New releases today: Uplifting Trance

Review: UK stalwarts Platipus Recordings lay down their latest 30 Year Anniversary compilation with a full-on V/A featuring the likes of Union Jack, Len Faki, Chab, Martin Merkel, Simon Berry, Luke Brancaccio and Star. An impressive array of progressive house displays, there's something for everyone here. This CD version complements the LP edition and provides a neat optical-digital counterpoint to the vinyl version's analogue warmth.

Review: Fantastic Planet (which is also the name of a great 1972 sci-fi flick) is back with a powerful new collection, Survival Mode, which goes way beyond music and is in fact dedicated to the fight for freedom in Georgia. It draws on a diverse lineup of visionary artists who serve up sounds that embody resilience and resistance and call upon the instinct to persevere when all other options are gone. For those in Georgia fighting oppression, it's about unyielding determination to defy silencing forces, and the power of that translates into the music. All four cuts are cutting-edge techno sounds with jungle breaks, empowering spoken word slogans and beats that give you the energy to stand tall.

Review: An electrifying journey through relentless acid and high-energy techno as Acid Asian goes in hard. The title track, 'Deep Soul', sets the pace with a fierce acid trance vibe, pulling listeners into its hypnotic rhythm. 'Space Colors' escalates the energy with epic, pounding euphoric trance, creating a sweeping sense of exhilaration. Side-2 kicks off with 'Ain't Nobody Like Us', a hardcore techno banger that's percussive, catchy and impossible to ignore. Closing with 'Humans', the EP dives into heavy, intense techno, wrapping up with a powerful and gritty finish. From start to finish, a high-octane, genre-blending ride that masterfully mixes acid, trance and techno, creating a standout release for those who like their beats pulsating and energetic.