Mord Vinilo y CD

Review: Portuguese techno mainstay Lewis Fautzi is in some form of late - it was only in September that he dropped his fantastic Manner of Death album on Faut, then he was back with more in 12" form on Polegroup in November and already he is now out of the blocks in 2024 with this impactful new four-tracker. His brand of tech tends to be dark and heavy, with apocalyptic abstractions and lo-fi synth, echoing hits and dub undercurrents all making for engrossing grooves full of drama and tension. Even the titles help to convey that message so drop any of these in the club and prepare for a brilliant meltdown.

Review: The rather prolific Senoid Recordings label head Kike Pravda steps up to Dutch label Nord here with a bumper double pack of his searing techno. These are direct-to-dance floor tunes with nary an ambient interlude or synth-laden intro in sight. 'Octane' gets right to business with wonky synths and industrial darkness, 'Dark Flares' is a more fizzing wall of sound and elsewhere 'Fractals' rattles the walls with its monstrous subs. There is some pent-up synth energy to 'The Unknown' and 'Strange Forces' is a dense and intense roller full of menace and paranoia.

Review: The mighty Mord is fast approaching 100 releases and as ever, the quality remains high on the 96th outing. It is Oxygeno who steps up here with a heavily textured take on techno that is underpinned by booming drums and detailed with plenty of great sound designs. 'Flames Around' is a loopy cut that rocks back and forth and fizzes with post-industrial energy. There is more urgency to the raved-up 'Driving To Nowhere' and hefty drum menace in 'Magnetism.' On the flip side, machines are in meltdown on 'Through My Veins' and 'Unpunished' while 'Confused' is a punchy and funky full bodied techno pumper. Sublime.

Review: Quelza dropped a superb double pack in the form of their Les Malicieuses EP on More and now comes back with more deep techno brilliance. This is another bumper eight tack offering of well-crafted rhythms and deft atmospheres. 'And Suddenly, I Was Reborn' is an icy and unsettling opener with slithering synths and minimal drum sounds then 'La Rive' is quick, slick and ghostly in its vibes. There are also hi-fidelity and dubby cuts like 'Souviens Toi D'Oublier' gorgeously hypnotic pieces like 'He Didn't Say A Word' which float in space and rock back on forth on heady loops. An artful, impactful selection from Quelza.

Review: Prolific Ukrainian producer Stanislav Tolkachev returns this week with a new one for Rotterdam's MORD imprint. The How Much Do You Know EP features once again his idiosyncratic style of techno music: whether it's the multi-layered and widescreen arrangement of opening cut 'Pockets Full Of Lighters' which is truly indicative of his majestic style on the A-side, followed by the pounding, peak-time minimal assault of 'Zero Seconds Ago'. On the second side, Tolkachev presents more off-kilter offerings like on the experimental beats of 'One-Armed Leg' or the expansive electro of 'Talking Drum'. Tolkachev continues to prove himself as one of the most innovative producers in modern techno music with this release.