DJS: MOST CHARTED - TECHNO - MOST CHARTED IN JUNE 2016

Review: Stenny has been one of Ilian Tape's most reliable and prolific artists over the last few years. Consume IV marks his fifth appearance of the Zenker brothers' imprint, and sees him joining the dots between hardcore-era breakbeat house, techno and UK garage. Opener "Lights On" brilliantly fuses together loose rave breaks and spacey deep house chords, while "Consumer's Tool" is a bumpin' garage roller complete with skipping New Jersey beats and bass-heavy British attitude. Stenny heads back towards standard techno territory on the heavy and hypnotic "Scanner", before breaking up the beats once more on the bruk-goes-to-Detroit-via-Sheffield loveliness of "Westward".

Review: Given his reputation for pioneering techno in the Netherlands in the '90s, it is no surprise a broad range of labels are looking to work with Steve Rachmad. Not soon after the man known as Sterac contributed a pair of remixes to an Aera 12" on the mighty Innervisions, Rachmad's earlier material is the subject of a reissue 12" on home turf titans Rush Hour. It's his mid-'90s work for Dutch techno label 100% Pure that is the focus of the Amsterdam operation's attentions here, specifically the cuts "Osirion" and "Primus." Issued together on a '96 12" on 100% Pure, both these tracks are not as widely feted as Sterac classics from the same era like "Sitting On Clouds" but they do demonstrate Rachmad's innate mastery of the Motor City sound. Remastered for 2016, they sound just as fresh some 20 years on!!

Review: Following acclaimed releases by Jeremiah R and HVL, Organic Analogue is proud to present an extensive new release from a true underground hero of UK electronic music, DJ Guy. The tracks on the Structures 12" prove that the same spellbinding atmosphere, swooning melodic content and crafty arrangement flex is as present in Guy's contemporary work as it is in his earliest tape rips. Elements of Drexciyan electro and UK ambient techno can be felt throughout, but they're delivered with an equal dose of ingenuity that is all his own. As well as his plentiful techno output, Guy equally turned his hand to some crucial experimental jungle over the years. Rhythms 94/99 harks back to the era of Black Secret Technology, Plug and Depth Charge, all phased, diced up amens and dreamy pads that form a link to Guy's 4/4 work while once more demonstrating how on point his productions were at such a seminal time. The tape they have put together contains ten tracks recorded by Guy between 1994 and 1999 as well as an additional remix by White Peak that draws upon all the tracks for source material.

Review: More than any other UK techno producer, Luke Slater has remained at the cutting edge. This is partly due to his ability to make forward-thinking music, but as this new series demonstrates, he also possesses an uncanny knack for pairing off with other inspired artists. "Gated" is vintage PAS material from the 90s, its distorted rhythm lent a housey bias here thanks to Ben Sims' superb remix. It's hard to believe that "Dungeon", available here in its original format, dates back to 1997, as its bleepy, tunneling groove and its 'swarm of bee' hums make for exactly the kind of hypnotic sounds that many modern producers try - and fail - to emulate. Completing this excellent release is a dry, tribal version of "Dunegon" by O [Phase] from Token.

Review: Novel Sound man Levon Vincent belongs alongside Shackleton and Shed in the small cadre of high calibre artists that possess the ability to scuttle out a new release by no means of PR or promotion and still receive the hype. Absent from the new releases stacked shelves at Juno since last year's hot pink split with Herr Dettmann, Vincent slips back into Novel Sound gear with this no-nonsense NS-12 12". Jobbing techno DJs with regular gigs in the bigger clubs will find these four Untitled cuts very useful indeed, be it the mind-warping synthetic patterns of the lead track, the dusty percussive throwdown of its A-side companion or the epic orchestral touches of the glistening B-side opener.

Review: Glasgow imprint Dixon Avenue Basement Jams are really on a roll at the moment aren't they! After some great releases by the likes of Casio Royale and Big Miz they now present the return of Detroit producer Jared Wilson, who last appeared for the label back in 2012. The Communing With Ghosts EP features "Pheo Acid" which is a dark and epic 303 excursion that will no doubt appeal to hardcore fans of the classic Chicago sound. "Acid River" (getting the theme now?) is more restrained with the relentless squelch of that little silver box, but still pumps along at a nice pace. On the flip we've next got "Smartbar Acid" which we really can imagine sounds like a night up at the infamous Windy City institution. Finally the title track might break the pattern of names thus far but not the sound (thankfully) and it's definitely the most high octane acid track on here that would make even DJ Pierre himself stand up and notice.

Review: Structures & Solutions: 1996-2016 presents 20 years of James Ruskin's esteemed institution. Seminal, uncompromising and forward thinking over its existence, this compilation focuses on Ruskin's many projects both solo and in collaboration with the likes of like-minded techno legends. For example with Regis on OVR's "Metal Slipper" a slow burning broken beat excursion full of attitude. Or with Minneapolis legend DVS1 on the woozy and minimal "Page 1" or as part of The Fear Ratio with Mark Broom who deliver the fine industrial trip-hop of "Lonor". Or just striking out on his own in glorious fashion like on "6teenth" which proves just why he still one of the most forward thinking producers of techno music still. Honourable mentions to a mix of old school legends and warriors of the new garde such as Steve Bicknell, Planetary Assault Systems, Lakker and Blawan.

Review: Downwards boss Regis surely does keep us on our toes still after all these years. After laying low for a while, he has got the label back in full swing after unleashing a monster EP by Simon Shreeve. This time he now presents new material by maverick producer and UK legend Justin Broderick under the JK Flesh moniker. The brooding grindcore dub of "Nothing Is Free" will be right up any Downwards loyalists alley, as will the snarling audio assault of "Kontorted" which slithers around walls of hiss, feedback and guttural low end brutalism. Surgeon's remix of "Nothing Is Free" blows the doors off in pretty spectacular fashion as always, exploiting the raw voltage of his famed modular setup brilliantly.

Review: Call Super first met the Dekmantel crew last year, one of many high profile DJs to play their summer festival in Amsterdam and it wasn't long before the esteemed Dutch imprint asked him to supply them with an EP. Impressively, Nervous Sex Traffic is one of his strongest 12" singles to date - no mean feat given his track record - with the title track, in particular, delivering thrills in spades. Stretching out over nine mesmerizing minutes, it overlays snappy, analogue-sounding beats and cowbell hits with alien bleep melodies, synthesized horn stabs, rich bass, and pads that recall Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls". It's a melodious, eyes-closed treat, all told. Flip for "Mount Grace", a deeper, more metallic affair that draws inspiration from vintage Detroit techno, blissful electro, and the morning-after confusion of ambient house.

Review: Robert Hood's Floorplan alias has been a real hit over the years. Not content with captivating audiences for two decades with his minimal-futurist hypnotism on M-Plant, Floorplan explored his love of sampling, bringing back the vibe of early noughties DJ tools that looped up funk and disco classics for infectious dancefloor dynamics. The Victorious LP is the project's second full length since 2013's Paradise and is co-produced by his daughter Lyric. It features the absolutely massive "Tell You No Lie" which works those loops from the 1977 disco classic "Lovin' You Is Really My Game" by Brainstorm to full effect.

Review: There's much to be said for ploughing your own furrow. Certainly, it seems to have worked for former Berlin residents Hinode, whose releases have got noticeably stronger since launching their Science Fiction Recordings imprint. This third 12" picks up where its' predecessors left off, delivering a quartet of spacey, sci-fi influenced deep house and Motor City techno cuts. It's all pretty impressive, from the dub-flecked Detroit techno pulse of the formidably far-sighted "Objective Collapse Theory", to the 808-heavy, deep space electro of "Cognitive Disonance". The bonus XDB remix of that track, which recasts it as a stargazing chunk of ultra-deep dub house, is also fantastic.

Review: DJ Deep is back again, does this man ever sleep? After Sergie Rezza and The Adventist projects with partner in crime Roman Poncet, not to mention running Deeply Rooted and being such an in demand DJ after over 20 years on this scene: he's a right powerhouse. Cuts Volume 2 maybe a blunt name but there's no mistaking the blatant utility of this release: fully functional techno tools for maximum dancefloor impact! "Stressed" sounds like an excerpt from one of Jeff Mills notorious 909 drum solos while on the flip "Stressin'" chugs away in stripped yet hypnotic fashion with equally tough rhythms. Second B side cut "Surge" is the most restrained but probably our favourite, reminding us of the steely and infectious funk grooves of early noughties Neapolitan techno. Tip!

Review: Some years back, Aleksi Perala joined forces with Rephlex co-founder Grant Wilson-Claridge to invent a custom musical scale, The Colundi Sequence, which boasts 128 frequencies "chosen via experimentation and philosophy". Perala has been using this as the basis of his attractive electronic work for some time, self-releasing 15 EPs of tracks since 2014. This epic, triple-vinyl album gathers together highlights from the previously download-only series - all with deliberately obtuse titles, made up of letters and numbers - and accurately showcases the depth and diversity of Perala's work. Clone is calling it "spiritual techno", and that's an excellent catch-all description for a set that variously touches on Motor City futurism, IDM, electro, dub techno, ambient and Rephlex-esque "braindance".

Review: Given that Steven Julien made his debut as Funkineven on Eglo way back in 2009, this debut album has been a long time coming. Since those days the London producer has shuffled between sumptuous, synth-heavy experimental boogie, rasping techno and bolshy analogue house jams. All of these styles get a look in on Fallen, alongside bumpin' deep house, smooth jazz-funk, soulful broken beat, stripped-back electro, spacey US garage, and bizarre electronic wig-outs. That many of these styles are fused, chopped-up and played around with throughout makes Fallen hard to pin down, but also hugely entertaining.

Review: Ed 'DMX' Upton has a long association with Power Vacuum, having released two volumes of EDMX experiments on the label since 2012. On this latest contribution to the label's rapidly expanding discography, Upton goes in hard from the start. Opener "Half Life" is a strutting fusion of fuzzy techno drumbeats and wild acid lines, while "Dastardly" fuses glitch style electro rhythms with distorted electronics and dreamy ambient chords. Flip to the B-side for the intense techno stomp of "Threshold", the L.I.E.S style analogue beats, distorted production and moody textures of "Late Result", and the Selected Ambient Works era Aphex Twin fluidity of "Girder 86".

Review: Tom Dicicco has already built a quietly impressive discography - think releases on Off Minor, The Corner and his own Run Out Run - so it's little surprise to see him appearing on Delsin. The Shadows & Tears EP is typical of his textured, spacey, evocative techno sound, and contains a quartet of impressive outings. The British producer kicks things off with "Extracting The Error", a beautifully melancholic slab of tactile techno. "Morph Cycle" is a darker and more percussively intense affair, a stylistic trait continued on the warped electronics, hissing cymbals and distorted analogue drums of "A Prayer For Jupiter". Finally, he combines abstract electronics, fuzzy textures and rolling, intergalactic melodies on the impressive "Fallen Spaces".

Review: Matt Edwards once said that he works best when using just a few elements, and he applies that thought process to Vision with devastating effects. The title track revolves around a tight, fat drum loop, chilling synths and filtered, nagging percussion. Completing Edwards' 'less is more' sound is a pitch-bent vocal that pops in and out of the arrangement with a druggy awkwardness. It sounds like remixer Marcel Dettmann is in favour of a similar technique. The MDR boss leaves space for the vocal and eerie synth line, but sets it against a groove so murky that it's hard not to get lost in its swampy depths.

Review: Released on Sandwell District back in 2011, Hypnosis In The Modern Age remains one of Juan Mendez's most name-checked EPs. There should be plenty of takers, then, for this belated follow-up, which sees the Silent Servant switch to Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S camp for the first time. Pleasingly, it's another fine collection of trippy, trance-inducing workouts, beginning with the metronomic drums, nagging melody lines and clandestine textures of "Dissociation", which feels like a rediscovered relic from the early '90s. He repurposes the same lead riff on the similarly hypnotic - but more percussively layered - "Self-Hypnosis", before veering off on an industrial tangent on the skittish, moody and curiously funky "Autosuggestion".

Review: France's reputation for underground techno is on the rise and this new album from Marcelus won't do it any harm. The Parisian producer has already a string of acclaimed releases on Tresor and Deeply Rooted House, and Vibrations showcases his ability to craft killer, purist grooves. "Forplay" and "Steel Drums (Take 2)" are heads down, tribal rollers that will cause chaos on the dance floor, while "Transient" is a dense, drum track that takes its cues from the Lost / Cosmic strain of 90s techno. On "Multiply", Marcelus flirts with the legacy of Sativa and Dave Tarrida to create an unpredictable, sprawling groove. In between these pillars of functionality and wild abstraction Marcelus also delivers the introspective "Initial Sense" and the loose house groove of "Funky Datas". It's one of the bravest techno works of 2016.

Review: While establishing the Fit Sound imprint affiliated with the Detroit distro outlet of the same name , Aaron 'Fit' Siegel has been careful not to load the imprint with too many of his own productions, choosing instead to deliver material from Marcellus Pittman, Anthony 'Shake' Shakir, MGUN and Dungeon Acid. Here he makes a welcome return with two tracks of melodious, atmospheric, Motor City deepness. "Carmine" is particularly alluring, with twinkling melodies winding their way around yearning pads, bittersweet chords and shuffling, cymbal-heavy percussion. "First Found" is a little more forthright, with off-key pianos and scattergun electronics riding a tougher, locked-in groove.

Review: Inspired by the drone of automated factories, the sound is dark, mysterious and truly unique - nothing comes close. The perfect follow up to "No UFO's" and a blueprints for almost every electro record ever since. Juan Atkins in his prime. Don't sleep on this.

Review: A taster for Robert Hood's second Floorplan album, this EP puts a spotlight on the radical nature of his musical transformation. On "Music", the visceral rhythms of techno minimalism are gone; in their place is a rolling, tracky groove that boasts a repetitive vocal loop and which has shades of classic Relief /Derrick Carter. "Tell You No Lie" is even more impressive. It sees Hood use a gospel vocal over a stomping, funk guitar-sampling disco house workout. There is an audibly religious dimension to "Tell You No Lie," but Hood's knack for writing a great tune means that it sounds celebratory rather than self-indulgent or preachy.