Back catalogue: Techno

Review: An electrifying dose of uptempo, futuristic techno, the first side opening with the title track, 'Machine Code', a dynamic, big-room anthem that brings intense sci-fi energy with its heavy rave alarm sounds and pulsing bass. It's a high-octane ride, perfect for peak-time club moments. 'Waveshaper' follows, leaning towards electro while retaining a sinister techno edge. Its heavy, brooding rhythm and sharp, mechanical textures make it a standout in the darker corners of the EP. On Side-2, 'System Error' ramps up the energy with pounding beats and relentless drive. It's a techno killer, designed for the dancefloor with its hard-hitting impact. The final track, 'System Error (The Hacker Remix)', slows the pace slightly, offering a deeper, more reserved groove, but it still burns with intensity. The remix brings an atmosphere that adds a layer of mystery while maintaining the EP's fierce energy. 'Machine Code' EP is a powerful, relentless techno offering from start to finish.

Review: Distant Gaze champion the return of producer E-Bony to the label with 'Shapes & Frequencies', their new six-track record blurring EP and album. Delving deep into the unfiltered worlds of acid and Detroit, 'Shapes & Frequencies' expresses a pure exercise in formal techno abstraction, delivering a wide range of moods and intensities through analogue textures and heavy-hitting kicks, both synonymous with E-Bony's distinct sound. The EP hastens as it progresses, with 'Fantasy' indulges a nice n' rough 135-ish BPM, 'X-drix' commanding a sleekly scientific surround sound, and Clouzer's remix of 'Let It Be' swerving full aircraft hangar electro, giant snare verbs and gobby acid rattles aplenty.

Review: The Valley of Tears series has been a key part of the success of the Soil Records' journey. The next edition is another doozy that features Parand, who is the newest member of the crew. His 'Missed Connection' is a warped and darkly futuristic techno-come-electro offering with fizzing synths. NX1's 'SL2' is a tightly, loopy metallic sound with bass that is full of unsettling tension and Crystal Geometry's 'Haute Tension' ups the ante with more unrelenting loops and percussive patterns. E-Bony closes this fresh techno 12" with the metallic clatter of 'Zero Point Echo.'