Techno (Alles) charts

Review: Pangaea's latest album Changing Channels comes a notable seven years after his debut, In Drum Play, and again hears the Hessle brain lay down a whopping demo in dance histrionics. Made in a period of oscillation - between international DJ sets and holidays of downtime and r&r - we get the impression of a remarkably clear-headed album, with the production crisp, and the choice and placement of samples neat. On this 12", we hear the LP's first part, with the no-fuss garagey 'Hole Away' and the stabby 'Changing Channels' piquing particular interest.

Review: We're always glad to hear new material from undisputed dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan. This new one on his own Mosiac label finds him facing off with Paul Simmons on a pair of deliciously deep cuts. 'Inner Glow' is given the whole of the A-side to make its mark and it does - with a slightly more soulful sound than you might expect. Rather than pure heads down underwater deepness, it's got a heart warming vocals hook and brighter chord vamps over the signature drum smoothness. 'Still Burnin''is a quicker cut with more radiant chords and a soulful spirit, then a Bluespirit dub of the a-side zones things out nicely.

Review: The second salvo on Further Electronix's Shakesphere sub-label comes courtesy of Charles Green, a producer of underground techno and electro previously best known for his releases on Four Triangles and Hardgroove. His trademark style - forthright, energetic and often intense - comes to the fore on EP opener 'Edit Generation', a slamming slab of warehouse-ready techno-pump rich in beefy kickdrums, creepy sounds and loopy late-night riffs, and can also be heard on 'Mind Restore', which sounds like a wholehearted tribute to rave-era techno (all fizzing melodic riffs, deep bass and sweaty drums). Over on side B, 'Resolve Jam' is a more sci-fi flavoured techno joint, while 'Solus' is a gorgeous fusion of echoing dub techno motifs, broken techno drums and glassy-eyed electronics.

Review: Revelation - not the 70s soul and disco group but in this case, the short-lived house duo from New York City - dropped just three EPs and this was the second one from 1990. 'Synth It' is a mix of sounds with phenomenal synth work. The poised techno chords are balanced with electro roots and a squelchy acid line then you get a weird and wonderful bleepy dub trance sound on 'First Power (Domination Dub).' It is loved up and very special. Add in two other fine versions and you have a killer reissue here.

Review: Last year, someone set up an online petition calling for Warp to re-release The Other People Place's brilliant Lifestyles Of The Laptop Cafe album on wax. Happily, Warp has responded to the strength of feeling from electronica fans - most of whom bristled at the high online prices for second hand copies - and re-pressed it. Drexciya man James Stinson's 2001 solo set remains a timeless electronic classic; a perfectly pitched and immaculately produced fusion of downtempo electro rhythms, spacey electronics and twinkling synthesizer melodies. In fact, you'll struggle to find a better electro album full stop, making this reissue an essential purchase for anyone not lucky enough to own an original copy.

Review: SIT, short for Sideways Invisibility Theory, is the collaborative project of Vlad Caia and Cristi Cons. As two scene leaders of the Romanian minimal phenomenon, both artists have proven over many years to have a unique vision for creativity and fresh approaches in what can be a homogenised scene. Of their many achievements, on their Amphia label as much as elsewhere, this album on Sushitech stands as one of their finest moments. As with all the best Romanian minimal, it's also still hotly in demand, making it a welcome addition to Sushitech's 15th anniversary pressing marathon. From dub tech laced rollers to gossamer-light trippers, this is the classiest end of the minimal tech house game from two artists with the vision to push things a little bit further.

Review: Overmono have become real techno darlings in the last two years. And rightly so - they have served up a fine run of EPs in that time which now brings us to their debut album Good Lies. They are also an award-winning live act who have brought new energy and invention to techno as well as a next level grasp of sound design. As such the pair are two of the most revered artists in the UK with a hardcore fan base who pack out their every gig. They will find plenty to love here on an adventurous record that features all the hallmarks you would expect of this duo as well as plenty of freshness.

Review: Released in 2002 as the Drexciya project was forced towards an untimely finish with the passing of James Stinson, Grava 4 remains a high-point in the legendary Detroit electro pioneers' catalogue. As ever, the magic of the record lies in the balance between experimental, provocative sound design and fully physical, instinctive machine funk. Stinson and Gerald Donald were able to say a great deal within the parameters of their project, and Grava 4 remains leagues ahead of what most people think electro can be. Just marvel at the likes of 'Gravity Waves', which feels like the truest representation of the genre without ever following a pre-existing formula.

Review: A new project based out of Copenhagen - Aether's Spring comes shrouded in mystery but makes a bold statement with this first transmission. WATER: Dancing Moon 12" leads in with "House In Blue Rain," a downcast track bathed in melancholic pads and blown out percussion around a steady 4/4 tick. "Dancing Moon" is a more kinetic affair that works with all kinds of synth shapes alongside some primal drum machine percussion that lends the track a new wave quality that suits it just fine. Closer "Throne Of Clay" spreads across the B side in a brooding, journeying epic fit for the likes of classic James Holden or a more wave-minded Jon Hopkins.

Review: A hard to find sci-fi Detroit techno classic - it's featured everywhere from Marcel Dettmann to Zip's SW sets.- gets a timely reissue complete with a new, super solid Delano Smith remix. It's hard not to love the original in all its futuristic glory, led by a sturdy four-to-the-floor pummelling but boasting a throbbing neo-disco bassline - imagine a lost Gorgio Moroder classic being remade by Jeff Mills in PurposeMaker mode. But the Delano Smith remix updates it for modern palates, ironically by delving back even further, to the early 70s model Kraftwerk from whom he borrows some very austere but classy synth sounds and a touch of electro syncopation. Take your pick according to mood, they both do the job admirably.

Review: Casino Classix is one of several aliases for legendary minimal man Baby Ford. Here it is also the name of a four-track EP that finds the long time UK underground operative working alongside fellow British techno luminary Mark Broom on a quartet of devastating cuts. 'Ringer' opens up with some dark and nimble baselines darting about beneath a dense layer of percussion and FX. 'Hoppa' is then a more precise and minimalist cut with wonky bass snaking down low beneath the icy hi-hats and jumbled toms. There is a warm dub depth to 'Hot Pot' to kick off the flip and 'Beach Club' shuts down with a restless mix of synth daubs and deft percussion over an ice cold groove.

Review: Steve O'Sullivan invites a trio of artists to lay down some serious head nodding beats for 'Rhythm Method Vol.4'. Calling on one of Canada's trusted talents and solid purveyors of deep grooves Jay Tripwire leads the charge with 'Mung Bean Medley'. There's simply no messing: pushing through a taught rhythmic workout, incessant toms and metallic tones etch deep into the mood - awash with dubbed out atmospherics and crafty touches that more than a give a nod to the dark house dubs of yesteryear. On the flip, 'Hidden Sequence' inject their creative flex, demonstrating the all important art of minimalist bounce with 'Synchro'. The kind of fully swung beats and tripped out twinges that brighten the groove more often than not when 7am comes calling. The svelte bustle and soothing tones of 'Makka' from Fletcher by contrast, soothe the mind and leaves plenty of room to kick back as weary limbs take their toll: a fine tonic indeed.

Review: Carcass Identity are Matthieu Levet and Ernesto Gonzaalez, two heroes of the Brussels underground for over 10 years. Following up their 2018 debut for Bologna-based label Random Numbers, the duo present their next collaboration for Glasgow's Phase Group which once again infuses dub electronics with cosmic and psychedelic influences. Tracks such as 'Things To Forget' explore freefall tribal trance, while the contorted techno derivatives heard on tracks such as 'Freedom Principle' or the meditative polyrhythmic futurism of 'Desultory' were highlights. Highly recommended for fans of slo-mo ritual techno in the vein of Black Merlin or Vactrol Park - tip!

Review: There is a great selection of reissues of Future Sound of London's back catalogue going on right now. It goes all the way back to 1988 when they first started chaining the game with their forward facing electronics and mix of rave, breaks, hardcore and ambient into something utterly fresh. It still resonates today, hence these reissues, and this one is a 25th Anniversary edition of Accelerator. This one was, at the time, seen as the group's most "commercially-minded" album but that takes nothing way from its visionary sonics and immersive sonic landscapes.

Review: Third part of Gary Martin and Yossi Amoyal's DET project. Re-issue of proper wild mid-90's Gigi Galaxy classics - Killer 12"

Review: Ever the enthusiastic collaborator, Steve O'Sullivan follows up the first volume of his Dimensions series on Sushitech with another eight stunning partnerships which read like a who's who of contemporary techno. The artists invited span a fair range, from established legends like Mark Broom and Steve Rachmad to inspiring newer artists including Exos and Soela. The whole release hangs together naturally as O'Sullivan's signature dub techno touch slips in amongst the approaches of his chosen sparring partners. From nervy immersion heaters to starry-eyed reveries, this is sophisticated modern techno at its finest, with every track precision engineered to work in the club and take the crowd somewhere very special indeed.

Review: Following on from last year's impressive Redlight debut, Scott Hess is back on his Adeen label with another selection of warm and inventive house cuts splashed with colour and analogue wobbles precision-engineered to catch your ear. Lead track 'Sirius City' leans on a harmonically rich lead line and plenty of off-kilter wriggles to appeal to those who want some cheekiness in their tunes. 'UFO' sports a tasteful acid tweak running in between plush pads and snappy drums, while 'Call Me, Acid' plays around with telephone tropes to make a bleepy jam that will have the ID requests flying in. 'Stars' offers something sweeter to complete the set, spacing out the beats to leave the synths plenty of room to cavort around a celestial name-checking session for deep house dreamers.

Review: This is the third full-length album by veteran Swedish producer Ola Obergman who has been producing since the turn of the millennium on respected imprints such as Skam, Borft and Futhur Electronix. A heavy collection of 808-based fusion in classic Pariter style, Mirror Counterpart is a cohesive effort featuring some truly impressive productions; from the early proto-house sound of the title track, to the Detroit influenced hi-tech soul cuts on the second disc - 'Indeterminacy' and 'Stellar Triangulation' respectively - going into 4/4 robot funk on the second disc with 'Alice Matter' and 'Uncertiny Principle' being the highlights. Superb.

Review: Bristol's Daniel Davies aka Ossia is back with the third release on his eponymous imprint titled 'Red X' (Vertigo version) which sees the Young Echo affiliate create an evocative and atmospheric experience incorporating industrial textures, dubbed-out effects and creative sampling. Over on the flip, 'Information' (Raw version) is at once a subdued and contemplative minimal dub experiment, followed by the gutsy stomp of 'Drum Tangle' (Raw dub), a proper heads-down number with serious basement vibes.

Review: DJ Hyperactive's now-defunct Contact was the label that first put out this cult cut from 1996. Some 25 years later it now gets a welcome reissue on Truncate's own self-titled label and features a remix from the techno titan himself. 'Reptilian Tank' gets a breath of new life and a refreshing new remix by label boss Truncate. First up is the original - a head-wrecking, panel-beating techno rave-up with wispy pads and pulsating bass that is full of pent-up energy. The remix is a speedy, stripped-back version that races ahead with all the urgency of a shooting star.

Review: It may have taken a while - his massive debut single 'Hyph Mngo' was released 12 years ago - but Joy Orbison has finally got round to recording his debut album. It's a highly personal affair, peppered with speech snippets from various family members (including his mum, dad, sister, cousins and famous uncle, Ray Keith). It's a narrative device that works well, providing a unifying thread throughout a woozy, musically eclectic concoction that sees the now veteran UK producer give his distinct spin on ambient, slow house, two-step garage, deep house, post-dubstep beats, dubbed-out soundscapes, British bass music, experimental electronica, cutting-edge deep D&B and much more besides. It's perhaps not the all-out assault on the dancefloor some may have expected, but it is a genuinely brilliant and entertaining album.

Review: Straddling the worlds of dancefloor techno and leftfield experimentation - very often in the same track - The Black Dog aka Black Dog Productions was made up of Ed Handley, Andy Turner and Ken Downie, and on this one the trio appear in various combinations under various guises such as Atypic, I.A.O, Close Up Over, Balil, Xeper, Discordian Popes and Plaid. They released Bytes 30 years ago this year, the third album in Warp's Artificial Intelligence series and this anniversary repress comes on gatefold double vinyl with original artwork. It has been re-cut for the occasion and is as immersive and widescreen now as it ever was.

Review: Given that copies of the original 7" release flew off the shelves in record time, it's heartening to see that Classic has decided to give Sophie Lloyd's brilliant "Calling Out" a proper 12" release. Her fantastic original version - a jaunty, floor-friendly gospel treat that sits somewhere between house and disco - is this time accompanied by two fresh rubs from Robert and Lyric Hood's Floorplan project. Naturally, both mixes move further towards sing-along gospel house territory with the fantastic Revival Mix - all crunchy Chicago drums, wild organs, jaunty pianos and relentless chorus - hitting home particularly hard. It's very rare that we describe an EP as being "flawless", but this is as close to perfection as you'll find.

Review: Lion & Lamb is the pub turned cult club in London that hosts special sessions from some of London's key electronic tastemakers such as Craig Richards, Radioactive Man, Butter Side Up and plenty more. In 2020 it launched a label that is as just as essential and Henry Hyde is next up complete the one release a year schedule it has favoured so far. He offers four tracks of froward thinking tech house starting with the full throttle funk of 'Approaching The Peak' then much more dubby and stripped back 'My Machine Walks'. 'Return To The Summit' takes off into the cosmos on fluttering synth leads and 'Over Cloud' is the trippiest of the lot with watery droplets and crispy percussion.

Review: During the early-to-mid 1990s, Nurmad Jusat released a string of now sought-after singles on Likemind that showcased an emotive, far-sighted take on techno that still sounds timeless all these years on. This fine collection features various recordings he made - but never released - as Nuron and Fuge back in 1993 and '94. As inspired by the techno sounds of his native UK as the far-sighted brilliance of purist Detroit techno and the dreamy soundscapes of Larry Heard, it's a genuinely brilliant collection of long-lost gems. Our picks include the subtly clonk-influenced opener 'The Coded Message', the skewed deep electro shuffle of 'Another Way', the sci-fi techno brilliance of 'Contrapoin (First Version)' and the out-there ambient soundscape that is 'Dialectic Confusion'.

Review: Some 14 years after he unleashed the original version of 'The Medium Is The Message' - an attractively deep and melancholic chunk of hypnotic, dub-tinged early morning techno hypnotism - Levon Vincent has decided to revisit and re-make the track on a surprise sequel. On the A-side 'Long Mix', his full vision for the track is materialised, with the original's familiar riffs re-played in hazier, harder form atop a raw, stabbing bassline, more subtly forthright beats and effects-laden percussive fills. It's a brilliant revision all told, which maintains some of the original's sonic poignancy whilst adding a little extra weight and energy. The flip side 'Short Mix' naturally compresses the action, emphasising his breathless percussion builds and the mind-mangling sonic stabs.

Review: There's been plenty of online chatter about the confrontational title of Omar-S's latest full-length outing, and arguably not enough focus on the music itself (or the fact that the guest list contains Rick Wilhite, Norm Talley and OB Ignitt for that matter). This is unfortunate, because as usual Alex 'Omar' Smith has hit the spot. The six untitled tracks are impressively varied, with Smith effortlessly moving between 21st century P-funk (track one), cowbell-powered deep house funk (track 2), sparse and synth-heavy acid house hypnotism (track three), disco-house jack (track four), sub-heavy Detroit-meets-Sheffield minimalism (track five) and sunrise-ready dancefloor dreaminess (track six).

Review: It would be fair to say that Levon Vincent's latest single could well be one of his strongest yet - and that's saying something. We're particularly enjoying A-side "Drum Circle", a near ten-minute outing that subtly builds throughout. Creepy, clandestine and intoxicating, it sees Vincent cloak a hypnotic, cymbal and bells-heavy rhythm track with deep, booming sub-bass pulses and hard-worked, marimba style melodic loops. It's a genuine heads-down treat that packs a punch, despite its hazy and minimalist vibe. There's more atmospheric fun on the flip, where "Space Exploration" sees him conjure up a suitably dark, intergalactic mood via crackling drums, opaque chords and far-sigted electronic melodies.

Review: Turin techno stalwart Andrea has been serving up slabs of goodness on Ilian Tape since way back in 2012, though "Ritorno" is remarkably his very first full-length excursion. The 12 track set is far more varied than his fine club-focused singles, with the Italian variously turning his hand to swelling, Global Communication style ambient techno ("Attimo"), ultra-deep breakbeat dreaminess ("SKLYN"), melodious, jungle-influenced IDM ("LS September"), bassbin rattlers ("TrackQY", the skittish brilliance of moody roller "Reinf"), dreamy soundscape techno ("LG_Amb"), angular fusions of bass music and dark Italo-techno ("Drumzzy") and picturesque ambient dub slow jams ("Twin Forests").

Review: Coyu's Barcelona-based Suara label continues to push the thresholds of hard techno, with this new one by legend Cisco Ferreira under his reknowned The Advent moniker. Brace yourself for The Movement EP, featuring heavy duty sonic artillery that must be handled with extreme caution. From the brutalist dystopian slammer "Witches Spell" to the unrelenting peak time fury of "Live 98 Tour" which is reminiscent of timeless classics like "Bad Boy", to the Detroit style breakneck electro funk of "Same 4" which is a collaboration with his son Zein. Ferreira proves yet again that even after 30 years in the game, he is still miles ahead of the rest - respect!

Review: As PG Sounds, Philip Gelberg and Sven Reigler have delivered some of the most eccentric, interesting and off-kilter music on the SUED catalogue. On this much anticipated debut album, the pair continues in a similar vein, flitting between curious ambient experiments, sparse and ultra-dusty deep house, blunted instrumental hip-hop beats, mind-altering acid electronica, squelchy beat-scapes, rubbery techno wonkiness, deep space jack-tracks, twisted and brain-melting club stompers, and the kind of blink-and-you-miss-them interludes that will make you instantly rewind the vinyl to try and work out what's going on. It's the kind of set that defies easy categorization but is all the better for that. Recommended.

Review: Amid a ton of releases on the likes of Wrong Island and CPU in recent months, the legendary recovering optimist Automatic Tasty now flings a full album upside our faces. His ninth long'un, as always it's both jaunty and contemplative in equal measure as he tweaks his machines to create bubbling little narratives that weave in and out of the shades. At one moment you're weeping to a sartorial lament ("Illegal Trousers"), the next you're skipping on clouds on a secret level in your favourite childhood side-scroller ('One Of These Days'), the next you're doing the locomotion on Tomorrow's World ('Dialup') the next you're rolling out the lino for a slo-mo robo dance ('Scaldy Fiver') Slinky, cheery, honest analog fun; You'll Never Work In This Town Again isn't a threat... It's a promise

Review: This compilation features music from artists who perform regularly at the Diane's Hunting Club annual gatherings. Heavily inspired by and indebted to the influence of the natural world and open spaces, this is music for motivation, movement, and meditation. Conoley Ospovat (Kimochi Sound) begins with a breezy slow-house theme, followed by some similarly slow but a much more tangled webs by sug (Hausu Mountain). Lokua contributes a melodic deep-space techno roller, Area (Kimochi Sound) offers gentle ambient rhythms, Mukqs (Hausu Mountain) produces a shimmering sunshine beat, and K-rAd closes out with an vast dub house journey. Enter the zone.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Gravity Graffiti has been doing great things with its series of split 12"s already, but now the Italian label goes one better for its tenth release with this mighty double pack of heavy hitters. First up is the ever-untouchable Yoshinori Hayashi, who gets as straight up as he possibly could with the freaky house burner "Dissociative." Telephones is feeling particularly dubbed out and groovy on "Kalimbalimbo", while DB.Source and Riccardo Schiro take things strung out and textural on "Montevago". Dynamo Dreesen is in rave mode for the pepped up and delightfully weird "Reactivate", leaving the final side to Oyvind Morken & Kaman Leung's chugging "Tunnel Visjon" and the rubbery side swipes of Acidboychair's "The End (At Any Speed)".

Review: We are honored to release 'A Boy Alone', a double LP set from Manchester electronic music pioneer Eric Random. Best known for his early recordings for New Hormones and Les Disques du Crepuscule and collaborations with Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks), Cabaret Voltaire and Nico. As an original member of The Tiller Boys with Shelley, Random injected a healthy dose of Krautrock into the dour Manchester post-punk scene in 1978/79 before going solo the following year. Random's first 7" "Subliminal"/"23 Skidoo" was released in 1981 via Les Disques du Crepuscule and explored ominous sonic surrounds. That same year also saw the release of a second 7" single on New Hormones, "Dow Chemical Company"/ "Skin Deep". Both tracks offered bubbling, rhythmic sound patterns, and were the first to feature other musicians that would become know as The Bedlamites. Consisting of Lynn Walton on vocals, Ian Runacres and Andy Diagram of Dislocation Dance, and bassist Wayne Worm, aka Wayne Sedgeman. Their debut 12" single "Subliminal Seduction"/"Bedlam-a-Go-Go" was released in 1982 through Plurex, mixing arid funk textures and sparse melodies. That same year the group contributed proto chill-out track "6.55" to Plurex compilation 'Hours' and the highly filmic track "In Cassette Conference" to the Touch cassette package 'Feature Mist'. In 1983, Random spent several months in the Himalayas with a group of musicians from the Kulu Valley and studied non-Western instruments such as tabla. On returning to Manchester, Random convened a new group of Belamites including Walton, Sedgeman and drummer Graham Dowdall aka Dids of Ludus. They released the 12" single "Mad As Mankind"/"Dream Web Of Maya" in 1984 on Cabaret Voltaire's Doublevision, embracing electronic, industrial and dub styles. In 1985 they contributed the soothing "Pure Power" to Food Records' "Imminent Episode One" compilation. Our reissue also includes 4 unreleased bonus tracks from Eric's archives recorded between 1981-1984. The whole set adds up to 115 minutes of sinister, somnambulant Random music. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Each copy is housed in a gatefold jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring a spread of ephemera, photos with liner notes by James Nice of LTM.