Back catalogue: Techno

Review: Gargantuan-room techno trailblazers Drumcode return with 'The A Sides Vol 11 - Pt. 7'. If the title is any indicator enough - and no, it's not irony - this is a stonking closer to a mammoth seven-12" compilation series. The love-em-or-hate-em label always deliver a rave romp for titans, barging past polite types with frick-off bits from A.D.H.S., Julian Jewell, Marco Faraone and Gary Beck. Topping off a project originally conceived in 2012, this is a pulsing sensation suitable for both budding techno enthusiasts and chinstokers willing to let their hair loose for once.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks, product in perfect working order***

Review: Techno team-ups don't come bigger than this, as Drumcode's overlord of all things mega-tech Adam Beyer links up with Chicago's agent provocateur Green Velvet to give you your next stadium shaking anthem. This isn't the first time Beyer and Velvet have worked together - you could find them on the 2018 track 'Space Date' for one thing - but there's a sense 'Simulator' will become their calling card as a formidable double act. It's simply huge, catchy as hell and full of all the fireworks you could wish for from a super-sized techno workout, all guided by Velvet's unmistakable voice ducking and diving around the expertly engineered mix.

Review: Drumcode head honcho Adam Beyer and Chicagoan legend Curtis Jones (aka Green Velvet) had discussed writing music together for a long time. Also, Beyer's protege Layton Giordani had admired the mohawked Jones' work for as long as he could remember. When he got to DJ alongside him at Belfast's Shine - the spark and subsequent friendship was immediate. The outcome of this respected trio's musical journey comes in the form of "Space Date" which will be familiar to many who've followed their sets over recent months. Featuring a relentless main room stomp with steely hats and droney synth leads, all accompanied by Green Velvet's trademark vocal delivery. The thunderous peak time energy of "Rome Future" is likewise guaranteed to rock the house - that killer Reese bassline particularly is sure to blow the doors off!

Review: Drumcode brings you 'Under Pressure' the single from Kyle Geiger. Not long after his discovery of techno, it was the harder, more percussive tastes of the Swedish sound that initially inspired Indiana based Kyle Geiger as a DJ for years before the genres overall sound took a slower and softer turn. Still loving the energy and power of the earlier phases of techno, while being greatly influenced by long time friends and minimal techno veterans such as JPLS and Skoozbot, it was at that point when Kyle Geiger began to push himself harder as a producer to create music that helped fill the gap of the divide between the techno and "minimal' arenas. While the initial projects were being drawn to a completion, Drumcode label manager Adam Beyer was on the hunt for what he describes to many as a "modern techno sound" where he discovered Kyle through a mutual friend, putting the music in his hands just in time for him to put it to the test at the Winter Music Conference in 2007. Upon the invitation to come on board with Drumcode, Kyle's sound has become more refined and chiselled into what very well may be a breed of techno that pushes things forward for the next generations of techno to come, while also striving to take his widely recognized DJ sets to the next level through both technology and what many are calling the future sounds of techno.

Review: Drumcode's Elevate series hits a third instalment here and this time it is a three tracker with solo cuts from three big names. Tini Gessler kicks off with 'Nothing Expected' which is a teeth-gritting and white knuckle techno roller. Marie Vaunt serves up monstrously large and slamming kicks on 'Technology' and then runs them through with brutal synth lines that spray about with their own dark energy. It's a truly edgy cut before BEC's 'Humanoid' layers up hard tech drums that slam down firmly with a warped lead which leads you late into the night. A trio of high impact weapons, for sure.

Review: The concept of 'life moving fast' is a sentiment we can all recognise, but fewer yet find the neighbouring sentiment - that you are faster than you think, and you can keep up. You have to find it in your heart, which is why you have to make it to the B-side of Layton Giordani's 'Life Moves Fast', his latest for Drumcode, to know it. Philosophising aside, we are urged to "stop to look around once in a while" on the A-side's shifting, maddening tension-builds. The B restores our humanity and mitigates the sense of urgency with a more meditative mover, which fittingly revels in more post-drop stasis compared to the A (though it's still not without its detuned rave stabs and crazy-driving bass hits).

Review: Fresh from the runaway success of his all-star collaboration with Adam Beyer and Green Velvet, "Space Date", Layton Giordani returns to Drumcode with his first fresh solo material since 2017. All four tracks are formidably floor-friendly in the "big room techno" style that has turned the Drumcode crew into global stars in recent years. Giordani begins with the tribal drums, atmospheric chords, acid stabs and bleeping synth melodies of "New York City To Amsterdam", before doffing a cap to Italo-disco on the electro-techno chug of "Enter The Stratosphere". Over on side B, "Body Language" is an angular, acid-fired peak-time thumper, while closing cut "Black Mirror" sees him fix gated, trance style riffs to a typically throbbing, bass-heavy techno groove.

Review: Given that it's called 'Hyper World', you'd expect New York producer Layton Giordani's latest single - his first since 2019 Green Velvet collaboration 'Fuzion' - you'd expect it to a sparkling, full-throttle affair capable of rocketing us to the fringes of deep space. It is, of course, with the Drumcode regular delivering a title track that confidently peppers a stomping, big room techno beat with psy7chedelic acid lines, fuzzy synth riffs and starry electronics. Fans of Drumcode's trance-tinged take on techno will absolutely love it. Flipside 'Astro' is arguably even more mind-altering with Giordani wrapping rising riffs and dark, foreboding noises around thumping drums and a wayward, twisted main motif reminiscent of Jam and Spoon's legendary remixes of trance classic 'Age of Love'.

Review: The mighty Drumcode has retained its position at the top table of main room techno again this year. That's through a mix of big parties, big sets from theirs Adam Beyer alongside his associates, and big tunes. The last of 2022 comes from Layton Giordani and is another one that doesn't muck about. 'Digital Age' is a steam train with powerful and immovable drums and frosted synths before a breakdown brings melodic drama. On the flip, 'UFOs & LFOs' brings some big trance energy with bright, flash synths that will get hands in the air. Two more winners, then.

Review: Layton Giordani hails from New York, and since 2017 he's been nurtured by the Drumcode stable as a reliable source of epic techno for the biggest crowds around. His new release is a short, sharp two-tracker which features two very different offerings from this highly decorated new-wave techno titan. 'Phantom' is a massive, grinding beast driven by full-fat synths, dramatic breakdowns and explosive drops - if you appreciate Drumcode, you know what the deal is. Things get mixed up on the flip as 'Thrillseeker' nudges the tempo up, toys with a nimble rhythm section and pings some tripped out effects and playful sample juggling around the frequency range. It's an intriguing look into the other side of Layton Giordani.

Review: New York City represents in true colours here for techno powerhouse Drumcode. Adam Beyer has called in rising star Layton Giordani for a collaboration with the don of the Big Apple himself: Danny Tenaglia, on the powerful and euphoric anthem "Live Again". This one has all the druggy vocals, tunnelling bassline and headrush inducing suspense you'd expect from the label. The flip features the rhythm focused DJ tool "Secrets Of Vibration" featuring a sexy spiritual monologue over a powerful TR-909 workout that reaches near tribal moments - matter of fact it's reminiscent of Samuel L Session's seminal work from the late '90s. Finally, we are treated to one more exercise in dancefloor drama on the brooding "Take It Back" which features a razor sharp bassline, diva vocals and soaring arpeggios. This follows up some great releases on sister label Truesoul, Intec and Octopus Black Label.

Review: Drumcode and its Swedish founder Adam Beyer have rather become synonymous with big room sounds known as business techno. They don't do anything to shed that tag here with two more epic sounds designed to wash over vast crowds in the world's largest super clubs. Layton Giordani & HI-LO aka Oliver Heldens kick off with 'Rabbit Hole' which is a wall of grainy synth and rolling drums that is simple but effective. Charles D's 'Traction' is another coarsely textured techno roller with splashes of industrial synth and a general sense of subtle elevation.

Review: Adam Beyer's Drumcode imprint never disappoints with its output and in this its 10th year there will be a commemorative 10 years album released in November. Before that we have this extremely tasty 4 tracker from the massively talented Par Grindvik. As with all of Par's releases the production is truly incredible with Par showing his true ability and engineering skills. The A1 is a real killer with its rising synths and sledgehammer drums whereas the A2 is a perfect contrast with its slow intense minimal groove. The B1 again is a real floor burner with its driving groove and clever synth edits halfway. The record closes with a superb more minimal interpretation yet again. Drumcode again proves it is still one of the most cutting edge imprints around.

Review: The all powerful Drumcode label still does a fine line in big room techno after countless years and even more releases of the stuff. This third part of the A Sides collection brings together a towering selection of names from that scene including Tiger Stripes with the smooth cruise that is 'Altar'. Veterans Pig & Dan vs Gregor Tresher get more intense with frosty loops and dubby hits building a vibe and Wehbba ups the ante with acid daubs and fizzing drums on 'The Next Step.' Nicole Moudaber's 'Come To My Beat' (feat Romina) then hammer home a hefty techno groove.