Review: Some six years after debuting via a deliciously angular and energetic EP from Jaquarius and Mono-Enzyme 307, the Acid Avengers imprint notches up release number 20. Like most of the label's EPs, it's a multi-artist affair. Sometime Balkan Vinyl and Bass Assault artist Acidulant handles side A, bouncing between rushing, piano-sporting 1992 hardcore revivalism ('Super Rave'), sub-heavy deep electro haziness ('Save The Last Rave') and throbbing, arpeggio driven trance/breakbeat techno fusion ('Hauz Trax'). Voiron, who last graced the label back in 2016, takes over on the flip. The Paris-based producer first fuses glistening, spacey melodies, twisted acid lines, post-electro beats and dirty bass on 'Bon Kick Voiron', before opting for deep acid house on 'Digital Voiron Workstation' and atmospheric, Orbital-meets-'90s tech-house on 'Sugar Voiron'.
Review: Basel-based experimental labels Amenthia Recordings and A Walking Contradiction join forces for their first collaborative release here in the form of the Flash Crash/Hack Crash EP. Both labels are known for pushing boundaries within their close-knit creative circles and this one features Agonis' heavy stepper and Konduku's whirlpool of low frequencies on the Amenthia side, while Lemont continues the low-end, tripped-out vibe. Varuna represents A Walking Contradiction and delivers swampy, slow-motion sounds in their signature style. This release embodies both labels' commitment to daring, unconventional electronic sounds.
Review: Statica's debut release, 'M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly', showcases the label's dedication to serving up diverse techno sounds. This split EP, STATICA001, opens with two intense and dancefloor-ready bangers by the prolific Central Intelligence on the A-side, and both are packed with visceral drum energy and synth unpredictability. The B0side features Madrid-based Victor Reyes, who delivers two reflective but also emotionally charged 4/4 workouts that create a compelling contrast that embodies Statica's "Forces in Equilibrium" ethos. Inspired by the unique butterfly-shaped nebula Minkowski 2-9, this release is a fresh and impactful fusion of power and sensitivity.
Review: The cultured ESHU label has pulled other some more tasteful talents for this four track 'Conrexture' EP. It opens up with Julien Fuentes's 'Jah Justice' (Klaridub Ambient mix) which is a nice atmospheric opener with some conscious dub mutterings and sci-fi pads. Jocelyn & Yasin Engwer then kick on with some watery, sub-aquatic minimal dub tech bliss in the form of 'Sticks & Stones', Voal gets even more dark and dirty with some grubby dub basslines on 'Eight Ball' and Ivano Tetelepta/Christine Benz layer up watery droplets, melodic whistles, static electricity and rubbery rhythms to mind-melting perfection on 'Supreme.'
Review: A label's first release is always a big one which hints at what to expect in the long term and for that reason Introspective debuts with this new five track compilation. They say that "Instinctive Senses is a compilation focusing on precise and cutting sonorities." We say it is a fresh techno offering with plenty of interesting details. Grafin drops 'Vespers' which is tightly looped and quick as hell then SDB & B2 get more dark, heavy and gritty on the twisted 'Reunite.' The flip side kick off with more rough and ready hard edged techno from Specific Objects, sleek tribal loops from Versus on 'Those Things' and Nano Rinnegato gets paranoid and revs up the sirens on 'Ghetto K.'
Review: Molekul's 11th outing is a various artists' affair with each of them exploring high-impact techno with a retro bent. JKS's 'Express Yourself' is a video game soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic shoot-em up. "Bad Boy" Pete brings dark and driving breakbeats infused with fierce stabs on 'Champion Sound' and Jacidorex brings some warped acid lines to the ever ascending and tightly stacked 'Extinctor.' Vikkei shut down with 'E Fallo Uno', which is an update of a manic hardstyle sound with caustic synths running a mock. Pure dance floor carnage, this.
Review: The Blue Hour crew have put together this classy four-track various artists EP to round out their year in style. Spekki Webu's 'Cycleon' is the busy opener with silky, punchy breaks and melon-twisting pads up top. DJ Ibon's 'Slug Knife' is more hard techno in vibe with flat, unrelenting drums. LDS's 'Ere Audio' (vinyl edit) keeps that hard style coming with drilling bass and glitchy synths over looped drums that lock you into a hypnotic rhythm. Vel's 'Tunnel' then brings a punishing techno sound to close with all sorts of freaky sounds scurrying throughout the arrangement.
Review: Van Boom shows a talent for blending dark, atmospheric tones with experimental soundscapes here while working with artists like whiterose, Safety Trance and Evita Manji on an album that explores themes of emotional vulnerability and transformation. The opening track 'Nuborne' sets the tone with its haunting, immersive sound, followed by 'Untethered' with the ethereal vocals of whiterose. 'Polished Wounds' and 'Object Mapping' delve deeper into intricate textures and layered compositions. It sounds great and looks good too on limited edition smokey clear vinyl.
Review: Belgian-born, Vietnam-based innovator Peter Van Hoesen returns to the fore here with a daring four-track EP that dives deep into experimental techno. Known for his precision and intensity, Van Hoesen lives up to that as he crafts a cerebral yet visceral journey through chaotic structures and abstract rhythm. From the hypnotic disarray of 'Definition by Absence' to the stormy turbulence of 'Variables Edit 1,' each track embraces unpredictability without forgetting the floor. 'Prime Directive' disorients with anti-club energy, while 'Morphology' offers a slightly more grounded groove that gives form to his conceptual explorations. Fearless stuff as ever from big Pete.
Review: The second release from ISOTOOP features Vand's solo venture across three introspective tracks, each of which is drawn from his live repertoire. They all explore various facets of the dancefloor with 'Futureshock' starting with a solitary groove that sets a foreboding yet self-assured tone. 'Gaze' combines sharp snares, wobbly atmospheres and shadowy bass to create a minimalist dub vibe and the final piece, 'Trialism,' blends gravity with grace atop a syncopated drumline. Natural.electronic/system's remix of this closer enhances it with loop-based hypnosis. Very useful EP, this one.
Porter Brook - "Three Things You Can Watch Forever" (5:58)
Ayu - "Light & Reflection" (4:51)
Atavic - "Subconscious" (5:30)
Tammo Hesselink & DYL - "Accent Award" (5:10)
Plebeian - "Gowanus" (5:05)
Review: Aaron J's Sure Thing kicks on towards its tenth release with a superb new 12" packed with fresh techno jams. Myriad different mods, grooves and tempos are on offer here starting with the puling rhythmic depths of Vardae's 'Pahlevan' then moving on to Kick21's 'Bright Interface', a dark and haunting low-end wobbler. Atavic's 'Subconscious' is a heady one with ambient cosmic pads over deeply hurried, supple rhythms then while Tammo Hesselink & DYL combine to mesmeric effect on the carefully curated broken beat brilliance of 'Accent Award.' A forward-thinking EP for sure.
Review: Greek producer Stelios Vassiloudid has been making techno moves since the turn of the millennium under a range of different aliases. Here he appears as himself with four supercharged dub techno cuts for Dubwax. 'Lie In Wait' is a really tight, taught affair with pinging kicks and icy hi-hat ringlets. 'MIA' is more warm and vibes with a soulful core and underlapping bass waves. There is a more minimal and abstract sound to the curious dub bumps of 'Reverse Engineer' that encourage you to be at your most fluid. 'Grains' shuts down with grainy lo-fi pads, vinyl crackle and sparse kick that soundtrack an underwater jaunt. There is plenty of subtle variation to these rhythms which makes it a dead handy dub EP.
Review: Midway through 2021, Sven Vath delivered his first single in well over five years, the squelchy, warming and melodious goodness of 'Feiern'. Here he begins 2022 in style via a two-track missive that's every bit as rushing whilst opting for a more abrasive, angular and foreboding sound. 'Mystic Voices' is particularly potent, with its combination of panicked TB-303 acid motifs, throbbing electronics and emotive chords recalling the majesty of Orbital circa the Brown Album. Flipside 'Butoh', meanwhile, is a much more hushed affair, with long, atmospheric ambient build ups dropping into dark techno grooves, pots and pans percussions and more high-register, Orbital style electronic flourishes.
Review: Pomelo is one of the longest serving pillars of the ever inventive Austrian techno/electronica community and the fact It's never had the profile of a Cheap or Mego doesn't mean it's not responsible for some of the country's most exciting and most maverick material. Austria's trademarks are a general and laudable ignorance of current fads, an irresistible groove-ability and an indefinable flair in executing their ideas and the four cuts have all three of those properties in heaps. The newest addition to the Pomelo roster is Spanish talent Vedelius, who delivers the late night burner 'The Crypt' here before turning it over for a rolling breakbeat version by Phosphene, jacking techno by Lodig/Dibek and a dubbed out electro-techno stepper by Lok44.
Review: Jersey City-based Jorge Velez has long been one of the US underground's most revered figures to those in the know. Largely predating the current fascination with lo-fi analogue productions, something shown on the excellent MMT Tape Series compilation which delved into his early archives, his work as Professor Genuis on Italians Do It Better and Thisisnotanexit was followed by the conceptual Hassan LP on L.I.E.S. which provided a soundtrack to an imaginary film based on a shadowy Middle Eastern cult formed in the 11th century. Here Velez return to Ron Morelli's stable with Territories, a six-track LP that passes through "menacing drones to EBM influenced floor tracks to Sakamoto-esque melodic experiments," with a "distinct atmosphere suitable for home listening or adventurous club play." Even for those who are familiar with the odd structures Velez creates with his hardware, this is a wild trip worthy of much closer inspection.
Review: Colombian producer JP Lopez aka Verraco delivers full-throttle techno gritted up with grime influences on his new 'Basic Maneuvers' EP for Tra Tra Trax, the label he co-founded. His offbeat, chrome-plated and heavy style has been heard on Blawan's Voam and Batu's Tiemdance before now and here Verraco blends Latin club energy with signature rhythmic invention. The title track drives with mind-melting techno and ragga-infused bass, while 'Total' fuses gqom and dubstep with holographic vocals inspired by Arca. The grime-tinged 'Sobe Sobe' features Ugandan MC Yallah over Orbital-like pads and gritty, Coki-style midrange. Verraco's genre-blurring mastery knows no bounds.
Review: The ever-versatile Dutchman that is Versalife returns with more of his artfully crafted techno fusions, this time for the Spanish label Apnea. 'Colorvi' kicks off with a jumbled of glistening synth lines, tumbling arps and bristling drums that awaken every sense in your body. 'Omen Observer' has a darker underlying bassline but still gets lit up with sparkling keys that dart about the mix. 'Prophetic Traces' keeps the energy levels up with more fresh broken beat workouts and glowing, pixel-thin synths while 'Out Of Ether' shuts down with a fourth and final electro-techno fusion with an acid and squelchy bassline.
Review: Versalife is one of the many aliases of prolific Dutch producer Versalife. It is where he explores electro in meticulous detail and this new Technofeudalism 12" is as good as it gets. 'Cataclysm' kicks off with a deft and broken beat rhythm, celestial chords and eerie little melodic details that keep you on your toes. 'Intrusion' is darker and more direct with a menacing bassline. 'Syndicate War' ups the ante once more with more energetic rhythms and jagged synths flashing across the face of the tune while 'Axon Terminal' is a moody closer with bittersweet melancholic in the pads.
Review: Achingly Responsive is the label run by UK-based Vertical Cat. Amazingly, it started in 2002, but put out only two EPs in the next two years. After one in 2020, now it is back once again with some stunning new material from label head Dan Arthure which again has us swimming in deep house, acid, downtempo, dub and techno waters. His silky sounds take in the high speed techno catharsis of 'Parole', crunchier bumps of 'Luna' and warm, progressive styles of 'Papaver' while 'Moss (Electro Origins mix)' closes in dreamy deep space electro fashion.
Review: End Of Perception welcomes Italian label head and Acquario resident Viels for a first solo outing that is all about peak time techno with a meditative energy and strong mental imagery. These sounds sit well with those from country peers like Nuel and Donato Dozzy in that they are linear, loopy and full of spectacular sound design. 'Sospiri' is a swampy and dubby sound that is always shapeshifting, 'Movimenti Tellurici' is more intense and sounds like being trapped in a factory during peak production hours and 'Incompleti' has a deep space pulse. 'Destino' pairs thudding hits with synths that encircle you and lock you in the here and now.
Review: Viikatory teams up with Source Material for a new 12" that builds on her recent work with Mechatronica, UTTU, and Trust. This time out she delves deeper into electro, techno, and beatless tracks and showcases a knack for laying down intense kicks and extreme bassline modulations. 'Leave' is a crisp and punchy opener with ghoulish synth energy, but the more wonky and roomy 'Deceptive Mind' with its low-slung and sleazy beats is a standout for us. A fine EP overall that is ready to rock the club.
Review: Portuguese talent Vil has established himself at the forefront of the scene with music on Hayes, Klockworks, and Planet Rhythm. Now he unveils his first full-length album on Dolly's TS series with 'Birds Of Prey' which serves up raw, percussive grooves, distinctive house and techno elements and refined Detroit-inspired elegance. Across eight tracks, Vil proves himself to be quite versatile while serving up an immersive trip to the heart of the dancefloor while transitioning between deep, melodic, uplifting moments and darker, boundary-pushing beats. Vil's ability to balance energy, emotion and innovative soundscapes really shines through here.
Review: Caricia Records launches with a debut release from longtime collaborators and techno-faves VIL and CRAVO, who have been refining their signature sound through years working with the Portuguese Hayes collective. After killer outings on labels like Monnom Black and Klockworks, they deliver a precise yet characterful EP here. Opening track 'So Right' locks you in with rolling percussion and hypnotic vocals, setting a controlled mood. Then '420% FODA' grooves with classic swing and textured loops made for full-body movement. On the B-side, CRAVO's 'Future Detroit' brings a spacious, subtle vibe, while VIL's 'Hard to Find' closes with more unrestrained and mischievous energy. A focused, no-nonsense statement.
Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F (Priori remix) (5:45)
Review: Wherein Dutchman Vincent lays down a heartfelt study of the soul entitled 'Pre Melancholy'. His findings are as follows... Before the melancholy one can expect a wave of emotions and pressures, all of them ingredients for a tumultuous storm that flies in a whole flurry of directions. Technoid drum & bass causing anxiety with every rolling fill ('Mono No Aware'), timeless breaks triggering moments of unsolicited joy ('Agent Of Distraction') and spacious leftfield that's so disarming and abyssal that it comes in two forms ('Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F'). Embrace the melancholy.
Review: The always rock-solid Rawax delivers once more here with a new addition to their family in the form of Vinyl Speed Adjust, a top duo with fresh sounds. 'All About Us' is their label debut and it pens with the percussive clatter and plunging, low-slung bass of 'Spill The Beans'. 'Psykovsky' is more stripped back and eerie with deft pads and sub-bass making for a cavernous and inviting sound and 'Chasing The Dream' then brings snappy snares and rugged bass funk. 'Where The Fields Never End' shuts down with menacing low ends and haunting atmospheres for marching dancefloors.
Review: Interdance impressed with its first couple of forays onto wax and now its third release packs in more fresh talent from South America's underground. On the A-side, Buenos Aires' Vinz delivers two standout tracks: 'Instinto,' a raw, trance-tinged techno trip straight from 1992, and 'Transradio,' which is a cinematic journey with pounding drums and acidic synth lines burrowing deep. Flip to the B-side for Uruguayan producer Juan Dairecshion's deeper, more hypnotic sound on 'Rebel Rebel,' which rides a steady four-on-the-floor pulse, while 'UR Love' dives into murky, Detroit-inspired territory with eerie vocals and twisted melodies inspired by the group name-checked in the title. A bold, mind-bending four-tracker built for serious late-night floors.
Review: As well as serving up a mighty fine new 2 x 12" on Radio Slave's Rekid this summer, UK techno titan Mark Broom has also assumed his Visitor alias (along with Dave Hill) for this remastered reissue of their Basement Life EP on D1 Recordings out of Ireland. 'Model Two' opens up with a deeper than usual sound that is peppered with nice heady melodic phrase and smeared chords and on the flip 'The Last Time' cuts loose on a broken beat with crispy hits and lunching bass that draws you in time and time again.
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.
Review: Melbourne, Australia's Southern Lights is back with a vengeance. Their eleventh release is by hometown hero Craig McWhinney aka Vohkinne, who presents three excursions into the more hypnotic fringes of techno on the Set Theory EP. 'Infinite Space' is a tunnelling and mental strain of the genre which will appeal to fans of Mike Parker or Ness, receiving a pummelling rework by Berlin's Denise Rabe up next who takes the track into deep space territory. Over on the flip, there's the punishing and austere fury of 'Goliath' and the strobe-lit frenzy of 'Traversing The Messier'.
Review: Memento Records presents this gem from French producer and DJ Voiron who is a rising talent in techno. The new EP showcases a vision for blending acid, rave, hardcore, ghetto and hard house influences. This one opens with the energetic title track with driving acid sounds, while the 90s-inspired 'Voiron Mania' takes you back to the old school, the breakbeat-heavy 'Donjon Et Voiron' is for the peak time and the dreamy, experimental 'D'Or Et De Voiro' offers a nice different sound. Fun fact, alongside Voiron's work as a producer, he is also a cartoon designer.
Review: Orlando Voorn has always been said to provide a link between the techno scenes in Detroit and Europe. His sound certainly blends the best of both worlds and this new one on Kompack is another fresh offering packed with personality. 'No Cellphones' has flashy synths and clap-laden drums to get your hips swinging, 'Raise The Bar' layers up pixelated melodic rain that sounds like a beautiful fax dial tone and 'Tech IQ' takes the same almost 8-bit melody synth and has it freewheel over mid-tempo drums. 'Swingtech' closes with some nice string elegance and deep beats.
Review: Orlando Voorn's back catalogue is up there with many of his arguably more trendy American peers. This sixth outing from the "Classics" division of Nocturbulous Records backs that up by offering some such gems. 'Tronics' and 'Hydrotech' have been remastered and ew repressed for the first time here while 'Alien Interferences' and 'Need For Speed' have never before made it to wax. All four showcase the Dutchman'sstylish blend of supple techno drums and soulful machine sounds. 'Need For Speed' in particular is a fantastically warped stepper with myriad trippy sonics raining down the face of the broken groove.
Review: Strap in for this latest transmission from the fledging French label Loud Pressings. It's a straight-up techno offering with two killer jams from Vromo. 'Jack'd' is a lot of simple things done well - linear drums with a smart design and dusty texture, driving bass that never quits and well-used classic vocal samples to add a little flair while the dubby chords pan about the mix. 'Bodywork' is just as seemingly simple but hard to pull off - a convergence of loops that bring together muscular drums, funky bass, core claps and synth stabs that add some electricity to a classic, timeless techno weapon.
Review: Dutchman David Vunk returns to his Moustache label with the Backdoor EP, which is a powerhouse concoction of electro, EBM, acid and techno in true bunker style. The 12" features gritty, all analogue-produced cuts like the hefty 'Purple Light,' more bright and melodic stomper that is 'K2' and gurgling, swampy, depraved 'Tornado Acid'. 'Stop the Insanity' is a crackerjack of pinging toms and rickety drum machines backlit with synth warmth, all crafted in his basement studio by the harbour and mastered by the master, Alden Tyrell. These are sounds that are ready to storm speakers but do so with plenty of narrative and emotional nuance.
Review: Leon Vynehall has made himself into one of electronic music's most intriguing artists. From club bangers to soul jams, working with choirs to intricately stitched together DJ mixes, he can seemingly do it all. Now he's back with a new single that is "directed squarely at soundsystems". "I Cavallo" offers up something dark and intense that explores a "dissonant and psychedelic corner" of Vynehall's sound alongside a "ClubFront" mix of the track on the flip. Whichever version you pick, it will draw you right in for the duration.
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