Techno (All) charts

Review: Icelandic band Gusgus have been going since the mid 90s, moving through many different eras and sounds in pursuit of their own musical curiosity. Following a spell on Kompakt they established their own Oroom label to carry the last two albums, and now they're back with a third transmission which shows them to be as inspired as ever. The concept around Danceorama concerns an imaginary utopian rave mall where everyone is free from societal prejudice and all the best bits of club music are on offer. Whether it's 808-toting low end rollers with lashings of acid or blissful fountains of synth you're after, Gusgus have got you covered.

Review: Erol Alkan's 2005 Bugged Out mix was a gateway release for many, soundtracking the entrance into club land, yet also introducing these virgin ears to more esoteric strains of music via the accompanying Bugged In Selection. Some seven years on, Alkan and the evergreen club brand have revisited the concept with a second edition, and like the inaugural release, the Phantasy Sound boss's ever lasting love for the vinyl format has seen a selection of tracks make the translation to this double vinyl release. Six tracks from the Bugged Out mix appear, with the Italo disco of Amin Peck brushing shoulders with Model 500 and an Obi Blanche edit of the Ron Hardy classic "Sensation", while the Bugged In Selection sees some psyche-folk fare from Buffalo Springfield and Space Lady among other gems.

Review: Given that copies of the original 7" release flew off the shelves in record time, it's heartening to see that Classic has decided to give Sophie Lloyd's brilliant "Calling Out" a proper 12" release. Her fantastic original version - a jaunty, floor-friendly gospel treat that sits somewhere between house and disco - is this time accompanied by two fresh rubs from Robert and Lyric Hood's Floorplan project. Naturally, both mixes move further towards sing-along gospel house territory with the fantastic Revival Mix - all crunchy Chicago drums, wild organs, jaunty pianos and relentless chorus - hitting home particularly hard. It's very rare that we describe an EP as being "flawless", but this is as close to perfection as you'll find.

Review: A taster for Robert Hood's second Floorplan album, this EP puts a spotlight on the radical nature of his musical transformation. On "Music", the visceral rhythms of techno minimalism are gone; in their place is a rolling, tracky groove that boasts a repetitive vocal loop and which has shades of classic Relief /Derrick Carter. "Tell You No Lie" is even more impressive. It sees Hood use a gospel vocal over a stomping, funk guitar-sampling disco house workout. There is an audibly religious dimension to "Tell You No Lie," but Hood's knack for writing a great tune means that it sounds celebratory rather than self-indulgent or preachy.

Review: Perel's sophomore album Jesus Was An Alien continues in some ways from the themes she brought to her debut, 2018's Hermetica on DFA. The tracks are rich, lush in design and multi-layered with plenty of emotional uplift. While inspired by a raft of the best indie hitmakers she has her own sound which is perfect for the dance floor but also suited to listing away from the club. "Jesus Was An Alien is a discourse about whether Jesus was an actual alien" she explains, amusingly. When the debate sounds this good, no one cares about the answers.

Review: Correcciones Calypso returns from a generous hiatus with the fourth edition of its acclaimed edit series, replete with four re-edits that veer from the subtle to the downright brazen. Thomass Jackson and INigo Vontier invite the French duo Youkounkoun to open proceedings with an insane early 80s edit full of big drums and exotic touches that's been blowing dancefloors all around the world for the past years - and definitely resides in the brazen category, despite a lot of work having gone into it. Olta Karawame make their debut on the series with a powerful, compact edit full of ballsy keyboard riffing and a military-sized kick drum that is guaranteed to have heads banging . To complete the release label bosses Thomass and INigo deliver edits of their own with their characteristic sound, giving this EP maximum a value for money factor and entertainment from start to finish.

Review: The entrancing tribal house groove of Jerome Sydenham, Fatima Njai's and percussionist Mario Punchard's Kraftwerk channeling 'Trans Afro Express' is one of this year's biggest tracks for Rekids, which now receives a series of impressive reworks by the biggest names on the scene. Running Back's Gerd Janson delivers a sunny and blissful rework in his signature neon-lit disco style on the A side of the disc. Over on the flip, it's over to the master of minimalism - none other than Ricardo Villalobos - who takes the track deep into the afterhours with his heady makeover delivered in his idiosyncratic style.

Review: Skatebard's Digitalo Enterprises has been keeping it real since the mid 00s, never failing to come through with what we like to call 'the truth'. Whether it's disco, house or even techno on the menu, the quirky Norwegian producer-DJ has got a touch of class across everything he does, and inviting fellow Norwegian DJ Sotofett to the catalogue is pure evidence of that. The head honcho is up first, rolling across the wax plate with 2 cuts: the first, "Stalheim-Mix" is a pacey, bass-heavy techno roller with a supremely progressive tone of voice, whereas "Tristulf" is made for pure meditation thanks to its slow, warm flow of Balearics. On the flip, DJ SO-PHAT adds to the ambient glow thanks to the placid waters of "Digitalo-Mix", a sparkling slice of synth experimentation that'll have the new age retroists gleaming with joy. Bloody lovely, we might say!

Review: If anything, the hugely prolific Motor City mainstay that is Omar S seems to be getting even more prolific as time goes on. His vast catalogue grows once more here with Fun House, which finds Alister Fawnwoda exploring a wide range of dance music styles alongside guests such as FXHE regular John F.M., plus Mitchell Yoshida, Super Cool Wired, Troi Alexis, Tyesha Blount and more, with all the production, lyrics and mixing taken care of by Omar S himself. The tracks range from seductive deep house to edgy mechanical techno, dubbed out downbeat joints and smooth electronic Detroit soul. It is yet another crucial chapter in the FXHE and Omar S story.

Review: Nina Kraviz is one of global techno's most recognisable names and biggest headliners by now. But many years ago, when she was still not long finished with her dentist training, she was a little-known underground artist sneaking out superbly subtle and smoky house jams on labels like Underground Quality and Rekids. It is the latter label where she served up 'Taxi Talk', which features her own vocal musings and whisperings recorded late one night on a taxi journey. It is paired with trippy synth motifs and a swaying, stripped-back groove to make for something impossibly intimate. This reissue also comes with a twisted tech remix from David Lohlein and disco-fried venison from Sterac Electronics.

Review: Just as the year draws to an end, GTO launches itself into the world with a first release that is destined to get plenty of parties pumping. DJ Tommy Starck is the man in charge and he opens with big, filtered disco-house loops that pack an emotional punch. 'Disco' then hist harder than Deontay Wilder with its raw, slamming kicks and loopy synths echoing the early work of DJ Sneak. The flip side is given over then 'Yesterday,' a deeper cut with warm pads and muffled vocal cries that eventually get taken over by some wild sine waves.

Review: After necessarily taking time out for personal reasons, Jackmaster is slowly but surely getting back to where he was a few years ago. The party-staring Scot was a real DJ circuit favourite who also knew how to kick out the jams and that's what he does here for the fourth release on the Slack 85 label which debuted last year under the auspices of a certain Seth Troxler. 'Party Going On' is pure fun - a flaming hue cut with an impossibly catchy and pitched-up vocal. 'Freaky Like That' (with Jasper James) is surging Detroit house music with analogue drums and 'Let's Go' (Tom Trago Remix) is a dirty, loopy disco house cut and we love it.