Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Netherlands techno titan Planet Rhythm goes full percussive gas giant on their latest V/A, 'Friction', a motorsport motivator full of accelerometric elan - one of several V/As to grace their revving catalogue in recent times. Ramon Tapia leads the motorcade with 'Friction', a stabbing aerator full of overtop claps and rims, while Louis Lp's 'Radioactivity' unsettles with its seething high ringing and affectively isolated chord-stab-melody. Deas' 'Hard Dreams' nods to the real, unshakeably material core of dreams, with its rancorous full-tone acids, while Ramon Topia closes with 'Fear', a restless, chord-throttling, hard trancey, speed demonic rally racer.

Review: Gale-force sonic apneas from Planet Rhythm, the label and unstoppable phonic force from Rotterdam. The imprint's latest V/A release in the Dubwars series this time takes on its own name, 'Minerals', and welcomes rambunctious techno troilers from the likes of Unknown Code, OFF / GRID, and Luca Accardi. Rhythmically dragged, diminished stab-chords define the A1 and A2 against metal girdered kick patterns, with 'Moment' especially nailing that ever-sought-after sweet spot of energy and anhedonia, a mixed feeling perhaps only achievable within techno's ambit. Dub techno inflections turn to infarctions, as Accardi's 'Minerals' sucks the sonic substrate dry with ballistic echoes, giving way to Gockel's minimal mountaintop NDE, 'Meditation In Tibet'.

Review: Pierre Bastien has a strong team record of interesting collaborations. He's done stuff with fashion designer and scent mogul Issey Miyake, legendary singer and composer Robert Wyatt, and the enigmatic electronic producer and reality-shifter Aphex Twin, releasing no less than three full length records on the latter's landmark label, Rephlex. "A mad musical scientist", the Guardian once quipped, and C(or)N(e)T doesn't break from that tradition. Instead, it offers some of the most abstract and strange, beguiling and fascinating sounds we've heard in a while. At least a few of which have been made on self-made, bespoke pieces of equipment. At a push, you might label this jazz, for the simple fact it's so free-form and avant-garde. Realistically, though, it sounds like the noises that might happen if someone attempted to tame a pack of rogue electronic hubbub-chatting things in a vaguely structured way. "Thank fuck for Pierre Bastien", the Quietus once said. We happily concur.

Review: Damian Lazarus's fifth studio album is another left-of-centre exploration of house and tech, often with a spiritual twist and hints of voodoo magic. It is heavy on collaborations and finds the Crosstown Rebels boss hooking up with the likes of Hem Cooke for the spine-tingling downtempo opener 'Searchin' while 'R U Dreaming? (feat Mathew Jonson)' is a more deep and bubbly late-night tech sound. 'La Hija De Juan Simon (feat Mestiza)' is laden with percussion and warped bass, and 'Sunrise Generation (feat Fink)' is a deft and progressive melodic roller that is sure to be huge this summer and beyond.

Review: Legowelt is absolutely an artist unto himself. He makes a wide array of music always with equal skill and style, mostly designs his own covers and quite often devices weird and wonderful new aliases to do so. Here he returns under his most iconic moniker for A Field Guide To The Void, a superb sonic trip packed with great craft and subtle innovations. As always it's a fuzzy and fizzing kaleidoscope of retro-futuristic melodies, compelling grooves and proud analogue lines that soundtrack a cosmic adventure with happy moments, more introspective grooves and plenty in between.

Review: Belgian independent label Detuned, hits a major milestone with its 50th release, Analog Days, a long-awaited ten track album by legendary Swedish producer Robert Leiner. Known for his pioneering role in trance, techno, and ambient music through his work with R&S Records, Leiner was instrumental in the early development of Detuned, contributing to the label's growth with his live performances and DJ sets under his alias, The Source Experience. As part of Detuned's 15th anniversary celebrations, Analog Days offers a collection of mostly hardware-based productions recorded between 2005 and 2015. These tracks, now freshly mixed and completed, highlight Leiner's mastery in crafting dynamic yet soothing soundscapes. Each piece captures his signature styleia seamless blend of rhythm and atmosphereioffering an expansive sonic experience that transports listeners through various electronic terrains. This release isn't just a retrospective but a continuation of Leiner's enduring influence on electronic music. Analog Days embodies a unique exploration of sound, delivering a journey where rhythmic motion and ambient tones coalesce.

Review: Robert Leiner returns with Analog Days, a celebration of electronic craftsmanship released on De:tuned Records. Known for his influential work in the early 90s on R&S and Apollo, Leiner brings a fresh yet nostalgic sound with this ten-track album. Recorded between 2005 and 2015, Analog Days blends rhythmic complexity with serene atmospheres, showcasing Leiner's skill at balancing intensity and calm. Tracks like 'Echobox' stand out for their gritty, processed beats, while 'Session 0510' captures a more melodic side, almost touching on IDM. Fans of Leiner's classic Visions of the Past album will appreciate 'My Dream,' which echoes the ambient depth of his earlier work. The album flows effortlessly between dancefloor energy and introspective moments. 'Chords' is particularly radiant, its soaring harmonies evoking the spirit of 1993's golden era. This release is a well-rounded journey through electronica, perfect for listeners who appreciate both the past and the present of techno and ambient music.

Review: Stockholm sound architect Cari Lekebusch stops over on Lady Tazz's Mind Medizin with a four-sided EP of sleek, dark metallic, carbon-plated techno. Lekebusch's early outings on Drumcode and Planet Rhythm make for some of the best possible CV boosts you could add to such a document, and now 'XYZ' forms as the three-character update. Best among the tracks on this soon to be episodic EP series are 'Freakout' and 'Heritage', which are the two most abrasive onslaughts. Strategic sorties of sound, the tunes are placed in impeccable contrast to the relatively moving quellers 'Ninguno Es Uno' and 'Mind And Matter'.

Review: The respected DIY hero Xin Lie's reputation has spread far from his native Bangdung in the Indonesian province of West Java - and this eight track debut album will no doubt add to his international repute even further. Electronica is one of the hardest genres in which to forge an original, distinctive path but Lie does it here effortlessly, from the juddering bass-driven half speed groover 'Parat' and the frenetic, polymetric rhythmic riddle that is 'Ngalengkah', to the tribal percussiveness meets mangled robotics of 'Papait Nu Amis', it never settles into accepted ways of doing things, constantly challenging you to keep up. "Perhaps it's best imagined as the soundtrack to a multi-sensory art installation," Lie suggests, "or a performance staged not in a gallery but in an unassuming house down your street." Fine. Or just a really compelling record, you could equally argue.