New releases last four weeks: Hard Techno

Review: FoxBam Inc returns with its fourth EP featuring a powerful mix of floor-shaking productions. The release includes contributions from Gez Varley, best known for his work with LFO and classic tracks like 'Quo Vardis' alongside Italian acid producer Vikkei and label founders Foxtrot and Egebamyasi. This new one opens with the acid-heavy 'Battle Scars' while Vikkei delivers the hard techno 'Hip 'n' Crack.' Egebamyasi explores bass-driven wobbly dubstep with 'Mandubchester' and Varley's 'Saturn One' brings cinematic vibes to his signature techno style. Launched in 2023, FoxBam Inc is already becoming a key player in the underground.

Review: Techno is a misunderstood thing. Big stages and even bigger drums pounding out relentless and often unthoughtful loops really isn't where the genre is as a whole. One of the most varied sounds in the dance spectrum, defining the canon has always been pretty hard and zeitgeist counts for more than strict rules of arrangement, tempo and composition. Sixty is just the reassurance heads will need then. While some might argue we're closer to electro than anything, for the most part anyway, perhaps no more so than in the detailed and glitchy warmth of 'Micfrk' by Gherat, let's not get pedantic. Largely broken and off-centre beats of the deep, emotive and patient kind from innovators like Patricia and Fasme, frenetic and intense staccato snares via Oh Mr Jones, rave-y, hardcore infused emotive bombs via Novel 23 and James Shinra.