Review: Four electroclash/Italo dancefloor bangers recovered from the vaults of electro producer 'Konerytmi' under his alias 'The Klash'. Mixing contempoary sounds with samples and motifs reminiscent of the TV docs, newscasts and movie soundtracks of the 1980s, 'Disko Varasto A' is a boxy, arpy cascader of blipping synths plucks, flatulent basses, and gated snares, best represented by the airtight, hermetic melodic wave machine of a track that is '1982'.
Review: Chris Korda's latest EP, we are reliable informed, "interrogates the myth of human superiority and the barbarism that flows from it." A high faulting concept for sure, but that doesn't mean this music isn't sure to bang on the dance floor even for those who haven't heard the backstory. The opener has a brilliantly odd monologue over a squelchy bassline and edgy technoid beats. 'K35' then paid thumping deep house drums with winky and off-grid chord full of colour. 'Lunch Break' is a broken jungle rhythm and 'SAZ' rounds out with glowing retro-future melodies and more thumping deep house grooves. A truly fresh sound for sure.
Review: Theo Kottis embarks on his Space Dust odyssey with a 3 track EP providing an array of ample peak-time dancefloor moments. This debut collection of tracks for the label draws largely on Kottis finding nascent inspiration in 90s prog house, and deploys the 303 acid topline as its main sonic vessel. 'Solar' & 'Dreamscape' deliver euphoric breakdowns surrounded by stabbing synths, while 'Cosmic Drift' is a slower burn, building through its chuggy baseline. With Theo onboard, we look forward to exploring more of this musical direction through future releases on Space Dust.
Review: 'Autobahn' by Kraftwerk, released in 1974, is a seminal track that redefined the future of electronic music. Its significance lies not only in its innovative use of synthesisers and electronic instruments but also in its ability to evoke a specific visual and emotional landscape. Here, the song's repetitive, motorik rhythms are given an overhaul - or more specifically three - by Jim Rider, a regular at Lee Burridge's All Day I Dream parties. They're beefed up for the floor, certainly, but maintain the kind of delicate touches that makew the original such a great listen.
Review: Nina Kraviz has approached her latest single 'Tarde' with cogent flair, issuing several vinyl remix sets to divvy up and complement a full ten-track digital compilation, made up of a star cast of remixes by major artists. On another 12", Kraviz shortens the full ten tracks to a short selection. The tense, and hummingly fun, original track 'Tarde', released earlier this year, is heard in full effect on this record's B-side, coming complemented by Melchior Productions' phattened 'Late Mix' in the vein of flickering tech house. The A-side is taken up meanwhile by veteran endurance DJ Ricardo Villalobos, whose version of 'Tarde' doesn't care a hoot about tardiness less than it does bask in it, slowly unveiling a clockwork mechanism of spitting schematic beats and tastefully placed vocal shouts from Nina's original acapella.
Review: Renowned Russian producer Anton Kubikov presents the Attic Eccentric EP, a showcase of his mastery in minimal and tech house. On Side-1, 'Last Days' delivers a moody, ominous minimal techno journey, rich with atmospheric tension. Following is 'C'est Anna,' a deep and dubby techno track that weaves in eerie, haunting elements, perfect for those late-night sets. Side-2 features 'Last Days' (Ferlin Crossroads mix), a remix that injects an upbeat, techier energy into the original, offering a bouncier, more dynamic groove. Kubikov’s EP demonstrates his adeptness at blending minimal and techno with a distinctive edge, making it a noteworthy addition to any collection.
Review: The superb Philoxenia Records, which is spearheaded by Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, here unveils a coveted addition to its collection with the the super limited Last Place On Earth EP from Vilnius-based Dovydas Platakis aka Jokios Kulturos. It's a cinematic work that immerses listeners in a dystopian realm that blends avant-garde tones with manga-inspired cyberpunk vibes. Each track serves as a gateway to a world where technological progress intertwines with societal decline, which is of course often the focus of classic cyberpunk literature. Di Venere and Verboten also combine under their Affekt Unit alias to deliver captivating remixes and bring trance and tribal techno elements to the party.
Review: Wiesbaden, Germany-born Florian Kupfer has spent the last decade exploring around the edges of the dancefloor with hugely evocative sounds that are always much more than mere tools. This latest mad-limited 12" is another doozy that opens with the menacing and mechanical rhythms of 'Sidelined' topped with eerie spoken word loops. 'Integrating The Shadow' is a more rugged electro rhythm with hissing hi-hats sweeping through the mix and downbeat chords adding a touch of melancholy. 'Unmasked' gets dark, dirty and messed up for those 5am wig-outs and 'Severed Lines Of Communication' is a hypnotic roller alive with static electricity.
Review: Since emerging at the beginning of the last decade, Berlin-based Spaniard Kwartz (real name Mario Campos) has become a reliable source of dark, atmospheric, clandestine techno. He specialises in combining dense, thickset grooves with mildly creepy melodic motifs, minor-key riffs and bags of unabashed energy. All those sonic traits can be clearly heard on his latest EP, which marks Campos's first vinyl outing for two years. We're particularly enjoying the panicked urgency of 'Fast Focus' and the entrancing heaviness of 'Impulse', where weirdo electronics and echoing melodic loops catch the ear, but all four cuts are undoubtedly tried and tested peak-time treats.
Lewis Fautzi & Norbak - "Code Of Deception" (5:17)
Oscar Mulero - "Zw System" (5:20)
Temudo - "Niiv" (6:29)
Kessell - "Time Domain" (5:11)
Review: Faut Section's Perception Series is back with a second sizzling installment of freshly made techno. Lewis Fautzi & Norbak pair off to open up with 'Code Of Deception', a barreling cut with icy hi hats and taught bass twangs full of dusty factory floor menace. Oscar Mulero offers one of his signature loop-techno rollers in 'Zw System' Temudo then rattles walls with the mysterious bass rumbles of 'Niiv'. Completing what is an EP that is as varied as it is vital is Kessell with the dubby broken techno beats of 'Time Domain' which has fizzing synths cracking like static on a 90s TV screen.
Review: The "Rhythms Of The Pacific" series hears Vancouver label Pacific Rhythms reimagine dance music to aid in vast ocean traversals. Returning with another 12" sampler of material - the tracks are slated for inclusion in a celebratory ten year anniversary comp later this year - we hear Lnrdcroy, Waterpark, Kennedy and Active Surplus bring upper-echelonic, chameleonic beats of the much-less-peggable variety. 'Galaxio Salaxio' moves between dark synth and watery dub, scarcely preparing us for the immersive chordal swims that ensue on 'Coastal Plus'. Finally, 'Blue Beam' incurs an underwater search for coves and water pockets, as jets of pressure escape through riser synths and pufferfish drums.
Review: Love Love presents a collaborative release by two of the freshest contemporary Avon producers here in Best Pest and Kursa. Kursa, also known as one half of S.Murk, has picked up a significant following in both the UK and the USA with a unique mix of tight, maximalist bass music. Meanwhile, Pest is a familiar name on this label after two previous solo releases which showcased his crunchy techno, electro, and hardware-heavy sounds. Together, they deliver a five-tracker EP that transcends genres as it blends elements of dubstep, grime, hardcore, and garage with intricate sound design. Audacious, to be sure.
Review: The Vuo label comes correct with another heavyweight vinyl 12" that features a trio of techno talents. Ohm & Kvadrant join forces first up for the mighty 'Under Krystallen' which is a brilliantly textured and enthralling dub techno cut with brilliantly loopy bass swinging down low and rattling chords melting off to an infinite horizon. On the flip is Trackmaster Shuffle with 'Under Strobe' which is a more amped-up and techno-leaning cut with pent-up energy and darker bass rumbles. Two tasteful and timeless cuts for heady crowds only
Hazmat Live - "The Marriage Of Korg & Moog" (4:50)
Review: Passing Currents aims to stand out from the predictable by offering a deeply human touch in its music. This five-tracker backs that up by melding academic expertise with dancefloor intuition and the A-side features txted by Phil Moffa remixed by Yamaha DSP coder okpk after they met during doctoral studies, they flip technical mastery into bass-driven energy while Atrevido' fuses California warmth with analogue electro, Josh Dahlberg's rediscovered 2009 electro gem, 'Ass On The Floor', still bangs and Detroit's Kevin Reynolds delivers hypnotic grooves before Hazmat Live pushes boundaries with a sound rooted in soulful, experimental innovation.
Review: Great deep techno with two respected artists bringing their favourite cuts on this collaborative split release. Goettingen's finest Kosta Athanassiadis aka XDB delves into the sublime sound of resonance on the hypnotising dub techno cut 'C.O.N.' on the A-side. Over on the flip, you've got Dresden's Stephan Schindler - better known as Kryptic Universe - with 'Cloud Riders' an emotive deep cut for the late night. Limited copies on blue wax.
Review: Fresh from launching their Voam imprint via an EP of clanking, mind-mangling industrial techno workouts, Blawan and Pariah don the Karenn alias once more for their first full-length outing. In keeping with their fuzzy, hardware-based approach, "Grapefruit Regret" is fiendishly forthright - a buzzing, crackling collection of club cuts built around armour plated kick drums, creepy and dystopian aural textures, chunky basslines and hypnotic, opaque lead lines. Occasionally it sounds like the product of two guys banging bits of metal against towering Brutalist buildings, at others the breathless soundtrack to illicit raves in car parks beneath crumbling Soviet-era municipal buildings. Throughout, it delivers some of the most intense and intoxicating techno jams of the year.
Review: Audio visual sculptor Kero operates the multidisciplinary arts collective Detroit Underground record label and continues to produce bit crushed experimental electronic music with over two decades under his belt. Demo Vectors showcases Kero's sonic range-bouncing back and forth between IDM fractures, broken electro shapes and an all around low-end forcefield. Splicing machined modular tunes with syncopated rhythms and Detroit-inspired slivers, Kero's fingerprints can be found on imprints like Blueprint, Wild oats, Ghostly International, Shitkatapult, Semantica, Touchin' Bass, BPitch Control, and many others.
Review: Berghain young gun Max Kobosil gives us his debut album. We Grow They Decline is surprisingly more restrained than you'd expect from Kobosil given his reputation as a DJ and of course those pretty fierce EPs he released previously on MDR and Unterton. Most tracks on here are slower, deeper and reflective takes on the techno sound and show a sense of maturity in this emerging talent's studio prowess. Highlights include the sombre and vertigo inducing slow-groove of "Reflection", the avant garde tribalism of "The Exploring Mountain" and the throbbing EBM crossover of "The Living Ritual".
Review: Kraftwerk's 1975 performance at Fairfield Hall in Croydon is the stuff of legend. Finally it is available as a high quality audio pressing that allows you to relive all its glorious futurism. The show was broadcast on radio as part of a short tour of the UK that came after the release of the German computer music pioneer's hugely popular Autobahn. It features tracks from that album as well as 'Die Sonne, Der Mond, Die Sterne' and 'Showroom Dummies.' A real piece of electronic music history that will spice up any collection.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.