Juno Recommends Electro: April 2022

Review: Originally released digitally two years ago and here finally available on wax, Krafwerk's Remixes pairs a swathe of vintage reworks (mostly from the '90s and early-to-mid-2000s) with a handful of surprise 2018 reworks from the legendary German band. In this latter category you'll find a fantastic, slowed-down take on 'Musique Non-Stop' and two versions of 'The Robots' based on their 21st century live versions. Other highlights include Orbital's weighty, club-ready revision of 'Expo 2000', an early '90s Francois K extension of The Mix remake of 'Radioactivity', superb Motor City techno takes on 'Expo 2000' from DJ Rolando and Underground Resistance, and two storming Hot Chip remixes of cuts from the Tour De France LP.

Review: The Netherlands appears to be dominating the dance landscape at the moment, and One Eye Witness are but one of its many labels vying for the top spot - that is, at least when it comes to electro. Here presenting the third installment in their V/A EP series, every track on this future-retroised 12" readily shows off the chops of up-and-coming Dutch producers, from CLJL's squelchy feel-goodness to N-GYNN's inflammatory plod.

Review: Electro monarchs Maelstrom, Locked Club and RLGN return to EP-making with a four-track array of acid bangers, happily working together on a split record to celebrate the pan-European electro scene. Their offering is unequal in quantity (2 Maelstrom and 3 Locked Club tunes) but is resolutely equal in heat; 'LA Nuit Est A Toi' is Maelstrom's standout, bleepy and suffocating in its generative, janky fright. Locked Club and RLGN follow up, 'Kill Me' being the best and most suicidally pushy techno track to soundtrack our nightmares.

Review: Zeta Reticula is a Solvenian producer who you might also know as Umek. Away from his big room techno sounds under this alias he crafts much more nuanced and essential electro sounds as evidenced on this fierce five tracker pressed to limed clear vinyl. 'Wakefulness' is all jacked up drums and interplanetary acid and the beats bang just as hard on 'Analgesic Pathways' while 'Cholinergic Projections' is the most white knuckle ride of the lot with whip-snapping snares and hellish synths bringing the terror. 'Reticulate Speech' and 'Abducting Humans' close down with more melodic electro sounds.

Review: When a label names themselves after an iconic synthesizer chip, you know they mean business. Following releases from the likes of DJ Overdose and Detroit's Filthiest, Curtis Electronix welcome the mighty Galaxian to throw down some truly dystopian machine malfunctions on Destroy Your Future. If you're craving some fresh ideas in the electro scene, look no further as the masked wonder takes the sound right out to the edge without losing that electro essence. 'Destroy Your Future Total Utter Control' is a twitchy cut that seems to dissemble and reform right before your ears. 'Cognitive Warfare' has a sharper focus somewhere in the DJ Stingray spectrum, but this is still weird over functional. Here is the sound of an artist truly ignoring any notion of 'scene' and pressing on with their own twisted vision, and it's frankly mind-blowing.

Review: Grab a controller, fire up your Sega Megadrive and prepare for some bare-knuckle dancing courtesy of sweat-soaked rave revivalists Lee Kelly and Roy of the Ravers. Kelly contributes 'Streets of Rage', a 16-bit shuffler full of '90s games console samples, moody chords and unfussy drums, and an accompanying dub that's far deeper, hazier and more hypnotic. In contrast, Roy of the Ravers reaches for the nastiest, wildest rave riffs imaginable on the pulsating 'Boss Man Mix' of 'These Streets of Rage', a hardcore influenced throb-job that's later turned into both a breakbeat heater (the early '90s style 'Crispy Jason' mix) and a woozy, immersive techno number (the 'Myoptik' remix).

Review: 
Japan-based Frenchman Fleck ESC has been creating high calibre electro for over a decade, appearing on top imprints like Bass Agenda, Science Cult and many more. He's no stranger to Sheffield's Central processing Unit either, where he returns to follow up 2018's Discrete Opinion EP. This one features four straight-up cuts from the outer reaches of dystopia; the sleek sci-fi bounce of the title track, some seductive computer funk offered up on "Cat In The Hat" and the futurist beats that soundtrack simulated warfare on B side offering "Faking Sweet".

Review: Ilyes Sedjal Follows up some great releases on Tombola and The Void Project with a smashing new EP for UTTU packed full of 'deep progressive house sounds'. Four originals and a remix are featured on the Second Life EP: there's the rolling, broken beats of the title track, followed by a mindblowing rework courtesy of Yosh who takes it into early '90s breakbeat hardcore territory. Over on the flip, you have the trance infused euphoria of 'Wait For It' that will have you reaching for the lasers, while the chunky techno groove of closing cut 'ISS Liners' goes out all guns blazing.

Review: Set your radars to the cosmos and prepare for intergalactic take-off at the hands of this new one from K1 and Marty Bonds on Puzzlebox. It's timeless and cinematic electro from the off, with 'Cosmic Flight' (K-1 Navigational mix) layering up neck-snapping drums and bass and squelchy acid lines for you to ride on. Add in some smart spoken words and you have dance floor fire of the highest order. The track also comes as a bass-paella on the flip, while 'To Fly' (Marty Bonds Interdimensional mix) is a more minimal electro cut with lush digital synthesis and smeared astral melodies.

Review: Spanish label Mars Frequency Records celebrates 10 years of searing electro sounds with this super limited new 12". It draws some of the label's finest talents together, with Mike Ash going first. His booming electro kicks and twitchy synths take you on an intergalactic flight before Robert Cosmic's 'Freshh' has a rugged analogue drum line and crispy snares. There are more impressive cuts from Downrocks, who keeps it funky in a cyborg way on 'Exogenic Field' and Enigmatic Astronaut's 'Neutron' (remix) is a more eerie and empty atmosphere builder.

Review: Enfant terrible Vitalic returns with his fifth album, which is featured here in both volumes. Dissidaence sees the esteemed French producer return to the roots of his sound, with a strong rock aesthetic reminiscent of his early albums. Whether it's the Italo-infused euphoria of first single "Haute Definition" which kind of harks back to his pioneering electroclash days in the early noughties, to the pounding acid techno of "Rave Against The System" featuring the rapper Kiddy Smile (of "Let A Bitch Know" fame), to the sleazy electro-noir of "Danse Avec Moi", there are even more experimental pieces on offer which reflect the wide variety in his repertoire. Consider the dystopian soundscape of "Lost Time" for instance or the near gabber tempo of the relentless closing cut "Carbonized". In a word - epic!

Review: Dead Sound Records is a new label from Berlin that presents its first release here from Uruguayan producer Cosmonaut. The Cristal Ensemble EP takes inspiration from his homeland, featuring some punchy peak time tunes.On the A side, have the wacky retro techno thriller 'Makineado' followed by the strobed-out hypnotiser 'Teknology' which will have you reaching for the lasers. Over on the flip, the title track receives a rework by French electro engineer TC80 who delivers a typically sublime expression in artificial intelligence, which compliments the soulful original version before it in the vein of early Carl Craig.

Review: RHR follows up a great release on Omnidisc with this new one for New York City by-way-of Brazil label Tijolo titled Linha De Oficio 93 (Office Line 93), where the Sao Paulo-based producer incorporates many core elements of his hometown's baile funk sound. Whether it's jungle, techno, electro or reggae, he pays respect to all of them while hybridising them into new forms. From the bass-heavy sci-fi aesthetic of opening cut 'Mente E Drama', to the dark rolling beats and seething Reese bassline of the title track, or the subterranean minimalism of 'Sem Sono' (feat Black Snake 808) - this is the definitive sound of the Brazilian underground.

Review: We'll have to dive right into the music on this new hand-stamped, white label 12" because it is an anonymous project that backs up its first EP with another sharp selection of unknown weapons. This five-tracker explores many different electro sounds with something for all moments of the night and any sort of dance floor. 'Track 2' reworks a Prince classic with the trademark stabs brought in next to fizzing cyborg bass and tinny 808 sounds. There is a throwback electro-boogaloo feel to 'Track 3', yearning vocals make 'Track 4' a nuanced and emotive affair and 'Track 5' pairs an epic and classic vocal with a new, sleek electro rhythm.

Review: Mattia Lapucci is a DJ and producer based in Florence, Italy who is founder of the Burbi and BurbiDub labels. His latest release comes courtesy of Barcelona's Twig imprint (a sub label of Seekers) titled Low Frequency Code, featuring four tracks that hark back to the seminal days of house and techno of decades past. Bleepy rave trips are catered for ('Low Rider'), early '90s intelligent UK techno is referenced on the evocative 'Sunday At Fashion Show' and then going ultra deep on the acid-laced closing cut 'Astralago'.