MIKE PARKER Vinilo y CD

Review: For anyone who takes deep, uncompromising techno seriously, Mike Parker is a true benchmark of quality. The Buffalo, New York artist has unfurled his catalogue over the course of more than 20 years with a steely focus which is immune to the shifting sands of trend and hype in the wider scene. Now the Field label are reissuing his breakthrough 2001 LP Dispatches, which is a textbook summation of his imperious style. At a time when there's increased appreciation for deeper-diving strains of techno, Parker's hypnotic, expertly sculpted sound slots right in to the contemporary framework with a building-block quality which will inspire many a DJ to get busy layering and blending.

Review: In what could be the biggest techno release of 2013 so far, Geophone delivers a rarely seen VA package, with Mike Parker only appearing in remixed form. Donato Dozzy and Neel's revered Voices From The Lake collaboration supply their first release outside of Prologue with some throbbing brain pulses in "Reptilicus" - much harder sounding than their album material. Shifted's remix to Parker's "Mnajdra" is outrageously Berghain-centric, as mechanically mutated insect buzzes hammer away to scraping and suctioned percussion. Ukrainian artist Stanislav Tolkachev, who is making a name for himself since his track "Building Peaks" on Developer's Modularz settles into Geophone's 19th release with his usual frenetic pace, this time employing thudding drums and melancholic atmospheres likened to Aphex Twin's more emotional material.