Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Amsterdam-based techno purist Keith Carnal has established his own SEC ND- imprint with plenty of fine and no-frills outings before now. Here he returns to the label and drops his Verbal Response EP which is packed with energetic cuts. 'Cynicism' is a tunnelling groove with train-like drum loops and pulsing synths that bring the edge up top. There is a lo-fi greyscale atmosphere to the techno tension of 'Exorcism' with its smeared chords and 'Altruism' then gets more upright and bouncy with hammering hits and brushed metal drums all making you march. 'Heroism' is last up and brings the most intense sound of the lot thanks to a manic lead.

Review: Florin Buchel's work as Contra Communem Opinionem has bridged the gap between seemingly disparate labels like Lux Rec, Mathematics, Drumpoet Community and Photic Fields without missing a beat. More recently, he's funnelled the CCO output through his own label Silum to bring us some EPs of dazzling hardware tech house with ample melodic content to keep the dark clouds at bay. 'Atmospheric Inversion' toys with jazzy discord, but the vibe is primarily soulful and synth-driven, while 'Atmospheric Extinction' heads wholeheartedly towards uplifting chord sequences to get your hair standing on end. 'Atmospheric Pressure' takes a snappier, techier approach but the tools and signal chains are the same, so the pervading warmth of the tracks maintains. This is house music which instinctively connects back to the gritty strain of machine soul pioneered in Detroit - if you're always searching for that quality in your club tracks you won't want to overlook this one.

Review: New Jersey house don Kerri Chandler is rightfully lauded as a hero of the scene. He continues to pour his heart and soul into every record and imbue his music with real-world emotions that elevate his tunes. He is of course a master of a deep but driving sound that borrows from soul, funk and jazz in ignitible ways. The third volume of his Lost & Found EP series on his own label Kaoz Theory is packed with more gold, from the slinky depths of 'Let It (Give Me Back My Love)' to the soul staring vocal work of 'Another Dawn' via more paired back sounds on 'The Bassline' (Kerri Dark mix) and the percussive energy of 'The Breeze.' Yet another essential Kerri 12" for your collection.

Review: It is five up for the French label Chivalry here and the eponymous production outfit is behind the sounds which are distinctly futuristic and techno-minded. The opener rides on gurgling low ends and distant synth tension that is always on the rise as whistles vie for your attention up front. 'Track 2' is another wonky and industrial tech house sound with snappy drums that will jerk the floor into action and 'Track 3' then gets a little more smooth with its warped tones and alien sound effects. Last of all is 'Track 4', a jacked-up tune that spins you out on loopy synth madness.

Review: Sweat It Out Records kicks off their tasty Sweat Sampler series with their first volume, cutting niftily across four exceptionally sweaty bops, spanning tongue-in-cheek deep tech reworks and downtempo disco delights. First off is the dream team of Cid and Havoc & Lawn, whom together deliver a hilariously effective house version of America's 'A Horse With No Name'; this is shortly followed by Saturday Love, Kon and Furious's 'Come Out', a rejigged nu-disco samosa packed with some rare vocal spices; then there's 'Give It To Me' by Marco Lys and Ben Miller, a bass-driven bouncer unafraid of lasershot winddowns, injunctive vocals and risers; and finally, there's Set Mo's 'Could I Be', the anthem of the bunch, whose buildup and drop is alarming, affecting, cumulatively awe-striking.

Review: The third welcome release in the vital NETWORK 23 remastered repress series comprises another three essential tracks. The A-Side showcases 'Panasonic,' a solo cut by Crystal Distortion that is pure experimental techno-madness. Flip it over and on the B-side you will find two tracks by 69db. 'Water' is a fizzing, dense, caustic mix of impenetrable rhythm and groove, and the second 'Drivin' is a collaboration with the original Spiral Tribe member, Meltdown Mickey, that again sounds like little else with its skittish loops, fizzing synth textures and unrelenting rhythms.

Review: The fourth of a series of reissues from Network 23 - which focuses on classic tracks by and adjacent to R-ZAC (Crystal Distortion and 69db) of Spiral Tribe, and which made up the bulk of the OG rave collective's live sets - the 'NET23 04' EP is a mesmerising sauna of tekno entrainments and mental sonic mares. Starting with a subtle mind-melter from Crystal Distortion, 'ESV', we move into increasingly propagandistic vibes from R-Zac - whose 'LSP23' sounds like a numbers station stuck on loop and set to a technoization - and then followed by 69db and Meltdown Mickey's 'Drivin', which returns things to their initial minimal but maddening state.

Review: ''Seconds To Forever' is one of the most beloved tracks in the Echospace arsenal. Originally released in 2010, this reissue is being pressed on transparent blue vinyl. Fans of Stephen Hitchell will be excited to see these rumoured reissues finally seeing daylight. 'Beyond the Clouds' is on the B-side as well which makes this perhaps, the most desirable EP in this history of the label. We are just glad to see Stephen Hitchell back releasing physical music - and these are still classics of the dub techno genre.

Review: After many years of waiting, CV313 (Stephen Hitchell) brings out blue vinyl editions of some of his cherished dub techno classics. Originally released in 2007 and again in 2009, 'Subtraktive' took the M7 formula and deepened it even further becoming the blueprint for CV313 and the Echospace label for years to come. Comes with the live in Japan version also. This reissue is a warm welcome for those concerned about ever getting a copy.

Review: Dave Clarke's Red Series remains a vital benchmark in the evolution of UK techno. Released between 1993 and 1996, the three-volume run even managed to brush the UK top 40 back in the good old days when anything felt possible. Tracks like 'Wisdom To The Wise' will forever be etched in the make up of techno, and for very good reason. Now the whole series is being given a lavish reissue treatment which takes in all the original releases along with additional discs of rare, archival tracks and remixes, all bundled up in a box with a booklet and autographed by the Baron himself.

Review: Container is a long-running project from Ren Schofield but he has hasn't released anything since back in 2021 when he delighted techno heads with his Creamer EP. His manic sound has recently taken him to some sold out shows around the world and now comes Tacker, a new album that fuses rock with electronic stylings on Alter. Nirvana's 'Oh, The Guilt', Mindflayer's album 'It's Always 1999', and the Rah Bras song 'Sooop Toe Pump Girls' have all been given as points of inspiration for this most brain-fizzing, hardcore collision of worlds.