Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: A compelling compilation that delves deep into the cosmos of techno, offering four tracks that each explore different atmospheric dimensions. On Side-1, Charlou's 'Hidefaces' sets a dark, spooky tone with its stomping beats, blending elements of techno, industrial and 90s rave sounds. It's a haunting journey that captures the raw, visceral energy of underground techno. Mar C follows with 'Wentron', a spacey breakbeat track characterised by its crisp production, which elevates the atmosphere with a futuristic edge. Side-2 opens with Lanzieri's 'Vogue', a track that brings a touch of goa-trance influence, combining ethereal melodies with powerful basslines, making it feel like a cosmic flight through sound. Kvrk's 'Haunted Illusions' closes the EP with a progressive house touch, providing a deep, entrancing groove that muystifies. Each track offers a unique exploration of techno's darker, more experimental side.

Review: Exxtra Beats Records backs up its commitment to pushing things on with a new four-tracker of minimal and tech cuts. Edo Ecker's 'Extraluxxo' has warped synth lines that encourage introspection while the snappy beats make you move physically. Leff's 'Future Problems' has hazy and positive arpeggios that toot away over sustained chords and move at a nice inviting pace. Little Sea offers the snappy drums and gurgling acid lines of 'How I Wanna Feel' while Andrea Bertoli & DJ Bogdan's 'Extremely On Line' is a snappy and upbeat cosmic tech cut with wonky lines adding the charm.

Review: The Cimedirapax crew are back with another superb various artists collection that nudges at the borders of tech house and minimal. Eliaz's 'Enbaspremal' is an alien sound with abstract designs and trippy pads and Lapucci then gets deeper and darker on the menacing 'To Be On Top.' F_Phono brings some nu-disco energy and bright 80s arps to 'Sollievo' then Marco Biagioli heads into more occult worlds with the eerie and haunting 'Strange Mirror' before Equinox's 'Intergalactic Space' offers a caustic electro workout.

Review: Fidelio and Luca Piermattei hook up here to explore worlds where acid, techno and electro all happily coexist. Fidelio's A-side offers three cuts that fuse 90s acid rawness with baroque drama that results in a unique mix of classical organ melodies and razor-sharp basslines. Punchy kicks and sizzling hi-hats drive the energy as you're happily lost on a neon-lit techno odyssey. On the flip, Piermattei's 'Gas' features a fluid bassline and glitching robotic vocals that are eerie yet inviting and 'Third Rec' (with Tascam 122) rounds out the release with pulse-driven electro and intricate percussion, perfect for late-night explorations.

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: Luschn and Roman Khropko seamlessly blend their styles on 'Rozchyn', a bouncing, elastic groove that pulsates with energy, its hypnotic rhythms and infectious melodies drawing the listener into a world of sonic intrigue. 'High Hopes' takes a different approach, its smooth, tech-infused textures creating a hypnotic atmosphere, like a journey through a neon-lit cityscape at night. On the flipside, Luschn's 'Never Defeat Me' emerges as an anthem for the resilient, its driving rhythm and soaring melodies inspiring perseverance and determination.

Review: Island Beats welcome the return of Dani Labb for his second release 'Inclementia', converging sonic memory and dystopian fiction: the DJ and producer from Rio Negra culls his inspirations from the the many grim realms glimpsed in the video games that defined his youth, daubing a claustrophobic, hard-acid breaks pixel painting. Though the game realms aren't named, we're hearing hellish sonic level design in this one, be that in the Half Life security breach voices of 'Locked Away' or the dungeon crawling Doom acid of 'Hijack'.

Review: Lakker's debut release on Love Love Records happens to be the imprint's first vinyl and it melds shrill melancholy with hypnotic techno grooves. It's both captivating enough for home listening, but also primed and ready for DJ deployment. Following their work on Blueprint and Killekill, Lakker retains their intricate sound while intensifying their focus on the grooves with 'LF9' evolving from chaotic rhythms into a powerhouse of clattering percussion, accompanied by haunting pads. On the B-side, 'Deathmask' offers ambient melodies and precise skittering drums that create fragile beauty. 'PRESET Numb' plunges into cold, clinical rhythms with eerie synths, marking a striking new chapter for Lakker.

Review: Horror Corp debuts with a first volume in this new series which is a striking four-track release from rising artist Log In. This collection fuses modern techno with a nostalgic 80s influence to create high-energy hooks and deep, evolving breaks guaranteed to captivate the dance floor. Each one is crafted to evoke a visceral emotional response while bridging old-school vibes with fresh, forward-thinking sounds. The result is a dynamic mix of cuts with a vintage edge but that are not overtly revivalist Perfect for fans of bold, boundary-pushing beats, this suggests that Horror Corp's journey is going to be one well worth keeping up with.

Review: Known for their refusal to use laptops, London Modular Alliance channel their creativity through pure analog improvisation, creating an organic, hypnotic soundscape with every track. A journey through live electro, the trio's decade-long mastery in modular synthesis cis coming to a culmination with this EP. On Side-1, the title track 'Holy Mantle' opens with a stunning progression, rooted in vintage analogue textures, evoking a sense of fluidity and experimentation. The track flows seamlessly, radiating an energy that is timeless. 'Walnut' follows with its deep, melodic electro vibes, incorporating atmospheric, rolling basslines and layers of intricate rhythms that draw the listener deeper into the groove. Side-2 continues to explore the trio's diverse sound palette. 'Scuba' is a melancholic, electro-infused piece that feels like drifting through the depths of an underwater world, full of longing and machine love. Finally, 'A155' delivers robotic, funky electro with tight, infectious rhythms and a sharp, futuristic edge, adding a dynamic finish to the EP. With 'Holy Mantle', London Modular Alliance reinforces their reputation for cutting-edge, analogue-driven techno.

Review: Frustrated Funk is one of the very many labels out of the Netherlands that offers up house and techno music with a through line to the Chicago and Detroit foundations. It is top tackle with a timeless edge and that proves to be true again with this one from Lost Trax. '23' is both dreamy and cancerous but groovy. 'And Or' is more wonky with mad acid, 'It's All Good' is a downbeat synth interlude, 'Grib' is lo-fi and experimental with Omar S style aesthetics and 'The Watcher' closes with more dusty and brilliant depths.

Review: Motion Potion Records returns with a second release from the Australian label founded by Jono Xidias, Mehmet Alpdogan, and ritmiq. This collaborative project sees ritmiq teaming up with Lewba and Louis for the 'Signals' EP, a heady exploration of spacey club sounds. Standout track 'Transmitting From Space' (with Lewba) glides through cosmic synths, subtle breaks and hypnotic melodies so is sure to become a certified late-night burner. On the A-side, Louis and ritmiq deliver 'Interplanetary Prisoner' and 'Parallax,' which are both rich in mood and groove. ritmiq's solo cut 'Nebularae' closes the EP with high energy and dancefloor heat. Signals is a stylish, cosmic journey worth taking.

Review: Spooky Wooky return with a newly nourished Pandora's box worth of tunes, welcoming four new producers each for their own scare, as well as an opening fourfold fright. Joining forces only under the name Spooky Wooky, 'Cauchemard Ambulant' puns on the French term for "waking nightmare" terming it a "walking nightmare", with fidgety, motile synth snaps and pops aligned alongside bow can scrape samples and strange monstrous gurgles. Our faves among the solo cuts have to be Lazer Man's 'Fuck The Bass' and Gogo Gadgeto's 'FREAK', both of which seem to convey a sort of crazed elvish otherworld.

Review: Dutchman Danny Wolfers aka Legowelt is one of the most prolific artists in the game. He has several aliases which all explore ambient, synth, house and techno, but this is his most well-known. Synths Below Sea Level is another singular long player packed with his signature machine-made sounds and vintage synth textures. There are intergalactic acid odysseys like 'A1200 The Valley Energy', brilliantly lo-fi deep house mediations like 'Maybe You See Them Fly' with melodies so meaningful they bring a tear to your eye and forward-thinking cosmic techno bangers like 'MKS100 CZ Reference Pod 9' which bend space and time. Another gem with artwork by the man himself.