Review: Batu and Nick Leon united for this surprise release late last year and it now arrives on lovely vinyl where it sounds sublime. The four-track EP blends Latin and UK club influences with a psychedelic twist on Batu's label, A Long Strange Dream which, since its 2023 launch, has gained recognition for pushing experimental club sounds of the highest order. 'Rezz' kicks off with shuffling tight percussive rhythms and 'Yiu' is more intense in its high-fidelity loops. 'Tuvan' is a minimal broken beat stepper and 'Palo' closes with some snappy Latin rhythmic invention.
Review: Blue Hour have dropped a couple of essential new 12"s this month and here is one of them. It's another of their famous various artist's collections, all with a focus on the deeper end of the techno spectrum. The eponymous Blue Hour kicks off with 'Afterglow' which has wispy neon synth trail and soft, rubbery drum and bass blends that take you into a cosmic sky. Dold's 'Warning' is more textural and raw with its percussion and synth energy and Steffi's 'Volley 5' is driving, dynamic, dubby techno for intimate basements. Newa's 'Seduction' is a psychedelic wonder to close.
Review: The Distorsion camp offers up its first sampler as a way of teasing you with the sort of quality sounds and artists it has on its roster. First up is a three-way collab between Citybox, Hankook & Orebeat whose 'Dangerous Changes' is an intense breakbeat workout for the peak time. Orebeat & Alex Clubbers keep the energy levels high and inject early 00s video-game style synths, Orebeat & Citybox keep it dark and raw with 'Gangsta' and Orebeat & JottaFrank laced up their thrilling breaks with acid lines and sleazy vocals on "Noche De Paris.' This is potent stuff for strobe-lit floors.
AudioChain - "Back To The Time" (Tm Shuffle Myotatuuli dub remix)
Celestial Sphere Aka Hirotaka - "Concept Depth"
Review: Swiss label Introspection Audio Limited hist 12" number five with some exceptional techno workouts from producers based in Switzerland, Finland and Japan. Each track delivers a distinct atmosphere and emotion, perfectly crafted for the dance floor. Alessandro Crimi's 'Always' keeps it deep, dubby and minimalist, Needless layers up delightfully smooth drums and dub chords and a Tm Shuffle Myotatuuli dub remix is frosted with icy static and chilly winds. Celestial Sphere Aka Hirotaka shuts down with a more textured and snappy dub tech vibe.
Review: By their standards, Berlin twosome Nap92 have been positively prolific this year. Having previously confined their output to a sole EP a year, this 12" marks their second of 2024. It is, of course, rather good, with the pair once again offering a collection of retro-futurist workouts that blend early 90s house sounds and late 90s tech-house tropes with plenty of ear-catching samples and agreeable melodic motifs. You'll find plenty of fine fare amongst the five tracks on show, from breakbeat house style opener 'Most Perfect' (where a squelchy bassline, floatation tank synths and eyes-closed vocal snippets catch the ear) and Clav-sporting garage-house shuffler 'Track 3', to the organ-rich MK goes tech-house flex of 'Laurent' and the fiendishly sub-heavy 'Body Body'.
Review: Barcelona's 22Recordings mark a curveball with Nativo's new release, moving away from their trademark darkness and ever further into playful and melodic, if still diatonic, sounds. Patently led by the drum machine and the step sequencer, the rising producer Nativo flexes their chops across five tracks of varying speed and tenacity, all of which cross between an intuitive pastiche of dark Italo on one spectral end, and pure outsider house music on the other. The mood is gruff but clownish; it's as if your local fairground had been overtaken by vampire bats and bloodthirsty goths. Closer 'Onivia' is the only moment of respite, bringing an impressive substrate of arpeggios to an overall final-shebang feel.
Review: Navigare Audio proudly presents the long awaited remix-bundle of Ness' classic LP, released two years ago in 2023. Now, with a bang, comes an equally compelling atmospheric techno remix bundle from favourites and friends of the Swedish label. Five trance truncators of fantastic capability come our way from Hydrous, Dino Sabatini, Vladw, Kalumet and Mikkel Rev, all of whom revel in a sweet, Baltic-oceanic feeling, lent coldly and bracingly to Ness' already cryogenic, outdoorsy sound.
Review: Like a Michelin starred chef, Neurotron - an alias you would much more expect to come from the world of drum & bass given its semantics - mixes up just the right amount of serval different ingredients in this classy new EP. There is jazz, deep house, acid, techno, electro, dub and probably more. The opener is a deep one with lovely melodies, 'Alone' is a more club ready sound with smeared pads and acid, 'Hunting' bangs the box in Detroit fashion and 'Woodward' is a blissed out dub house groove that oozes charm.
Review: Don't forget to put on your Anorax... A new retro-futuristic outing by veteran dance music exec Neil Rushton marks his latest configuration in techno, which has kept mutant ever since the DJ broke from his infamous, 1970s Northern soul label Inferno. If Inferno was a glittery bodysuit, Anorax is like blast-protective PPE. Here Rushton welcomes Mark Archer and Chris Peat aka Nexus 21 back to the fold. Emissaries of the Salford dance music circuit, Nexus 21 have always harked a frontier-scouring, centennial vibe in sound. Their latest release is reissued from 2008, though the Network Records original only cut it to B-side: 'Self-Hypnosis' is a semiconscious auto-state in sound, bringing jam-born orchestra-stabs and sprung synth toms to a strange brew. We're left spiral-eyed.
Marjan - "Desert Of Heart" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:35)
Artoush - "The Curse" (Ramtin Niazi rework) (4:22)
Review: Today's Youth is a collection of Ramtin Niazi's reworkings of some of Iran's best loved songs. Here the Iranian artist - and key component part of such storied Persian rave music groups as Ben & Jerry, Kahkli Cru and 1000PA - breathes fresh, shape-cut life into the music of Googoosh, Kourosh Yaghmaei, Marjan and Artoush, refitting them for the abandoned warehouse rave. This is a real eclectic record, taking after well-established dance styles like speed garage, jungle, and dembow, but each track is nonetheless arranged with a gauche left hand, so gauche as to abstract each one from its stylistic reference point enough to sound lytic: unmoored from any total obligation to their origins, be they Iranian or Western European.
Review: Nicole and Troy's latest collaboration sharpens their vision for Cath Records, the Berlin-based label they launched as a home for boundary-pushing techno. Their stripped-back but potent style thrives on precision, drawing from deep club lineage while keeping an eye on the future. 'Out Of Control' is a lean, tunnelling workout, its tension amplified by Z@p, the Uruguayan producer whose percussive, swing-heavy take on techno has earned him a cult following. His remix reshapes the track with a ghostly, skipping momentum. 'Woo Woo' flexes a rubbery, low-end groove, built for peak-time propulsion, while 'Fractals' twists through warped, off-kilter sequencing. A sharp, high-pressure release that reinforces the duo's deft touch.
Review: Zurich-based duo The Nightstalker, which consists of Dan Piu and Popshop aka Gary Rich, craft a fulsome musical world that delves into the darkness and offers a mystical allure. Following two acclaimed albums on Berlin's Childhood Intelligence, they return with Isoutopic Fantasia, a mini-album on World Wide Web Records. Featuring six tracks that blend danceable darkness with surreal and playful moments, Isoutopic Fantasia is a fine fusion of deep mystery and bizarre beauty. The music leads through a dreamlike realm where every beat surprises and melodies unfold into unexpected dimensions to create a hypnotic journey where light and shadow converge in perfect harmony.
Review: Nitechord is an anonymous "ambient-tech duo" that impresses with this fine debut, Lume, which is a meditative exploration of the calmness and mystery of the night as distilled through mid-tempo rhythms and atmospheric whispers. These sounds were first submitted as a raw, uncredited cassette demo in 2002 and have hardly been changed from that state but for the mastering. Tracks like 'Reflect' and 'Near' blend shimmering guitar loops, sub-bass and subtle twangs over dancefloor beats. 'Dim' breathes with layered drones, while 'Absent' offers mournful serenity and last but not least, 'Carry' blossoms into orchestral harmony. A sublime soundscape.
Review: The second release from Diggers Society Records features NND, who is renowned for both his compositional talent and his skills as a selector. This EP is a real journey through NND's diverse musical landscapes and his rich musical background. The A-side is defined by dark atmospheres and deep, powerful rhythms. On the B-side, a track inspired by the iconic soundtrack of an '80s cult TV show shines bright and is followed by a celestial production that transports you to otherworldly realms while blending nostalgia with a modern techno touch.
Review: Vibes Addikt welcomes N.O.B.A into the fold for a new EP back with his powerful, emotional productions. In the past, he has earned support from top names like Amelie Lens and Charlotte De Witte, which gives you an insight into the sort of world she works in. This one opens with 'Shadows From The Darkness', an intense wall of techno that comes with a hypnotic remix by INIGMA who layers in some smart tech-trance vibes. 'The Unit' then delivers an acid-driven techno-trance groove while 'Sunset' brings a nostalgic 90s trance feel with uplifting melodies.
Review: Kumquat returns with their second release, his time a various artists' EP packed with sleek tracks perfect for all sorts of movers and shakers. Four standout artists from the legendary French party scene deliver an irresistible blend of wonk and bounce across four groovy cuts. Noiro keeps it slinky and minimal on 'Yougoslash' then Belic & Mani get more stark and twisted with their tech sounds on 'The Flow.' Rancel's sound is laden with a libidinous sax line over clipped and crisp beats and Paradise City Breakers close down with the future tech of 'Mentalist.'
Review: It was way back in 1994 when original rave hero and genuinely foundational DJ Ellis Dee (real name Roy Collins) offered up his one and only 12" as Norty But Nice. 31 years on, that two-tracker returns to stores in remastered form via this coloured vinyl reissue from Vinyl Fanatiks. Lead cut 'Do You Want It' is spacey, intoxicating and - as you'd expect - breathlessly energetic, with Collins placing piano riffs, vocal samples and intergalactic electronics atop a jungle-style hardcore breakbeat and booming bass. On flip-side 'Give It To Me Baby' he opts for more deep space synths, rolling bass, deeply layered breakbeats and more rushing piano motifs. Both tracks are, of course, genuine breakbeat hardcore classics.
Review: This release delivers an electrifying journey into acid and electro techno. 'The Program' opens with an uptempo, busy rhythm that pulses with excitement. Its sci-fi influences are clear, with acid-driven melodies and a compelling sense of urgency that keeps the energy high throughout. On Side-2, 'Test' takes a darker, more subterranean turn. The pounding beat anchors the track, while spacey, atmospheric elements create an immersive environment. The production is tight, with deep, resonant layers that pull the listener further into the track's world. Both tracks showcase a mastery of tension and release.
Review: Barro Music Label pushes the limits of dark, hard-hitting techno with NX1's latest EP. The Barcelona duo of Surit and Samot have long been a part of the underground releasing on labels like Bite and Earwiggle while running their own Nexe Records. This outing delivers four relentless tracks with 'BR1' setting the tone with pounding industrial beats, while 'BR2' and 'BR3 'intensify the energy with razor-sharp sound design and commanding vocals. The final track slows the tempo to evoke dystopian landscapes and Nole's remix of 'BR2' reshapes the rhythm for another dancefloor weapon. This is pure, unrelenting techno at its finest.
Review: The Valley of Tears series has been a key part of the success of the Soil Records' journey. The next edition is another doozy that features Parand, who is the newest member of the crew. His 'Missed Connection' is a warped and darkly futuristic techno-come-electro offering with fizzing synths. NX1's 'SL2' is a tightly, loopy metallic sound with bass that is full of unsettling tension and Crystal Geometry's 'Haute Tension' ups the ante with more unrelenting loops and percussive patterns. E-Bony closes this fresh techno 12" with the metallic clatter of 'Zero Point Echo.'
Review: This installment presents a trio of deep and dubby techno cuts, each one meticulously crafted to transport the listener to a realm of spaciousness and hypnotic grooves. Nicolas Barnes' 'Limited Value' sets the stage, its subtle melodies and echoing textures creating a sense of vastness and introspection, much like a journey into the depths of a cavernous cathedral. Poro's 'Moysiys Strip' builds upon this foundation, its dubby atmospherics and mesmerising rhythms enveloping the listener in a hypnotic soundscape, reminiscent of a late-night drive through a desolate cityscape. Tm Shuffle & Monoder's 'Tammottos' adds a touch of energy to the mix with a pulsating bassline and intricate percussion interlocking to create a captivating groove that's both hypnotic and propulsive, like a heartbeat pulsing through the darkness. With its focus on atmosphere and sonic depth, this 12" is a must-have for those who appreciate the more introspective and evocative side of techno.
Review: If you like it deep and dubby, keep reading. Poro, Nicholas Barnes, Tm Shuffle and Monoder all work to explore exactly those types of sounds on this tenth outing for the Finnish label Vuo. Opener 'Moysiys Strip' is impossible cavernous with its rolling bass and languid chord structures, then 'Tommottos' rolls serenely on frictionless kicks and undulating bass. It's smooth like chocolate and infused with real machine soul. Last but not least, this EP of quite artists and devastating depth comes to a close with 'Limited Value'. Smeared, grainy chords arc like windscreen wipers over deft little percussive details and broad, rolling bass. Head perfecting.
Review: The Rotterdam label Mort's long-running Herdersmat series was first released in digital compilation form; only now has this round table turned its swords towards a sequential vinyl series, not the first of which you hear here. This 12" marks parts 16 in the series, clocking contributions from producers Rumenige, TAKA, Jokasti, Nek, and NX1. The heads-down producoes so named have delivered a creative, blazing irradiation of broken techno heat here, charting a rumbly and grounded, yet no less interoceptively arresting haul; our fave 'Eka' throws our sense of balance of course with quick, hard autopans and roughly ingrained, kick trods; then the silver medalist 'MRD1' bucks the proceedings off to unploughed courses, frightening the listener with garbled, found-footage EVP voices between horror-techno kicks.
Review: Rave Or Die recently minted a new series called Raverbreakerz and now it squeezes out another one just in time for the silly season. Again featuring five electrifying tracks, this one is all about powerful rave, techno, breakbeat, and dark, doomy hard sounds crafted by skilled artists Mental Fear Productions brings some savage synth textures to 'Final Bastion', Tripped builds wall-rattling drum foundations on 'Spank' and Nite Fleit's 'Disillusion' is a writing blend of slamming kicks and tortured leads. Whether you're a seasoned raver or a newcomer, these bangers promise to ignite any set with musical menace.
Everything (No Statues) (previously unreleased version) (5:03)
Don't Do It Like That, Do It Like This (feat Donna Black) (5:56)
Crazy For Your Love (previously unreleased Recording) (4:18)
Together (6:53)
Sycologic PSP (5:09)
Self Hypnosis (previously unreleased mix) (5:37)
Silicon (live At The Brain club - previously unreleased version) (4:11)
Review: The Nexus 21 'Mind Machines' album finally sees the light, bringing the shelved UK techno classic to eager fans. Originally recorded in the early 90s, these tracks capture the essence of Detroit-inspired UK techno, fusing raw energy with British flair. Standouts include 'Nexodus' and 'Everything (No Statues),' with Motor City talent Marc Kinchen and Anthony Shakir lending their touch. While only two tracks saw official release back then, this album unearths unreleased gems and alternate mixes, showcasing the duo's groundbreaking sound that influenced both Nexus 21 and their rave-alter ego, Altern 8. A long-awaited landmark.
Review: Nitechord is an enigmatic ambient-tech duo that makes a striking debut here with Lume having previously released only two remixes. It was a demo tape from 2022 that impressed the Past Inside the Present label with its raw allure and it is that work which appears here nearly unaltered but for mastering from James Bernard. The opener unfolds with atmospheric guitar loops anchored by a steady kick and bass, 'Near' brings a hint of twang to expansive guitar tones and in 'Dim,' layered drones and melodies rise and fall like petals. Add in the suspensory sounds of 'Absent' and 'Carry' which blooms into a full orchestral swell and you have an immersive, introspective suite of sonic bliss.
Review: Nina Kraviz's trip label is one of the most unique in techno. It's a hotbed for the more experimental producers out there and often drops punchy sounds that draw on trance, IDM, rave, electro and plenty more. Nocow is next up with a double album that unfurls at a high speed and is packed with freshness. 'Eno Ne To' is marbled with trippy melodies and spoken words, 'Hyperloop' is as the name suggests warp speed and hypnotic and 'Redaktor' is another soft and grey blend of supple drums, bass and day-glo synth lines.
Review: Portugal's powerhouse Hayes welcomes back Norbak for more low-end work that comes with plenty of intricate designs, exquisite synth work and rhythms that veer from club-ready to sound system-suited. 'Rosna' sets the tone with shimmering percussive loops and twisted electronics that ride a nice wooden, swinging groove. 'Capital (with Quelza)' is intense and pent-up techno funk, 'Grego' is a lovely broken beat workout and 'Sobreposto' is a minimal hypnotiser with a mystic atmosphere. Superbly designed stuff.
Review: Noreen is a cult name for those who know - a producer who had his own unique take on minimal and dropped some real low-key classics. Nearly two decades after its initial release, his album Our Memories of Winter now gets reissued so you can relive its blend f early 2000s electronica with Norken's unique mix of minimal techno, house and British IDM. Featuring all 12 original tracks, plus the inclusion of 'Df23' and 'Flirt', this is the first complete vinyl version of the album. Lee Norris's sound evokes nostalgia and warmth with atmospheric emotional techno. Influenced by luminaries like John Beltran and Autechre, this one remains a real gem.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.