Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Da Lukas's Satisfy Your Soul EP is a four-track full of disco goodness that opens with the title track, a driving, percussive workout with a powerful vocal performance. 'Let Your Body Be Free' continues the party music with a dynamic horn section and disco breakdown. 'Supergood' is a hi-energy dancefloor anthem, with a pumping beat an infectious filtered house sound. The EP closes with 'Music Turns Me On', a slow-burning track that enjoys riding the groove with a generous amount of funk. Da Lukas' tracks are nicely crafted, with a deep understanding of the disco genre. Satisfy Your Soul is a must-have for fans of disco and nu disco alike.

Review: Nowhere does techno as proper as Planet Rhythm. This latest 12" is another no-frills banger with rusty synth and menacing drum loops all perfectly intertwined. There is a hurried sense of funk to 'Formation' that really keeps you on edge, while 'Basel' is turbocharged with video-game style synths. 'Romance' gets more edgy and brings some industrial percussion and automation to the beats while 'Here' slips into thumping and loopy house territory of the sort that reminds us of the one and only Floorplan.

Review: Digital Imagination first dropped their The Essence of Thought back in the nineties and now the cult favourite gets a nice reissue in time for summer when it will be perfect post-rave comedown tackle. It is a sci-fi inspired mixture of house, transcend trip hop of the era with lots of analogue action and dusty drum breaks, smart little samples that add a cinematic edge and some lovely basslines. It was produced by a young Ted Heinz and originally release by Concept Records. OGs are hard to come by so don't sleep on the one which has been restored from the original DAT tape.

Review: First released way back in 1994 on Kevin Saunderson's KMS label, Dionne Warren's Brian Hall-produced deep house gem 'Feel Da Rain' gets a new lease of life thanks to Windsor, Ontario imprint Collective Rhythm Network (CRN). While the original 12" also featured rubs from Alton Miller and Stacey Pullen, it's D'Pac Patel's dub . a warm, rolling, US garage influenced deep house workout rich in tactile organ stabs, superb grooves and short samples of Warren's vocals - that has become the most sought-after version. On this 12", we get Patel's full-length dub (it was edited down on the original 12") and a previously unreleased 'Rhodes Dub' that adds extra electric piano action for added warmth and flavour.

Review: Everyone's favourite low-res poly-rendered rave organism DJ Plant Texture returns to their fave label Ilian Tape for their least forgiving, least fluffy and most wayside-thrown techno EP yet. Contrasting to their earlier lo-fi MPC workouts and electro freak-shows, the best of which were also released on the Amsterdam imprint, Plant Texture here switches things up, offering up four jackbooted 4x4 techno bits so menacing that they verge on a dastard take on the Brummy school. An obsession with rhythm and percussive texture rears its head; A-siders 'DDrumz' and 'Mechanical Bongos' are truly intrigued by the drum, revelling in pure, circular samply bongo and timbalero repetition; the theme continues on B-sider 'Dubbish', which only does so much as add a scopeout dub chord stab to the mix, yet still sounds sick; 'Let The Machine Speak (Jazz Mix)', finally, seems to hold the work of fellow techy rhythmusoidal geek Machinedrum firmly in mind, seeming to cleverly parody the artist's Ninja Tune/Vapor City IDM era with a jeering nu-footwork-jazz half-smile.

Review: Dombrance is back with a typically vibrant new EP on Discolypso that features two fresh tracks and remixes from luminaries Francois K and Lindstrom. Once referred to as a 'French Jarvis Cocker with a bushy moustache and flares,' Dombrance is a musical maverick who dropped his debut album last year and performed globally from Glastonbury to Downtown LA. On this one, 'Bayrou' and 'Cope' draw inspiration from politicians, delivering timeless electronic disco vibes with sugary chords and pulsating synths, then Francois K transforms 'Cope' into a psychedelic journey, while Lindstrom's remix of 'Bayrou' conjures images of a David Lynch pool party. It's peak disco fun.

Review: The now ten year old 'Acid Test 09' sees a special tenth Anniversary Edition repress with a new vocal mix of the track 'Test 3'. The original EP, released in 2014, saw acid nomad Tin Man team up with techno dreamweaver Donato Dozzy for three slices of deep acid and dubby, bleepy ambient; this special anniversary version adds a surprise new vocal mix on the A2, with either Dozzy or Tin Man himself gracing the beats with a set of carefree, moony phonic impressions, lyrically concerning the object of his affections looking oh so good on the dancefloor. We already know and love the rest; it's up to you to put the new addition to the test.

Review: Especial Specials has recently helped to take the Japanese label Chill Mountain Record into the world of wax after it previously operated only in the digital world. Now it carries on with a similar MO as it works with Multi Culti label head, DJ and producer Dreems on new set of limited-edition EPs. He has already landed on the likes of Kompakt, Pinchy & Friends and Futureboogie and now digs into his vaults to serve up some edits and dubs that are hard to pin down but often doused in psychedelic overtones, acid and dub. Each one is a unique work in its own right but they all add up to one helluva good EP.

Review: Especial Specials always deal in releases with a story often as interesting as the music itself. This time out they enlist DJ and producer Dreems for a fine collection of limited-edition 12"s. Angus Gruzman aka Dreems is the man behind the vital Multi Culti label and has dropped his own wares on the likes of Kompakt, Pinchy & Friends and Futureboogie but somehow remains rather in the shadows. This deep dive into his vaults should change that - these are edits and dubs that come doused in psychedelia as they trip through several genres. There is off-kilter dub, melon-twisting dub, intensely percussive and tribal dub, and more besides across the five fantastic tracks.

Review: Soiree hands over its next 12" to a pair of artists who take care of one side each. Drivetrain goes first with 'The Moonlight' which is a moon-lit jaunt through a futuristic city scope with broken beats and neon chords. 'Moonlight & You' carries over similar melodies with steely drums and vocal harmonies, and then G-Prod steps up with 'Moonlight' which brings a more stripped back and dark groove run through with acid menace. Last of all is David Duriez with his Floating Light mix of the same cut and it's a dreamy deep house roller for cosy basements.

Review: Dubfire's EVOLV presents two captivating techno remixes that showcase the distinct styles of renowned artists. Carl Craig's 'Descent' remix unfolds as a gradual builder, echoing his signature style. An underlying acid line intertwines with a soaring melody, incorporating elements of house music. Conversely, LB Dub Corp's 'Dark Matter' remix plunges into a percussive techno realm, its peak-time intensity bringing melodic depth and creating an immersive and dynamic journey.

Review: Seclusion debuts with its first vinyl release here and it decides to use the opportunity to showcase four remixes from three different techno titans. UK favourite Ben Sims goes first with his turbocharged take on Elyas/Anta's 'Real 13130 G's' and then Elyas offers the first two remixes. His version of Geto Mark and DJ Deeon's 'In This House' is seriously heavy, with rock solid kicks and muted acid spraying about them, then he remixes Player's 'Player Three' into a funked up and loopy house banger for the peak time. Mark Broom is the last to remix and goes for a fusion of smeared Detroit-style synth soul over hefty techno drums.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Robert Owens is absolutely one of the voices of his generation. He has lent his tender tones to more classic tracks than you could possibly mention and he continues to do so nowadays with a wholeness generation of producer who want a touch go his authenticity. He has recently achieved another career milestone with a superbly poignant new single that comes with sublime remixes. DJ Spinna's re-flip adds his usual sense of soul and Adeen Records label head Camille then brings some South African Amapiano vibes. Nico Lahs takes it on with a heavy house groove and Scott Hess brings some classic acid jack to his version.

Review: By the time they released Raumgleiter in 1998, Der Dritte Raum were already legends of the German techno-trance scene. This all-time classic album from the breakthrough years of the sound also saw the project move to a major label - Virgin - but now it's being brought back home to Harthouse, the iconic Frankfurt imprint which first nurtured the sound. The scope of the album is wide and playful, teasing ear catching synth lines which keep the mood fun and freaky, not least on the likes of 'Bedruck', while there's an epic tone to standout trance monster 'Hale Bopp' thanks to the cascading arps and relentless forwards thrust. Of its time but wholly relevant in the current zeitgeist, this is the kind of 90s techno reissue that makes perfect sense.