Techno (All) charts

Review: First released in 1999, Swayzak's 'Floyd/Doobie' shook the British duo's catalogue. Though it wasn't 'Bueno' or 'Fukumachi', this deep house cut was the next best choice for followers of the then burgeoning tech house circuit. Swayzak were already favourites on this and the deep house scene, and had clawed in acclaim for their involvement in both as early as 1993. One particularly prolix bio deems them the incipients of "1st wave 2000-era progressive deep minimal", which is too analytic even for us manic categorisers. No, we prefer to take these two big-hitters as they are: brimming with enthusiasm for a gadget-packed future, 'Floyd' fizzes and twitches with the pulsing blurts of a saw synth, as if to suggest constant magnetic stimulation from above. 'Doobie', meanwhile, hears our protagonist disrobe the techno utility belt, returning to a wireless home, so to gaze out over a subtly detuned chord landscape set to munching percs.

Review: Teased right at the start of the year, keen ears have been awaiting this collaboration between Imprints boss-man Riccardo and Slow Life soldier Saverio Celestri since the summer. Now, fresh from quarantine, the stunning 'Area' is all yours. Bubbling electro breaks with added steel drum charm and harmonies from heaven, it's an outer planetary first smash from Planeters. Flip for two solo pieces from Saverio; the dark alley arpeggio and moody jacks of 'Entrance' and the widescreen electro / radioactive bounce of 'Sintesi'. Bumping.

Review: Johnny Kick's Come On EP on Rawax Germany is a vibrant homage to the early 90s rave sound. On Side-1, things kick off with 'Burnin,' a track that blends classic house and techno with strong melodic stabs, reminiscent of MK or Nu Groove. 'Come On' follows with a fun and clever UK breakbeat style that echoes the energy of 808 State. On Side-2, 'Alright,' is a perfect recreation of the early 90s techno rave sound with classic samples. Closing the EP is 'Everybody,' a breakbeat dancefloor destroyer with keys that pay huge respect to Outlander's 'Vamp.' Each track captures the nostalgic essence of the rave era while delivering a modern punch. Massive!

Review: The always rock-solid Rawax delivers once more here with a new addition to their family in the form of Vinyl Speed Adjust, a top duo with fresh sounds. 'All About Us' is their label debut and it pens with the percussive clatter and plunging, low-slung bass of 'Spill The Beans'. 'Psykovsky' is more stripped back and eerie with deft pads and sub-bass making for a cavernous and inviting sound and 'Chasing The Dream' then brings snappy snares and rugged bass funk. 'Where The Fields Never End' shuts down with menacing low ends and haunting atmospheres for marching dancefloors.

Review: Rawax first released John Selway's Real EP back in 2020. It has aged well and is still an in-demand 12" following the sell-out of its first run. As such the German label reissues it now just as it was the first time around. The title cut is a tribal and chunky house number with thumping drums offset but tender and barely-there whispers. 'Sliders' is a twitchy technoid stomper with a sleazy vibe and the urgent, hurried grooves continue through 'Wraecca', this time overlaid with swirling solar winds and busy synth modulations. Proper tackle.

Review: Back in 2020, hip-hop, breaks and electro stalwart Freddy Fresh decided to turn his hand to vintage-sounding house and techno, self-releasing a set of tracks called The Harvest online. Rawax were impressed, with the popular label deciding to put the pick of the cuts out on vinyl. Title track 'The Harvest' sets the tone, with the veteran producer wrapping a house-tempo, post-electro groove in sustained organ chords, spacey synths and bubbly electronic melodies. 'House-Spanner' sees him doff a cap to The Middle of Nowhere-era Orbital (seriously, it's very reminiscent of the Hartnoll brothers' late '90s output), while 'Misunderstood' is a woozy, delay-laden chunk of early morning U.S deep house. Elsewhere, the deep house dreaminess continues on the interestingly swung 'Twain', and clonking, TB-303 speckled 'Horlywagon'.

Review: Vid remains one of the most prolific and inspiring artists operating in the Romanian scene these days, able to turn his hand to forthright groovers as much as more experimental, subliminal sounds within the minimal blueprint. On this record for Rawax he's seeming particularly open, bringing a bugging kind of funk to consummate club tool 'Genesis' before flipping the script for an airy, resplendent broken beat excursion fittingly titled 'Captain Hope'. It's an achingly melodic piece which does away with club moodiness to reach somewhere more explicitly emotional instead. 'Time Shuffle' resets the co-ordinates back to the heart of the night, unfurling one of those elegant, finely detailed grooves Vid makes his own.

Review: Robert Drewek vs Tomie Nevada's 'Time 4 More' EP was originally released on Unleash Records in 2005. Nine years on and Rawax are reissuing it on black wax and the tunes sound as good as ever. 'While He's Away' is a slick blend of garage-infused house drums and warm synth pulses with catchy vocal samples that bring a hint of old school. On the flip is 'Down With the Bass' which flips the script with a stripped back and militant but silky groove, dubby pads and a head's down vibe that really hypnotises.

Review: Cold's 'Strobelingt Network' feels like a deliberate exercise in creating a mood that shifts imperceptibly, track by track. 'Strobe Light Network' leads with a hypnotic, pulsating bassline that anchors the track while the layers of synths flicker above it, creating a sense of steady forward motion. It's a track that seems to take its time, building an atmosphere that's both immersive and intense. 'Hyper Experience' builds on this, with its murkier, more intricate textures, and the 2024 edit adds a deeper, almost industrial undercurrent. The track's groove doesn't change much, but the added layers make it feel more expansive. It's a masterclass in subtlety: Cold's production keeps things moving while maintaining an air of suspense, suggesting that the next step could take the music somewhere completely new. The EP ultimately offers a refreshing depth, pushing techno further while remaining firmly in its roots.

Review: Jordan GCZ brings a unique jazz-infused approach to techno on his latest release, which is a third for the good folks at Rawax. He has a complex sound but one that always remains buttery impactful in the club and pairs cerebral ideas with physical grooves, and all of it's crafted with an array of outboard gear and vintage synths. The opener blends melodic nostalgic charm with dusty house beats, while 'Timbit Acid' is an off-kilter acid workout and 'Beaver Tail' weaves together a tapestry of intricate synth patterns and glistening pads. Last but not least, 'All Dressed' offers a soul-infused take on mid-tempo techno that is deep, groovy and compelling.

Review: Interplugreaction is a track from Beroshima's 2007 album Real To Reel, but it's wasn't until 2023 that we (now get to) hear the cream of its reinterpretations. If only every track in the world could hear a remix from the likes of Marcel Dettman and Rodhad! Perhaps this calls for an entirely new industry - in fact, let's lock the artists in a room just so they can churn out the music and nothing else. Actually, a whopping four techno heavyweights (also including Frank Muller and Henning Baer) to reinterpret the classic track, with the new mixes ranging from stuffy and oppressive to airy and stark. Certainly not one to miss.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped***


For several years Luciano was one of the kings of the underground. The Swiss-Chilean rode the crest of the minimal wave and had his own distinctive Latin edge that marked him out in a class of one. Now he is back to DJing - often with his equally heralded brethren Ricardo Villalobos - as well as producing. Rawax has the latest goods from the man in the form of this suitably epic two-track EP. 'Assanti Sana' is all subtly shifting grooves and stringy percussive lines with some textured, expressionistic synth lines. 'In Xs' is deeper, and warmer, with ever-evolving rhythms and lots of stringy lines all woven together in an intricate fashion.