Back catalogue: Techno

Review: FXHE maintain their monthly heat emission for 2012, with label boss Omar S displaying all aspects of his production prowess (as well as skill for a humorous track titles) across four productions - one of which features the button bashing assistance of one Patrik Sjeren. There's something icily brilliant about the restrained "Income Tax Refund Dance" melding a dark piano riff with snapping 808 kicks and rippling lo fi rhythms which only further justifies the title of Omar S's killer 2011 LP. It's complemented by the far rowdier box jam "The White Castle Song" which jackhammers a simple yet highly flammable key riff over low rent percussion for FXHE's most potent ode to the perfect warehouse moment since the all conquering "Here's Your Trance..." Given the lack of additional info, we presume the Patrik Sjeren that produces the B Side "Untitled" track is the same Patrik Sjeren that released in the mid 90s under a multiplicity of aliases, and his contribution is every bit as incendiary as the track preceding it, whilst "3c 273" sees Omar S slip into pensive utopian electro mode with aplomb.

Review: Boss Tracks gets ignited as a vessel for the work of three nefarious cartoon individuals who may or may not relate to three Liverpudlians with a penchant for jacking hardware tackle. John Heckle, Mark Forshaw and Binny are formidable enough on their own, so combined as Phantom Planet Outlaws there's no shock to hear the acid raining down in a most expressive of ways. "Hybrid 1" finds Heckle squeezing atonal hooks out of his gear like a free jazz maverick while Forshaw fires off the whipcrack tones on "Flash Back". Binny meanwhile brings a malevolent twist on searing loopy techno to bare on "The Return" making this a record for only the toughest heads to drop.

Review: Given their famously militant approach to music formats, it's a surprise to see Paranoid London's previously vinyl-only 2014 debut album finally being issued on CD. For those who missed out first time around, it's well worth checking. As you might expect, it makes great use of both vintage analogue equipment and similarly old skool influences, in turn doffing a cap to Phuture-style Chicago acid, Inner City, hip-house, Green Velvet, Dance Mania style ghetto-house, and stripped-back, dancefloor-friendly machine soul. Despite the ragged nature of some of the material, it's both hugely listenable and hangs together impressively - no mean feat given the DJ-friendly nature of the tracks. It all adds up to a retro-futurist treat.

Review: Terrence Dixon's announcement of plans to retire from techno with immediate effect earlier this year have typically gone without any further explanation, though it's been heartening to see his final round of projects surface over the course of 2014. Having already committed a killer Population One 12" to Metroplex, Dixon delivers another fitting parting shot in this LP for Rush Hour, who took their name from his classic Pop One production "Rush Hour". Theater Of A Confused Mind is a powerful statement from Dixon, expanding on the sci-fi themes of previous Population One material and posing several cryptic questions. Dixon's own voice introduces the album on "Out Of Control" and as matters progress those trademark queasy lines of melody begin to take control - "Inner City Circus" being a stand out of this set.