Review: Mark Grusane presence on Disctechno brings with it a compilation of five unique house tracks from Chicago and Detroit-based producers, as you will probably have guessed from the title. The A-side features DJ Slush's synth-driven 'Memory Blank' and Deon Jamar's bass-heavy 'AYYYO' which offer different but both killer sounds. The B-side opens with Jordan Zawideh's reverb-drenched 'Axolotls' followed by Grusane's intense, atonal 'The Recoil' and concludes with Thomas Xu's groovy 'School Street.' All of these are the sort of off-kilter sounds you would expect of these revered and enduring electric hotbeds. Raw, stripped-down and authentic, this is the contemporary Midwest underground.
Review: Oozing with slippery sound design and euphoric exudate, Andrey Djackonda, Etzu Mahkayah, and TooRare team up for a next-gen talent demo in EP form, well and truly showing any other upstart how trancey-prog-minimal house is and should indeed be done. Said to have been designed to create a feeling of uplift and positivity - and yet in our opinion, the record touches on relatively more neutral and trancier moods, ones which could go either way - the likes of 'Que Le Jour Se Leve' and 'Sunrise In Amsterdam' are highly maximised, entelechic tech-trance progressors, highlt reflective of the verve and dedicated so far enshrined in the work of Saint Petersburg label MixCult.
Indo Tribe - "Bring In The Pulse" (MFK mix) (5:10)
Indo Tribe - "In The Mind Of A Child" (First Born mix) (5:04)
The Future Sound Of London - "Hardhead" (Frothin' At The Mouth mix) (6:06)
The Future Sound Of London - "Pulse State" (831 AM mix) (7:20)
Review: Jumpin' & Pumpin' looks back into the seminal archives of The Future Sound of London here to reissue their fantastic The Pulse EP from 2008 which also featured tunes from Manchester pair Indo Tribe. It is they who start with 'Bring In The Pulse' which features some Happy Mondays hallelujahs, mad rave whistles and bristling electronic breaks. 'In The Mind Of A Child' (First Born mix) is then a bouncy techno cut with more visceral synth and acid lines and The Future Sound Of London kick off the flipside with 'Hardhead' (Frothin' At The Mouth mix) which is an assault of breaks, congas, whistles and rave signifiers. 'Pulse State' (831 AM mix) is that perfect tune to zone out to on a late night drive on the motorway.
Review: Berlin's Exit Strategy began their 12"s game releasing EPs in browned sleeves, shortly before branching out into digital-vinyl combo releases with original artwork in the 2020s. Now with over ten years of experience under their belts, they welcome five new artists for a playful bricolage in deep and minimal techno, privileging elite, razor-sharp additive sound design and future-soulful vocal tasters. Ivory's opener 'Rain' epitomises this, while Jimi Jules squelchifies the same formula, and Aera's 'Future Holdings' rolls out the same logic to its ultimate conclusion, veering towards complex, 3D-graphic melodic techno composed entirely of climbing saws.
Review: Eight further sonic spirits are conjured on the seventh edition in Damian Lazarus' annual compilation series. Emphasising deep house and techno grooves with a hypnotic flavour, the procurement here is exemplarily brooding; Dino Lenny's 'I Have Sampled Father' marks a sure turn away from the openers' cleaner-cut mesmerisms with a smoky, funk-inflected haze, bringing rhythm guitar and paternal murmurations to a surreal montage. The monologuing mood continues on the equal highlight that is Upercent's 'Where Are You', whilst Enamour's 'Jackpot' rounds out the show with the record's only brightly-lit minimal triller. The record is marked by sensuous, distant, familiar voices throughout.
Review: Phonogramme Recordings compere five sweet but breathy jam-house bits from producer Taelue, overseeing the highly anticipated new EP that is 'Dark Worlds'. From the opening, downcast kicks and singing wine glasses of 'Wistful' - full of wist - to the nominal sequel 'Wistful (An Abacus Story)', a much trickier, more swung version of the prior track, to which only more considered listens reveal a relation, we find ourselves already in for a moody yet relaxing treat. The B-side ekes a jam-packed marrow from the A-sides otherwise fleshy bone, erring more on lo-fi; 'Deviancy' and 'Scythe' echo Delroy Edwards with their twin skittish, muted movements, whilst the B3 reprise of 'Wistful' homes in on the lone backing for the establishing number.
Review: Thimble makes a strong debut on Germany's legendary Innervisions label with The Verb EP, delivering three top-tier techno tracks that are both deep and melodic, perfect for the dancefloor. The EP showcases Thimble's ability to blend classical house elementsivocal samples, catchy hooks, and rich basslinesiinto a vibrant, contemporary soundscape. The lead track, 'Get Me,' has already become a favorite in the sets of Dixon and Ame, proving its impact on the dancefloor. However, the other tracks, 'Stronger' and 'Blue Zone,' are equally potent. 'Stronger' channels high energy with its driving rhythm, while 'Blue Zone' offers a more atmospheric vibe, yet both tracks demonstrate how traditional elements can be reimagined with a fresh, innovative twist. With The Verb EP, Thimble not only introduces himself as a promising new talent but also reinforces Innervisions' reputation for pushing the boundaries of house and techno.
Review: Ron Moreli's famously sleazy LIEs welcomes back one of its regular artists in Lipelis, this time with his TMO project alongside extra goodness from keyboardist Eugene Piankov. The pair really go for it from the off, with anthemic house stomper 'Goes D Jam' offering up squealing 303 and 909s that ring out into the cosmos over crunchy drums. '112 Bright Jam' is slower, deeper, more heartfelt with its tender piano chords and 'Goes C Jam' is an acid laced piano celebration. Last of all is '107 Dark Jam' which is a heads down stomp with acid meditations for grotty warehouse spaces at 5am.
Review: With Harmonia, Trikk delivers a deep, expansive journey through a range of club sounds for Innervisions. The project remains grounded in dance floor energy but 'Sagrado' stands as its emotional and sonic pinnacle-pure club music, expertly crafted. It opens with crisp kicks, claps and a bubbling bassline but slowly blossoms into something more atmospheric and uplifting, like a musical sunrise. Elsewhere, 'Fortuna' has a percussive and summery outdoor feel, 'Rigor' is more tense with its stark stabs and stomping drums and 'Raiva' has a sense of swing to its groove.
Review: Uruguay's Two Phase U have been crafting electro rhythms since the 90s and are early pioneers of their national scene as a result. They have since made their make on the wider underground and once again bring some class here for System Terror. 'Teru' kicks off with lithe rhythms and the sound of seagulls adding an organic edge to the crisp drums. 'Comprando' pairs a poppy, playful sense of melody with glitchy perc and acid stabs for something effective yet fun, then 'Single Phase Flow gets a little more serious with acid stabs and crispy electro before 'Direxion' is a dubby, dynamic electronic sound that is sprinkled with cosmic detail.
Review: Tyree is one of the early house artists from Chicago who played his part in shaping the hip-house sub genre, with its big beast, big vocal samples and plenty of attitude. Here his 'Acid Over' cut is served up on a new 12" from Chicago Vinyl with three different mixes. The first finds self-certified House Gangster DJ Sneak serving up a raw and rolling, loopy and frenzied remix that never quits. 'Acid Over' (Acid Over 23) is brilliantly cut up and manic with acid vocals and thudding house drums. Last of all comes Hugo's Piano Re cut version with its woody 909 drum sounds and mad whistles.
Harrison Crump - "Deep Down Inside" (Michel Cleis remix) (9:52)
Jay Lumen - "The One" (10:06)
VSK - "Echinopsis" (7:16)
Kevin Yost - "Defence Mechanism" (7:10)
Tenzella - "Hi 79" (5:25)
Uncertain - "Cure" (5:19)
Juri Heidemann - "Haras" (6:23)
Steve Robinson - "No Space, No Time" (6:54)
Uncertain - "Clash" (5:08)
Taster Peter - "Body Call" (6:18)
D Leria - "Invisible" (6:19)
Filterheadz & Horatio - "Bells Of Brightones" (6:41)
Uto Karem - "Your Voice" (feat Biba) (6:33)
George Vidal - "Out From Obscurity" (6:48)
D Unity - "More Drums Please" (5:29)
Review: Global Underground is one of the longest-running DJ mix series and it has always been one of the best. Plenty of big-names over the years have made their mark, often more than once, and now it is the turn of the famously long-playing New York titan Danny Tenaglia to show us what he's made of. He brings his signature grooves and a hint of Latin flavour to proceedings on this, a third and final installment of his trilogy for the series. It is mostly contemporary names serving up new school sounds but all delivered with Danny's cultured and old school DJ mentality.
Review: Theo Parrish's venerated Sound Signature label hits the notable milestone of 100 releases with this new double album, Skin Breaker, from Howard Thomas. It is one inspired by the artist's formative years spent watching sci-fi films and soaking up 80s beat tracks. Both of those aspects are folded into the record which is a hugely original take on house and techno. Tracks collide dusty drums with gurgling synths, deep space pads with caustic basslines and otherworldly energy that very much comes back from the future to keep you on your toes. In true Sound Signature style, this is an album that sounds like little else so is the perfect way to mark 100 releases.
Ascending Into The Clouds (feat Elisabeth Troy) (6:13)
LMZNIN (2:39)
Winter Crush (5:40)
In Order 2 (4:52)
Review: HudMo is on rampant form at the moment, firing off collaborations left, right and centre and, as usual, never missing. That said, this project feels like something very special indeed, as he doubles down on kinship with Canadian techno legend Tiga to make an album in thrall to the surge of feelings that hit us when we submit to the possibilities of the night. It's a romantic kind of techno that comes on like early B12 or Artificial Intelligence-era techno in places, but there's also some crafty hooks and flamboyance as you would rightly expect from such a heavyweight studio pairing.
Review: Oakland culture hub Cone Shaped Top, boost Tomu DJ's sophomore album to the world and it's an absolute bounty of flavours, ideas, textures and tales. At its most urgent and fast-paced, it takes the form of dubwise, reggae influenced drum & bass ('Tortfeasor'), at its most stripped back it's the hazy psychedelic rock of 'Window'. Elsewhere we're struck by lo fi house ('Flowers'), ESG-style post punk funk ('New Groove') and full-on psychedelic soul ('Distant Memory'). And that's not even half of this beguiling adventure. This really is an exceptional body of work.
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from deep house legend Ron Trent. Over the years, he's fine-tuned his musically complex, emotion-rich sound to a tee. This fourth album, the follow-up to last year's more mixed up Dance Floor Boogie Delites, sees him at his most cosmic and melodic. Think smooth pads, darting synth doodles, hypnotic - and occasionally percussively complex (see "Atmosphere" - grooves, and twinkling piano melodies. For those who appreciate his slightly soft focus approach, it's a delight, with some genuine gems to behold. "Sweetness", "Space Dance" and the darker, clubbier "Blood & Fire" are arguably among his best tracks of recent years.
Review: Anders Trentemoller was the noughties' greatest crossover star. From his humble beginnings releasing sleek tech house on imprints like Naked Music, Audiomatique and of course Berlin's Poker Flat - who released his modern classic The Last Resort in 2006. It gets a much deserved reissue here. Trentemoller went on to form his well received In My Room imprint, and go on to headline festivals and pack out stadiums with his acclaimed live show since. The Danish producer's debut album is actually appearing on vinyl for the first time here on a triple disc gatefold and featuring all 13 songs. The album received fantastic acclaim from both fans and journalists around the world and made it into the top-lists of the month, year and decade - alongside an array of awards for best production or best album.
Review: Trentemoller's Into The Great Wide Yonder sees the Danish producer dipping his toe into new territory to deliver an LP that sounds wholly natural and unforced, showcasing yet another side to his musical prowess. Not that we should be surprised - 2006's critically acclaimed debut The Last Resort was a crisp dance record, while his first mix compilation, Harbour Boat Trips, came loaded with varying sentiments of indie, rock and pop. Into The Great Wide Yonder completes Trentemøller's transition from his roots as a dancefloor producer into the more instrument-led domain of pop and rock tinged electronica. Still using a driving kick drum as the core to the album, the In My Room head honcho is still very much part of the dance scene, just not in the club focused way that we're used to.
Le Meilleur Est A Venir (feat Laurent Garnier) (6:21)
Agents Of Light (feat Sven Vath) (4:00)
False Gods (3:47)
The Downside (feat Rromance) (7:00)
Gregor Tresher & Josh Wink - "Distant Observer" (5:15)
Gregor Tresher & Petar Dundov - "Ursa Minor" (4:56)
Homesick (feat Anja Schneider) (5:00)
Gregor Tresher & Black Asteroid - "Acid Black" (4:39)
Review: Frankfurt's Gregor Tresher returns with his first album in eight years. The 16-track LP offers up his famously dynamic techno sound and rich synth designs with element of dance floor clout underpinning each tune. From his beginnings in Frankfurt's 90s techno scene to collaborations with icons like Depeche Mode, Moby and Extrawelt, Tresher's career has been marked by critically acclaimed releases and False Gods is one of his most ambitious projects yet. It's an accomplished and introspective journey through modern electronic music enriched by collaborations with some notable friends.
Review: Portuguese producer Trikk returns with a five-track suite that blurs the boundaries between emotional depth and dancefloor precision. It's a new release built for impact and flow, threading through tempo shifts, genre collisions and global voices while holding fast to a focused, tactile sound. 'Rigor' kicks things off with peak-time weight and carefully sculpted drama i chest-rattling bass and stabs of unexpected piano beauty. 'Raiva (feat MEUTE)' brings brassy propulsion into the fold, fusing live energy with Trikk's slick production touch. 'Fortuna', with Kenyan vocalist Sofiya Nzau, hits a lighter, warmer stride, evoking open-air euphoria. On the flip, 'Luxo' plays with friction i industrial textures balanced with bursts of melody i before closing track 'Sagrado' delivers a radiant, sunrise moment. It's the clearest summation of the release's intent: to move, to build, to glow. Rooted in club energy but alive with personality, this one shows Trikk at his most expansive and assured.
Review: Originally confined to CDia relic of a different timeiJorg Burger's early-2000s masterwork finally sees the vinyl treatment it deserves. Lush, transportive, and quietly radical, this is ambient techno at its most fluid, a body of work that drifts between nostalgia and movement, solitude and propulsion. 'Leuchtturm' remains untouched, its soft hand drums and hazy atmospheres still unfolding like a slow sunrise. Elsewhere, 'AG Penthouse' undergoes a transformation, its flute-like trills and glassy keys now fused to a churning rhythm that recalls Tangerine Dream's work on Thief, minus the guitar histrionics. Beat-driven yet deeply immersive, each track rises, crests and recedes in perfect sequence, a travelogue in the vein of Carl Craig's Landcruising or Model 500's Deep Space. What makes this release endure isn't just its shimmering detail but its refusal to conform. In a landscape where ambient techno so often leans on a specific nostalgia, Burger sidesteps the obvious, creating a listening experience that still feels singular, 21 years later.
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