Juno Recommends Electro June 2020

Review: Carl Finlow, aka electro main-man Silicon Scally, originally released the Boot Loop EP on Billy Nasty's Electrix label back in 2013 - an aeon ago in real terms but a blink of an eye to any electro devotee. Such is the quality of the music that it's well deserving of a repress, not least given the fearsome appetite for this kind of electro now compared to seven years ago. "Conduit" and "Hashtag" are quintessential Finlow cuts, wriggling and writhing with snappy sound design riveted to the machine funk rhythm section. On the flip, Volsoc's "Orange Problem" mix of "Conduit" slips a few more melodic elements into the mix, and Radioactive Man flips "Hashtag" into a gnarly, noisy workout bowling in from leftfield.

Review: Miles Sagnia has a deep-rooted backstory in the UK underground techno scene. Under his own name and as Miles Atmospheric he's produced consistently compelling techno for labels like Finale Sessions, FireScope, Aesthetic Audio and Applied Rhythmic Technology. Such associations point to the soundworld Sagnia inhabits - a harmonically balanced strain of deep-diving brain food that favours expressive musicality and inventive programming over rigid functionality. Having previously appeared as Miles Sagnia on Ornate back in 2010, he returns to the label as Miles Atmospheric with three cuts that explore melancholic moods through artful interplay between beautifully rendered synth tones and intricate drum machine excursions. These tracks still move with purpose and presence, but the end goal is more cerebral than physical - a perfect fit for the immersive experiences Ornate has always strived to promote.

Review: Recently Interstellar Funk (real name Olf van Elden) has used his Artificial Dance label to offer up a range of new and old tracks that doffs a cap to "wave" music - that hard-to-define, synthesiser-heavy style that first emerged at the turn-of-the-80s and has been evolving ever since. "Artificial Dancers", his first compilation, continues this trend by gathering together personal favourites and rarities that spans 40 years of wave music. It's a brilliant collection all told, with highlights including the moody dancefloor brilliance of Clan Of Xymox's "Stranger (Demo)", the Human League's exceedingly rare 1979 tribute to JG Ballard ("4JG"), a killer live recording of "Dias Cortas" by EBM kings Liaisons Dangereuse and the Norwegian eccentricity of Det Gylne Triangel's wayward post-punk synth-pop classic "Maskindans".

Review: After putting it on hiatus three years ago, Detroit electro legend Keith Tucker has decided to bring back the Puzzlebox label he launched with Anthony 'Shake' Shakir way back in 1995. He's at the controls for this comeback release, which astonishingly is also the sometime Aux88 member's first solo single since 2015. He kicks things off with "Modular World", a creepy but funk-fuelled slab of intergalactic electro that boasts whispered vocals, spacey sounds and the same up-tempo energy levels as Aux88's 1990s output. Over on the flip it's all about "Schematixs", a bleeping and unearthly affair that sits somewhere between Kraftwerk and Egyptian Lover.

Review: Some all-Italian electro action here, as Nicola Laporchio AKA Cosmic Garden joins forces with Lunar Orbiter Program regular CEM3340 for four tracks of intergalactic dancefloor fun. They begin with a spot of "Psychoanalysis", a veritable all-action affair in which melancholic motifs stretch out atop crunchy beats and an aggressive, Drexciyan bassline, before flitting between deeper and darker sections on the similarly forthright "31 Seconds". "Square Wave" sees them opt for a more robotic sound - think tumbling, crystalline lead lines and fizzing analogue bass - while "70100" brilliantly combines the twin attractions of off-kilter electro-funk grooves and shimmering, deep space electronics.

Review: As yet anonymous artist All-Nighter makes their first appearance here with some brilliantly executed old-skool techno jams that hark back to a time when the lines were constantly blurred between techno, electro and house. "Side Effects" wriggles with the best of the early Detroit stuff, while sporting a little Chicago sass and some adventurous machine gurgling sound FX to boot. "Serial Dancer" is equally impressive, all Lately bass and artful bleep lines, while "Reflection" takes things in a tuff NYC direction with a lean and mean groove at its core. "Rhythm Architect" has a distinctly deep flavour, thanks mainly to the mellow chords riding atop the classic 909 beat.

Review: The latest missive on R.A.N.D Muzik introduces us to a new name, fresh-faced electro duo Mother of Pearls (AKA producers Ed Hodge and sometime Shadow City Records artist Tom Jarmey). As debuts go, the pair's first outing is pretty good. It sees them skip between rubbery, twisted, mind-altering club electro (opener "From The Cavern", with its hazy, dubbed-out riffs and angular acid bass), melodious UK garage/techno/breakbeat fusion ("Liminate"), ghetto-tech tempo, peak-time madness ("Tunnel Run"), and the kind of bustling breakbeat fodder that makes the most of warped, angular bass, bouncy electronic noises and a main motif that sounds like someone dropping marbles on rubberised floor tiles.

Review: A few years back Dutch producer Wibo Lammerts made some early strikes with digi-only releases on Bass Agenda. Now the electro sword-swinger is back with an EP on Alienata's label Discos Atonicos, following recent appearances from Random XS, Ultrastation and Dez Williams amongst others. The vibe across Heretofore EP is tense, combative machine music with a peak time bent and plenty of future-shock dystopia radiated into its atmosphere. "Fear Tactics" is an especially potent track, but for a uniquely creepy mood try "ACRONYM" too. Darkside electro lovers take heed, this one has everything you need.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Versalife continues a prolific run of deep and dynamic electro soul with this double pack on 20/20 Vision. The scene is set early on with the smoky pads and crisp drums of "Binary Worlds" - equal parts deep-diving machine soul and body-popping 808 funk. Things get nastier with the strafing monosynth punctuating "Covert Ops" and the edgy creep of "Shadow Union" on to "Manifold"s luxuriant sound world. The quality level remains staggeringly high as we trip through classically informed electro of every shade, adding yet another accomplished payload to the formidable Versalife catalogue.

Review: Evan Majumdar-Swift may well barely be in his twenties, but he's already built up a catalogue that any experienced producer would be proud. The Sheffield-born, Manchester-based boy wonder has previously plied his trade almost exclusively on Central Processing Unit but here makes a surprise appearance on Hypercolour. The South Yorkshireman hits the ground running with hot-stepping, bass-heavy club thumber "Party Animal", all angular low-end transmissions, hypnotic stabs and glistening IDM melodies - before pitching things down impressively on the drowsy and bittersweet "Cosied By". Elsewhere, "TBQFH" somehow is both funky and foreboding, while "Fe Symbolic" doffs a cap to Aphex Twin by wrapping blissful electronic melodies around a skittish, all-action rhythm track.

Review: After guesting on such labels as E-Beamz, Natural Sciences and Who's Susan, DJ Swagger established the Goddess Music imprint late last year. Fittingly, the label's first vinyl missive features the man himself in cahoots with German mic man Caramelo. The latter delivers a weary-sounding rap over "Saft Und Wasser", a warm and spacey electro cut that's as emotive as it is energetic. DnAonDnA brilliantly re-imagine the track as a hazy chunk of spaced-out electronic dub, before sometime Chiwax, Die Orakel and Natural Sciences artist Orson Wells turns it into a deep and crunchy IDM number. There's a fine bonus too in the shape of DJ Swagger's remix of "X2", a high-octane ghetto-tech/electro number featuring a seriously squelchy bassline and vocal contributions from Jonny5 and Badboyblondey.

Review: Curiously, Albin Johannson seems to only deal in albums. Somewhat remarkably, he's only released one single since making his debut in 2013, but a trio of albums. "Passage", his fourth album, is an ear-catching and alluring affair, with the Swedish producer offering up colourful, crystal clear tracks seemingly crafted using a range of vintage analogue synthesizers, drum machines and modular gear. Many may hear echoes of Vangelis' early work, while others may define it as synth-wave or ultra-melodic electronica. However you frame it, the seven tracks on "Passage" are memorable, melodic and well worth further investigation.

Review: A re-issued classic from the veterans of the genre, welcomed back via the Direct Beat Classics (DBC) label.