Techno Recommendations May 2014

Review: Gesloten Cirkel has become one of techno's true cult figures since his emergence back in 2009 with a self-titled 12" for Viewlexx offshoot Murder Capital, exploring the strange fringe between techno and electro with intermittent releases for David Vunk's Moustache Techno and Berceuse Heroique. Supposedly from Russia, there has nonetheless been much speculation as to the producer's true identity, though his musical roots seem very much planted in the sound of The Hague. His debut album Submit X is described quite aptly as "not for the faint-hearted", featuring a host of electro and techno cuts filled with classic breakbeats, tripped out vocal samples and caustic acid lines. However, it's also an album which looks to classic minimal wave sounds for inspiration - the lean rhythm and vocoder of "Stakan" and decayed 8-bit textures of "Chatters" provide some of the album's most memorable moments, proving Gesloten Cirkel is a producer with a few tricks up his sleeve. Undoubtedly one of the albums of the year.

Review: Emotional Especial gathers pace with an eighth release from Richard Sen, a man whose cultured touch has had a hand in various strands of the UK underground for the past two decades. Graffiti artist, graphic designer, music curator, DJ and producer are all vocations Richard Sen has done at one point or another. Here he goes solo with the Ghost Train EP, a dark and brooding release of old school meets new school house jack that takes it's cues from '80s New York, Italian house and the nascent UK acid house that Sen himself documented with aplomb on a 2012 compilation for Strut. Naggingly familiar samples and a low slung box jam groove drive the spectral title cut forward, whilst Sen's mastery of delay is shown with aplomb on the Dub version that closes out the record. Nestled in between is the highlight however in "Meteor Shower" where discoid basslines merge with psychedelically charged keys and hollowed out steppers percussion.

Review: Veteran Italian producer Donato Dozzy and California's Tin Man are old pals, with the latter having first remixed the former way back in 2011. Here, the two join forces for a voyage into acid-flecked late night science for Absurd's ever excellent Acid Test series. "Test 7" sets the tone, delivering a hypnotic, heads-down journey into deep, stripped-back acid house. While it's the EP's most obviously floor-friendly moment, there's something far more thrilling about the bubbling, beatless electronics of "Test 2" and "Test 3". The latter, doused in minimal techno atmospherics, is intensely beautiful in its warm, melodic simplicity.

Review: There's a specific kink to the kind of dark and potent techno that Rodhad crafts. Back once again on Dystopian, the Red Rising EP offers up three examples of how to push things forward in the more serious corners of the techno menagerie. "Hell Diver" works around the cyclical motion of a few key ingredients to create a measured malice that will do nothing for your disposition, with slight touches of foreign sounds in those choice moments to make the ears dart around in paranoia. "Mines Of Mars" meanwhile lets a bleepy bassline head out in front with some playful fills creating a distinctive quality to the synth. "Rising" finishes proceedings off with a stout floor worker buttoned up so tight it might combust at any moment.

Review: When Broom met Hood! To celebrate M Plant's 20th anniversary, Robert Hood is planning a whole host of events and releases including a sequence of 12"s that see classics and rarities remixed and edited. Who better to inaugurate the series than Hood's UK contemporary Mark Broom? Here Broom digs deep into the M Plant archives, choosing to work with "Untitled 1" from Hood's Moveable Parts series and "One Touch" from the Minimal Nation album. Canvas Hood fans and the majority will probably nominate the first edition of the Moveable Parts series as one of their favourites, so it's little surprise that Broom elected to add his own signature dirty funk to the opening track for this 12". His edit of Minimal Nation opener "One Touch" proves to be just as effective, playing toyfully with the bassline whilst dicing the beats with undoubtedly dark results.

Review: No matter how often you check in on the Relative label, you know you'll be rewarded with some quality DJ tools and this is certainly the case with their first release of the year. At the helm is John Swing, responsible for some of the Juno office's favourite Relative releases - "Rolling" from 2011 still blows minds - and this Dusty Dancing 12" pretty much lives up to it's name. Fragments of disco DNA are fed through Swing's hardware on opening track "Dirty Disco" with a central disco loop subjected to all manner of delay and EQ tweaking, whilst "Re Funked" applies a similar method to a low slung guitar riff. Interestingly, Swing changes tack on the flip, with "Madman Groove" a frantic exercise in percussion heavy cut up house whilst "Raw Twist" bangs hard!

Review: Following on from his 2012 Autoreply debut The Model steps up again with a precise, deadly-effective two tracker. As a producer he can never be pigeon-holed serving up his mysterious blends of deep, robotic, space- funk across labels like Traum Schallplatten, Crosstown Rebels and his own Adult Central imprint . "Night Time's The Right Time" finds the Romanian in fine-form laying down punchy drums with pulsating-bass, persistent chords and analog synth-tension. Flip the disc for "Wolf" and you get a darker, dub-driven take over the same infectious, floor-shaking beats. Long tracks, mastered to perfection and playable to the max - check it.

Review: As Dance Mania continues to bring the goods back to wax, so Paul Johnson's classic entry in the development of ghetto house gets a look in twenty years after its original release. From the cheeky fun and games of "Feel My MF Bass" to "Booty Call" (for all the lovers of "Percolator" out there) you're never going to have a dull time with one of these jams playing out. It's a demonstration of when dance music truly knew how to be rough and ready, with little more than a beat and a couple of catchy samples.

Review: You have to admire Laurent Garnier's continued desire to push boundaries and confound critics. His plan to devote 2014 to releasing five EPs on five different labels, whilst mixing up the styles, is undoubtedly bold. This three-tracker for the ever-intriguing 50Weapons imprint is particularly impressive. "MILF" bristles with stuttering analogue rhythms, foreboding chords and attractive bleep melodies, coming on like an unlikely jam session between Sweet Exorcist and Orbital. "DSK" sees the French veteran moving further towards his techno roots, while "He" sounds like an homage to darkwave with techno overtones and more than a hint of stripped-back early Chicago acid. Bravo Monsieur Garnier, bravo!

Review: The Yume Records label emerged last year wedged between the borderland of house, techno and experimental electronic music and scored a fine debut release in And Again from London via Berlin producer neinzer. Evidently feeling that you make more of an impression by releasing less, it's only now that Yume resurface with a second release and it's from another lesser known quantity in Voigtmann. The Interludes Archives suggests whoever is responsible for A&R at Yume has a finely cultivated ear for such things as it's full of easy-stepping after-party vibes with the odd inclusion of jazzy pianos and drunken acoustic basslines. (Great for those who loved Wolf & Lamb but are now after something with a little more 'less is more'). The real gem on here however is the rolling, techno-heavy and bassline-lead remix Fabric staple Craig Richards turns in which is reason enough to own this record.

Review: Derrick May's seminal Transmat opens it's storied book on a new chapter with his record from French producer Karim Sahraoui. Founded way back in 1986, Transmat was one of the original wave of Detroit techno labels alongside Juan Atkins' Metroplex and Kevin Saunderson's KMS imprint. Although KMS has been releasing music quite consistently over the past few years and Metroplex returned to life last year with a collaboration between Juan Atkins and Mark Ernestus, Transmat has been dormant for a few years now, with Greg Gow's Twilight Soul EP in 2011 being the label's last release. Sahraoui's Eternal Life EP Part 1 is the start of a new chapter in the Transmat story devoted to "multiplying emerging artists' productions," done with classic artwork recalling Transmat's early days, with each record delivering "modern interpretations of Transmat's distinctive sounds." The two tracks from the French producer live up to such billing and then some, with "Stella" filled with star gazing Utopian bliss.

Review: Pitting two techno heavyweights against each other, the latest Theory release comes on strong with original tracks from Paul Mac and Ritzi Lee, who then proceed to remix each others works. Mac's "Control" is a simmering, nervous slice of slow and steady techno, while his remix of Lee's "Reverse Processed" is a more flamboyant affair with a pleasingly dirty lead synth hook and a chunky set of drums. On the flipside Lee's own "Subway Trip" comes on tough with a stout beat and some jangling looped elements that drill straight into your cerebellum, leaving his remix of Mac's "Grind Returns" to nudge into a more poised, dramatic arrangement with plenty of punch and an air of mystery about it.

Review: The ball of Ilian Tape keeps getting bigger and bigger and adding to it this time is new name Rupcy (our guess, a Marko Zenker alias). Chances are this record is already getting major play throughout Europe's clubs at the moment and it's likely that the A1, "Utow", is what's getting worn away most. This is because of the killer call and response combo between the bleeps and short air raid siren. With its Markus Suckut kick drum, "Can" is a dirty club track perfect for DJs looking to transition into something deeper while still wanting to remain hard-edged. On the B-side the title "Assemblage" has a slight Fachwerk ring to it, as does the crunchy hi-hats and other aggravated fizzes of the track which leads into an Aphex Twin-sounding ambient broken-beat session called "Bows".

Review: As head of Fachwerk along with Roman Lindau and Sascha Rydell, Mike Dehnert has cultivated a weighty brand of techno that still contains a noticeable element of funk. He's also the most prolific of the three, with countless digital albums produced over the years in addition to pair of long players issued on Delsin and Fachwerk and his occasional dalliances with other labels like Echocord and the Clone Basement Series. Outside of Fachwerk, Marsel van der Wielen's Delsin is perhaps the one other label you'd closely associate with Dehnert and it's little surprise to see the Dutch imprint collar him for the 12-track Lichtbedingt. Described by the label as "yet another subtle evolution away from the chord driven, functional sound" Dehnert was initially known for, the album incorporates moments of beatless electronic experimentalism, broken bass, and swinging house, with the results still resolutely Dehnert!

Review: The late great Romanthony reissues keep on flying from Glasgow Underground, this time turning to the techy, acid-inflected tones of "Pretty Ugly" and the accompanying "Warning Tracks" for the tougher side of the legendary producer. "Pretty Ugly" doesn't pull any punches in throwing down an infallible cocktail of rugged drum breaks, drum machine propulsion and nasty noises. Meanwhile the three versions of "Warning Tracks" range from heated loopy house to hard as nails kick-led techno before winding up in slick sample-heavy funk. The range might be dizzying but this is all about providing spinners with some heavyweight tackle for a range of different party situations, and every one of these jams will do the business.

Review: Belgian techno titans Token Records initiate the tease campaign for Inigo Kennedy's upcoming album Vaudeville with this two track 12" sampler. Kennedy's decade spanning career has seen him produce under a number of aliases and for some high standard labels, but he's seemingly found a perfect home in Token, having inaugurated the label back in 2007. Those familiar with Kennedy's production style will no doubt be salivating at the prospect of his forthcoming fifth studio album after spending some quality time with the two tracks here. Both show Kennedy's deft balance of heaving club-focused rhythms and experimental blend of melody and texture, creating something that doesn't sound unlike a contemporary Berghain-inspired update of the early '90s material of Warp and R&S.

Review: The Purification Loops may be Sigha's debut proper on Avian, but the Berlin-based producer is no stranger to the label operated by Shifted and Ventress. There have been numerous Sigha remixes on Avian releases since the label was established, and Avian have also revealed he was behind the self-styled "S & M techno tools" project A Vision Of Love. Some six tracks deep, The Purification Loops find Sigha "blurring the lines between the dance floor and the ritual chamber" and it fits right in with the direction explored recently by anonymous Swedish duo SHXCXCHCXSH on their Avian return. Prolonged repetition seems to be the order of the day, even if this takes a more meditative form on "Loop Three" or club ready in others - "Loop Four" and "Five" seem destined to test the structures of the more heady techno clubs.

Review: After banging out techno for years on Michaelangelo's Labrynth label (whom he formed Telesthesia with) Coefficient seems to have found a new home on Max_M's M_Rec operation. The Blood Red EP is Coefficient's second release on the Italian techno label and it's the type of burrowing deepness we've come to expect from the M_Rec discography. The four tracks here take their cue from classic Detroit techno through the usage of bleeps and lead synths dipped in dystopian intent which results in loopy time tunnels tailor made for the darker spaces late at night. "Tesseract" just edges it in our affections.

Review: If there's someone you can count on for excellence in minimalism when it comes to techno, it's Mike Parker. This time it's Mote-Evolver he's doing the business for, turning out three po-faced slices of tough and stealthy tackle for the dance. "Spitting Electricity" uses neat and tidy polyrhythms to create a slip-sliding effect as the titular electricity undulates through a filter. "Polar Vortex" is more obtuse with its bubbling synth tone that comes straight out of the textbook of freaky sound effects in techno tracks. "Ice Fissure" too turns to canny sound design to make its point, not to mention audibly crafting the crack of the title over a slow marching kick.

Review: Having made his name with releases for Tresor and Deeply Rooted, French producer Marcelus has adopted the well worn role of label boss with the Singular Records operation, but you can't fault the music that's surfaced on the label thus far. Marcelus himself helms this fifth Singular transmission, with a four track grip that really demonstrates his variety and prowess for techno that is both razor-sharp and trippy. Lead track "Direct Drive" encapsulates this approach perfectly, as a dusty, booming groove jack hammers its route through a wall of abstract sound design that feels oddly liquid and rubbery at the same time. "Savage Pattern" leans more on the abstract side of things, with a minimalist, almost tribal backbone wedged deep into a production that feels almost ominously alive. "Oneness" could easily be mistaken for a Terrence Dixon track, whilst "Incantation" is the sort of techno you want to hear testing the intricacies and acoustics of a confined warehouse space installed with a Function One.

Review: Since adopting the Tripeo alias back in late 2012, Dutch techno producer Darko Esser has been in inspired form with the project showcasing his more direct approach to the medium across a succession of 12" releases. First announced earlier this year, this debut Tripeo album Anipintiros allows Esser the chance to explore the project in more extensive fashion, and listening to the album demonstrates the Dutchman clearly enjoyed the process. Consisting of eight tracks of purist techno executed with both software and hardware, Anipintiros bristles with dancefloor intent at times sounding alien ("Anipintiros #3" & "Anipintiros #5"), others stripped back and hypnotic ("Anipintiros #4"). It's hard to pick out highlights, but the busted, bleep laden "Anipintiros #6" and the subsequent acid bathtub that is "#7" have been causing the Juno office turntable some damage!

Review: Jersey City-based Jorge Velez has long been one of the US underground's most revered figures to those in the know. Largely predating the current fascination with lo-fi analogue productions, something shown on the excellent MMT Tape Series compilation which delved into his early archives, his work as Professor Genuis on Italians Do It Better and Thisisnotanexit was followed by the conceptual Hassan LP on L.I.E.S. which provided a soundtrack to an imaginary film based on a shadowy Middle Eastern cult formed in the 11th century. Here Velez return to Ron Morelli's stable with Territories, a six-track LP that passes through "menacing drones to EBM influenced floor tracks to Sakamoto-esque melodic experiments," with a "distinct atmosphere suitable for home listening or adventurous club play." Even for those who are familiar with the odd structures Velez creates with his hardware, this is a wild trip worthy of much closer inspection.

Review: Marco Shuttle has been producing and releasing music for over half a decade, yet it's only recently that his music has begun to find wider acclaim. The dapper London-based Italian scored a real sleeper hit in the shape of 2011's "The Vox Attitude" but his active decision to focus less on this brand of booming 808 heavy warehouse techno and more on a deeper, tonal based sound has paid real dividend, finding increasing favour with the more cerebral techno selectors out there. A debut on Time To Express is undoubtedly Shuttle's most high profile release to date, and it's little surprise to hear the genesis of Peter Van Hoesen's label issuing "Sing Like A Bird" dates back to the Italian producer playing it at last year's edition of Japanese techno festival Labyrinth. Fans of Dozzy and Prince of Denmark will love this, whilst there's also a remix from Peter Van Hoesen on the flip!

Review: Following The Exaltics' Das Heise Experiment for Abstract Acid, new name Etcher provides a six-track EP for the label that sounds like Donato Dozzy and Tin Man have carried their productions over from Absurd (Recordings) to Abstract (Acid), only with an electro touch. Expect a lot of sequencing, lots of squelches, bouncy basslines and that kooky feeling of solitude acid-electro so often invokes. And if there's one track on here worth talking about it's "Transistormusik" which is a similar rendition to the Alex.O.Smith track "Mid 90's".