Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: Two years ago, Italy's Balearic Gabba Soundsystem switched from remixing and re-editing their favourite cuts to curating compilation style EPs of similarly minded fare. They're in that mode again here, presenting a trio of cuts that combine the saucer-eyed warmth and loved-up musicality of Balearic music culture with grooves and rhythms firmly focused on the dancefloor. They begin by showcasing Wallace's sublime remix of Sewell & The Gong's 'Better Worlds', a locked-in, hypnotising fusion of semi-organic deep house grooves, new age melodic motifs and the dreamiest of ambient chords. Over on the flip they dip into slo-mo Italo-disco/acid house fusion via SIRS fine revision of My Friend Dario's 'Tell Aro', before treating us to a Pedro Bertho remix of Verdo's 'Belvourdier' in which sparkling Balearic house piano riffs, undulating acid lines and mid-80s "chorus" synth sounds rise above a fluctuating synthesiser bassline and hustling beats.

Review: A powerful exploration of dynamic techno. Side-1 kicks off with 'On Point', featuring a stomping beat paired with jazzy techno elements. The track is loopy and hard-steppin', bringing a fresh energy that's both invigorating and hypnotic. On Side-2, 'Request Another Dream' takes listeners on a trip into a sci-fi techno realm. The track's eerie, alien atmosphere builds a sense of mystery, creating a vivid soundscape. Closing the EP, 'Open Sea' delivers a melodic, Detroit-inspired groove with deep, soulful beats that push the track to the next level. It's a smooth, introspective journey that adds depth and complexity to the release. This blend of hard-hitting beats and emotive, melodic elements, shows Van Orton's ability to balance raw energy with thought-provoking soundscapes and we're sure experimental and deep techno fans will really enjoy this.

Review: Belgium's Materia flaunt a preference for bracing techno angles on the new split release from Christian Varela and Marco Bailey, proving new, crisply produced motor city heat need not indulge banality or sameness. Bailey, the apparent lynchpin of the label, straddles three sides of wax with 'Wraith', 'Freal' and 'Shadowed Path', with neatly rounded and resolved chords interleaving about gutting kick chugs. Varela occupies takes up only a quarter of the groove space with 'Lac Operations', a baseline undercurrent of neural flows and rapid apparatic responses.

Review: Greek producer Stelios Vassiloudid has been making techno moves since the turn of the millennium under a range of different aliases. Here he appears as himself with four supercharged dub techno cuts for Dubwax. 'Lie In Wait' is a really tight, taught affair with pinging kicks and icy hi-hat ringlets. 'MIA' is more warm and vibes with a soulful core and underlapping bass waves. There is a more minimal and abstract sound to the curious dub bumps of 'Reverse Engineer' that encourage you to be at your most fluid. 'Grains' shuts down with grainy lo-fi pads, vinyl crackle and sparse kick that soundtrack an underwater jaunt. There is plenty of subtle variation to these rhythms which makes it a dead handy dub EP.

Review: Viewfinder returns to Rescan Records with their third release on the label, a four-track journey through house and techno. The A-side offers two straight-up house cuts, 'Solace' and 'Let Go', featuring infectious grooves, sampled percussion, and catchy stabs. Flip the record over for a techno turn, with 'Roxtone' pushing the BPMs higher and delivering a high-energy workout. Mihail P closes out the release with 'Natural High', a hypnotic blend of breaks, bleeps, and ethereal pads. With its diverse range of sounds and infectious energy, this release is a must-have for any fan of quality electronic music.

Review: Portuguese talent Vil has established himself at the forefront of the scene with music on Hayes, Klockworks, and Planet Rhythm. Now he unveils his first full-length album on Dolly's TS series with 'Birds Of Prey' which serves up raw, percussive grooves, distinctive house and techno elements and refined Detroit-inspired elegance. Across eight tracks, Vil proves himself to be quite versatile while serving up an immersive trip to the heart of the dancefloor while transitioning between deep, melodic, uplifting moments and darker, boundary-pushing beats. Vil's ability to balance energy, emotion and innovative soundscapes really shines through here.

Review: A fresh perspective on classic 80s electronic sounds across this eight-track collection that moulds house, techno and early rave influences into a dynamic, rhythm-driven experience. Kicking off with 'Lightweave', the groove immediately pulls from disco's infectious energy, layering dramatic organ melodies over a crisp, propulsive beat. The journey continues with 'Cubic Pathways', where deep, stomping new beat rhythms meet spacey, evocative melodies reminiscent of the late '80s transitioning into the early '90s. Normally , a producer tied to the sound of Detroit techno for the past 15 years, Johannes Volk shifts his focus to many kids of retro influences from around the world on this album. 'Sense Of Wonder' injects an Italo house spirit with electro elements, striking a perfect balance between nostalgia and futuristic sound design. Meanwhile, 'Exposure' leans into minimal yet incredibly catchy hooks, channeling the mechanical precision of Kraftwerk while maintaining a forward momentum fit for modern sets. The collection's closing moment, 'Zero Zero, taps into the raw energy of early UK rave and new beat, drawing comparisons to the bleep-driven textures of acts like LFO. Throughout, vintage textures and deep-rooted influences are seamlessly woven together, with results that feel both reverent and fresh.

Review: Boys Noize has been tearing up dance floors and serving up arresting electronic assaults for ages, often on his own self-titled label. He branches out here though with a new one, Ones & Zeros, which he has said is a "concept label reflecting new modes of creative and subcultural circulation". it launches with a bumper compilation featuring 22 blistering sounds across six sides of wax. Two of them come from the bas himself, one is a collar with Locked Club, and elsewhere new school and more established names like Skee Mask, Safety Trance and Manni Dee all offer up the sort of high impact tracks that will always be useful to have at your disposal for when the rave really is ready to peak.

Review: DJ Sotofett returns with a double 12" packed with eight hard-hitting, underground techno tracks. Featuring frequent collaborators LNS, L.A. 2000, Ronny Nyheim, and Zarate_Fix, this release is a direct nod to the no-nonsense techno nights at Berlin's iconic Tresor club, where Sotofett holds residency. Each track is crafted with pure dancefloor energy in mind, moving through dub-driven techno, acidic overtones, and percussive basslines, all delivered with a raw, uncompromising edge. WANIA mk1 is a masterclass in DJ-ready versatility, perfect for those who love their techno stripped back and potent. Standout cuts include the bombastic, percussion-heavy Preparation and the 909-vocoder-fuelled My Spirit Is In Techno Music, both of which exemplify the release's dedication to the underground essence of the genre. With alternative mixes from WANIA mk2 making an appearance, the album offers both continuity and innovation, keeping true techno fans hooked from start to finish. Sotofett's attention to detail in programming, mixing, and mastering is evident throughout, making this a must-have for DJs and clubbers who live and breathe the core of real, unfiltered techno music. WANIA mk1 isn't just an album; it's a statement for those who value authenticity in their club experience.

Review: Sonic Groove Records marks a full three decades of boundary-pushing electronic music with an uncompromising compilation of unreleased tracks from an array of techno and industrial legends. Since 1995, the New York label has stood for fearless innovation and this anniversary release is no exception as it delivers a front-to-back barrage of expertly crafted, high-impact cuts. Each artist contributes fresh material that feels vital and honed, capturing the label's ethos of dark energy, sonic precision and underground credibility. From Frankie Bones's clunking loops of acid-laced menace on 'Clip On' to Adam X's pending analogue barrage 'Change Of Gameplan' via Outlander's strangely slow and strobe-lit synth weapon 'Presence Of Absence', this is a fitting tribute to Sonic Groove's storied past.

Review: For more than a quarter of a century, Fuse has thrived on timeless music and pioneering artists, both local and international, all of which have helped make it Belgium's longest-running dancefloor. To celebrate this legacy, Fuse releases a 30-track compilation of techno's finest from around the globe. Each track represents a year, starting with Jeff Mills' iconic 'Step to Enchantment' from 1993. The compilation features legends like Planetary Assault Systems, DVS1, Steffi, Rodhad, Donato Dozzy and DJ Nobu, all of which sound superb as well as showcasing the evolution of techno. Fuse also highlights its vibrant local scene, proving Brussels' enduring influence as this milestone honours past guests and new partygoers alike across a mighty seven slabs of vinyl.

Review: Outcast Planet's with outing is a serious collection of techno heat from a selection of artists each with their own sound. Bakked kicks off with the stomping, teeth grinding machine energy of 'Dentro Il Sistema' then Munir Nadir's 'Push It' takes things even more intergalactic with searching synths and futuristic grooves. Elsewhere Cristian Sarde offers chunky industrial tech with 'Technology Flot', Emanuele Montalto's 'The Electric Transformation' brings a bit of taught techno bounce and Paul Lution's 'More Than 80%' layers up vocoder vocals with retro 80s synth sounds and slap-funk drums. This is a varied collection of fresh sounds that will wrk in a wide range of settings.

Review: To celebrate a decade of electronic excellence, Rotterdam label On Board Music has assembled this fine compilation featuring plenty of great tunes from its nearest and dearest. It spans an impressively diverse range of sounds, from Altinbas' atmospheric' Submersion' to Polygonia's intricate, rhythmic 'Broken Temptation'. There is also GiGi FM's ethereal dub-techno piece 'Maova' and Dorisburg's Nordic-techno exploration 'Sensorik'. Lenty of these cuts balance introspective atmospheres with dancefloor energy, which means the double vinyl is suitable in a range of different settings, all of which capture the essence of On Board Music-atmospheric, trippy, dubby, ambient and techno.

Review: Celebrating two decades of excellence, Marc Romboy's Systematic Recordings marks its 20th anniversary with a remarkable triple 12" vinyl release. Charting the label's nascence in 2005, from early Romboy, Andre Winter and Stephan Bodzin cuts, and through to a rare Carl Cox original, this is an easily legitimated techno release, its mood of retro cool ushered along by shiftingly raw, respiratory sound design and a virtual verve. Our faves have to be 'Atlantis' by French producer Rodriguez Jr. and 'Hit The Ground' by Gui Boratto, both newer additions to the troupe and yet both delightfully dreamy, salient additions.

Review: This is the final instalment of Nous Klaer Audio's beloved 3x12" compilation series and it's another classy outing that serves up a diverse range of sounds from deep, immersive rhythms to driving techno, rave-infused house and some in-between surprises. Curated by label-head Oberman, it features contributions from both established artists and fresh talent, including Megan Leber with the serene 'Tides', a textured remix from Pye Corner Audio, the lushness of Eversines's 'Rhapsodia' and more besides. It adds up a real trove of top tackle.

Review: 10 years of Amsterdam's Vault Records is celebrated on this latest edition of their Vault Sessions techno compilation. While many a label can lay claim to ownership of and control over a "vault" of music, how many of them can submit to surrender 20 such golden sonic ingots when faced with a ransom to release music, *and* still keep enough in the strongroom to keep the books balanced? While we've now the keys to many a high-profile private client's dirtiest collateral deposits - Jpsrv35's twinkling blood garnet 'Soulsearch', Quelza's illegal software 'Automated Assistance Program', Grace Dahl's precious heirloom 'The Green Room' , Stef Mendesidis' diplomatically immune 'License To Fly' - we suspect that many more such greats lay hidden behind astringent locks, impervious to the next heist. All tunes leave us Vaulting!