Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Granada's Cosmic Tribe know the definition of "electro" in its broadest sense; their new Xtrictly Electro comp keeps the dystopian sound endemic to the genre's most present incarnation, but refuses to restrict itself to one tempo: the standard 130-ish that has sadly infected the otherwise genius genre as a necessity. An international splinter cell of spec-ops and mercenaries are recalled from retirement here, as we hear Calagad 13, Nachtwald, EC13 and many more mechanoid ilk lay down all manner of slick utilities, making up a morbid multi-tool. 5zyl brings further lasery Lithuanian steeze on 'Vilnius Bass', whilst Spectrums Data Forces betrays the existence of a sinister corporate entity, whose business model works towards the object of instilling 'Darkness In My Head' through giant, killer mozzy basses.

Review: Corsican label Isula Science drop a fresh brooder of previously unknown electro knowns, this time from label founder Flash FM alongside HDV, Sweely and Man/ipulate. Spanning vertiginous dark acid, then moving on through to dreamatic neon breakbeat and expedient Italo - 'Vol de nuit' especially makes signature use of a classic slap bass synth - they've got us entirely covered here. Enticing bumps in the night from the exquisitors.

Review: Under his long-standing electro alias Sniper Mode, German techno veteran Gregor Tresher returns with a new EP. This is a sharp, sci-fi-inflected collection that shows his enduring command of sleek, futuristic sound design. Though better known for his techno output, Tresher’s electro work is no side project. Side-A opens with 'Homecoming', featuring Miami’s Exzakt. It’s a shadowy, pulsing cut built on punchy drums and steely synth lines. This is pure classic dark electro with modern muscle. 'The Iron Raven' follows, a high-definition flight through synthetic skies, all crisp sequences and distant echoes, evoking cold futurism with cinematic flair. On Side-B, 'Golan Heights' ventures into IDM territory while staying grounded in electro’s tight frameworks. Its textures shimmer, its rhythms glitch and glide. This is sci-fi circuitry rendered with surgical precision. Closing track 'Bornheim 34' tips its cap to the old school, fusing vintage 808 bounce with a contemporary finish. Tresher taps back into the pulse of pure machine funk, reigniting a project that’s quietly shaped the electro undercurrent for nearly 25 years. It’s a controlled detonation of style and substance.

Review: The return of Sorrow, characteristically with a gracefully morose new six-tracker, 'Unrequited'. "How can I forgive?" goes the rheum-smeared vocal sample opening out the Bristolian artist's new opener 'Monologue', after which amnestic choral lines follow like heavenly flights, singing thee to thy rest. Many a temporal restretching of the 2-step grief-garage paradigm follow, as on the slo-mo dancehall of 'Fallen Angel', the pan-fluting, blossom treeing dubstep of 'Unrequited', and an unlikely future downtempo saudade, 'Hedron'. It's nice to hear Sorrow back in action; without his continued presence, we might otherwise drown our own in other, less musical liquids.

Review: Lisbon's Hubble Recordings present their sixth release so far, keeping firm to their artist-specific EPs approach following brilliant releases from Kaesar, Costin RP, Miroloja, Octave and Alex Pervukhin. The latest is from tech house hurler Sublee aka Stefan Nicu, whose flight-booking impulse is as strong as ever, here having stopped over from far-flung Romania. After a string of both digital and vinyl stopovers, 'Personal Universal' appears as the pendular follow-up to 2024's Rawax debut 'Simple Two', bringing hugely doubled vocal cantata to a fervent acid build on the title track, while ensuers 'Simple One' and 'Laculesdesample' bring fidgety synth double bass and unorthodox percussions. A personal universe we'd never want to leave!

Review: Three South American artists - SV3, Trajano, Sebastian - converge alongside French maestro TC-80 on a new, gung-ho vinyl release from Coqueto. Reflecting a para-militant mood, from 'Armament Belico' to 'Hipnosis Global', hi-tech metanoia is balanced with a crude militancy here, reflecting an aggressive permutation of trance. Closer 'Desapariciones' (from Spanish, "disappearances"), we round out on a scathing but ghostly judgment call, with gasping transitions and tanky poundings.

Review: After originally being self-released as a white label, Synthasy's breakbeat hardcore debut quickly gained cult status. It was engineered by Jezz Wright, who did renowned work on Liquid's 'Sweet Harmony' and Lemon D's early EPs and was distributed through London shops. High demand led to a full artwork repress, but copies vanished swiftly and helped cement its cult reputation as a rare gem. Over time, it became a coveted collector's item that commanded high prices - but not any more, thanks to this latest reissue. The rain, directness of the music, rave-ready synths and unforgettable vocal cries that turn the emotion up to 11 mean this debut remains a standout from early '90s rave culture.