Replica vinyl

While his full-length excursions on Further have seen Manuel "Nuel" Fogliata explore the furthest reaches of leftfield electronica, his 12" singles largely remain a bastion of thrusting, dark-side techno (with an occasional side order of fizzing electro). This five-track excursion on Kontra is a little more varied in tone and texture, but is still weighed heavily towards the needs of dancefoors. Check, in particular, the rumbling, dub-flecked techno melancholia of "No Wonder", the pitch-black, Donato Dozzy-ish "Replica" and opener "Ballet", a beat-free excursion whose rising and falling melody lines surge forwards at a techno tempo. Elsewhere, "The Swan Song" is a fine chunk of bass-heavy, deep space electro, while "Surrender" is a clandestine slice of dark ambient sludge.

Joachim Spieth, Ground Loop, Juno Recommends Techno, Deep'a & Biri, Johanna Knutsson