STEFAN VINCENT レコード& CD

Review: As the title suggests, this 12" provides a second selection of cuts from Dynamic Reflection's recent five-piece box set, "Continuum". First into bat is Blawan, whose moody, foreboding and intense "The Narrowing" is a deliciously crackly, mind-altering slab of Halloween-friendly horror-techno. SHDW and Obscure Shape successfully join forces for the retro-futurist brilliance of track 2 "Zuruck Ins Licht" - think "Brown Album" era Orbital fused with mid-'90s James Ruskin fare - while Jeroen Search serves up some serious dancefloor hypnotism in the shape of EP highlight "Fundamental Force". To round up a fine EP of slamming peak-time techno, Stefan Vincent does his best Surgeon impression on "You Taught Me How To Hate".

Review: This new various artist release on Stockholm Limited comes brimming with North European talent, kicking off with Jesper Dahlback's The Persuader alias exploring haunting ambient pastures on "Pressure Relief". Jeroen Search and Dimi Angelis meanwhile have a more trancey, pulsing quality to their own beatless exploration, while Stefan Vincent enjoys two separate outings in which to deliver blissful new age drone and punchy techno respectively. Par Grindvik then finishes up the 12" with a taut, techy throwdown full of late night intensity in a neat foil to the elegant ambient tackle on the A side.

Review: Utrecht imprint Something Happening Somewhere serves up four tracks of tough and reliable peak time techno cuts. First up "Quince" by Europa is a straight up, no nonsense DJ tool with all the right elements. Next up fellow Dutchman Stefan Vincent provides us with "How It Could Have Been" an ethereal and soulful journey track with its mesmerising melody leading the way. On the flip we have Kiani & His Legion with "St The Nation Hour" a more stripped and restrained cut with its tough beat and rising pad sound giving all it needs, but not before its snarling melody comes marching in. Lastly is Poly Nation with "Anther" that provides a total curveball, featuring impressive live acoustic drumming accompanied by an epic melody and swirling uplifting pads. It's something that you could imagine Laurent Garnier playing at peak time. Promising stuff!

Review: Buenos Aires-based techno label Krill Music started their Habitat series with a veritable bang, drawing for productions by Tom Dicicco, Charlton, Thomas Hessler and more on a double 12" pack that arrived in the summer of 2013. Fast forward a few years and a third Habitat offering is made by Krill, bringing together another weighty band of contemporary techno exponents led by Stanislav Tolkachev. The appropriately named "How To Deal With A Bad Trip" presents the Ukrainian at his most unhinged, channelling Jamal Moss levels of mind warping psychedelia whilst retaining that distinctive Tolkachev stomp. Berlin pair I/Y are in a similarly rampant mood on "IUD," whist Norse techno producer +Platfform offers a more driving and straight up production with "Signal". As for Stefan Vincent, "There is No Way But Down" for his deep closing contribution.

Review: Wherein Dutchman Vincent lays down a heartfelt study of the soul entitled 'Pre Melancholy'. His findings are as follows... Before the melancholy one can expect a wave of emotions and pressures, all of them ingredients for a tumultuous storm that flies in a whole flurry of directions. Technoid drum & bass causing anxiety with every rolling fill ('Mono No Aware'), timeless breaks triggering moments of unsolicited joy ('Agent Of Distraction') and spacious leftfield that's so disarming and abyssal that it comes in two forms ('Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F'). Embrace the melancholy.