New releases today: Uplifting Trance

Review: Alfred Czital and Ayu return for their third collaboration and second outing on this Prague-based label. This tightly curated EP blends melodic techno with futuristic trance textures. The result is a spacey and emotionally charged journey. The A-side opens with Czital's solo cut 'Universal Language', is a soaring piece of melodic techno that builds with elegance and power. Ayu's 'Magnetic' follows as an uptempo workout with clever vocal fragments and percussive precision. On the B-side, the duo join forces. 'Physical' is a clear homage to late 90s trance, evoking memories of peak-time anthems with lush pads, glimmering synth leads and a sense of emotional urgency. 'Love Letter From Montevideo' closes the EP on a deeper, darker note that is rooted firmly in techno. A sleek, high-level fusion of techno and trance that pushes both genres forward while nodding respectfully to their roots.

Review: Ukrainian producer Volodymyr Gnatenko returns to Kalahari Oyster Cult with 'Mershiy' - a long-awaited follow-up that trades the drive of his last appearance on the label for something deeper and more exploratory. Spread across six tracks, it drifts between ambient dub, acid and pointillist electronics, with flashes of trance and IDM woven through. There's a widescreen, cinematic quality to it - detailed, immersive and immaculately spaced. Ushering in faded memories of 90s ambient, only re-imagined through a hi-def lens. Repeated listens reveal ever more off-world textures, insect rhythms and a creeping sense of unease. It's introspective, meticulous and beautifully produced.