic breaks and harmonies.

Review: SIKU's various artists offerings always result in a nice and varied sound across two sides of vinyl and the sixth such drop is another one worth of attention for techno heads. Onoffon opens with 'Matter What' which rides on raw drums with slapping hits and stark synths, while Sebastian's 'Dreams Metaphors' has a ghoulish energy and dark, twisted synth menace. Rufo brings some cosmic wonder and bleeping melodic sequences to 'Mr Wonderful' and Brian Topham's 'Expressive Dimension' is a straight up tool with burrowing leads.

Review: This electrifying release offers a compelling journey through futuristic and otherworldly soundscapes. Side-1 opens with 'Yeli Mtkiva', a demented, sci-fi-inspired blend of techno and electro, pulsating with eerie textures and mechanical rhythms. It's a track that feels ripped from a cyberpunk dystopia. Following it, 'Triponfish' shifts the tone with celestial melodies and shimmering chimes, underpinned by an acid-tinged groove reminiscent of The Exaltics' atmospheric craftsmanship. On Side-2, 'Derealize' introduces crisp production with subtle trance elements, creating a hypnotic flow that's both driving and ethereal. The closing track, 'Story About The Murderer', stands out with its narrative-like progression. It's a dark, cinematic piece, evoking the tension of a sci-fi thriller. Each track offers a unique layer to the record's overarching futuristic vibe, making this an enjoyable trek into outerspace.

Review: Sydney producer Will Regan has the task of serving up Xadenx Records's first ever vinyl release, and he doesn't fall short. His blend of storytelling electro and techno is both packed with detail to occupy your mind as well as coming with some fine, floor-ready rhythms for your feet. 'Haunted Quest' is a spacious one with searching pads to get things going, then 'Malevolent' has a frost synth texture and plunging bass that locks you into a steady rhythm. 'Overdrive' off-sets more pixelated synths and raw machine rhythms and last of all, 'Reverie' has a sense of impending doom that keeps you very much locked in.

Review: BeAvantGarde Records have been away for a while but now makes an always-welcome return with the underground favourite that is Riccardo. He does his usual do of serving up four tracks of spaced-out invention. 'In Space' opens up with nice warped bass and insistent synth stabs with jacked-up drums and perc. 'Frequency' then has a more bright and cosmic sense of mood as the drums slow down and lull you into their hypnotic patterns. There is plenty of snap and crispy bass to 'Timeout' with its searching lead synths and gritty baseline while last of all is 'Kalapas' which cuts are loose and has ragged rhythms and textures for a more arresting vibe.

Review: Motion Potion Records returns with a second release from the Australian label founded by Jono Xidias, Mehmet Alpdogan, and ritmiq. This collaborative project sees ritmiq teaming up with Lewba and Louis for the 'Signals' EP, a heady exploration of spacey club sounds. Standout track 'Transmitting From Space' (with Lewba) glides through cosmic synths, subtle breaks and hypnotic melodies so is sure to become a certified late-night burner. On the A-side, Louis and ritmiq deliver 'Interplanetary Prisoner' and 'Parallax,' which are both rich in mood and groove. ritmiq's solo cut 'Nebularae' closes the EP with high energy and dancefloor heat. Signals is a stylish, cosmic journey worth taking.