Back catalogue: Techno

Review: OHM is quickly becoming a quality imprint you can count on for techno and dub techno. The ninth addition in the series, it calls for an excellent blend of composers to balance this EP out. Veteran Jamie Anderson collabs with the brilliant Owain K on opener. The 'Aqua Dub' builds a euphoria for late night smiles. Smooth is an understatement on this linear gem. One artist on here that's been making strong appearances on many dub techno labels is the ever-talented Francisco Aguado. 'Balance' is a great tribal transition track for any DJ who can it creatively to build the means to an end. On the second side, Star Dub offers the very addictive and techy 'Forst'. Ending on a high note, the brisk and flighty 'Ever Growing' by Volpe completes the ninth edition in a rapturous mood. If you like deep techno, the OHM series is a must to collect.

Review: Viewfinder has launched Rescan Records from Manchester to explore deeper realms of techno and tech house with a vintage flavour. Following a sterling debut with The Second Phase, they're back with another three excursions into outboard production following in the footsteps of B12 et al. 'Existential' is a particularly powerful track which echoes Underground Resistance and adds some choice swing into the groove. Prague-based Sasha Nevolin sneaks a cut in on the B2 with the outstanding 'Hempus', bringing a starry-eyed inventiveness to his synth work and keeping the energy up.

Review: Without a doubt, one of the most anticipated reissue compilations of the year is this collection of Future Sound of London side projects. In 2007 this was a CD-only compilation of early 90s tracks as well as unreleased ones from the same age. As the lore of FSOL continues to grow over the past 30+ years, their side projects have gotten more and more attention from the people who love those early rave sounds. Now for the first time, a vinyl version of it with no less than a 3x12 to harness all this early 90s techno goodness. All the tracks are by Dougans and Cobain and the aliases are the same. This 2007 album however has a wealth of new material from the same time period as Earthbeat. It is amazing that one release like this by two producers can be such a prime example of the UK sound that changed dance music forever. If you want the 90s UK rave reissue of the year, here it is!

Review: Did you know that Iceland had its own rather influential rave scene back in the 1990s? Whatever the answer to that question, you will want to check out this first-ever collection of anthems from that era which is now on vinyl for the first time. This collection came on Thule offshoot label TMT Entertainment as a CD in 1992 and features memorable and timeless tracks from back then, many of them now with cult status. It's called Alsaela, which translates as "ecstasy" and gives you some idea of what to expect from it. It features a non-stop selection of old school rave alongside some lost and previously unavailable classics by Agzilla & DJ L.S.K and some unreleased gems from AJAX. A great bit of history that still does the trick.

Review: Wow. When you're writing about music releases it's often tempting to present difficult to describe tunes as unique. That's not always factually accurate, though, as is clear when you come across something like this seven-way bag of the wonderfully bizarre. Half the stuff on here, at least, really does defy categorisation, although we can probably lump it all together as experimental, industrial-leaning electronic music with avant-garde tendencies. And a libido. What that describes varies wildly. Nuke Watch's 'NWPJS Perc' interprets the term as a kind of slow build, low BPM workout made up of what could well be the noise of various tools, pipes and taps being struck. Umfang delivers a dark and menacing hip hop-electro instrumental, packed with atmosphere and pent up energy. Ana Fosca goes for shrill refrains and drones. Egg Meat serves a dominatrix of off-time weirdo-techno tones with mind melting percussive cacophonies.

Review: The Milano Undiscovered series has been expertly overseen by Fred Ventura and now clocks up a third installment. It again delves into Milan's dynamic techno and house scene between the years of 1988 and 1992. Unveiling a trove of unreleased demos, it highlights the city's burgeoning underground culture during this period. Influenced by the pioneering sounds of Chicago, Detroit, London, and Sheffield, Milanese producers embarked on a creative journey, crafting their own distinct interpretations of electronic dance music. These demos offer a glimpse into the innovative spirit and diverse sonic landscape that defined Milan's contribution to the global dance music scene during this transformative era.