Back catalogue: Techno

Review: Up to this point, the deliciously devilish Renegade Methodz label has largely been a vehicle for founder Endlec's fearsome, formidable techno productions. Following his Cycle Of Doom release comes this VA drop, which helps map the contours of the techno which makes this Greek label tick. ANFS brings a claustrophobic pressure to 'Kavatza' before Scalameriya lets rip with some punishing, noisy firepower packing all the necessary punch for a big room rave-up. CTSD brings some wild sound design flair to the peaks and troughs of 'Algorithmica' while still keeping the production gnarly and then Jerm finishes the job with a deep-diving, heads-down chokeslam of a track.

Review: The latest compilation album from COD3 QR is, as always, focused on eclecticism, open-mindedness, divergence and non-conformity, featuring the usual wide range of electronic music, all handpicked by Laurent Garnier and Scan X. The vinyl edition of this very latest edition of the compilation series - which was embarked upon in not long after the longstanding but mysterious label was revealed to be the fruits of the labours of this legendary duo, who had until then ran it incognito - comes as a condensed version of the digital, on which a terse seven tracks from the likes of Calibre, Seroplexx, Costello, Marcelus, Subground 3000, Lee Trax, Jim Rivers, Melatron and Ancient Artifact all appear. Though the label has set a high expectation with their admonition against "all expectations and all prejudices", they actually do extremely well to fulfil that aim. Most contributions here - from the steppy, sloppy 'Sump Dub to the just-plain-monstrous 'I Get My Kicks' - tend towards on the uncategorisable and unpigeonholeable, at least in terms of overtly boxed-in genre norms.

Review: The Time To Panic label began in style with a release from Ildec earlier this year and now they're back with a various artists split disc which widens out their approach as a label. Samuel Jabba kicks off the record with 'Flatline', a sinewy slice of noirish synth house which will be perfect for anyone wanting to get the dancefloor a little on-edge. Aniano has a similarly full-fat analogue-style sound, but there's a more playful quality to the wonky synths working their way through 'El Terror De Ga?ldar', while Omar Akhrif kicks off the B-side with the dark and dangerous stomper 'Mud'. Javier Carballo completes the picture with 'I Hear You', a perfectly sinister sign off on a record that will appeal to all denizens of the night.

Review: Man of many aliases Ron Wells is undoubtedly an under-appreciated British dance music hero - a producer who delivered a string of innovative jungle-techno releases in the early 90s and has been serving up killer cuts in a variety of styles ever since. Here he dons the Jack Smooth alias (a moniker he debuted way back in 1991) for a collaborative four-tracker alongside fellow storied veteran Anthony Wilson AKA Chicago Loop. They begin in sensational fashion via the bleep-sporting analogue acid house of 'Waverider', before opting for warehouse-ready early UK techno sounds on the gnarled and nasty 'Innervision'. 'Blunderbuss' adds warped hardcore rave sounds to a sweat-soaked jackin' house beat, while 'Under The Influence' sounds like a long lost, loved-up tech-house blueprint from 1994. Stellar stuff all told.

Review: Digital Finesse makes its bow on vinyl with a new EP from Jimmy Batt that mixes up electro and techno from across the ages. 'The Enigma' is an adventures cut with lots going on - woozy sci-fi pads, dusty breakbeats, progressive techno melodies and electro rhythms that make for a superb cosmic trip. 'The Cloverleaf' is a squelching mix of chilly synths and drum machine loops and then the old school trance tinged techno thumper 'Problematic/The Gate' is awash with neon colour. Two further cuts bring throwback techno references to the fore with excellent drum precision.

Review: Modal Analysis affiliates Pi Electronics welcome back Justin Broadrick in his JK Flesh guise for some industrial-focused techno abstraction outside the usual formulaic confines of the genre. The opening track has some guttural mono synth pulses guiding the deathly drum beat, but it's instantly noticeable how slow and sinister these rhythms are. The second track follows suit, as Broadrick's long-proven penchant for textural noise manifests around the squashed clamour of the kick. 'Track 3' is even more formidable as a low-tempo tool for nihilistic dance parties, but then Ancient Methods is on hand to flip the script with a slide back up the pitch range and a different approach to noise-led techno.

Review: Sanderson Dear's Stasis Recordings released the original Time Capsule compilation in 2020 - a 20-track exploration of ten different ambient techno artists exploring two ideas each in compact form for a box set of 7"s. Now the label has revisited some of the project's standout moments and offered a chance to enjoy extended versions gathered on a single 12". From Maps Of Hyperspace shaping out atmospheric halls of synth work on 'Beta' to Glo Phase offering some gorgeous, sparkling grooves on 'Fire Flies', there's plenty of ground covered on this release. Of course the mighty John Beltran is a big drawer too, and his typically stellar 'The Descendent' doesn't disappoint in its full extended version.

Review: The sheer volume of material The Jaffa Kid puts out himself makes it tricky to keep up, but fortunately you can count on labels like Gated to offer a more manageable window into his sound. Taking elements from electro, breakbeat and electronica, Daniel Pringle surfs sinewaves and sequences to create heartfelt machine music with blood pumping in its circuits. Presented across double vinyl, this is a proper album experience which takes in starry-eyed chill-out, misfit acid techno, crunchy hardcore and much more besides. You might call it braindance, or you might just call it The Jaffa Kid.

Review: A bumper double LP of hyper modernist techno shrapnel from an all star cast of remixers working with JK Flesh's 2022 debut on KR3 records, 'Veneer Of Tolerance'. Prime cuts include Rrose's snarling, overtone-laden remix of 'Empty Words', with reese bass glissandos lacerated by a clattering percussion and hollow harmonics, London-Detroit superhighway technician Steve Bicknell's stroboscopic, swampy spin on 'Veneer Of Tolerance', and Samuel Kerridge's hotwired amen lengdown of the same track. And that's just the first three tracks! Trust us when we say there's something for every dark techno diehard in this one.