Back catalogue: Techno

Review: Alt-dub never quite found its mainstream moment, but for those attuned to its intricacies, it remains a defining undercurrent in electronic music. Unlike its dubstep cousin, which relied on aggressive basslines and in-your-face drops, alt-dub takes a more measured approach, focusing on subtlety and complexity. It's about crafting a vibe, not smashing through it. San Francisco-based artist Federsen has been a pivotal figure in this niche for over a decade, using vintage tape delays and analogue gear to build immersive, textured soundscapes. His work with labels like Silent Season, Greyscale, Lempuyang and Ohm Series perfectly embodies how dub's elements of space, decay and resonance can be transformed into hypnotic, dancefloor-driven rhythms that unfold slowly. Tracks like 'Dub Trail' and 'Silent Whispers' reflect Federsen's signature approach: slow, deliberate builds, where the bassline is felt more than heard, and the subtle shifts in atmosphere draw us into the groove. It's not about immediate impact, but rather about crafting a space where the music breathes and where the transitions are felt as much as they are heard. 'Echoes In The Void' pushes this idea even further, with its dense, evolving layers of sound, while 'Lunar Dub' offers a more stripped-back, meditative experience. Through Federsen's work, the genre stands as an exploration of depth and atmosphere, where every moment of silence and every drawling transition plays an integral part in the experience.

Review: Fashion Flesh aka John Talaga debuts on ESP Institute with two mind-bending tracks crafted from homemade electronics, circuit-bent gear and tape manipulations. Side A's 'Atoms Revolt' explores the secret lives of machines while channelling chaotic energy into controlled sonic accidents, layered distortion and surreal textures. Side B's 'New Freedom' evokes a dystopian adventure into Detroit's decaying industrial sprawl while fusing Geiger-like pulses and eerie oscillations with fragmented voices into a dark rhythmic storm. Talaga's ability to extract soul from machines is remarkable here in what is a visceral and cerebral EP.

Review: Irish techno legend Sunil Sharpe makes his debut on the Posh End Music label here with a pair of signature gems. 'Cahersiveen' kicks off with buoyant and bouncy broken beats that constantly recoil through a warm, fizzy rush of Detroit-inspired synths. 'The Oasis' is his other contribution, and this one rides a little slower but with some serious low-end heft and the same textured synth craft. In between, two cuts from Fear-E. 'Dalleagles' is a manic one with stark, hard-assed low ends and anxiety-inducing pads and 'Gael Force' keeps up the intensity with loopy madness that twists you inside out.

Review: Roman Flugel's 2004 banger 'Geht's Noch?' is a cheeky electro anthem that became a schoolyard ringtone staple, and now it is back for its 21st anniversary on Running Back. The original was part of a Cocoon compilation and this reissue features remixes that pay homage to its playful mood. Luca Lozano's ' 'Gehts Garage Remix' introduces UK funky elements, Peder Mannerfelt's version builds dramatic tension around the iconic riff, and Aasthma delivers a colourful, anime-inspired take. EDM bigwig Steve Angello brings some signature oversized electro maximalism to his version.

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: With Pattern Gardening, London-after-Leeds imprint Wisdom Teeth yank out an extra gnasher we didn't know we had. As has always been the case, label heads Facta and K-Lone could be said to have curated and curetted a new compilation from the joint dentist's chair, exacting a 22-track root canal with periodontal precision, nearly doubling the size of their V/A ambit since 2024's Club Moss. But on this selective six-track sampler for wax, we've only a further sanding down of a much larger minimal, micro and tech house selection; here's gummy textures and maxillary moods by Polygonia, rRoxymore, Lurka, Sub Basics, and newcomer Jichael Mackson. Clarity and sound design are top priorities, as is the ideal of whitened teeth flashed by the poolside. Snappy, Rhodesy, watery.

Review: Belgian label Music Man Records has assembled Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, a 40-track compilation honouring the legendary Destelbergen club that helped shape Europe's electronic underground. Far more than just the birthplace of New Beat, Boccaccio championed raw, futuristic house and techno long before the genres went mainstream. Curated by resident DJ Olivier Pieters and regular Stefaan Vandenberghe, the collection features classy cuts that are also being served up on a series of VA EPs. This one hits hard with jams from QX-1, Fred Brown, Mr. Fingers and Laurent X all going dark, deep and moody.

Review: "Instead of escaping somewhere else, this time I want to be here." We're not 100% sure if that's Fabiano or E35 Netherlands quoted, and woe betide anyone who thinks they can interpret such cryptic (not to mention borrowed) quips without asking the person who said them what they meant. Nevertheless, Landmarks very quickly presents itself as an ambient beauty born of this planet and nowhere else. At times the sounds are challenging - heavily textured tracks rather than the lush dreamscapes we often associate with the rather reductive 'ambient' label. Sometimes things are quite eerie, like the disquiet that materialises around halfway through 'Flowers On The Hospital Grounds', and the dense static waves of 'Saturated Memory On A Rooftop'. At other moments, tones invoke the mystery of night skies over Earth, or the rhythm of a world filled with enough life to mean we're still finding new species today.