B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, record slightly warped
Mercury (7:55)
Outer Limits (7:03)
After Life (6:14)
Orbits Theme (6:29)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, record slightly warped***
The 39 Orbits pair of Nick Annies and Twink put out only two releases and they were back in 1993. In the years since though, they have become real digger's delights that now fetch high prices on the second-hand market if and when copies come up. But not anymore - Cosmic Soup has assembled this welcome 180g 12" which features tracks from those original records as well as one previously unreleased cut. 'Mercury' is pure dreamy post-rave prog house, as is the slightly more direct 'Outer Limits.' 'After Life' is high-speed house with lush synth work and 'Orbit's Theme' gets more deep and inwardly reflective.
Review: It's hard to believe ABBA's third album is 50 years old this year and S.O.S. was one of the slef titled LP's most successful and distinctive moments. The song helped solidify the Swedish quartet's exciting blend of catchy pop and disco, as well as - absolutely true - providing the Sex Pistols with the intro for punk classic 'Pretty Vacant'. This period correct picture disc 7" celebrates one of their most iconic singles, backed with beloved album cut Man In 'The Middle' here.
Review: LA label Milkcrate Mondays is back with more slick contemporary hip-hop and r&b sounds, this time in the form of a split 7". Abel takes care of the opener with 'Flex'd Up', which has slow, seductive and silky drums and synths making for a sunny sound that is topped with a gorgeously heartfelt r&b vocal that swoons and swoops effortlessly. On the flip, Netwerk's 'Horns Of A Feather' has a duster and more classic boom-bap hip-hop beat that's low in the mix, with muted horns and another aching vocal really finishing it in style. Two different vibes, both are excellent.
Review: Wild breaks from the wild west; Welsh beat sculptor Abstract Drumz gets busy on the mighty Over/Shadow. Four cuts heavy, each one designed to slap your rave silly. 'Just A Ride' opens the EP with atmospheric aplomb. Brisk pads and live jazzy breaks set the scene, hitting hard in all the right places. Elsewhere 'I Like The Rain' galvanizes AD's Celtic status with unhurried charm before 'Ethereal Remix' gets a lot more frenetic. Finally 'Culture '24' closes the EP with some of the heaviest chops of the set. Wallop!
Review: New week, new Planet Rhythm, same old tech class. Aero is no stranger to this label and hail from Northside Dublin, where they Baldoyle native has been cooking up his take on techno - it's always driven by punchy rhythms but with plenty of synth craft making it much more than mere DJ tool fodder. 'Buried In Noise' has urgent and anxious melodies lighting up the drums while 'Velvet Kiss' is a deeper, more late-night prowler. 'State Of Burn' then bangs with steel-plated loops and 'Scarred' layers up synths that feel like they're going to fall over themselves with a hypnotic and time-keeping drum thud. 'The 242' closes with astral anxiety and a never-ending sense of rush.
Review: Alektra is a new project featuring the combined talents of long-serving European nu-disco and house hero Daniel Monaco and rising star John Noseda. As debut singles go, 'Shake Your Body' is a genuine treat - a throbbing, high-octane trip into mid 1980s Hi-NRG hedonism rich in sequenced, arpeggio-style bass, heavy machine drums, razor-sharp synth riffs, glassy-eyed female vocal samples and oodles of sweat-soaked male muscularity. It's basically a peak-time dancefloor anthem in the making. As well as the original mix (side A), we're also treated to a handy instrumental take shorn of the distinctive female vocal samples, and an effects-laden acapella for DJs who like to get imaginative in the mix
Review: Dublin's techno master steps out with a release that feels both emotionally charged and technically razor sharp for his own label Xistence. Balancing precision with heart, these tracks echo the roots of Detroit techno while reaching boldly into the future. 'The Fear Of Failing' leads with a crystalline melody that feels like it's been beamed in from another dimension. The production is slick and spacious, but there's warmth in the detail, and the main motif is hard to forget. 'Homecoming' drifts in with a deep rolling groove that's part celestial drift, part afterhours love letter. Everything about it feels smooth and elevated, like watching the sunrise from orbit. Claude Young steps in on remix duties and delivers something raw and gritty. His take on 'The Fear Of Failing' strips things down to a lean acid framework. It's a trip back to techno's skeleton while still sounding sharp in the now. 'Mirror Reaction' rounds things off with pure Detroit class. Built with intent and clarity, it's the kind of track that moves both head and body. A graceful, thoughtfully crafted EP from a producer clearly in control of his sound.
Review: Turkish producer Alec Attari harbours a passion for minimal wave, EBM, and underground Italo disco, condensing each into a striking end result with 1982. The record is said to have kept in mind the early foments of electronic music, where vanguard technologies helped heroes such as Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles bear the best in earliest house and techno. The standout track is an exceptional remix by Italian legend Alexander Robotnick, whose version channels the spirit of his classic 'Problemes d'Amour' with a mysterious, hypnotic reversal. His remix of 'Visage' on Side A comes followed by 'Time Machine', a powerful nod to EBM and techno reminiscent of The Hacker, not long before the original 'Visage' follows, oozing a serpentine elegance. '1982' ends things on a buccal-licking, mucous acid finale.
Review: Torbay's Simon Huxtable delivers another deep experience with this two-track release that shows off his mastery of atmospheric drum and bass. With a career spanning over three decades and more than 100 releases, Huxtable's touch remains as refined and emotionally resonant as ever. 'Waveform 13' opens with a classic amen break, balanced by lush, spacious pads and a liquid sensibility that merges the raw energy of jungle with the calm of ambient textures. On the flip, 'Waveform 14' is a melodic jewel. It glides through dreamy soundscapes, awash in harmonics and detail, with that signature Aural Imbalance smoothness. There's a quiet euphoria embedded in its flow, evoking a sense of peace without losing its dancefloor backbone.
Review: Following his powerful Waveforms 13-14, Aural Imbalance returns to ASC and Presha's 90s jungle inspired imprint with 15-16. As always with the label, the tracks are just numbered and as always with Simon Huxtable's AI alias, there's a full focus on the drums and powerful sense of atmospherics. 15 slaps hard with choppy breaks while an ice cold pad whips up early Tango & Ratty or Krome & Time vibes. 16 is a little more driving and looser, more Justice and Modern Urban Jazz in its flavour. Both hit the spot. Make sure you do, too.
Review: This is a fine first outing from Chez De Milo's Club Blanco label, an imprint named after the DJ/producer's now long-running party in his hometown of Bristol. He's scored something of a coup, too, by persuading Paranoid London man Quinn Whalley to re-activate his occasional Johnny Aux alias after 12 years. Whalley delivers two original cuts: 'Supersonic', a kind of techno-tempo 4/4 electro number with pulsating bass, elongated chords and restless electronic riffs, and 'On The Train', a breathless breakbeat number peppered with fizzing electronics and his trademark TB-303 acid sounds. Jamie Paton remixes that track, giving it a smoother, more spaced-out feel - it's a superb revision all told - while Chez De Milo turns 'Supersonic' into a dark acid roller.
Review: Florence-born Ricardo Baez has been making moves for more than a decade. He heads up his own party and has landed on cult labels like Live At Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq, which is where he returns now with four more cultural deep house offerings. 'A Sunny Day In Florence' is as warm and breezy as you'd hope from the title, while 'Dark Room' is a jumble of live broken beats, bongos and haunting synths for a steamy workout. 'Whisper Wood' is acid, Balearic style, and 'Animarara' taps into a percussive and wiggy tech house groove. 'The Life Of Larry' is feathery, jazzy and late night house excellence. Baez masters many different styles on this standout EP.
Review: Anorax Records' motto and hash-taggable suggestion is to #eatsleepcollect, as if we weren't doing so already! This time they deliver on the highly anticipated 'Tighten Up' by Melbourne soul collective The Bamboos. First released in 2006 on Kenny Dope and Keb Darge's Kay-Dee label, this instrumental version of Archie Bell & The Drells' 1968 hit quickly became a favourite in soul and acid jazz circles. Rhythm-made by The Bamboos' leader, Lance Ferguson, this one stands out for its vocal absence, offering a quirky, irresistible take.
Review: Juuz out of Hungary continues to break new ground as it lays out its sonic identity with another tasteful various artists EP that roam free across the minimal world. Silat Beksi & Fedo get things underway with the heady but also playful and cheeky sounds of 'Porque Tu' before Minube's '909 Things' is a textural blend of found sounds, great sound designs and perfectly rubbery, dubby drum kicks. Daniel Broesecke's 'No Name' then gets more dark and down and dirty with a stripped-back mix of caps and bass that is pure backroom. Chris Llopis shut down its trippy sine waves and spinning hi-hats from the classic school of minimalism on his 'Manipulator.'
Review: Blast head honcho Bertran aka German Fabian Oellers drops a heavy-hitting, genre-blurring debut here on the Psycho Thrill Cologne label. Known for collabs with techno icons like FBK, Patrik Skoog, DJ Surgeles, Lex Gorrie and Stefan Rein, he flexes serious range across eight tracks that move fluidly between deep house, shadowy techno, raw acid and Detroit-infused grooves. The EP closes with a killer remix by Canadian legend Teknobrat, who cooks up squelchy 303 lines with dense atmospherics before unleashing floor-melting madness. Essential heat.
Review: Just how solid of a balance between highs and lows can you get? Fastidious research study into EQ optimisation seems to have gone into this shunter from Bladerunner, Chimpo and Sl8r, three new-gen juggernauts of the UK drum & bass circuit. Helping Philly Blunt achieve their lit-up ends, the pair kick off the label's latest subseries with a limited transparent red 12", nodding visually to its mid-90s heyday. Bladerunner vets suspected replicants with two empathic response tests, 'Chronic' and 'Straight Up', both cut from the same tough, emphatic cloth. On the flip, Chimpo & Sl8r make their label debut, swerving between grime and jungle with a distinct Manc slant, a sound refined across releases for Metalheadz, The North Quarter and Hospital. A sharp extension of the Philly Blunt legacy, which began in 1994 with rave-wrecking cuts like Leviticus' 'Burial' and Dillinja's 'Sky'.
Review: Birmingham's Jossy Mitsu and Bluetoof join headsy forces on their new collaboration for Tempa, colliding the former artist's rinsed, globetrotting UK-troit DJ sets the world over and the latter's "drum specialisms" formerly lent to labels the likes of Shall Not Fade. Transcending the one-forties for a deeper-shades descension, 'Metamorphic' and 'Acid' establish a mood of nightclub meets human biostasis facility, as sci-fi zaps meet brooding, high-sustain bass cues. 'H20' is the sole tune to heighten the mood, its stop-start rollerblade bass and necksnap 808s proffering a jammier digestif.
Review: Released by a Kyiv-based label run by Noizar, this EP serves up a potent mix of minimal and tech house with futuristic flair. On Side-A, 'Ease Your Mind' by Borys offers a mesmerising minimal groove, blending techy, robotic beats with funky, spacey elements. The track's otherworldly vibe creates a hypnotic atmosphere, perfect for both laid-back and deep dancefloor moments. On Side B, 'Los Demeteros"' by Yzer is a heavy stomper, featuring a crunchy bassline that drives the track forward. The eerie, alien melodies lend an unsettling, yet quality to the track, making it feel both futuristic and rooted in the past. The dynamic composition of 'Los Demeteros' draws listeners into its depth, while maintaining a solid, danceable energy throughout. This release is a stunning journey through minimal and electro-techno, showcasing the unique sound of Kyiv's underground scene.
Review: The first official reissue of Brooklyn People's rare 1975 soul-funk classic 'Peace and Love / Wreck' arrives courtesy of Selector Series for Record Store Day 2025. Originally released on Cheri Records half a century ago, this sought-after 7" has fetched prices of around L50 on the collector's market. It's one of those true crate-digger gems with its perfect mix of soulful, spiritual deepness and driving, dynamic drum grooves that never quit. 'Wreck' has atmospheric crowd sounds as well as jazzy keys and horns to really take things up a notch.
Review: British producer BufoBufo makes profound electro tunes that are as much defined by their storytelling synths and their fresh rhythms. He draws on acid, breakbeat and classic house on this new EP, which though cosmic and journeying also retains a real human soul. 'Celandine' glistens with rueful pads and taught basslines that rise and fall next to lush synth outbreaks. 'Bittern' is more dark and prickly with a menacing undercurrent and 'Quantum Tunnel' shuts down with a slower, more reflective sound, beautiful arps and languid drums. Our favourite is the open though, 'Petroglyph', with its nimble basslines and widescreen psychedelic synth explosions.
Byron The Aquarius & Steven Klavier - "Higher" (3:44)
Review: Key playing master Byron The Aquarius returns to Star Creature with 'Jamajama', a slick 7" dripping in synth-heavy funk and future-facing deep house of the sort that has made him a real standout in recent years. On the A-side, Byron delivers a left-field jazz-funk burner that's packed with squelchy, bass-rich, and weirdly elegant vibes that perfectly straddle the line between two-step and house grooves. Flip it over and you get a lush nu-boogie banger featuring Steven Klavier on vocals, and his disco-laced touch has lit up tracks from Soul Clap to Eli Escobar so you may well be familiar. It's a tight, genre-blurring gem from one for heads, dancers, and divas alike.
Review: Germany's Caldera makes his debut on Space Lab and it's an exploration into a mythical realm where deep, organic textures intertwine with intricate rhythms. The EP also continues the label's commitment to psychedelic sounds and seamlessly blends fluid percussion with atmospheric sound design and hypnotic grooves that prove Caldera has a knack for supple deep techno and bass-driven electronics. Rich in detail and thrilling in execution, these are four cuts packed with evocative mental imagery and the sort of refined rhythms that get headier crowds going wild.
Review: Carriego reemploys early Detroit techno and 00s minimalism, crafting a piezo powered four-track journey consisting in deeper, supersawed atmosses, and spanning electro to new wave. 'Hazard' sets a tense mood, while 'The Bridge' swells and quells pads and hip breaks voxes. 'Curtain Call' weirdens things, with popcorn string plucks piling on pylons of tension, while 'Seems Like' concludes on a snappier, momentous hush-hush. It's the fourth EP so far from the Frenchman, and an impressive one at that.
Review: Renato Cohen has been kicking out jams of all shapes and sizes for many years, but this new outing on French house classicists Skylax amounts to some of his best work in ages. 'Roaring' is a disco-tech cut with dazzling arps loping in sugar, pixelated circles over the striking beats. 'We Desert' then gets more loose with synths spraying about with a mind of their own and plenty of cosmic colour. On the flip, the open gets reworked twice, first into a more heads down and bendy acid workout for the afters and also as a hands-in-the-air piano Balearic classic.
Review: A powerful roots anthem from the unmistakable voice of Daweh Congo here. 'Prophecy Reveal' is an invitation to get lost in his haunting tone and spiritual intensity, both of which were hallmarks of his role in the roots revival movement. Originally released in 2000, the 25-year-old classic blends conscious lyrics with a weighty digital rhythm to create a hypnotic, militant vibe. Daweh's mystical delivery brings urgency and depth to the message, while the B-side dives into rich 90s electronic dub territory by layering effects and echo for a deep sound rooted in spiritual and musical resistance.
Review: Ukraine's Yan Cook has been at the forefront of techno in Ukraine for some time. He works in the dubbier end of the spectrum and brings more great weight to this one on his label, Cooked. 'Equinox' is an early evening mood builder that twists and turns through smeared synths and grainy lo-fi grooves. 'Syzygy' is more loopy and hard-hitting with mind-melting percussion over the cavernous low end. 'Monsoon' is as urgent as a call to action from a battalion leader on the front line and 'Headspin' is just that - a more frenzied and wonky cerebral workout for the dizzy 5 am sessions.
Review: Like his Windy City compatriots Mark Grusane and Rahan, Cratebug specialises in high-grade, razor-and-tape style re-edits subtly re-framed for 21st century dancefloors. The Chicagoan has released many fine collections of reworks over the last decade and this two-tracker is another high-grade treat. Up first is 'Fiyah', a heavyweight tease-and-release loop jam built around low-slung disco grooves, layered vocal samples and subtle effects trickery. While he appears not to have add any beats, its' Soundstream-esque construction makes it perfectly suited to house dancefloors. Over on the flip, he gives his take on one of the most beloved disco classics of all time: Diana Ross's incredible 'Love Hangover'. He extends the upbeat sections, paying more attention to hear vocalisations, the infectious instrumentation and killer groove.
I'm Coming Back (with Niki K - Known Artist remix)
One More Time
Review: Belfast-born producer Cromby lands on Life and Death with a slick three-tracker that balances punchy house pressure with wide-eyed euphoria. The lead cut, 'I'm Coming Back', is a collaborative jam with vocalist NiKi K, all soaring pads and ecstatic vocal phrasing-pure serotonin with a subtle edge. Known Artist then flips it into a tense, club-focused version, peeling back the gloss in favour of moody propulsion and tight, broken drums. On the B-side, 'One More Time' hits with a grinning sense of peak-time mischief, full of springy basslines and bright melodic licks. It's a confident and cleanly produced record that toes the line between emotional release and practical dancefloor function-perfect for high-pressure sets and outdoor moments alike.
Review: Alt-dub never quite found its mainstream moment, but for those attuned to its intricacies, it remains a defining undercurrent in electronic music. Unlike its dubstep cousin, which relied on aggressive basslines and in-your-face drops, alt-dub takes a more measured approach, focusing on subtlety and complexity. It's about crafting a vibe, not smashing through it. San Francisco-based artist Federsen has been a pivotal figure in this niche for over a decade, using vintage tape delays and analogue gear to build immersive, textured soundscapes. His work with labels like Silent Season, Greyscale, Lempuyang and Ohm Series perfectly embodies how dub's elements of space, decay and resonance can be transformed into hypnotic, dancefloor-driven rhythms that unfold slowly. Tracks like 'Dub Trail' and 'Silent Whispers' reflect Federsen's signature approach: slow, deliberate builds, where the bassline is felt more than heard, and the subtle shifts in atmosphere draw us into the groove. It's not about immediate impact, but rather about crafting a space where the music breathes and where the transitions are felt as much as they are heard. 'Echoes In The Void' pushes this idea even further, with its dense, evolving layers of sound, while 'Lunar Dub' offers a more stripped-back, meditative experience. Through Federsen's work, the genre stands as an exploration of depth and atmosphere, where every moment of silence and every drawling transition plays an integral part in the experience.
Review: A decade after it was first released (credited, back then, to Detroit Swindle), Dam Swindle's 'Figure of Speech' EP returns on vinyl in freshly remastered form. It remains one of the Amsterdam duo's most respected and much-loved EPs, and for good reason. Opener 'Figure of Speech' is an infectious, rolling and impressively groovy workout which combines African vocal samples, layered percussion and tidy house breaks with warming deep house chords and tech-tinged electronics. 'Victoria's Secret' is a woozier and more analogue-sounding deep house groover with deliciously positive synth melodies and fizzing riffs, while 'Live at the Cosmic Carnival' is a more percussion-rich slab of jazz-flecked, Batacuda-inspired Latin house heaviness that could well be the EP's most potent moment.
Review: Danubian Dub hails from Vienna and step up to their own self-titled label with a deep, steppers-style cut that delivers conscious energy and militant grooves on one impactful 7". 'Move Dem' is driven by a thunderous bassline and echo-laden snares and has a nice ass-wobbling weight to it as it rolls up and down while I Nando's commanding voice delivers his own message. Though rooted in classic dub traditions, it has a fresh edge and sleek production aesthetic that very much places it nicely the here and now. The Smalltowndubz brings some more winky dubstep style bass weight to the flipside and both versions are sound system-ready anthems built for serious rotation.
Review: DCTL is a collaborative project between Masafumi Onishi (known as Telly) and DJ Duct, two influential figures in Japan's underground scene. Onishi is also the founder of Troop Music Works and has been instrumental in shaping the electronic landscape in Kobe. DJ Duct, much loved for his innovative turntablism, brings a unique blend of hip-hop and electronic influences to the duo. Together, they produce raw, analogue-driven tracks characterised by gritty drum machine sequences, soulful samples, and a DIY ethos that resonates with fans of Detroit-style beatdown house and downtempo music, as evidenced here on five fresh and funky cuts stacked with loose rhythms, smart samples and melodic hooks.
Review: Decoder brings his deliciously dark take on drum & bass to this new one from Over/Shadow. It drills deep into the heart of a smoky, strobe-lit dance floor while also offering plenty of mental soundscapes to explore with your eyes closed. 'DT103' has crisp breaks and warped bass under shards of broken, glassy melody and 'DD1' then floats on a more skeletal rhythm with grazing background pads and apocalyptic bass. The Technical Itch remix brings even more in-your-face textured percussion and 'MB29' shuts down with a cosmic exploration and skittish drum patterns.
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