Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: Hamburg's relatively new Space Drum Mediatation label's sixth release continues its tradition of deep, immersive soundscapes, blending ambient and drone elements with a wide-ranging sonic depth. This latest offering unfolds like a journey through ancient and futuristic landscapes, each track carrying its own distinct energy and atmosphere. Side-A opens with 'Yarra', a hypnotic piece driven by tribal drums and chant-like motifs, evoking a primal, meditative state. 'Water Sirens' follows, weaving hedonistic, jungle-infused textures that feel both untamed and ritualistic, transporting the listener into a lush, mysterious realm. On Side-B, the tempo shifts with 'Yacu', a pulsating, Goa-trance-inspired track that surges with momentum, its fast-paced rhythms pulling towards a euphoric edge. The release closes with 'Sun Bleed', a deeply spiritual, spacey composition laced with acid-tinged echoes and an expansive mysticism. Its reverberations stretch into the unknown, leaving an afterglow of cosmic introspection. Balancing organic and electronic elements, this release stands as another example to the label's dedication to quality and sonic exploration. It's a seamless fusion of tribal resonance, trance propulsion and ambient depthiperfect for deep listeners and adventurous sonic explorers alike.

Review: Spanish mainstay Sverca is one of those techno producers who very much has his own signature sound. You probably already know that if you're reading this, and the latest on his Semantica label finds some top talents all adding their own remix spin on his originals. Stanslav Tolkachev goes first with the booming, loopy kicks of 'AW08' and searching synth blips. Felix K flips 'Utero' into a rumbling bit of lurching deep techno that echoes through empty industrial spaces and after the original comes a CONCEPTUAL remix of 'Seda Muerta' that sounds like a train on a track pushing on through a stiff wind. Another version is also included that is more physical and Sverca's 'Jade' closes with warm and tense ambient winds.

Review: Nitechord is an enigmatic ambient-tech duo that makes a striking debut here with Lume having previously released only two remixes. It was a demo tape from 2022 that impressed the Past Inside the Present label with its raw allure and it is that work which appears here nearly unaltered but for mastering from James Bernard. The opener unfolds with atmospheric guitar loops anchored by a steady kick and bass, 'Near' brings a hint of twang to expansive guitar tones and in 'Dim,' layered drones and melodies rise and fall like petals. Add in the suspensory sounds of 'Absent' and 'Carry' which blooms into a full orchestral swell and you have an immersive, introspective suite of sonic bliss.

Review: Four years ago, Jon Linksey brought his Sectra project to Tectonic to the first time, serving up an impossible-to-pigeonhole set that combined his love of abstract noise, drone, industrial, techno and warped dancehall. The producer expands on these ideas on Through The Static, his first album to be released on anything other than cassette. In some ways it was designed with the CD format in mind, with the 13 'official tracks' - decidedly dystopian, angular and frequently intense affairs full of mutant rhythms and flashes of genuine musical emotion - being joined by a five-track bonus EP that can apparently be heard "through" the sound of static bolted onto the end of the EP. It's an interesting and unusual idea, but it's the adventurous and experimental qualities of the main album that makes it such a vital listen.