Bassiani Vinilo y CD

Review: The Bassiani label is the platform for the infamous Georgian club to present its sound to the wider world, and it does so in fantastic fashion with this run of various artist releases. This fourth release kicks off with the dark, textured and brilliantly rendered techno immersion of Cassegrain's "Departure Seven", while Ersatz Olfolks gets a little more heated with the strafing synth work that courses out of "Straight Road". Hector Oaks is also in a rowdy frame of mind with the peak time belter "Move In Circles, Walk On Lines", and it's down to Thomas Hessler to cool things off with the heart-rending electro of "Memories".

Review: Nightclub Bassiani launchs a record label Bassiani Records. The firs release BAS001 assembled tracks from Vril, Voiski and Georgian artists, Bassiani resident HVL and Zesknel.

Review: Infamous Tbilisi club Bassiani is one of the hallmarks of the emergent Georgian party scene, and its in-house label is adding to the respected reputation of the place with a strong cast of characters occupying each release. There's a distinct Japanese bent to the third volume, leading in with Wata Igarashi's verdant synth-fest "Stratosphere", a truly cosmic slice of modern techno. Takaaki Itoh takes things in a darker direction with the super-linear "Monobehaviour", while Iori breaks things up with the atmospheric offbeat kick of "Mist". That leaves it to scene leader DJ Nobu to complete the circle with a tripped out set of twinkling notes and off-kilter grooves like only he can do.

Review: The first single on Georgian label Bassiani invited the likes of HVL and Vril to contribute, and now they turn to another selection of imposing techno auteurs for further exploits in dark realms. Avi Musaifi's "Qarva" is imposing enough on its own as an EP opener, but then Abdullah Rashim steps up with a remix that becomes a masterclass in eerie tension thanks to icy swells of drone and an unforgiving line in hi-hats. Varg is feeling feisty on the bass-growling "So Many People Trying To Be Unique (But They Still Remind Me Of Loke Rahbek)", but Newa attempts to soothe the situation with a pleasingly delicate yet energetic techno workout.

Review: Rene Wise is a top techno talent from the UK who is leading the charge when it comes to hard assed sounds. This new EP on Bassiani Records is a perfect snapshot of his sound that opens up with the high class sound designs and linear grooves of 'Sucker Punch'. It's from the same school as the likes of DJ Nobu and Donato Dozzy. 'Lucky Number 7' is a little more fulsome - the shuffling loops bring texture and trippy keys convey cosmic depth. The energy levels ramp up on 'Devil In The Saloon' which is still loopy and linear but more textured and dark. 'Gorilla' closes down with another strained learner sound that takes you into the depths of the cosmos.

Review: Traditionally, Darko Esser's outings as Tripeo have tended towards the hypnotic and trance inducing. It's notable, then, that his latest EP - the first Tripeo 12-inch for 18 months - mixes things up a little. "Food For Thought", for example, fixes melancholic, Convextion style musicality to crunchy, EBM-influenced techno drums, while the fuzzy, dirt-encrusted "Resist" sees the producer give deep electro an angular, lo-fi makeover. "Tuesday Blues", meanwhile, sees him stack layer upon layer of positive electronic melodies atop rubbery, Afro-house influenced techno drums before Bassiani/Horoom resident HVL rounds things off with his skittish, breakbeat-powered revision of "Food For Thought", which sounds like a giddy blast from the past despite the poignant nature of Esser's melodies.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: The latest record from Georgia's Bassiani label comes from L.I.E.S. veteran Voiski. True to the label (and club)'s style, it's a release that celebrates interesting, bold expressions within the realm of techno. "Chasing Shadows" is certainly a track with the kind of freaked out atmosphere that you also heard on the recent HVL album, admittedly with an extra dose of edgy synth working its way through the core. Whether it's high speed tripping or dubby incantations, Voiski brings vitality and character to the well-worn realm of deep techno.