DJS: MOST CHARTED - TECHNO - MOST CHARTED IN OCTOBER 2015

Review: Eleven years ago Jeff Mills' Exhibitionist DVD undertook a rather ambitious project. An audio visual presentation where from varying camera angles, viewers got to witness the sheer dexterity of Mills' DJing style across three decks and a 909, warts and all. The second volume promises more of the same across two DVDs and a CD. So expect some epic mixes and the opportunity to witness The Wizard in true form in collaboration with a live drummer and even an interpretive dancer! But best of all; hear some brand new tracks, all exclusive to the mix. They're captured right here on this 12", the second volume. Hearing him do 303 acid over his typical 909 jam sounds as brilliant as you'd expect on "Studio Take 1" and "Studio Extra". On "Studio Take 3 & 4" he goes for the classic Axis sound complete with Millsian bleeps and dreamy pads and all with the trademark metallic hiss and crack of the 909, lurking in the background. Don't miss this.

Review: Quite a landmark M Plant release here as Mark Broom gets the honour of being the first artist other than Robert Hood to release on the label in some 16 years! The UK techno veteran dips into his own archives for the lead track, turning in a new live take on "Stunned" which was originally released on his Pure Plastic label back in 1997. Whilst retaining the essence of the original, this new self-styled 97 mix feels a lot cleaner sounding and wholly appropriate for release on M Plant. On the flip, "Decay" sees some of the devil in Broom come to fore on a pounding production that will test the foundations of any self-respecting night club.

Review: Long-serving Brit in San Diego James Clements dons his familiar ASC guise once more, for a typically atmospheric trip into deep, ambient-influenced abstract techno for Canada's Silent Season imprint. As usual, there's much to admire, from the sparse percussion, glacial electronics and icy melodies of "Deep Freeze", to the minimalist, modular-sounding hum of closer "Raging Seas". Arguably best of all, though, is "Immersion", which sees Clements expertly combine early '90s style dreamy ambient chords, textures and melodies - think Pete Namlook or early Irresistible Force - with scraped metal textures and impeccable IDM beats

Review: NYC's Patricia is one of the most hyped artists of the moment, let's be honest. But it's all worth it right? His last release, Body Issues was one of the most celebrated releases of last year, and rightly so. Rest assured that this follows in suit. Six cuts of haunting and subterranean groove that will shock you to your core. Opening track "Mercury In Retrograde" makes it clear from the get go with its morose and cavernous groove assisted by the most rusty of analogue rhythm patterns. Just in case you hadn't caught onto his vibe, "Life Is a Hideous Thing" spells out his modus operandi loud and clear with its gothic take on stripped back early Chicago house in all its lo-fi glory while "Needs A Nap" features the most tunnelling, almost Jeff Mills like melody transporting you into the abyss. Tip? Absolutely!

Review: Over the last few years, Dario and Marco Zenker's excellent Ilian Tape has given us some of the purest and most bold-faced techno around. The label has built up a solid reputation as being all about the music, minus the hype, and Italy's Andrea has been there at the forefront of their growth. The Turin-based producer returns to the moody imprint with his third EP for the label, led by the thumping, hypnotic swings of "Outlines" - containing possibly the best kick drums we've heard since Head High - and the break-ridden journey that is "Rainbow", on the A-side. The flip sees "Machine" enter a no nonsense mode, where a fast percussive groove locks tightly within a sea of intergalactic pads, and dubby, broken pastures on "Choral". All in all, this is a fine selection of wild, dare-to-be-different dancefloor tracks that span many styles and influences. Tip!

Review: The BEB boys have had this LP from Regis in the works for a while now, getting every coldwave freak from here to Timbuktu raving with excitement. Although this LP isn't made up wholly of new tracks, it is a fine compilation of the man's most important material post his purist techno days of the late 90's and early 2000's. Within, you'll find all of his most diverse and thought-provoking works, from the infamous remix of Raime's "This Foundry" to the gorgeous techno excursion that is the remix of "Loss" by Dalhous, a collection of works that span ambient, goth, techno and EBM. However, there a three new tunes: there's the excellent Nitzer Ebb-style remix of "Manbait" by Family Sex, the electrifying "CU1" by CUB, and the wavy, far-out trip that is "Plant Lillies At My Head" by Tropic Of Cancer. Yes, this is a bit special, so do the right thing.

Review: After a pair of superb 12"s from Duckett, Untilmyheartstops turn their attentions to across the Atlantic with the label debut of Zachary Lubin. Fans of the Kimochi label will recognise Lubin from the two wonderful 12"s he's committed to the cause over the past three years, and this four-track Future Laboratories record is a fine addition to his small discography. "Flooring Operations" opens proceedings on a dizzying techno tip, a kaleidoscope of sound billowing up around the taut bass drums, whilst "Mediation Garden" will please those who like some sonic grit in the mix. By contrast, the excellently titled "Ambivalent Robot" veers off into insouciant, glistening techno and is quite life-affirming. "Chloroform" rounds out the 12" on a similarly warm tip.

Review: On this EP for the reliably trippy Bedouin Records, Bercuese Heroique regulars Healing Force Project take a trip into the far reaches of the galaxy. Heavily influenced by early '90s "intelligent techno", ambient house and electronic psychedelia, all four tracks sound like they were recorded after several days of sustained high-grade abuse. There's some clandestine, off-kilter acid - the "recorded in orbit" oddness of "Cube of Metatron" - a sliver of out-there ambient jazz (the sublime chords, mixed-down rhythms, discordant saxophones and Namlook synth doodles of "Sensory Deprivation"), and a chunk of impossible-to-define downtempo creepiness ("WayWard Flow"). Best of all, though, is the spacey, analogue deep house shuffle of opener "Saturation System".

Review: Dutch techno maestro is back and delivers a fine four track EP for Berlin institution Ostgut Ton. On the A side: "Falling For You" is deep soulful techno with a nod to Detroit with its funky synth bassline and melancholic piano notes leading you fully into oblivion over its nine minute glory. On the B side we have "U1-U8", possibly a reference to the Berlin underground routes and quite fitting really. A stomping epic warehouse techno cut that could match anything Shed or Mike Denhert have done of late. Finally "Ahmadiya" gets back on the soulful side with its dreamy bell melody and entrancing stabs, dancing on top of a vicious broken beat shuffle.

Review: Last year, Dutch producers Robin Koek and Nick Lapien impressed with a couple of contributions to EPs on Prologue and Tikita under the Artefakt alias. Here, they've been given a chance to showcase their sound further, via a debut 12" for the mighty Delsin imprint. As the title suggests, they're stargazing sorts, and all three tracks feel like they were inspired - in part, at least - by the original futurist ethos of Detroit techno. Of course, there are other influences - see the tumbling, intelligent techno style synthesizer melodies and acid flashes of "Transit", or the attractive depth and ambient chords of "From Our Mind To Yours" - but these simply serve to enhance the prevailing mood.

Review: Especial welcomes one Alphonse to the label. A true missing in action, last seen by his crew dancing atop a bus, here literally forced him to give up the tape of Same For Me. A peane to his life? Possi bly. Mixing techno beats and (proto) rave breaks, all under his own unique and heartfelt message. Discovered on the outskirts of Letchlade, down the bottom of an abandoned traveller site in a delapidated caravan with just the clothes he was in, while clutching an armful of reel-to-reels masters, a pack of 20 B&H and 1 can of Strongbow, Alphonse's story is one of party obsessive gone AWOL. Mumbling periodically, words deciphered and names dropped. Frome, Stroud and whisper it, Castlemorton, led to rehabitlation, a bath, shave and slowly enticing is musical knowledge to share. With a few scraps appearing here and there, including a micro(dot) of disco editing knowhow given, here though he finally is able to share his experiences by looking back through making music of the future. Same For Me starts with Sterns intent, all hats, kick and fx to the max, a Fantazia of expression, before toms and 808 snap and the sermon begins. But wait, where is the bass? Boom! Subs squeeze ribs while flute lifts minds skywards. "A valuable tool in life. Concentrate on something makes you happy..." To bring this in to fold, the Junior family member is given the tapes to show what he can do. The most subtle start lulls you in to a sense of is that it? There must be more. Building. Building. Break and...hands to the sunrise. "...Thank you. Same For Me. Same For Me."

Review: Lee Gamble's name has become synonymous with the kind of oddball house that's coming out these days, except that while many try to imitate and end up sounding sterile, Gamble truly is an outside thinker. After a series of influential LP's for the PAN imprint, the Englishman returns to Bill Kouligas' label with this present EP, a two-track missile of freaky techno-filtered house music. "B23 Steelhouse" is a driving little beast, a tune held together by intricate percussion bundles and a deep, bellowing bassline. Over on the flipside, "Motor System (Extension)" goes for a more techno approach, where a fuzzy swirl of machine noise blends with punchy claps and fluttering beats. Strong, as always.

Review: Rohan Walder's prolific output continues with another release on Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S. It's been been a banner year for Walder with releases recently on sister label Russian Torrent Versions and Clone Basement Series earning him his stripes. He unleashes six more bastardised takes on techno for this new EP. From the sublime exotic percussion workouts on the title track and "Bell Jam", the rusty and stomping warehouse grooves of "Brutus" and "Dem Thing" it all crosses rather gracefully over on the rather fierce "Juju". This guy never fails to deliver, check this out!

Review: There's a delightfully celebratory feel about this debut volume of Cititrax Tracks, a new 12" series from Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. As beautifully presented as we've come to expect, Tracks Volume 1 boasts a quartet of dancefloor-ready smashers from a blend of new faces and label stalwarts. Amato (aka The Hacker) kicks things off with the glistening EBM funk of "Physique" - all restless synth refrains and pounding bottom end - before LIES affiliate Tsuzing go all dark, psychedelic and twisted on the thrillingly intense, acid-flecked "King of System". An-I go all DAF (with a touch of Front 242) on the fuzzy and dystopian stomper "Mutter", before Cititrax regulars Broken English Club delivers a storming chunk of industrial-tinged analogue funk ("Glass"). Bravo!

Review: The second of MDR's surprise batch of 12"s, Answer Code Request's "Calm Down" sees the German artist go back to doing what he does best; the beats are sparse and filed with short breaks, while the sonics circling above them exude that familiar sci-fi feel. "Dust 0.2" is more of a minimal techno piece - pads and effects still firmly in place - while "Modal" flickers its strain of distortion over lo-fi acid bleeps, and "Feel (Rework)" is all about the tune's cascading synths and slow-morphing low-ends. Quality gear, as expected.

Review: Through The Spirit Realm is Refracted's first LP to date, and it comes Canada's excellent Silent Season, a home to Rasmus Hedlund, Quantec, and ASC, among others. "Enter The Jungle" quickly gives a picture of what's to come thanks to the track's abstract blend of animal sounds, a myriad of noises which is swallowed up the warm and dubby swings of "The Jungle Is Thick" - a Donato Dozzy kinda lick. The whole LP follows a similar string of thought, one that binds stripped back techno together with deep ambience and slow-moving plates of drone; "The Ritual Begins" is simply hypnotic and we could keep it on for hours on loop. It's tribalism at its most cutting-edge, and an altogether fantastic debut performance from this growing techno personality.

Review: REPRESS ALERT : After landing his malfunctioning PX-4000 on the purple planet, Captain DMX steps out of the smoldering cockpit. After barely setting foot on the dusty landscape, the Captain is startled by deep thudding from over the hills. Dragging his oxygen pack with one hand and his atomizer with the other, he sets off in search of the other-wordly din. Over the hill his pupils adjust to the stroboscopic lightning and below him lies a sea of strange creatures moving together as one body. A cosmic sermon takes place under the three suns in the sky, mechanical and stuttered frequencies set a manic pace and drive the dark creatures back and forth. Captain DMX sighs a heavy breath and starts to descend into the fray....

Review: Rotterdam techno hero ROD (better known as Benny Rodrigues) throws down an impressive release for Ben Klock's imprint, showing some restrained and cyclical, yet cleverly executed techno. First track "Distance" is proper cruise control much in the vein of label mate DVS1 on this minimalistic killer! Second track "Screw Democracy" repeats that very phrase persistently over another minimal arrangement, but it's superbly efficient. "Sat" sounds more like the ROD we know on this full frontal, peak time cut that will annihilate dancefloors crowd with its onslaught of laser zaps. Finally "Catch" get's back to the more reductionist aesthetic where he proves that all you need are nice synth stabs, a decent kick and a shaker.

Review: Spanish techno legend Eduardo de la Calle on John Talabot's Hivern Discs? Yes, he sure is but it somehow finds a fitting home here for this release. A side tracks "Format Times" and "Hope" might be a bit slower and deeper than what you'd usually expect from the Analog Solutions main man, but still have all his trademark hypnotic and droning qualities. On the flip he gets stuck into what he does best; cleverly sampled and restructured DJ tools such as "I Think I Love You" which is totally off the hook; do yourself a favour and listen to this absolute gem. Finally "Passage 2561" which references his love of Detroit so well on this sublime hi tech soul excursion. Brilliant.

Review: Scottish techno legend (now based in Bristol) Marco Bernardi has had a consistent run of great releases recently and this one certainly does not disappoint. His latest release is a label debut for Berceuse Heroique with "The Dancing Clowns" a soulful and melancholic epic that proudly wears its Motor City influence on its sleeve, but it still unmistakeably Bernardi. The remix on the flip by Andres Ordonez aka Specter is equally as brilliant, but deeper and more atmospheric with its sombre pads and sublime melody given the right amount of momentum by that sharp and buzzing bassline.

Review: Exploration label head, Giessen's Johannes Volk, has previously appeared on Jeff Mills' 6277, Sistrum and more recently on Zadig's Construct Re-form. Now he steps up on Steffi's Dolly imprint for some soulful and synth driven techno that proudly wears its second wave Detroit influence on its shoulder. "Hydro Funk" has a razor sharp bassline and euphoric strings facing off against syncopated drum machine shuffle. Yeah, he knows how to emulate the Motor City sound, that's a given! The sublime high tech soul of "Shadow Selection" channels the heyday of early nineties Detroit Techno, taking you back the good old days of Metroplex, UR or Strobe. 313 dub techno genius Luke Hess gets on with remix duties on the flip for "Shadow Selection" delivering a more powerful and cyclical remix for those peak time moments.

Review: You have to admire Ostgut Ton's ambition. While celebrating a decade in dance music with a compilation of exclusive, previously unheard music is now standard practice amongst leading underground labels, few would have the balls to release it on a box set that boasts no less than 10 slabs of wax. Unsurprisingly, the track list is like a who's who of left-of-centre techno and deep European house, with Marcel Dettmann, Boris, Virginia, Steffi, DVS1, Martyn, Tobias and Ben Klock all featuring. Highlights naturally come thick and fast, from the spacey electronics, heady textures and hypnotic rhythms of Function's "DX3 Analog Bass Seq", and the rush-inducing, string-laden house warmth of Matthew Styles' remix of Dinky's "Planes", to the picturesque intelligent techno of Doms & Deykers.