All genres

Review: Eris, aka. Enrica Falqui and Dea Dvornik, mint the Plexus 4 label with the 'Glimmers' EP. New outings breed novel vibes; so too does this exciting new house pairing bring future-facing, melancholic electro-progressive flavours to the table with opener 'Kundalini Rising' and A2 ensuer 'Serpente'. Both tracks shimmy and plod through the twinned vibes of alien atmospherics via a driven whimsy, nailing a sweet interplay of seriousness and affability. B-siders 'Anticipation' and 'Game Over' contrastingly move more minimal with things, using, revelling in the natural monophony of, their various analog synths, their delectably dedicated studio gear. The final track ends on an eerier note, suggesting murkier future ambi-topias to navigate.

Review: Ruben Benabou marks out and identifies another sonic constellation; this is a rapid indie trance-dance four-tracker of galactic ambition and scale. Drawing inspiration from sci-fi soundtracks, and the warmer currents of electro, leaders 'Message To Nowhere' and 'Words In A Void' also recall the gladdened awe of space disco, with twinging leads skirting about the stereo like passing shooting stars. The Hacker's version of the title track plays back like an 8-bit minigame version of the main mission, with its pocket-generated drums, while 'A Thousand Nights' is a prime exercise in retro synthwave, and the perfect closer.

Review: Jorg Kuning's latest offering, a six-track journey into the delightfully strange, arrives on Wisdom Teeth, staking his claim as a true sonic innovator and a conjurer of bizarre and beautiful soundscapes. 'Mercedes' sets the stage with its ethereal chorus of disembodied vocal fragments while 'Synthetic Squashies' veers into the surreal with a looping conversation between AI entities. 'Skudde' resonates with basslines that almost emanate from the earth's depths, and 'Teen Frogue' throbs with amphibian synth pulsations. This is music for the intrepid listener, the kind of release that sparks discussion and soundtracks late-night adventures. Kuning's sonic signature is unmistakable: a blend of bubbling funk, off-kilter rhythms and surprising textures. He draws from the fringes of tech house, electro and bass music, forging a sound that is both familiar and remarkably distinct.

Review: Italian-born but longtime Brooklyn-based Madteo stands at the crossroads of gritty, industrial grooves and experimental sound exploration, continuously challenging the boundaries of electronic music with his genre-defying work. Known for his love of cheap vinyl and uniquely odd records, Madteo's production style mirrors this raw, unfiltered approach i like sketching sound on a dirty napkin. Just as he seeks out imperfect, worn-out records, his music embraces the rough edges and unpredictable textures, creating a sound that's as spontaneous and unrefined as a hurried, chaotic doodle.Tracks like 'Cans People' tap into an archaic rave energy, while 'To Know Those Who' delves deep into fragmented dub techno, its non-linear structure a testament to his ability to twist familiar forms into something completely new. As the album progresses, 'Nocturnal Palates' expands the filter house universe with deep, evolving textures, and 'Rave Nite Itz Alright' surprises with its subtle yet intense chaos. The closing tracks, including 'Luglio Ottantotto' and the 15-minute odyssey 'Emo G (Sticky Wicket)', showcase Madteo's knack for manipulating time, space, and sound, offering a disorienting yet mesmerising journey into the unknown. As an artist and conversationalist, Madteo's work remains bold, unpredictable, and captivating, further cementing his place as one of the most inventive voices in modern electronic music.

Review: Serenity is a mental health charity label that is now back with more sonic gold, this time in the form of a reissue of Marco Bernardi aka Octogen's 'The Journeyman' from 2008 on Soma Recordings. It is an immersive, emotive sound with lush and ethereal pads and a moody bassline that keeps you locked. The B-side offers two original tracks from Bernardi 'Travelling to the Sun' is one to hypnotise floors with its hypnotic chimes and raw drums, while 'Little Tiny Crickets' delivers a fast-paced IDM twist with some killer synth work. As always, proceeds go to charity this time Papyrus UK who support youth suicide prevention and MusicSpace.

Review: Long-serving Italian producer Marco Passarani continues his newly minted Studiomaster label project with its second instalment, serving a quintet of typically floor-focused jams on 'The Temple' EP. Arguably best known for being one half of the looped-up disco duo Tiger & Woods, Passarani is also known and loved for the more techno-tilted offerings he turns out from his hometown of Rome. His latest work sits somewhere in between his two trademark sounds, starting with the throbbing sleaze of opener 'The Empty Temple', with its purposeful bass, paranoid synths and dirty vocal whispers. The fierce, snare-driven rhythms of 'Night Walker' power grubby bass and glistening synths, while the descriptively titled 'Rotten Disco' offers a brilliantly wonky glimpse of future Italo. The distorted percussion and jagged bass of 'Dirty Hands' are aimed squarely at the floor, while the storming closer 'Cheater's Smile' bangs as hard as nails to complete a suitably stirring and tightly produced set.

Review: Bulgaria's Prarhamansah is a duo that last released back in 2004, but they have remained active in the intervening years on their local scene. Their return is somewhat epic with this 11-minute-plus new single 'Bouncing Off The Van Allen Belts' a real comic odyssey. It rides on proggy drums but has an ever-shifting eco-system of synths that bring sci-fi twists and intergalactic colour that keeps the mind locked in. After that, the tune comes as various remixes, from the more far-sighted and trance-tinged subtleties of Waterblip remix part 2 to Charter Murphy's Homemade Pulse Drive remix, which is dark, hard techno for strobe-lit raves.

Review: With over 25 years in the game and a legacy as one half of the revered German electronic duo Wighnomy Brothers, this veteran artist shows no signs of slowing down. His latest EP delivers a slick blend of minimal and tech house flavors with undeniable character. 'Frandga' kicks off with a sultry vocal performance by Delhia, layered over a groovy, addictive minimal tech foundation i funky, hypnoti, and impossible to resist. 'Wortkabular' follows with a more stripped-back micro-tech approach, sharp and precise yet full of subtle movement. On Side-B, 'Beatkutter' flips the energy into a playful, techy party stormer, driven by a nasty, elastic bassline that's pure dancefloor mischief. 'Kopfnikker' closes things out with a surprising twist i a broken IDM-inspired rhythm paired with unique melodic touches, offering a textured and thoughtful finish. This EP proves why his influence still runs deep, blending masterful technique with a fresh, free-spirited edge.

Review: Schlammpeitziger gets some loving remix treatment here by a superb array of artists, many of whom will all be familiar to lovers of the famous Kompakt sound. Ada is first with a remix of 'Loch Ohne Licht' that is high in exotic melody and tropical bliss. Elsewhere a Wolfgang Voigt Megamix is dreamy and zoned out for the moments when you want to get lost in your own thoughts, and Andreas Dorau and Zwanie Jonson team up for a remix of 'Parzipan' that brings indie sleaze and underlapping groves to some skyward synth invention.

Review: Vodkast Records continues to put a focus on Georgian musicians here with a new EP composed and performed by Tedi, while Zesknel also offers up three remixes. These are experimental sounds from the word go: 'Peru' is all fizzing textures and live jazz drums with moody spoken words, 'Upper Manuality' is a raw techno stomper with a sense of dystopian menace and 'Saturn' is a lithe, dubby and deep space techno interlude. 'Detunator' brings curious, clean synth modulations and shuffling rhythms. The remixes all bring dark energy and otherworldly motifs.

Review: On their latest EP for Incoherent Data, producer Valerio Della Notte prove themselves to be not only a slick producer but also a rather amazing vocodist. Setting about exploring the boundary between human emotions and digital tech, 'Silicon Love' sets the stage for a four-track, new beatific bust-up of galactic proportions; unfortunately we can't make out the lyrics, but that more or less doesn't matter, due to the existence of auditory pareidolia; we hear what we want to hear. A2, B1 and B2 are equally as weighty and synthetic glitter-caked, bewitching the ears with power chords and mega-triads of the most excessive and luxuriant variety. Only 'ZXC' dubifies things somewhat, steering more quizzical through glassier square leads, like a cutting room floor fragment from a mid-career New Order studio session.