Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: Emergent talent B Ai, hailing from China, contributes to Paris-based label and Chat Noir family member Cosa Vostra, following storm surging releases on Motivation, Altered Circuits and Picnic Records. Spanning post-EBM lasershot fires and SFX-ed spanners-in-works, 'Act5' kicks off 'Blue Or Red' with a tense introductory interstate hyperride, while 'Glance Back' offers us a contrasting chance to look back down the road on whose mac we've just blazed a thick, blackened tire tread trail. Diego Santana crops up on the B1 titler, guiding through a tight Italodance au-diorama, while another fellow producer, David Agrella, lets us down further on the synth tubular breather 'Danse'.

Review: Blast head honcho Bertran aka German Fabian Oellers drops a heavy-hitting, genre-blurring debut here on the Psycho Thrill Cologne label. Known for collabs with techno icons like FBK, Patrik Skoog, DJ Surgeles, Lex Gorrie and Stefan Rein, he flexes serious range across eight tracks that move fluidly between deep house, shadowy techno, raw acid and Detroit-infused grooves. The EP closes with a killer remix by Canadian legend Teknobrat, who cooks up squelchy 303 lines with dense atmospherics before unleashing floor-melting madness. Essential heat.

Review: Birmingham's Jossy Mitsu and Bluetoof join headsy forces on their new collaboration for Tempa, colliding the former artist's rinsed, globetrotting UK-troit DJ sets the world over and the latter's "drum specialisms" formerly lent to labels the likes of Shall Not Fade. Transcending the one-forties for a deeper-shades descension, 'Metamorphic' and 'Acid' establish a mood of nightclub meets human biostasis facility, as sci-fi zaps meet brooding, high-sustain bass cues. 'H20' is the sole tune to heighten the mood, its stop-start rollerblade bass and necksnap 808s proffering a jammier digestif.

Review: Break 3000 returns with his first new material in over two decades, delivering four high-torque tracks of electroclash, rave and cold wave nostalgia. Born in Germany and known for his role in Dirt Crew and the Electron Feel imprint, Break 3000 rekindles the raw DIY spirit of his early 2000s output. 'Electronique' is the centrepieceiEBM drum hits, rasping vocoder vocals and a revved-up rave bassline that harks back to his 'Fix' era. 'Continua' channels distorted filtered techno into peak-time territory, while 'Tape Recorder' leans into retro electro a la Rotterdam and Detroit, full of hissy drum machine charm and chopped vocal samples. Italian producer Marcello Giordani rounds out the EP with a slick proto-house remix of the title track, nodding to Bobby Orlando with shimmering Vermona drums and dark disco swagger. From Cologne to Parma via Berlin and Buenos Aires (the release is on Calypso's Dream), this is a cross-generational, cross-border flex that proves Break 3000 still has teeth.

Review: Two new Drumcode signees from Sweden team up for the first time ever on 'Deadly Valentine', a gothic x-marks-the-spot in big-cheese techno. The first joint single outside of compilation or album formats, Giordani's flair for melodic structure and genre blur rubs against sonic streamliner Skils' skills, repurposing a vocal line Giordani stumbled on during a Spotify deep dive, and which now comes anchored by gladiate grooves and ghostly dual-language lyrics, tossing over sincerity and satire. Skils handled the initial structure, though the pair refined it across versions and sessions before locking in the final cut.

Review: BOOOoo! returns with its fourth V/A, bringing together Ildec, Pagenty, Phase O'Matic, Gogo Gadgeto and label head BOOH for a tightly assembled five-tracker. Steering into the murkier corners of electro but with a light touch, their next comp offers a range of moods without ever dropping to fully into the abyss. From 'Volviento AMT' to 'The System Is The Matrix', each artist contributes a knowing cut, one which leans dark but stays danceable, threading twisted textures and low-slung rhythms without losing sight of playability.

Review: FaF's Marseille-based label Durite has assembled another Various Artists compilation full of global soundscapes inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms on one side, while the other blends psychedelic Japanese and Chinese samples into trippy, atmospheric cuts. Italian producer Nativo balances deep house and electro with worldly flair, French artist Pagenty keeps ting dubby and slow with snaking leads and hiccuping drums. Fellow Frenchman Blinkduus Dischetto sparkles with raspy synth leads and celestial keys and Crane De Poule then serves up 'Lucky,' the clear EP highlight with its hurried Eastern Melodie and vocal samples over a clipped and tight tech beat.

Review: After a two-year break, Sticky Plastik returns with its third various artists release, offering a refreshed look and evolved sound. Side A features Corsican producer P.O., who delivers two standout tracks: 'Dodo', a melancholic yet hopeful journey through dark disco-tinged minimal techno, and 'Arcade', a groovy, 80s-inspired acid house cut brimming with energy. On Side B, Chinese artist B.AI teams up with Polish producer Marcelina (formerly Marcelina Wick) on 'Homesick', blending deep Asian atmospheres with a Slavic emotional edge in a lush progressive house cut. P.O. closes the release with a tougher, techno-driven remix of 'Homesick' that adds punch to the package.