The Advent & Zein Ferreira - "Defend Your Planet" (4:41)
Assembler Code - "Line Of Sight" (5:19)
Carl Finlow - "Syncopated Automated" (6:57)
Versalife - "SH09" (6:02)
Review: This is a special sampler 12" taken from the Various Artists compilation Defend Your Planet that Avoidant Records put out. It features a heavyweight crew of electro mainstays, first of which are The Advent & Zein Ferreira. Their 'Defend Your Plane' is a turbo powered cosmic assault with skewed synths and high speed drums. Assembler Code's 'Line Of Sight' doesn't let up, powering on through sheet metal snares and juddering drum programming and then man like Carl Finlow layers in prickly melodies, dark sci-fi energy and booming bass. Analogue master Versalife shits things down with the shadowy 'SH09.'
London Modular Alliance - "Lump Of Coal" (beats) (2:42)
Konerytmi - "Pulssi" (5:22)
DeFeKT - "Radar" (4:03)
Zobol - "Data Wars" (5:01)
Review: Exit Planet Earth continues its exploration of the world of electro universe with an expansive, extended six track EP, featuring The Advent x Zein Ferreira, DeFeKT, London Modular Alliance, Konertymi and Zobol. The Advent, whose weekly Gardening Club residency in the mid-90s helped to drag electro out of the realms of the retro and back into the future, team up with Zein Ferreira for a Kraftwerk-on-speed extended mix of 'CarpeDiem', before London Modular Alliance's more moderately paced but still squiggle and bleep laced 'Lump of Coal' plus a 'beats' breakdown for the DJs. The B-side brings us the acid-powered 'Pulssi' by Konerytmi, the bouncy, breakdance-friendly 'Radar' by DeFeKT, and the relatively pure, optimistic sonics of Zobol's 'Data Wars'. Thumbs up all round.
Review: Brother Aten debuts on Bruk with a minimalist masterpiece featuring the detached vocals of Ze R. This tidy 10" is influenced by cult sci-fi and early 80s no wave so naturally presents a stark, synthetic soundscape devoid of excess. The title reflects its mood: Aten's mechanical mantras are crafted with precision on outboard instruments and explore gritty, futuristic worlds. On 'Unavailable,' resonant drones create a platform for Ze R.'s initial deadpan delivery which reveals deeper humanity as the track unfurls through crisp drums. The brief yet impactful two-parter, 'Fragmented Dystopia' is a taste of Aten's cyberpunk vision while Ze R.'s words oscillate between structure and chaos.
Review: Those with a deep knowledge of electro and techno will be salivating at the prospect of More Than A Machine: Part 1, an EP that boasts cuts from such legends of the scene as Sterac Electronics, The Advent and Christian Smith. All deliver the goods, of course, as does rising star Client 03, whose EP-opening 'Regression Container' brilliantly flips between shimmering, deep space ambient and warming, tactile electro dreaminess. Those looking for more rugged and robust club fare should check Sterac Electronics 'Reinstated', with its' out-there lead lines and machine-gun bass, and the sleazy, up-tempo futurism of the Adveny and Zein Ferreira's 'Seven'. Christian Smith's deep, Kraftwerk-influenced 'Pressure Drop' rounds off a predictably strong EP.
Review: Nicolai Toma is back on Subject To Restrictions Discs with some more arresting excellence. 'Phase Binder feat. Zorimira' delivers a blend of organic synth waves and acid textures that showcases Toma's evolution/ The three tracks are built on fine beats ranging from downtempo grooves to acid-infused anthems and pop-tinged house hits. Zorimira enhances the sounds with her unique vocals and lyrics, which though reminiscent of samples, are in fact originals. Adding to the collection, Swedish producer Vesto Comodo offers a remix to enrich the EP with his distinct touch.
Review: Z@p has been part of the Uruguayan techno revolution for several years, making his mark over here in Europe and in turn sending a spotlight back to his homeland. This time out he lands on the Montevideo Electric Recordings label with four more of his stylish and deep cuts. 'Submarino' kicks off with slow, sludgy electronics and before thumping kicks drive things onwards beneath skewed acid. 'Sensations' is a more bouncy affair with a rising tension that hurries you along and keeps you on edge before 'The Box' blends acid and minimal into an impactful arrangement that never lets up. 'Frank 717' rounds out with the most punchy kicks and sleek synths of all.
Review: Now released officially, Zackey Force Funk & XL Middleton's 'Hey MF / Phone Home' first came in a cloud of hype amid the decision by MoFunk to release "exactly ONE" copy of the test pressing to whomever proved themself keen enough to own it. We're not surprised that the label might anticipate such fan fervour, since this is a uniquely totalising modern funk gem, manifesting technically as a Johnny Chingas cover but in practice evidencing the relentlessly singular, syncretic combined production style of the LA natives. Chingas' original lyrics are invidious but infectious, a mood coaxed further out by the duo's breathy talkbox usage: "hey motherfucker, who do you think you are? you think you so much better than everybody else... what do you mean I'm a fake DJ?!"
Review: Zakmina is Lukas Zeringis, previously spotted on Futureboogie and Minimood, with his classy take on the modern tech house phenomenon. 'For U' sees the up and coming artist link up with Bordello A Parigi and go all-in on the trance tip. Playing out like it's peak time at Amnesia, the A-side is full of sentimental bombast which will keep that summer spirit running well into the winter months. On the B-side, 'Take Me Back' dishes out more of the melodic charm with a sly shot of electro in the rhythm section for good measure.
Review: Zarkoff taps into myriad different sources for inspiration here - there are swirling vocals that remind of Bowie, chilly synths from Depeche Mode and lithe beats from the contemporary underground. It's all crafted from melancholic synths as the heavenly voices soar up top and hypnotic drum machine beats lock in the groove. It makes for music that is both suited to more cultured club sets but also home listening sessions. 'Bureau Degradation' is our favourite for the slightly speedier beats and more pained vibes of the synths. A brilliantly original EP, wherever you look.
Review: Greg Wilson returns to Running Back, celebrating 40 years since the release of the classic and highly influential Street Sounds UK Electro compilation. The groundbreaking track 'Real Time,' which opened the 1984 album, finally gets a 12" release here. Featuring a Greg Wilson edit, a Gerd Janson bonus beats edit and two 2024 reworks, this limited edition showcases Wilson's continued influence in the electronic music scene, alongside collaborations with his son, Che Wilson, including remixes for Gabriels and Confidence Man.
Review: The unstoppable tide of posthuman electro continues with the crazed output of London's Warehouse Manifesto, whom (or, should we say, which) offers a singular remix EP curveball by label newcomer Zeta Reticula and friends; Reticula is already a heavyweight on this topical present-future scene. With six direct, subcutaneous, isotopic injections of the same alkaline sonic formula by the artist, 'Binary Pair', we hear 0s and 1s filter themselves into our bloodstreams and brains, overriding any possibility of probabilism, compatibility or free will. Nay, sheer metallic, plastoskeletal objectivity whiles away enough on the OG tune, while even sturdier and more menacing highlights take form especially in Code Rising and DVS's remixes.
Review: Z.I.P.P.O is an Italian born producer now based in Berlin but who brings plenty of Motor City influences to this EP on Mistress Recordings. It is one that holds emotion high up the list of things to get right while colliding both nostalgic and futuristic designs. 'We Need One Another' is an ice-cold and minimal opener and 'Last Hope' is steeped in melancholy thanks to wispy, lingering pads. 'We Need One Another' then comes in three forms with crisp as you like snares and kinetic kicks making for a busy rhythm.
Review: Winthorpe Electronics signs up Dublin musician and producer Daniel Jacobson aka ZOiD for his debut on the label. What a fine one it is too with a real creative freedom in the melodies and rich sense design bringing each of these curveball cuts to life. '2-Oh-Techno' is a loose mix of bumpy drums and smeared chords, zippy leads and pixelated melodies that shine bright. 'Winthrope Acrid 2C (2-5s On The 303)' is then a double-time and wonky workout with a collage of synth textures all intertwining. 'Sunrise Acid' is another unusual but effective techno cut with a happy heart and 'Megajazz Acidhops' is a final collision of synths and rhythms that leaves you wanting more.
Review: This is Ukrainian artist Zola's first EP since the war began back home so we shouldn;t be surprised that it's one of resolve and survival. The five tracker explores the tension between peace and conflict and notes the forest as a sanctuary for strength and reflection, somewhere to find respite from the chaos. The tunes shift between moments of quiet introspection and raw confrontation by layering delicate melodies with haunting textures. Personal and cathartic, it reflects the resilience and the importance of sanctuaries and is a great reminder of the spaces that ground and sustain us.
Review: Returning some 25 years after its original release on the beloved IDM label deFocus, these three refreshed takes on the skittering melodic gem of the genre are something to behold. The original 'Arrest' shines with jittery beats and intricate melodic patterns, embodying and example of the best of early 2000s. Nuron's remix keeps the track's kinetic energy but envelops it in lush textures, creating a perfect balance of rhythmic complexity and ambient depth. Voyance's remix pivots toward organic instrumentation, introducing drum sounds that ground the track while maintaining its melodic evolution, a satisfying balance between the original and a fresh, dynamic new feel. Mike Golding's ambient techno rework is a standout, blending his vintage touch with the original's core elements, a sublime, paradisiacal soundscape that recalls great memories of this golden era of challenging new melodic music. A project that succeeds on so many levels, artistically and creatively.
Review: There's an undeniably far-out feel to the Zenker Brothers' second album, Cosmic Transmission, which adds further layers of trippy textures, hallucinatory sounds and smoky intensity to the aural blueprint first explored on their 2015 debut full-length Immersion. There's much to admire throughout, from the mind-bending ambient weirdness of opener 'When Nothing is Safe', and the slipped dub haze of 'Whose In Control', to the drug-addled IDM of 'Natural Connection', and the polyrhythmic techno trip of 'Divided Society'. Most striking of all is the trio of tracks that close the album, all of which are powered forwards not by heavy techno beats (or even their usual crunchy, off-kilter breakbeats) but rather a series of ear-catching, fuzz-soaked synthesizer arpeggio lines.
Review: Ariel Zetina does something irrevocably fucked up to techno on 'Cyclorama', their debut album. This is what happens to techno when it dares to venture into the Green World from A Midsummer Night's Dream; nine medleys through blossoming kicks-and-breaks-centrism render it a psychotic-flowery vision of the dancefloor, exploring dastardly sounds few artists have dared explore before. Zetina describes the LP as inspired by the cyclorama - cylindrical (or semi-cylindrical) images used in threate shows to provide the audience with a 360-degree sense of setting. Soft and adventurous, 'Chasers' and 'Smoke Machine' are our highlights.
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