Back catalogue: Electro

Review: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.

Review: Southern Magic is a sub-label of Secret Society Chile, but there is nothing submissive about the sounds of this new various artists 12". Valerio Vaudano soundtracks the end of the party with a big house bouncer full of vamping chord energy and euphoric little vocal stabs that cannot fail to send people home happy. Luca Piermattei then welcomes you to the after party with scuffed up and frazzled deep house drums under mind melting synth modulations on 'Quilmes.' Flip it over for VICARI's fizzing but feel good tech house on 'Residual Bitterness' and Lootbeg's brilliantly futuristic 'Transitions,' which is alive with alien lifeforms and a crispy tech beat.

Review: Versalife is a master of the deep and one of many aliases from the Dutchman born Boris Bunnik. From dub to techno to the electro he explores here, his grainy sound is impossibly atmospheric. 'Copepods' opens up with far-sighted and sustained chords that speak of a future metropolis and 'Ultraviolet' then rides a lush broken rhythm and has melodies that glow like fireflies. 'Counter-illumination' gets more turbulent with its edgy lines and rubbery reverberating bassline and 'Vortex Storm' is like a reflective hall of mirrors with tension and eeriness in the air.

Review: Versalife is one of the many aliases of prolific Dutch producer Versalife. It is where he explores electro in meticulous detail and this new Technofeudalism 12" is as good as it gets. 'Cataclysm' kicks off with a deft and broken beat rhythm, celestial chords and eerie little melodic details that keep you on your toes. 'Intrusion' is darker and more direct with a menacing bassline. 'Syndicate War' ups the ante once more with more energetic rhythms and jagged synths flashing across the face of the tune while 'Axon Terminal' is a moody closer with bittersweet melancholic in the pads.

Review: Viikatory and Manao's Alt Frequency EP showcases a captivating blend of styles, with two dreamy electro tracks on the A-side and two dynamic percussive techno tracks on the B-side. 'LQS' opens up with rising arps and percolating drum funk, while 'Target' has reverberating dub chords and a floating broken beat. 'XOXO' (Viika cut) ups the ante with thumping rhythmic intensity and some warped acid lines while the 'Manao cut' is a more lithe broken beat sound. Additionally, a fifth track is included as a digital download exclusive and each record is hand-stamped and comes with stickered artwork on the sleeve.

Review: Art Gang Records bursts onto the scene with Volen's Stinger Pinger EP, shows the LA-based producer's highly energetic and intergalactic sound. The three original tracks are excellent dancefloor numbers perfectly suited for the dark-lit rooms of underground clubs. 'Go' kicks things off with a great groove and techy atmosphere, offering a fun and futuristic dancefloor workout complete with infectious melodies. 'Last Tab' follows suit with its heavy acid house stomp, delivering a relentless assault on the senses. On Side-2, the title track 'Stinger Pinger' is successful with its deep rhythm machine programming, catchy hooks and jackin' beats, sure to keep the crowd moving till dawn. Markus Sommer's Gary Ablett Double Drop remix of 'Stinger Pinger' adds a groovy twist to the original, offering a fresh take that complements Volen's raw energy perfectly. Overall, some really strong dance tracks that are poised to win over techno and house crowds old and new.

Review: A fresh perspective on classic 80s electronic sounds across this eight-track collection that moulds house, techno and early rave influences into a dynamic, rhythm-driven experience. Kicking off with 'Lightweave', the groove immediately pulls from disco's infectious energy, layering dramatic organ melodies over a crisp, propulsive beat. The journey continues with 'Cubic Pathways', where deep, stomping new beat rhythms meet spacey, evocative melodies reminiscent of the late '80s transitioning into the early '90s. Normally , a producer tied to the sound of Detroit techno for the past 15 years, Johannes Volk shifts his focus to many kids of retro influences from around the world on this album. 'Sense Of Wonder' injects an Italo house spirit with electro elements, striking a perfect balance between nostalgia and futuristic sound design. Meanwhile, 'Exposure' leans into minimal yet incredibly catchy hooks, channeling the mechanical precision of Kraftwerk while maintaining a forward momentum fit for modern sets. The collection's closing moment, 'Zero Zero, taps into the raw energy of early UK rave and new beat, drawing comparisons to the bleep-driven textures of acts like LFO. Throughout, vintage textures and deep-rooted influences are seamlessly woven together, with results that feel both reverent and fresh.

Review: Voodoos & Taboos return with a captivating sonic adventure, fusing Mediterranean influences, tribal grooves, and seductive vocals into a hypnotic blend. This release sees the duo exploring new sonic territory, incorporating house-inspired beats, Balearic vibes and electro textures into their signature sound. 'Estetica Cibernetica' opens with a mesmerisng collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Lourene, her sultry vocals adding another layer of intrigue to the already captivating soundscape. Limited edition, this is destined to become a collector's item.

Review: You always know that any new 12" from Bordello A Parigi is going to come doused in electric synth work and bright melodies. Voodoos & Taboos do just that on this retro-future new outing, the Reversible Dream EP. The title cut races out of the blocks, awash with glassy pads and prickly percussive grooves, robot vocals and raw beats. 'Unconditional Love' rides on more lush arps, this time with a slightly more melancholic feel. 'Animae' is a stomping disco-house workout with angular beats and prying leads and 'Destino Lontano' closes out with a brilliantly psychedelic comedown sound perfect for after the rave.

Review: With roots in electro, hip-hop, house and techno, you can never quite be sure what Orlando Voorn will serve up next. On this top-notch ten-inch single - his first for NOUN - he's in full on techno mode, puffing out his chest and striding confidently towards peak-time dancefloors. The legendary Dutch producer first offers up 'Infinite Voyage', a slamming, warehouse-ready workout that wraps buzzing, mutant electronic lead lines and star-fall around stomping beats and booming bass. On 'Straight UP' he opts for darker, bolder, stabbing bass, alien-sounding bleeps, jazzy synth stabs, heady aural textures and another tough-as-teak drum track.

Review: German imprint Clear Memory focus on the trusted and true admixture of electro, IDM and every angle of experimental music in between. Six tracks by different local artists appear on this heater, which carries an extra-hard edge with it. In particular, the amusingly titled A-sider 'Lidl Darknet' steals the show with its classic string detunings and patchy drumwork, while increasingly distorted numbers also pique our interest, like 0341 Hills' 'No Sense' or Varum's 'Dusky'.

Review: Partout's limited-edition compilation series (only 200 copies of each volume are pressed) reaches its third instalment. In-keeping with the label's ethos, the eight tracks on show offer an excellent exploration of the electro spectrum. Highlights arrive thick and fast throughout, from the bleeping melodies, moody chords, squiggly acid motifs and electro-not-electro beats of 'Bufo Bufo' by Steelworks, and the bustling electro-bleep revivalism of Unai Trotti's 'Tuesday Jam', to the clanking IDM-with-bells-on bustle of Rei Loci's 'Worlds Collide' and the star-fall, hardware-driven deep house-meets-deep electro wonder of Stinkworx's quietly brilliant 'Thimble of Dew'. Those looking for classical melodic electro flavours should also check out 'Dying For Love' by Athens Computer Underground, which may well be the compilation's most emotive and heart-stirring moment. Recommended!

Review: Always hot on the steel-hard plates and murky subterranean atmospheres, Public System turns in a haunted double package from the crypt. Spanning hi-octane indus bullets, half-baked mutant salvos and shadow-clad juicers from a host of reputed names and rabid underdogs, this new comp collates ruff’n’tuff joints from gritty techno don Container, genre-unbound explorer E-Saggila, Berlin’s electro arsonist Privacy, acid-spitting hydra DJ Loser x Penelopes Fiance, basement guerillero Yabboq Penuel alias Le Syndicat Electronique, neo-punk beat thrasher Crave, Yves Tumor collaborator and sine-wave crusher Anthem, expert circuit dissector Beau Wanzer, Liquid G as remixed by Mick Wills, Night Gaunt’s Lower Tar, occult machine funk preacher Maenad Veyl, DJ Chupacabras under new guise 110, soundwaves cross-pollinator DJ Richard, vibrant mood-scapist Gavilán Rayna Russom, as well as label boss Myn going ubiquitous with studio fellows Kluentah as Myntha, and R Gamble as Fade Accompli. A much desirable feast of raw, unhinged, all-round spine-tingling jams for the club and not.

Review: Hanagasumi has assembled a crew of its close-label friends for this delightful new album, Hanagasumi Friends I. Many of these artists are new to us but we shall certainly be keeping an eye on them going forwards. Between them, they explore a grown-up world of ambient laced deep house that is as much for dreaming as it is dancing. There is an elegance and grace to these sounds which take you up amongst heavenly clouds and back-lit celestial worlds. Some lean on electro, others are bubbly beatless cuts and some are superb slow dub delights. A beautiful record, for sure.