Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: Illegal Alien continues its 16th anniversary celebrations here with another volume, the fifth, of its limited edition Illegal Alien XVI series. Across all eight volumes once they are out there will be a total of 44 exclusive tracks and 46 great artists all tracing the evolution of techno over the last decade and a half. This edition is a superb one that fins plenty of innovation in techno, from the paranoid and warped synth energy of DJ Shufflemaster's 'Bizarre' to the tightly woven and intricate synth layers of Urban Groove's 'Aftertouch' via Unkle Fon's dry, stepped back techno funker 'Violet.'

Review: The most sought-after release from the entire Sounds catalogue, Gemini and Unit T's 1995 release, 'Sideburns', finally gets a much-needed reissue. A1 track, 'Trip', is a prime example of deep house if there ever was one. An infectious, encircling melody meets the deep groove of the bassline to create a finished product that is in equal measure sun-soaked and cosmic. 'B Trip', the A2 track, is a gloriously shifted, off-beat reimagining of A1, pummeling percussion reverberates across the track, left alone to enjoy moments where everything is stripped back, before the body of the track returns. On the B-side, 'Mystery Tones' arrives with the kind of groove that instantly makes its way across dancefloors - a unifying track that feels precise in its simplicity, whilst still retaining exactly the right degree of looseness to get a crowd moving. This is a must-have record for any deep house aficionados, and you can now save yourself the hefty Discogs price tag!

Review: Kulture Galerie is back with more wax and the third time proves a charm here with Doc Sleep, Rambal Cochet, The Jaffa Kid, Mesmerist, Jack Bags and Undsidedly all coming correct under the stewardship of label head Filippo MSM of Metropolitan Soul Museum. Cochet kicks off with some trance-infused prog techno, Doc Sleep offers jacked-up and analogue house, there is lithe cosmic tech from The Jaffa Kid and twisted machine sounds from Jack Bags, while Undsidedly's dreamy electro and The Mesmerist's peak time synth techno close down in style.

Review: Under Black Helmet is a Lithuanian artist with an intense take on techno that has helped him to establish a respected position in the modern electronic landscape. His latest outing on Tempio Omega kicks off with 'Breakage' which is built on solid, linear drums and tripped out with some rising synth scales that bring extra movement. 'Naughty Control' fizzes with static and flashes of acid then 'Grit' pairs things back to a more deep and dubby soundworld. 'Chatterbox' shuts down with more dystopian vibes and deep, supple techno rhythms.

Review: Undercurrent is an artist based in LA and a New Palm resident who shows his studio skills across a trio of new cuts here. 'Beliefs' is a loopy breakbeat roller with jittery rhythms that lock you into their loops and keep you there. 'No Data' is similar but more punchy, with real edge and drive in the breaks while fat bass stabs power things along from below. The same track then gets a remix from Charlie Edward that is more spaced out with searching synths and a more rubbery bassline. Last of all is a floating ambient cut that eventually has a jungle breakbeat rise up through the mix to take you into the next dimension.

Review: It has been three full years since we last heard from Unknown Assailant. Their debut EP came in September 2020 and offered four different techno cuts aimed at the club. The mysterious producer is now back on their own outlet with another four stylish offerings. 'Ancient Beauty' is all jacked up drums and mysterious chords. 'Isolated Mechanics' then keeps up the pressure with more raw percussive patterns and analogue drum sounds and 'Rude Awakening' layers in vast icy hi hats to dramatic and hypnotic effect. Last of all is 'How Has It Come To This', a dark and dubby, moody and minimal techno piece for 5am.

Review: The Unknown-Untitled gang is back with an eighth mysterious outing from the self-titled production outfit behind the label, whoever that may be. Again this is a limited edition 12" and again it is pure fire. 'rack 1' sounds like techno from a distinctly UK perspective, if you ask us - the bass drills deep, the synths fizz like static and chopped up vocal fragments bring the hype. The rest of the EP is a varied one that takes in clanging loop pieces, industrial tinged workouts like 'Track 3' and futuristic rhythmic explorations such as the tense, textured sounds of 'Track 5'.

Review: The Clergy label celebrates ten years in the game by serving up another of its vital techno sermons. This one comes with the sub-head 'Charlie' and sure is a charged-up various artists affair that kicks off with the anxious synth designs and nimble drum funk of USAW's 'Kokedama'. Red Rooms coats his beats in dusty and scruffy hi-hats on 'Imaginary Pleasures' while Bidoben gets more deep and eerie with the melodic howls of 'Mimic.' SLV's 'Ohne Sonne' keeps the tension levels high with paranoid synths peeling off an unrelenting groove and two further offerings explore more paired back sounds that tunnel deep into the future.

Review: MELMAK's new 12" is entitled All Stars: The Rave Years which gives you an idea of what to expect. These are high-tempo, dense and rave ready sounds from the drum & bass vanguard. There is plenty of space out cosmic energy to the exploratory leads of X Termal's 'Tragnal Kozze' then 'What If' (The Doulo Klan edit) is a tightly coiled stepper. Bugger lays down a hyper speed rhythm with drilling bass and slapping hits on 'No Silence Now' and Umbra's 'The Big Dumb' is a real slow-motion churner with textural synths and alien sound designs. All four are ready to get the party going in different ways.