Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: Emerald's 25th outing takes the form of another superb compilation with four artists who have already released on the label and plenty of new names making an equally good impression. ANNE kicks off with the deep, thudding kicks of 'Coral Reefs' complete with lush hits to smooth the groove. There is more weight and intensity to the oversized hi-hats ringlets on Mike Konstantinidis's 'Apocalypse', DJ Plant Texture layers in plenty of gritty and grime to his gritty 'Swingers' and Jarrod Yeates goes for a twisted after-party vibe on his intense and unrelenting 'Sesh Gremlin', with many more highlights besides.

Review: Past Inside the Present's 'Pulse' series is an investigation into ambient tech and beat-driven ambient sounds. Who better for the job on this second edition than master craftsmen ASC and Joachim Spieth? ASC opens up with 'Tidal Disruption Event', an understated, underwater rhythm with jittery percussive patterns and bright shards of melodic light piercing through the mix as more coarse soundwaves break over the top. Spieth's 'Subtle' is just as artful and delicate a mix of persuasive rhythm and melodic beauty. A classy Nitechord remix closes out this fascinating EP.

Review: The well regarded Umwelt introduced Raverbreakerz as a dynamic new series on his label Rave Or Die earlier in summer. This massive compilation shows what it is all about with four hard-hitting tracks from genre specialists Blame The Mono, Jadzia, Ghost In The Machine and Umwelt himself, Seamlessly blending techno, breakbeat and dark, intense sounds design to captivate and energise the floor in equal measure, each artists contributes to what is a versatile arsenal for DJs seeking powerful sounds with a distinct style. On this evidence, Raverbreakerz is going to be a crucial new series.

Review: Berlin's Exit Strategy began their 12"s game releasing EPs in browned sleeves, shortly before branching out into digital-vinyl combo releases with original artwork in the 2020s. Now with over ten years of experience under their belts, they welcome five new artists for a playful bricolage in deep and minimal techno, privileging elite, razor-sharp additive sound design and future-soulful vocal tasters. Ivory's opener 'Rain' epitomises this, while Jimi Jules squelchifies the same formula, and Aera's 'Future Holdings' rolls out the same logic to its ultimate conclusion, veering towards complex, 3D-graphic melodic techno composed entirely of climbing saws.

Review: Koenig Cylinders always kept it hella real with their techno. The pair of John Selway and Oliver Chesler were pioneers of the hard stuff first time around and now that it is back en vogue, why not reissue this classic? 'Untitled' opens with a freaky vocal and eerie synth sound before '99.9' brings a wall of white noise and slamming drum patterns. 'Carousel' is an urgent wall-rattler with cantering drums and rave sires that light up the 'floor and 'Choreomania' shuts down with razor-sharp synths and acid flashes that tickle your brain. Arresting tackle of the highest order.

Review: Leap hit double figures and over the nine previous releases has managed to establish a signature sound that has found favour with cultured techno heads. The Foundation EP is a various artists affair that opens up with a mix from Dutch deep smith Reshape. His usual dusty and grainy aesthetic colours the mid-tempo dub drums and eerie synth work. 'Creation Dub' is a little lighter and brighter with rippling chords and undulating low ends. Anton Kubikov then lets in yet more light with his lush synth smears and subtly funk house drums on 'Power Under Your Skin.' It's pure heads-down tackle from Alexander Wirth who closes out with 'Another Round' (feat Mantsche).

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: Released on lovely transparent blue vinyl, the fourth volume of Figure's Hardspace series offers six fresh reinterpretations of Len Faki's favourite tracks under his staunchly underground Hardspace alias. Josh Wink's 'Sixth Sense' gets a powerful low-end rework while Aoki Takamasa's minimalist dub transforms into a high-energy and peak-time slammer. DJ Yoav B's iconic 'Energize' reaches new rave heights with its relentless groove and Huxley's dark take on 'Weapon 3' comes on with explosive force. Tuttle's 'Function' ups the intensity with Faki's signature claps and sirens while Mike Parker's '90s classic 'Shakuhachi Two' gains extra drive with Hardspace's propulsive percussion for a dynamic techno workout.

Review: Juan Atkins' Skynet under the Infiniti alias showcases a different side of his sound compared to his iconic work as Model 500 or Cybotron. This album leans towards a minimalist, soulful Detroit techno approach, with fewer layers and a relaxed, mid-paced flow that allows the rich synth sweeps and harmonic pads to shine. Tracks like 'Postcard From The Future' and 'Higher' are tracks that blend subtle melodies with atmospheric percussion and a groovy, uplifting energy. 'Thought Process' is stunning with its ticking, minimal beats, while 'Walking On Water' and 'Coffee Shop (Connection)' explore dub techno influences and soulful elements. While Skynet may not be as recognisable as some of Atkins' most celebrated works like Deep Space, it's still a very enjoyable album that in some ways is more well-rounded. The hypnotic repetition and sparse arrangements offer a fresh perspective on his sound, reminiscent of Detroit techno legends like Carl Craig and Kenny Larkin. For fans of pure Detroit techno with a lighter touch, Skynet delivers.

Review: He might be in the autumn of his career but Jean Michel Jarre remains an innovator in the field of electronic music. His last album in 2022, Oxymore, was another pioneering exploration of rhythm and sound that has now been reworked alongside a series of collaborators all picked by the man himself. The nine-track selection brings wholly new perspectives to the originals which he calls "a vibrant collection of musical dialogues." An immediate standout for us is the track with Nina Kraviz which is crunchy, distorted minimal techno, while 'Epica Extension' with Brian Eno is laced up with otherworldly melodies. A great work from a mix of great artists.

Review: These days, we're all familiar with Jan Jelinek's trademark brand of dusty, dubbed-out, jazz-sampling downtempo explorations. That wasn't the case when Loop Finding Jazz Records, his acclaimed debut album, first appeared back in 2001. It has since become an in-demand item, making this reissue more than handy. It remains a fine album; a blazed shuffle through a sonic world where dub techno, ambient, minimal house, jazz and downtempo grooves and seductive vinyl crackle merge into one intoxicating hybrid sound. It's not showy and over-the-top, but rather becalmed and subtly seductive. In other words, it's still a brilliant album and if you don't own already own a copy, you should add this to your cart sharpish.

Review: Multi-instrumentalist Jimi Jules got plenty of acclaim, and rightly so, for this 2022 album, which now sees a reissue on coloured vinyl. Executively produced by Innervisison label head Dixon, the album includes some of the most hammered tracks of the year it was released in - see 'My City's On Fire,' the superb 'Der Aufstand,' the dancefloor hit 'Burning' and 'Clinomania,' featuring Joy Tyson and renowned drummer Nathan Curran who has worked with the likes of Lily Allen and even Elton John. It's a melodically rich album that works at home as well as in the club and the album's artwork is designed by none other than the legendary Trevor 'Underdog' Jackson.

Review: Juno Reactor are without much doubt, the most successful and important Goa and psy-trance related artist of the 90s. From 1993 to 2000, the band was in lock and step with the growing sound and scene across the world within trance music. This five-disc boxset gathers all five albums they made plus material they did for movies like Matrix and Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Composer, producer, musician and performer Ben Watkins is an essential innovator of modern electronic music. Over the course of nearly 30 years, Watkins has created a unique driving fusion of electronica, orchestral and global music executed on an epic & symphonic scale. Every trance and 90s electronic music fan should have this retrospect from this ground breaking act.