Techno Recommendations January 2011

Review: Rounding off an epic week for the Sandwell District collective, Function aka Dave Sumner arrives with this solo EP containing tweaked versions of his famed Variance mixes. The first version boasts one of the epic, cinematic intros favoured by Function on revered tracks such as "Isotope", before settling into a rolling, grumbling rhythm augmented by the juxtaposition of delicate key chimes, ominous rattles and a pulsating, booming-yet-calculated techno throb. Two additional versions on the flip keep things suitably moody and atmospheric. Big tip.

Review: Two of the UK's biggest techno gurus team up for three slices of no-nonsense, perfectly produced club tackle. The intriguingly titled "Erotic Misery" opens proceedings, with a granite hard techno thump complimented by frenetic hi-hats which perpetually build and build, while piercing synths arise slowly from deep inside the track's bowels. Flip over for the improbably deep "The Future That Was" and the raw, snappy "Black Lines". Fans of serious, heads down techno in the vein of Surgeon, Horizontal Ground, Ben Klock and Regis will be all over this.

Review: Hats off to boutique techno imprint Sect for securing the services of two of techno's finest, Surgeon and Silent Servant. Both the UK stalwart and the Sandwell District collaborator turn in tough, raw and generally brilliant remixes of "Five" from Croatian techno producer Jolka. Surgeon's remix is characterised by a thumping kick and mindf*ck synth washes that form the ryhtmic thrust for a seriously tight groove - exactly the kind of quality and attention to detail that Mr Child's loyal following demand after so many years of excellence. This shares a side of wax with the Silent Servant remix, which takes the Sandwell District on tour with a crackly, subterranean effort underpinned by a robust 7am bassline that borrows deep inside your brain. The original is given pride of place on the A Side, and is in no way star struck by the machine funk royalty showcased on the flip, which is a huge compliment in itself. Highly recommended.

Review: The seventh edition of the Frozen Border series arrives with the mysterious label showing no signs of defrosting just yet. The untitled A Side contains an immeasurably powerful bass kick and will surely go straight into the record bag of the Klocks, Ruskins and Vincents of this world; flip over for the moody, introspective journey into the nether regions of 11am techno. It's dark and disturbing, and we love it.

Review: Frozen Border sub-label Horizontal Ground returns with this haunting EP from Birmingham-via-Texas producer DJ Skirt. "In The Meadow Under The Stars", which meanders across the entirety of the A Side, seems unsure as to whether it is delicate or strong; brittle or robust - droning atmospherics and ethereal vocal sweeps mark give the track a menacing sheen. There are no such contradictory messages "Ikaros", which sees a granite hard kick looped deep beneath a hanging synth line, while "Six Hours" could easily be the soundtrack to the scariest Japanese horror flick you've never seen. A stunning reminder of how emotive, moving and frankly terrifying techno can be.

Review: Jeff Mills hits the sixth volume of the Something In The Sky series with perhaps the most menacing, stripped back excursions into 909 techno yet. Mills has spoken of these releases as tools for ambitious and creative techno DJs - add them into your set to create a unique atmosphere. The tracks contain no pomp and ceremony, no builds or drops, just a gentle undulation, raw instrumentation and a sense of ever increasing tension. Yet another essential addition for Mills lovers.

Review: Some late 90s classic techno-house from Aril Brikha's gets reimagined by Deetron, Octave One and Jori Hulkkonen. The story goes that the first time Brikha never rated "Groove La Chord" that highly, and the first time he heard it played in a club was two years after he made it - by one Derrick May. The track went on to become a favourite among house and techno lovers alike, and here Deetron dips it in a contemporary sheen, while "Read Only Memory" gets tweaked over on the flip by Turbo stalwart Jori Hulkkonen and underground Detroit heads Octave One. Killer release!

Review: We're more than willing recipients of Svreca's prodigious penchant for lisping techno atmospherics here at Juno and the latest in his series of Obscur twelve inches on Semantica is more than a match for previous editions which have featured some rather fine interpretations from Regis and Marcel Dettmann. Obscur Alternativ begins in the deepest recesses of claustrophobic electronics with a remix of "Obscur" from Claro Intelecto that teases a skeletal beat out of the swirls of gaseous textures. This is matched on the opening side by "AW08", a composition scattered with the rippling techno rhythms that bears easy comparisons with vintage Autechre. Flip over for "SS09" being given a piercing industrialised thrust of a remix from Katsunori Sawa and Steven Porter which descends into the smorgasbord of crackling dub techno robotic refractions that make up "Seda Muerta".

Review: Veteran Spanish producer Oscar Mulero returns with some vintage Martian techno for the Labyrinth label. Asteroid Belt is the epitome of an apt title for the four tracks included here as Mulero burrows deep into the outer galactic reaches of techno's boundaries, with opening track "Ceres" setting the tone. The dusted high tempo percussive jerk of that opening track is expanded further on "Vesta", which features a scattergun procession of 808 kicks and snares amidst menacing bass stabs. On the flip, reverberant space station bleeps rise through the pressurised bass flex of "Palas" before opening up into an elasticised minimalist throb complemented by freeform synth melodies whilst "Higia" is the sound of a Russian cold war subrmarine launched into space.

Review: Cisco Ferreira has been revered by those who like their techno with a menacing twist for, oh, nearly 20 years now. The British producer has clearly lost none of his production verve, with his name adoring three separate records hitting the Juno shelves this week. The first is a hookup with Portuguese producer Industrialyzer, with the Jonestown EP offering three slices of industrial renegade techno, namely "Yellow Fish", "Jack" and the EP's title track, which serves as a tribute to the victims of the Jonestown massacre in 1978.