Review: There's lots to get your teeth stuck into on this new and blistering collection of electro from Adepta Editions. And don't let the title fool you - it's not all accessible summer festival fare, in fact none of it is. It is all head down and serious tackle. 7053M4R14's '4 N3W HUM4N' is a driving, dark, visceral sound with raw breakbeats powering through the cosmos. Rec_Overflow offers a moment to catch your breath with some slower, dubby rhythms on 'Pocket Dial' and Pauk explores twitchy future synths capes and post-human transmissions on 'Shiawasena Fukushu'. Promising/Youngster shuts down with a sense of optimism and hope with the airy melodies and slithering electro drum patterns of 'Arbey.'
Review: Heavyweight quattro-techno from A Paul, DJ Dextro, Red Rooms, Ramon Tapia and Arkvs for Planet Rhythm. Each track serving as merciless hoisters in the vein of 'Rough' techno, the A1 is deserving of the name, bringing scraping hi-hat blurs and gulping knocks to a mean mix. Deadened, unfeeling, callous calculation follows on the follower 'Binary Codes', while Tapia tabulates a 'Ratio' on the algo-rhythmic bleeper that ensues on the B1. Finally, 'Decoration Drugs' brings a prime movement, its facelessly numbered breakdowns and shuffles assuring us that there is indeed no end to off-planet production processes such as these.
ADMN & Mister Joshooa - "LFOs Are Tight" (Delano Smith mix) (6:51)
ADMN - "Technology Is Creepy" (7:13)
Remote Viewing Party - "Pink Panther" (6:29)
Review: Detroit label Infolines is back with their third release, arriving in the form of this exciting four track various artists EP. Label boss ADMN, a local staple of the scene affiliated with Paxahau and Movement Festival, makes his vinyl debut here alongside Mister Joshooa (My Baby) with the low slung minimal tech house of "LFOs Are Tight" which is absolutely perfect tackle for the afterhour. It then receives an absolutely hypnotic and arcane rework by local legend Delano Smith. Over on the flip, we have one seriously oddball groove on the slo-mo tip titled "Pink Panther" by local outfit Remote Viewing Party, comprised of Aran Daniels and Mike Petrack.
Art Fact - "Rain In The South" (Francesco Farfa & Hamsa remix) (7:17)
Hamsa & Luca Piermattei - "Mystic Perc" (6:05)
Roberto Manolio - "Blue Yes" (6:40)
Review: Musek return for another V/A release, flaunting their artists' variegated hitmaking capacities. Fronting the release is a wonderful rework of Stockholm trio Art Fact's 'Rain In The South' from 1989, to which Francesco Farfa and Hamsa bring extra electronic-bodyweight to an originally dripping synth tune. A mystical mood is continually proferred across 'Mystic Perc' through to 'Blue Yes' by Roberto Manolio, traversing chime tinglings, acid breaks and dreamy vocals: "pretty blue eyes... you're mesmerised... don't look to hard... you may never come back from that..."
Review: The Deeptrax series has so far turned out many delightfully head techno sounds for those who like to have their brains as busy as their heels when in the club. This one Deep Series 1.3, kicks off with Caim's impossibly smooth and cool electro-tinged trip 'Straight No Chaser' with its mellifluous pads and deft drums. Mathijs Smit offers a more physical but still warm sound with 'Abducted' and then Joey Anderson shows his class with a grimy and dubby roller, 'All Around Us.' Rich P/Lee's 'Clown Inc' (vocal mix) brings a little playful funk and Pim's 'Somethings On My Mind' is another breezy and cathartic cut.
Review: Bristol's cultured Innate label is back with a first outing of the year and it returns to their various artists format with a mix of talents all making their mark. UK veteran Tom Churchill opens up with 'Unknown Unknowns (Edit)', which brings plenty of fuzzy and lo-fi aesthetic to jacked up drums and spaced-out pads. Rai Scott then shows her class with 'Suasion' that sinks down deep into immersive drums and is subtly lit up with simmering strings. Innate co-founders Owain K and Gilbert then hook-up under their brand new alias Curved Space and showcase their love of electro with 'Reverie,' a dreamy cut that glows with nice celestial melodies and will have dance floors in a zoned-out state. Last of all it's Lisbon mainstay Jorge Caiado who debuts with the chord-laced 'Floating Without Lifting,' a sophisticated and serene jazz-techno cut that takes you to the stars.
Santonio Echols - "Piano In The Light" (Emanuell Echols mix)
Brian Kage - "This Saturday Night"
Ryan Sadorus - "Down Below"
Review: Upstairs Asylum is kicking off the year in some style with a couple of killer new EPs. This one is the first in what is presumably a new series to showcase the talents of the Motor City. Mike Clark & Marcus Harris get things underway with 'Hey' which has a subtly uplifting feel thanks to the bright, sustained chords and cuddly drums. Santonio Echols's 'Piano In The Light' (DJ Emanuell Echols mix) is laidback, playful deep house with magical chord work and Brian Kage brings his classy depths to the smooth grooves of 'This Saturday Night.' Ryan Sadorus brings things to a close with the smoky 'Down Below.'
Review: Rambadu's self-titled label is young but already onto a good thing with a distinctly deep brand of techno. This time out the boss is back once more but in cahoots with Italian techno legend Claudio PRC. They cook up a trio of mind melters starting with 'Sai.' Warped lines menacingly roam about the stereo field over sparse kicks and deep abs. 'Matika' is just as paired back and atmospheric in a deep, dark way with slowly churning drums taking you deeper down the rabbit hole. 'Aqua' is a meatless blend of distant groans and wispy pads that keeps you in suspense.
Review: Once again, Malor Records purvey the groove with, yes, 'Purveyors Of The Groove', enlisting the help of four of the foremost techno artists out today for help on this latest 12" EP comp. Weighty Berlin techno makes up its core concept, with Cravo's 'Sem Chance' opening up the thing with its sudden vocal shouts, huge kick womps and cantankerous melodic bubblings, before Chontane's 'Septario' and Regent's 'Satin' elevate the listener to a continually wafting stasis. Finally, Vil's 'Bret' closes things off with an intense kick-led wompy-chord-sidechainer, seeming to emphasise the madness of it all.
Review: After a fine collaborative outing on Semantica last year, Napoli tastemakers Retina.it and Domenico Crisci combine their skills once more for the tenth release from Summa Cum Laude. 'A Man With A Suitcase' opens up with a mix of textural synth details and long-form linear techno drums that all work you into a lather. 'Dead End Street' ups the pace and gets more manic with a hurried rhythm and urgent synth flashes peeling off the drums and 'Cross Road' then gets more weird with warped synth circles bringing tension and menace. 'Nocturnal Noise' closes out with reverberating synth leads and wispy curlicues bringing some rave mentality to the rooted beats.
Review: The fourth of a series of reissues from Network 23 - which focuses on classic tracks by and adjacent to R-ZAC (Crystal Distortion and 69db) of Spiral Tribe, and which made up the bulk of the OG rave collective's live sets - the 'NET23 04' EP is a mesmerising sauna of tekno entrainments and mental sonic mares. Starting with a subtle mind-melter from Crystal Distortion, 'ESV', we move into increasingly propagandistic vibes from R-Zac - whose 'LSP23' sounds like a numbers station stuck on loop and set to a technoization - and then followed by 69db and Meltdown Mickey's 'Drivin', which returns things to their initial minimal but maddening state.
Review: It is 30 years since Curley and R-Zac joined forces to cook up their Sahara Tekniq EP way back in 1994. Surely, the legendary Dutch free party scene hero is sadly no longer with us, but with R-Zac he very much laid down a definitive blueprint for this type of textural, dense techno. It is the first of a big series of newly remastered reissues from the Network23 label and it offers up four visceral, high-impact, live-sounding techno workouts that are packed with anxious synths and whirring machine sounds, unrelenting drums and more which is sure to bring real chaos to the clubs.
Review: Cyclic and Random combine their creative forces on what is a deeply atmospheric new EP of club-ready techno for Notta. 'I Am Happy, As Am I' gets underway with celestial synths up top and more rugged rhythms down low while the mid-section is defined by sustained drones.'Speak Dirty' sinks it grainy, smoky dub techno territory and if it rolled for days you wouldn't mind such is its depth. 'DddSP' keeps things airy with more optimistic chords floating over another set of grainy dub drums with tons of reverb. A Tm Shuffle dub shuts down with a more upright groove that hints at something playful is to come.
Review: Notta's fifth deep dive in moody techno underworlds is a coming together of Cyclic and Random and they both marvel in the details. 'I Am Happy, As I Am' is super cavernous but has rays of synth light and distant microbials glowing bright to keep you attention. 'Speak Dirty' is a more traditional dub in the Berlin style and 'DddSP' then get all liquid and watery as it ripples out to infinity all around you. 'DddSP' (Tm Shuffle dub) hits heavy and rocks back and forth on its heels to mind-melting effect.
Review: Eduardo de La Calle has always excelled at crafting economical yet impactful techno. It is often long and settled in its groove, dubbed out to the max and sprinkled with grainy chords. That simple MO has kept him at the forefront for years and here he hooks up with Reeko to serve up four more tracks of his distinctive techno gold to get 2025 underway on a fine footing. 'Track 1' is a real pressure builder with waves of synth and icy hi-hats washing over you, 'Track 2' then pulls back into murky minimalism and 'Track 3' brings the brain-melting bells. All that leaves is t cast you off into the deepest corners of the cosmos with 'Track 4' full of celestial wonderment.
Frameworks (part 1 & 2 - Don Williams remix) (5:43)
Extract 2021-02 (6:35)
Boiling Point (DisX3 remix) (5:56)
Constant Gravitation (Border One remix) (5:24)
Review: Decka and Roseen’s Imaginary Places Remixed offers a worthy collection of techno remixes that will resonate with any fan of the genre. Side-1 kicks off with the Don Williams remix of 'Frameworks' (Part 1 & 2). This track blends catchy minimalism with a harder, more intense edge, making it an ideal opener. Following it, 'Extract 2021-02' lays down tribal grooves that are both intricate and primal, pulling listeners into a rhythmic trance. On Side-2, the DisX3 remix of 'Boiling Point' delivers a punch with its hard percussive chords and driving, hypnotic rhythm that doesn’t let up. Border One’s remix of 'Constant Gravitation' closes the record with a sci-fi-inspired soundscape, creating a sense of otherworldly tension and movement. Each track on this release is finely tuned to keep energy levels high and the dancefloor moving.
Review: Hard techno is very much back in vogue right now, all across Europe and beyond. Sacred Court taps into that demand with various artists EP that is edgy, raw and effective. It is Dexphase that kicks off with 'Stay True To Yourself' layering up wooden hits, icy hi hats and slamming drums. KOZLOV's 'Darkness' has real dystopian menace to it with the wiry pads that bring unsettling energy to the distorted basslines and hammering drums. Raxeller's 'Corrupted' is hyperderiven with kicks stacked up almost on top of each other as moody trance pads light up the backdrop. Tham's 'Never The Right Time' is a fourth and final highly destructive weapon to keep the rave kids marching.
Review: DJ Plead & rRoxymore make for a fascinating duo and take aim squarely at the floor on this new outing, Read Round City, for Smalltown Supersound. Opener 'Celestial' is a loose-limbed rhythmic jumble with hand claps, trippy xylophone patterns and deep bass that lulls you into a trance while 'Read Wrong' is a more reggaeton-inspired sound with snappy snares and warped synth sounds. It's gluey and gloopy and subtly colourful. 'Round Echoes' is a third and final cross blend of techno, dub and house that picks up the pace and heads off into the cosmos but retains an organic feel thanks to the marvellous wet hand claps.
Zarate-Fix & DJ Sotofett - "Dub State Looped" (8:15)
DJ Sotofett - "My Spirit Is Looped" (0:28)
Ronny Nyheim - "EXP" (DJ Sotofett Lockmix) (2:03)
DJ Sotofett - "Hats Loop 1" (0:37)
DJ Sotofett - "Stab Loop 1" (0:26)
DJ Sotofett - "Beater Loop 1" (1:08)
L.A.2000 & DJ Sotofett - "1st Wave Fusion" (9:49)
DJ Sotofett - "Preparation Looped" (0:33)
Review: The wonderfully idiosyncratic DJ Sottofett is back with more of his leftfield magic alongside Ronny Nyheim, Zarate_Fix and LA 2000. This outing on WANIA is a special release with alternative mixes and non-album tracks from the upcoming WANIA mk1 double album. 'Dubquartz' opens up with rattling dub techno, 'Dub State Looped' is a slow motion and heavyweight dub with rusty chords and then comes a seizes of loose for adventurous DJ fun such as the scratchy vocal of 'My Spirit Is Looped' and frosted hi-hats of 'Hats Loop 1'. '1st Wave Fusion' is the standout with its cinematic synths and widescreen grooves.
Review: Last year's superb Pura Lempuyang album has been pulled apart and served up on a couple of separate 12"s and this is the second one. It comes on limited turquoise vinyl and offers four cuts of stylish deep dub and techno. Fletcher's 'It's A Virtue' goes first with taught, twanging bass and grubby basslines then Mike Schommer's 'Kingmaker' offers liquid dub funk with watery pads and hissing static. Nicolas Barnes picks it up a little with a darker but still warm dub techno roller in 'Sonic Dial' and Redrop's 'Genesis' is the more driving of the lot but again exists right on the ocean floor.
Review: Yay Recordings closes out another solid 12 months with a various artists' EP that showcases right where the label is at. Heavy Mental kicks off with 'Dabro', a colourful and loopy house jaunt for sunny days. Twowi's 'Metaverse' takes off to the cosmos on lithe electro rhythms with ice-cold beats and widescreen pads. Parchi Pubblici & Lucretio's 'Aladdin Sane' brings some wonky deep tech vibes with of-balance drums and muffled spoken words and Rinaldo Makaj closes down with a fresh party sound perfect for cosy floors. There's plenty of variety here, which makes this a great addition to your bag.
Review: WSNWG visits the ongoing musical love affair between label head Rodhad and upcoming artist Ignez here. The assured studio wizards serve up some hefty techno that is rooted in rolling, drum-led funk and coloured with some edgy and emotive synth work. These four V'ermillion' tunes were recorded in February 2022 during a marathon week of studio sessions and after this first part there will be a second EP to follow it up later in the year. They are bulky cuts with rumbling low ends and sufficient details up top to keep the mind locked.
Review: The Rose Island blooms into life for the first time with a strong first release that features four different artists taking one tune each on this 12". Judy's 'Aqua' is a mind melting loop techno cut that rocks back and forth on its heels and will have you frothing at the mouth. Symbiosis's 'Terra' is dry, economical loop techno made from few elements but each one makes its mark as this loose jumble of rhythm and sound grows in intensity. Alexandre Laeddis's 'Ignis' ups the ante with the sort of oversized drums and front loaded hi-hats that wash over you like a tsunami and last of all R 010 brings some high speed industrial tech house with throwback synth leads and funk in the drums.
Review: The legendary 'Solaris' is a standout tune from Kareem's 1997 release CICLOP on Berlin-based label Zhark. Originally, CICLOP combined diverse styles including industrial hip-hop, cinematic ambience and dub techno and created a unique, gritty soundscape as a result. Solaris stood out for its raw, brutally minimalist approach and now these new remixes from cult favs Orphx, Rrose, SHXCXCHCXSH and Kareem breathe new life into them with lots of lo-fi synth designs, muggy atmospheres, dense, foggy drones and plenty of rolling and dubbed out rhythms.
Review: 'BOOOoo! VA2' delivers a four-track EP packed with otherworldly techno that's as imaginative as it is intense. Krijka kicks off with 'Kronos', a high-energy, sci-fi-infused techno journey that's both lively and atmospheric. Next, Lamalice's 'Ti Tac Trip Trap!' plunges into darker territory, with its creative vocal manipulation, growling bassline, and menacing vibesiperfect for late-night, sinister sets. On Side-2, Ludovic's 'Qosqo Time' brings a nostalgic 90s flair, mixing catchy techno rhythms with acid trance elements for an infectious groove. Rambal Cochet's 'Hot Chills', featuring Marzipan, closes the EP with addictive space techno, offering a blend of cosmic soundscapes and driving beats that pull you into another dimension. Altogether, this EP is a stellar example of futuristic, experimental techno.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.