Back catalogue: All genres

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks, record slightly warped***


In the summer of 2023, Upgrade Records launched via a nostalgic, party-starting EP from the previously unheard artist In 5 D (likely an alias for someone a bit better known, but don't quote us on that). For the label's return, long-serving DJ/producer Buckley Boland (best known for his releases on Made To Play, Black Riot and One Records) is the man at the controls. What he's delivered is a nostalgic, sample-rich affair that combines the angular wonkiness and mind-mangling noises of early-to-mid-2000s tech-house with nods towards vintage acid house, electro-house and the hard-to-pigeonhole house filth of the (long gone) Music For Freaks label. Basically, it's all fun-time, party-starting fare, with the bump-and-squelch of 'Daft Sandwich', the bustling brilliance of 'Nude Night' and the break-sporting hustle of 'S/A/M Real Man' standing out.

Review: The world of dark disco tech is vast and so covers plenty of niches and nuances with artists all over the world adding their voice to the conversation. Spanish label Waste Editions offers up four more to the mix here with another well-assembled VA. Dark Vektor's 'Amb La Mirada Ens Menjarem' begins with some synth sounds that evoke a horror scene over snappy drums and sleazy guitar riffs. Synth Alien's 'Replica Cosmica' gets a little more loose but still comes with evocative vocal samples and a characterful world of synth sounds, some that fart, some that gurgle, some that amuse. Imiafan's 'Stupaj (Keen K RMX)' is another prying, loopy sound brought to life with myriad effects, textures and vocal snippets and Wardum shuts down with 'Wrambling' which has grinding bass and scuttling effects topped with occult vocals.

Review: FOXBAM INC is back to build on the momentum of their first EP with a second one that packs a mighty punch. This one kicks off with EBY, who this year has been cooking up acid for 40 years and here offers the warped low ends and garage-techno power of 'Goldtooth'. Foxtrot vs Ma Bla then mashes up old school samples with earth-shattering bass on 'Deep Down Inside' and bRz vs Stije is a double-time hard techno stomper with warped synths and twisted bass that is inspired by and named after ISCO, a concept from Einstein's general theory of relativity that makes predictions about the dynamics of black holes.

Review: Analog Concept Vol. 3 delivers a striking collection of forward-thinking deep techno, blending electro, acid, and sci-fi elements to push boundaries across its four tracks. Fasme opens with 'Crying Robot', a standout acid electro monster that's both raw and energetic, setting the tone with its sharp, robotic intensity. CCO's 'Solar Sail' follows, bringing a darker, sci-fi edge to the mix. Its blend of EBM and new beat creates a timeless, futuristic trip that feels immersive and cinematic. Side-2 kicks off with Unwonted's 'Frontier', a high-energy electro track laced with trance elements, adding a hypnotic, rave-ready vibe. Serge Geyzel closes the compilation with 'Flash', a heavy-hitting deep electro cut that dives into darker, alien soundscapes. Its deep techno undercurrents enhance the track's sense of foreboding and mystery. Overall, Analog Concept Vol. 3 captures a thrilling array of deep, futuristic sounds. Take a journey through techno's more experimental and atmospheric realms with this Russian label. Each track stands strong on its own while contributing to the cohesive, forward-thinking vision of the compilation.

Review: Introducing Wobbly Mob, a new independent label based between Germany and the UK. Their debut release is by rising producer Glockta (aka Popka) from York, who serves up a collection of diverse tracks on WMR001. Detroit meets 2-step on the wondrous opener 'Plastic Fiver' which receives a ravey remix by Shawn Cartier over on the flip later, there's also off-kilter late night mood music on 'No Diamonds' and the rolling low end theory of 'Next Year'.

Review: Bitterfeld continues to blaze its own electro trail with a seventh outing that again its top draw. This one is a various artistic collection under the title For A Bitter Tomorrow: Band 2 and opens up with Salomo's 'Bodytalk', a crisp and ice cold electro rhythm before Interviews bathe you in gloriously deft sci-fi melodies on 'Let Go' and Qwerty's 'Kisela Neman' then brings some madness with crashing hits and molten acid lines. Jonbjorn's 'Chica' closes with similarly high impact electro sounds and raw textures.

Review: Fun fact: unlike most commodities, whose prices tend to rise with inflation, computer technologies have a tendency to cheapen over time. Muscovy producer Sin:it:sin (Andrew Sinitsin) seems to know this intuitively, his new 'Obsolete Technology' EP channeling the deep computations of hardcore electro abandonware; salvaged, fixit circuit-tinkerer permutations. 'Eru' and 'Infoseek' twinge with the restless, eroticised search for new information that marks the 21 Century psyche like no other; 'Infra-City Transit' and 'Solar Filter', meanwhile, freight smaller sonic PCB units over a fraught, dystopian B-side.

Review: Electro has so much representation already that we'd have hardly imagined it needed a Coalition, but colour us mistaken, of course. Presumably functioning both as intergalactic senate and record label, here, on 'Robot Connection 001', the Electro Coalition commission four delegates to lay down one lengthy sonic deposition each. Sound Synthesis kicks things off with a moving acid purging, with soaring cutoff filters aplenty, setting the diplomatic record straight with a grand metaphysical treatise - 'Physical Terrain' - on the cosmopolitical terrain thus faced. Then Arsonist Recorder objects by way of a pure immaterial antithesis, with 'T & A' locking in heavy freq-layered constrictions between an accursed beat; then Neonicle's 'Combination' and Sinitsin's 'People Are Aliens', finally, form a worthy synthesis and thesis-return respectively, ending on a suspension of humanly intelligible feeling, in favour of a bellicist's power fantasy in harsh snap-breaks and chromatic arp-arcs.

Review: Magnonic Signal label boss Spin Fidelity aka Antonio Velazquez is well known for his techno outings Subwax Excursions and Parang Recordings. Here he lends his consider skills to a fourth release from the Brussels label Nightflight Records. There is some glistening old school jack and cosmic synth work on opener 'Photon Stream' that gets you locked in from the off. He then shifts down a gear for the widescreen cyber-funk of 'Ancient Love' before heading off on a silky electro tip on 'There Must Be A Way.' Closing out a hugely varied EP is the trippy acid and melodic workout that is 'Magnonic Transmission.'

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


'Lords Of Miami' is a fantastic name for this new one from Domesticated, a label run by one of Berlin's best electro aficionados, Robyrt Hecht. Sshadess, The Coomers, Girlcop and Emscho Shoshe each contribute original cuts ranging from the janky to the smooth, with choice bits like 'Carbonara' remaining unpretentious and not-too-produced, yet also peppery on the glitches. Shoshe's 'Give Up' lends an experiment to vocal booty house too, adding an extra creep factor to the genre with freq-scooping phasers on the sample.

Review: NC4K's second hand-stamped 12" is more irresistible garage business from Stones Taro. 'Anywhere' (dub) has lovely warm woodblock hits and oscillating low ends with minimal drums and an aching r&b sample that brings the soul and draws you into the skeletal rhythm. Flip it over and you get something more fleshy and fulsome with 'Finally' (dub). Here the drums have more snap and are more prominent with a corrugated bassline down low and a heavily treated classic vocal sample the hook up top. Two killers that mix the old school and the new school in style.

Review: Suckaside, a creative artist with a deft touch in beat composition, sampling, and mashups, delivers a dynamic offering with Toxic Funk Vol 15. 'Sometimes Bootyful' is a piano-laden funk jam driven by a tight breakbeat that's both hip and infectious. The track seamlessly blends elements of house into its groove, making it accessible to pop fans while staying true to its funky roots. The addition of rap verses adds an extra layer of appeal, making this track a standout. Bringing in 90s funky rhythm vibes, 'Sugar Face' on the B-side cleverly incorporates hooks from D'Angelo's 'Brown Sugar.' This track is a 7" gem for funk and R&B lovers, combining nostalgic grooves with a modern twist.

Review: Sumerian Fleet is a collaborative project from Mr. Pauli and Alden Tyrell, and alongside their couple of excellent albums on Dark Entries these dark side synth wave devotees also delivered a coveted record to Clone's West Coast Series back in 2010. Finally, that record is getting a repress to thwart the sharks and get grimy, gothic electro back in the hands of the real fans. Every track is a masterpiece, but one of our personal favourites is the rubbery nightmare funk of 'Blech Erkrankung', which comes on like Joy Division and Front 242 getting in a fight and falling down the stairs together.

Review: Synapse's Get The Freaks And Get Some is an acid, electro and techno classic from 1996. The pair behind it - Jason Szostek and John Selway - dropped only a couple of EPs in the mid-noughties, then a couple more around five years ago, and this was their standout. Opener 'Get Some' is tense, electrifying stuff with lively synths, crunchy drums and pummelling bass. 'The Freak' is another edgy and hard hitting cut with frosty Detroit electro overtones and 'Set It Off' then slowing down to mangle your brain. 'Cosmic Connection' closes out with a deeper more astral exploration.

Review: Electro labels don't come much more revered than Bunker outta the Netherlands. This latest 12" missive from the hallowed underground hideout is a face off between Manasyt and Sam Lowry across nine visceral cuts. This sound clash brings plenty of fresh perspective from the Bulgaria and China based artists. There are dark and jacking cuts with eerie sci-fi edginess as well as future horror-movie style sounds and experimental, unsettling electro sketches. Essential stuff.

Review: A poignant and triumphant new chapter for the legendary Brum techno icons, hot on the heels of the reissue of their seminal 2010 album Feed Forward and a year of live shows and archival releases. Its creation is rooted in the tragic passing of Juan Mendez, aka Silent Servant, in early 2024. A founding member and visual artist for the group, Mendez's influence resonates throughout the record, with the title End Beginnings serving as a tribute to his enduring legacy. The eight-track album, crafted by Regis and Function alongside collaborators like Rrose, Rivet, Simon Shreeve and Sarah Wreath, embodies a balance of cinematic depth and dancefloor impact. Tracks like 'Dreaming' weave layered rhythms with atmospheric melodies and elastic vocals, while organic elements peek through Sandwell's signature grit. Rrose's contribution to 'Self-Initiate' amplifies this intensity, with low sirens and urgent percussion creating a bubbling, hypnotic effect. 'Hidden,' is a warehouse anthem, drenched in acid-drenched lines and crisp, menacing percussion. Its dark energy and meticulously fine-tuned production signal the collective's evolved direction while honoring the spirit of innovation and rebellion central to their ethos. End Beginnings is more than an album; it's a moving tribute to Mendez and a new start to Sandwell District's enduring commitment to techno as both an art form and a source of joy.

Review: 'The Cosmic Memoirs Of The Late Great Rupert J Rosinthrope' is an obscure rarity by a short-lived alias of Drexciya member James Stinson, Shifted Phases, which is now getting the full, refocused reissue treatment by German clubbing giant Tresor. Having remained out of print since its initially tiny release for over two decades, this bubbly yet grim electro album reflects an epistolary concept expressed musically rather than in written form. Rupert J. Rosinthrope is a mysterious character, but these cosmic memoirs hopefully shed at least some light on "his" misunderstood memory.