Review: An electrifying journey through relentless acid and high-energy techno as Acid Asian goes in hard. The title track, 'Deep Soul', sets the pace with a fierce acid trance vibe, pulling listeners into its hypnotic rhythm. 'Space Colors' escalates the energy with epic, pounding euphoric trance, creating a sweeping sense of exhilaration. Side-2 kicks off with 'Ain't Nobody Like Us', a hardcore techno banger that's percussive, catchy and impossible to ignore. Closing with 'Humans', the EP dives into heavy, intense techno, wrapping up with a powerful and gritty finish. From start to finish, a high-octane, genre-blending ride that masterfully mixes acid, trance and techno, creating a standout release for those who like their beats pulsating and energetic.
Review: This release presents a dynamic exploration of electro and techno, blending fast-paced, acid-driven energy with atmospheric depth. Side-1 opens with 'Destruction Industries', a heavy, dramatic track that pulses with acid electro, creating an intense, alien vibe. 'My Vision Of Space' follows with a futuristic, Carl Finlow-esque feel, offering a sleek, forward-thinking electro sound. The Belaria Remix of the track slows things down, providing a lower BPM version that retains the original's spacey atmosphere but with a more subdued, deeper groove. Side-2 shifts gears with 'Ammoniax', diving into otherworldly techno with a hypnotic, immersive quality and 'We Come For Acid', a darker, trancey track that builds tension with heady, layered acid sounds, perfect for late-night listening. Overall, this release offers a varied, yet cohesive mix of high-energy electro and atmospheric techno.
Review: Primal percussions mix with burring, masc voices and telecom synths on Luke Alessi’s ‘After Five’, a wonderful debut 12” by the Melbourne native. Going in, we’re asked by the artist to picture a riotous cocktail party gone a little roguer than polite society usually may ordain, and while, of course, Barry White sultrily hoarsens in hushed baritones down below. In fact, the opener of this record samples Love Unlimited Orchestra’s ‘After Five’, a star track from the side project which White led. Much like White’s symbolic identification with sensual, smooth lovin’ in the West, ‘After Five’ follows white’s tip that 5AM is the threshold between day and night, and that, after having crossed it, any given raver should expect no less from their fellow revellers than behavioural alterity. Two remixes from Pablo Bozzi and Aldonna go on to "en-trance" the first track, implying baggy-eyed comedowns, while the wild A2 hears us emerge on the sands of a tropical atoll, where coconut castanets and foreshore marimba await to greet us.
Review: It's double figures for Bruto Industries, who as the name suggest like to offer up brutalistic techno bangers. These latest six missives come from Alf who opens with lurching beat beats and zippy synth loops that lock you in the moment. 'Servil Comadreja' is another broken beat rocker this time with twitchy synth modulations and acid lines slashing through the mix. There is raw machine rigidity to 'La Tipica Historia' that echoes the vibe of EBM and three further cuts keep exploring a rase of textures and busted rhythms with 'Raquitismo' being particularly heavy.
Review: The sixth release in the 303 Pattern series marks the first time artists' identities are revealed. What doesn't change is the fact this is a powerful 12" of hard-hitting, hypnotic and atmospheric acid techno with the legendary Roland TR-303 at its core. Alien Rain makes his debut on the label with 'Holosexual's' raw drums and distorted acid lines, Akkaelle's 'Acid Mood' delivers funky, bouncy techno energy with atmospheric depth and Sour returns with another hypnotic, high-intensity bomb. Closing in style is Dima Gastroller who drops a banger of an acid techno track that should come with a health warning for anyone with a weak heart.
Review: A four-track exploration of darker, vintage late-90s-inspired techno. The title track, 'Voyage', opens with sci-fi-infused melodies and an epic atmosphere, setting the tone for an immersive journey. 'Stygious Night' follows, offering crisp subterranean techno with an edge that feels both modern and timeless. On the flip side, 'Venus Ballroom' channels an otherworldly energy, reminiscent of Surgeon's intricate and industrial soundscapes. Closing the EP, 'Psychosphere' dives into tribal territory with percussive grooves and alien textures, creating a hypnotic, dancefloor-ready vibe. A unique blend of melodic, tribal, and industrial influences, not to mention a masterclass in contemporary techno sounds.
Review: Yuki Takasaki aka. Altone delivers tactile dub techno tonage with 'Wonderscape Numinous', his latest miracle EP to hit the Primary(Colours) shelves. Honouring traditional dub techno sounds while also treading new counterweighted waters, this is a short symphony of reverberative basslines and delicate synths, reminiscent of skulking Tokyo streets, gripped by a hooded curiosity for the urban alley, the railway underpass, the red lit skyline. Brendon Moeller brings a UK bassier womp to 'Self Replication' - itself a self-replicating track, as there's not one but two versions - replete with silicate sound design that both sloshes and tinkles away in the mix's midfield, like a quantum energy source, overflown with potential.
Review: Altone aka. Yuki Takasaki is a champion channeller of dub techno trueness, having made many a wave on the Tokyo underground scene already; his efforts come to a renewed head on the new EP for Primary Colours, 'Wonderscape Numinous', a high-impedance, phantom-powered trip through figurative J-scapes; to 'Self-Replication', 'Adaptive Swarm' and 'Wonderscape Numinous', we imagine a simulacrum web of nanobots splayed across the city, their many lens refocusings and field reconfigurations emitting a syntonic electric hum. The closer is especially beautiful, haunting the nighttime itinerant ear with cutoff chord ricochets and an endless fumbling foley sound; the sound recalls a restless cyborg, endlessly fiddling with its field recording equipment as though it were a dopaminergic Rubik's cube.
Review: Norway's Peak Experience with a split EP from a pair of cutting edge techno heads. Alvar goes first with 'Tveita Mind Palace' which is deep, dubby and driven. The pads up top are eerie and haunting and swirling vocals only add to the alluring vibe. 'Egododen Pa Oslo S' is more percussive, with bubbly bass and bongos and whispered vocals all leading you into a ritualistic dance. Bonna's 'De Syv Synder' keeps these otherworldy feels coming with rolling beats and more deft synth lines full of subtle tension and 'Sacred Soul' shuts down with cavernous dub techno full of watery effects.
Review: This new one on mysterious UK label MoonVoid Records serves up a trio of previously unreleased tracks that were originally recorded in the early 90s on tape cassette by Benjamin Wetherill under the Amethyst Moon alias. Apparently this EP is the first of a few, which is great news once you hear them. 'Lifestheme' is a crunchy and wiry electronic workout with fizzing synths and dense beats. 'Human At The Controls' brings slower rhythms and snaking synths and hissing hits while 'False Alarm (Look Over Your Shoulder)' spins you out in silky cosmic synths and snappy metallic snares.
Review: Hard, brash, EBM-informed EP goodness from 22Recordings' beloved AMQN, on an exclusive third outing by the artist for the label, and vinyl only at that. This elusive pusher of plaintive, grim new beat is a regular fixture of the label's Capitulo series, and only now does the artist see a full EP slot all to himself. A sophisticated sojourn in the distinctively janky pulse of new beat, an informed by the inexorably Italo rawness of tape-era coldwave, 'La Linea De La Vida' and 'Siempre Al Margen' hear AMQN command a bestial lyrical prowess and bring it to braggart beats, ending on the unabashedly squelchy denouement 'Inexplicable'.
Review: Pressure Traxx secures the sounds of acclaimed minimal master and Romanian mainstay Dan Andrei on this fine new 12", Clockworks. The title track opens up and is coarse and rich in texture, with slapping hits taking centre stage while languid guitars slowly garner your attention. 'Theme For What' is another unusual one, this time with trippy melodies and tumbling drum loops, while 'Geek Groove Odyssey' layers up pulsing bass and bleeping sonar synths into a serene cosmic trip. 'Out Of Mood' is another tense tech cut with edgy synths keeping you in suspense as the dark drums march on.
Review: ATF's first new release of the year has a little bit of everything across three different but all-powerful new cuts from Andromeda. Cole features on the first one, Cyberspace. which barrels along at 170 bpm and is a high-energy rush of driving rhythms and haunting dystopian samples. Bold, evocative melodies offer a striking contrast to the track's relentless pace then ' Waveride' is a more chilled trancer with lush melodies and delicate percussion. Lastly, 'Time' is a nice uplifting closer with dazzling melodies and a memorable vocal hook that means you get both emotional depth and soaring energy
Review: Italian talent Giuseppe steps up to Loft Records with a trip back to the 80s. He fuses everything from Italo house to post-punk, techno and synth pop into these warming grooves and does so with a fine array of hardware tools including the Yamaha DX7, Korg monologue and Behringer Crave, all of which lend their distinctive palettes. 'Flying Minds' is a musical techno opener with singing leads and crunchy beats, and that bright sense of melody also defines 'This Is My Show' and the playful, angular grooves of 'No More Dark Music'. 'Takinti' shuts down with the rawness of a proto-house cut and sugary synths of a classic Italo gem.
Review: Emerald's 25th outing takes the form of another superb compilation with four artists who have already released on the label and plenty of new names making an equally good impression. ANNE kicks off with the deep, thudding kicks of 'Coral Reefs' complete with lush hits to smooth the groove. There is more weight and intensity to the oversized hi-hats ringlets on Mike Konstantinidis's 'Apocalypse', DJ Plant Texture layers in plenty of gritty and grime to his gritty 'Swingers' and Jarrod Yeates goes for a twisted after-party vibe on his intense and unrelenting 'Sesh Gremlin', with many more highlights besides.
Review: Aocram was last on this label when he appeared on the Herdersmat compilation and now returns to More with a full EP which comes with a great sleeve featuring German geographer and naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt. The tracks blend abstract sound designs with smooth, automated rhythms such as on 'Neurotransmitter Operating Between Neurons', while 'Electroquimica' is a little more dark and manic. 'Between Atoms (Asking Each Other)' is married with alien effects and scurrying little details and 'Illusions Of Reflections' closes with hurried loops that tie your mind in knots.
Review: Arkane steps up to Warg Records for its 12th release and concocts a serious mix of low-end heft and percussive magic. On top of those foundations are a variety of synths that range from driving to distorted and lend each cut its own personality. Importantly, they all work on the floor. 'Warped Dystopia' is a hot stepper that will keep you on your toes, 'Gang' is more dystopian with its insistent synth loops and skittish drum patterns and 'Make Me Want' brings the texture with hamming hits and squealing leads that will freak out the club. 'Touch Me' is a dubby, heads-down sound for introspective moments.
Review: Primary Colours Music shines a light on the Australian dub techno scene with the dynamic two-part release, Antipodean Dubs. Volume A showcases Melbourne's Astralure and their infectious groove 'Freq' with robust kicks, deep basslines and expertly delayed stabs. Fellow Melbourne artist Mike Nolan follows with 'Steady', a dub-infused journey of low-slung beats, dreamy pads and sweeping textures. Coastal talent Silver Ash returns with 'Blackwood' and blends intricate effects, evolving grooves and relentless bass programming. Closing the volume is Noosa Sound System, whose 'Ah Go Build' delivers hypnotic vocals, druggy grooves and deep stabs over massive drums for a true dub stomper.
Review: Edinburgh's Neptune Discs bring crazed happy-acid hard trance come progressive disco to the fold, welcoming four fresh faces to their roster in so doing. Biodive, Astro, Dylan Forbes and Glen S all work impressive atmosses and well-integrated pad flavours around primal progressions, centring on a unified vibe of tunnelling rave intensity. The tone quietens on 'Tranquility', an emanative favourite of ours, whose pulsatory lead blurt sounds like a lighthouse through benevolent mist.
Review: This bumper 12" covers plenty of thrilling techno ground in a variety of different ways. Raffaele Attanasio goes for the jugular from the off with steely, tightly packed drums and synth surges that electrify the groove. Markantonio brings layers of wailing diva emotion to his 90s-sounding drum funk and Mattia Trani offers the unrelenting warehouse density of 'Dogtown'. Elsewhere there are more lithe and funky cuts from ZIPPO and a synth-washed roller from MUTE8. All of these are high-impact sounds for the peak time.
Review: The always eminent Daniel Avery shares his latest two-track single through Fabric Originals, and describes it as his very own personal take on "broken euphoria... the other side of Room 1 that will crush your skull and fill your soul in equal measure." Following on from the 'Wonderland/Running' EP released back in March, 'Digital Rain' leads as the torrential breaks-sodder, palpitator, tear-conductor, you name it... the track dashes expected tempos for a middling 160, square between techno and jungle. 'I Miss You' on the B hears Avery push things far further, breaking the throttle and locking it into permanent top gear; perhaps Avery can help popularise this sound of angelic overdrive, more commonly heard on the net.
Review: Nesa Azadikhah is a DJ, producer and cultural pioneer from Tehran who has established herself as a key figure in Iran's electronic music scene. As the founder of Deep House Tehran, she has spotlighted the country's underground culture and after starting her musical journey playing traditional instruments aged just six, she has since evolved into a versatile artist spanning techno, house, ambient and experimental sounds. Her latest release is awash with hypnotic techno grooves, acid-laced textures and driving rhythms that show off her skills and grasp of dance floor dynamics. Polygonia's atmospheric remix enhances the package further and is perfect for late-night sets.
Review: Barrow Boy is a lesser-spotted alias of the great UK techno talent, Ben Sims. With this project, the Machine man veers into rave-flavoured sounds that are designed for maximum and immediate impact. Here they come on the infamous Retro-Vert label on a suitably garish acid-yellow vinyl. 'Berwick Manor' sets the pilled-up tone from the off with big beats, ravey stabs and retro flourishes. 'The Living Dream' is just as dense and full throttle in its aural assault and 'Dungeons' layers up gallivanting drums and razor-sharp stabs. A No Vox mix of 'Berwick Manor' shuts down with unrelenting energy.
Review: Bashman is something of a Glasgow legend to those who know and after some stellar outings on Tom Carruthers' Non Stop Rhythm and Data Sync labels, he is back with more techno power. 'Corker' is a frenzied and caustic assault with unrelenting percussive hardness and 'I Want It' then pairs things back a little for some jumbled 909s and buzzy synth pressure, but the standout is the impish synths that dart about the mix. 'Gimme' then goes hard and raw again with eye-wateringly stark sounds and textures and 'Opening Hour' ends with a gurgling, swampy mix of messed-up drums and synths.
Review: Batu and Nick Leon united for this surprise release late last year and it now arrives on lovely vinyl where it sounds sublime. The four-track EP blends Latin and UK club influences with a psychedelic twist on Batu's label, A Long Strange Dream which, since its 2023 launch, has gained recognition for pushing experimental club sounds of the highest order. 'Rezz' kicks off with shuffling tight percussive rhythms and 'Yiu' is more intense in its high-fidelity loops. 'Tuvan' is a minimal broken beat stepper and 'Palo' closes with some snappy Latin rhythmic invention.
Review: 'OHM Series #11' presents a vibrant mix of techno with contributions from four talented producers, adding depth to the ongoing series. On Side-1, Christine Benz's 'Sunset' opens with warm, enveloping chords, creating a serene atmosphere that feels like a sunset on a tropical island. Following that, Brizman's 'As We Should', featuring Linn, shifts the tone with a lighter, dub-infused house sound, perfect for a more relaxed vibe. Side-2 kicks off with Hidden Sequence's 'Dub Cycle', a darker, more ominous track, weaving catchy dub techno rhythms that pull you in. Finally, Martin Jarl's '02_37 AM' brings a smooth, ambient dub feel with a traditional techno edge. This airy composition evokes the timeless sounds and reminds us of Model 500's Starlight. This edition of OHM Series showcases diverse approaches to dub techno, balancing the atmospheric with the rhythmic - and all delivered with precision.
Review: With this latest hyper-abstract club release, Italian-born, London-based producer Big Hands straddles an impressive range from chthonic sound design to readily lock-innable grooves. Named after the Roman equivalent of Dionysus, the god of fervour, celebration, and debauchery among other vices, 'Bacchanalia I' and its three inversions touch on furrows dug between dub techno, dubstep and brutalist techno no man's lands and they grow in intensity with each passing track. By the time of our tricky and energetic favourite, 'Bachannalia III', us bacchanals find ourselves raising a blood-filled chalice, haemoglobin spilling about the place.
Review: The well regarded Umwelt introduced Raverbreakerz as a dynamic new series on his label Rave Or Die earlier in summer. This massive compilation shows what it is all about with four hard-hitting tracks from genre specialists Blame The Mono, Jadzia, Ghost In The Machine and Umwelt himself, Seamlessly blending techno, breakbeat and dark, intense sounds design to captivate and energise the floor in equal measure, each artists contributes to what is a versatile arsenal for DJs seeking powerful sounds with a distinct style. On this evidence, Raverbreakerz is going to be a crucial new series.
Precious Times (feat Prince Morella - Roots version) (6:55)
Review: Bluetrain is one of our favourite artists in any genre and a real dub techno don. He often drops his own work on his own label but here steps up to Kontakt with a couple of killer jams. First up he serves up a special edition dub of 'Frozen Rose' that is a signature sound for him: ice cold percussion and rolling east with watery, liquid, rippling chords disappearing off to an infinite horizon while shimmering vocals add extra layers of depth. Flip it over and you will find 'Precious Times' (feat Prince Morella - Roots version) which is another brilliantly heady back room sound.
Precious Times (feat Prince Morella - Roots version) (6:55)
Review: Since rebooting his dub fired Bluetrain project late last decade, UK techno legend Steve O'Sullivan has delivered a string of superb 12" singles and an equally as impressive album, Steady Pulse. Naturally, the latest Bluetrain missive is a hypnotic, dubbed-out delight. Lead cut 'Frozen Rose (Special Edition Dub)' is simply superb - a rolling and hypnotic affair that joins the dots between Rhythm & Sound's earliest minimalistic dub-house epics and locked-in dub techno - all solid beats, echoing vocal snippets, deep sub bass and aquatic melodic motifs. It comes backed by a fresh 'Roots Version' of much-loved 2022 single 'Precious Times', featuring the honeyed vocals of Prince Morella.
Review: Griffe's next release is a flanged freakout from producer Booh, its namesake being the essential Star Wars villain, Darth Vader: while these tracks may or may not mark the Sith lord's nefarious adventures, we do know that they are stonking stuff. Sidestepping his own BOOOoo recordings for a moment, this meticulously produced pranger includes the freewheeling 'Briscard Sound' and the rubbery, jouncy 'Save The Date', marking some abstract future moment in techno to be anticipated. 'Dog Eat Dog' and the title are much more sinister, yet all tracks mark consistent use of adept modular synths.
Review: A compelling exploration of techno's diverse facets. On the A-side, Booh's 'HAL9000' delivers a relentless, industrial-tinged rhythm, its pulsating bass and sharp percussion creating an immersive atmosphere. Nizar Sarakbi's 'Black Forest Dub' on the flip side introduces a more hypnotic groove, layering dub influences over a steady techno foundation. The EP concludes with Sarakbi's 'Do It (5 AM Mix),' a track that evolves from minimalistic beginnings into a complex, driving composition. This release underscores both artists' abilities to blend traditional techno elements with innovative soundscapes, resulting in a dynamic and engaging listening experience.
Review: The latest EP from Berlin-based DJ and producer Pablo Bozzi shows another step up in his craft. Across the trio of tunes, his talent for creating infectious dancefloor jams shines through with the bouncy basslines, 90s-inspired synths and a piano-driven melody of 'Sunday Rodeo,' first to hook you in. The title track, 'Fantasy,' combines an alluring vocal with powerful kicks and zesty acid accents that constantly fire at your synapse and 'Siempre' is the closer that finds Bozzi deliver a dreamy synthwave journey that is smartly enriched by intimate, distant vocal samples. Although this one has some nostalgic influences, the modern production will really ignite the 'floor.
Review: An EP packed with eight innovative, rhythm-driven tracks that push the boundaries of the genre. This release shows Broom's decades of expertise, blending raw energy with precision-engineered grooves to create a dynamic and forward-thinking collection. Opening tune 'Romance' is a colossal banger that sets the tone with its relentless drive and pulsating beats. 'Dated' is a contrasting minimal approach, anchored by a heavy, hypnotic rhythm. 'Movement' shifts into alien sci-fi territory, its propulsive energy and otherworldly sound design creating a cinematic atmosphere. Other highlights include 'Post' with Broom's ability to craft inventive drum patterns - a truly unique rhythmic experience. The EP closes with 'Ranger', a tribal powerhouse that's the most intense cut on the record, combining heavy beats and primal energy for a track destined to ignite dancefloors.
Review: Dance music is rife with megalomaniacal personalities eager to carve their names in, well, whatever the techno equivalence of blue-plaque posterity is. Here, however, the producer Brother Nebula (Lance DeSardi), from Texas, flips the desire to delusively status-climb for such trifles on its head, inverting the idiom "delusions of grandeur" in naming their EP 'The Grandeur Of Delusion'. Informed by delusion or not, this is a grand EP, rendering the problematic of grandiosity somewhat moot: from dark future garage faceoffs ('Ice Giant', 'God's Green Earth') to brooding halftime ice floes ('The Grandeur...'), Nebula has thoroughly honed his craft since relocating to London, not failing to blur genre categories across borders, nor to compel with huge, still technical broken beats.
Review: Stephen Brown is a Scottish producer known for his deep, Detroit-influenced techno. Active since the 1990s, he's released music on labels like Transmat, Skudge, and Subject Detroit. His productions blend melodic elements with rhythmic precision, a sound he's been honing and tinkering with for nearly 30 years. The 'Variations' EP on Syncrophone is a prototypical example of his sound. Each track is underpinned by a blend of skipping upbeat house rhythms with classic Detroit pads. The first track 'Compare' even adds some weird percussive sounds in the background and an ambiguous vocal sample that could be a child, or the nearby rapturous chants of a pigeon surely appreciating the groove as much as we are. The second track 'CZ3' is a raw groover with overdriven kicks and dry synth hits. One for the 'Djax-Up-Beats' heads! Track three 'Replika' is our choice cut, with a synth lead that sounds straight from dub techno but with more groove than the majority of tunes that you'll find in that genre. The final track 'The 5' has the biggest kick drum of the release which is sure to tear down any club floor is played at the right moment. An EP for the heads and the dancers.
Review: Craigie Knowes delivers another stellar release, showcasing their knack for blending futuristic sounds with emotional depth. Side-1 kicks off with 'Head Down, Eyes Shut', a gripping techno track infused with sci-fi melodies and sharp electro elements that feel like a journey through uncharted galaxies. 'Spectical Soul' follows, bringing soulful Detroit techno into a sci-fi realm with awe-inspiring production, crunchy electro bass and an elevated, otherworldly atmosphere. Side-2 opens with 'Amber City String', a melodic and upbeat track that exudes fun and innovation with its next-level electro beats and playful energy. Closing the release, 'Sunrise On Saturn' ventures into darker territory, combining techno and electro with eerie, ominous tones that evoke the haunting beauty of outer space. This release perfectly balances emotive resonance and boundary-pushing production. Craigie Knowes continues to solidify their reputation as a powerhouse label.
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