Review: EPM20 Ep2 goes off on an electro tangent here. On this one, we have veteran producer Cisco Ferreira aka The Advent teaming up with his son Zein on the ferocious electro dystopia of "Strangeform" and as if that was not enough, another legend, the one and only Carl Finlow appears next with the abstract, cybernetic beats of "Optogenetic". Over on the flip, we have someone by the name of Detroit's Filthiest (quite an accolade!) who is in fact Motor City stalwart Julian Shamou (Motor City Electro Company) known for his work as 313 Bass Mechanics or Digitek, and longstanding hero of the Midwest Freddie Fresh should need no introduction; his contribution here under the Modulator alias is the deep mind IDM journey "Promars".
Review: The Spanish Hypnotic Collective label attempts to capture its take on the Detroit Legacy with what looks like a new series of various artists' EP. There is plenty of Motor City soul in the gorgeous synths of Cignol's muted acid and deep house opener 'Distance' which is a soothing and reverential groove, but then its pure party from Barce, Alex Martin offers up 313 style tech and three further tunes on the flip explore blistering electro with high-speed funk and cosmic intent. Mission accomplished and we're already looking forward to the next one.
Chris Coco - "Yawa Ze Asfos" (instrumental) (4:02)
Jake Slazenger - "168B" (3:47)
Global Goon - "Untitled" (4:39)
Ruckus (4:47)
Jodey Kendrik - "Thanx" (5:56)
Gavin Masih - "Unknown Track 1" (6:55)
Monika Subrtova - "Alata" (7:08)
Review: Furthur Electronix's first two Furthur Journeys Into compilations tune plenty of heads and shift plenty of copies. The third one keeps the quality levels high with more explorations around the periphery of underground electronics. Chris Coco opens with a soothing synth sound before Jake Slazenger brings crystalline synths and abstract modulations to the mid-tempo '168B.' There is more pace and twisted acid energy to Global Goon's untitled contribution and then old school jungle comes to the fore on the super stylish and atmospheric Gavin Masih cut. Monika Subrtova's 'Alata' is a serene and widescreen ambient synthscape that brings things to a suitably poignant close.
Review: Electro monarchs Maelstrom, Locked Club and RLGN return to EP-making with a four-track array of acid bangers, happily working together on a split record to celebrate the pan-European electro scene. Their offering is unequal in quantity (2 Maelstrom and 3 Locked Club tunes) but is resolutely equal in heat; 'LA Nuit Est A Toi' is Maelstrom's standout, bleepy and suffocating in its generative, janky fright. Locked Club and RLGN follow up, 'Kill Me' being the best and most suicidally pushy techno track to soundtrack our nightmares.
Review: Griffe launches its own new split series here with Mama and Torrent kicking things off. Mama goes first with a pair of potent techno cuts. 'Electric Pjack' opens up with some acidic lines spraying about a tightly assembled groove with sliding hi-hats and well-syncopated beats. 'Cyber Pjack' then gets a little darker with a more menacing low end and snappy drums keeping the beats upright. Torrent's two cuts keep the future feels alive with the mechanical grooves and malfunctioning sounds of 'Stay In The Loop' and 'Ex Machina' shuts down with some frazzled synths adding texture to the metallic drum sounds.
Review: Quinoa Cuts's fourth release combines some smart nostalgia with plenty of modern innovation. Side A opens with two analogue-driven tracks reminiscent of the 80s synth-wave era, so rich with electro-inspired nuances that evoke a bittersweet and rather romantic atmosphere. It transports you to a dreamlike, neon-lit past then Side B takes a darker, more introspective turn by exploring shadowy, progressive sounds. These haunting tracks come with deep, emotional layers and show Marvin to be quite the producer.
Review: German artist Martin Matiske's musical journey began under the mentorship of DJ Hell, who introduced him to the decks at Gigolo label nights in Munich in 1999. Inspired by pioneers like Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre, Matiske started producing for International Deejay Gigolo Records and later for Frustrated Funk, Bordello A Parigi, and the Central Processing Unit. His new EP has already had support from Dave Clarke and Helena Hauff, including for the standout track 'Moments', which blends ice-cold snares with celestial pads and retro-future synths. Legowelt's remix of 'Moments' adds an astral electro vibe, while 'Dimensional Space Travel' and 'Analogue Being' explore cinematic electro with nostalgic, playful tones.
Review: Oulu-based label Elektorni presents its second release with three original tracks from Finnish electro pioneer Mesak who you may know for his work on Klakson and Orson, while a captivating remix comes from Arhus artist Picture who has impressed before on Help Recordings and Kalahari Oyster Cult. Side A starts with 'Mutella', a dark, bass-driven electro track with gothic vibes followed by 'Ei Damagea', a hypnotic, otherworldly electro journey with floating rhythms and quirky synths. On the flip, 'Musantropia' shifts gears to a fast 155 BPM blend of IDM, d&b and electro and Picture's remix of 'Musantropia' extends into an eight-minute, techno-infused meditation.
Review: Flexi celebrated 40 years of energising dancefloors and championing underground music back in 2024. What began as a haven for vinyl lovers and evolved into a cultural force dedicated to high-quality sound. To mark the milestone, Flexi's indie off-shoot Flexi Cuts assembled this limited-edition compilation across several 12". Minimono opens this one with some super smooth deep house on 'Before Morning' and Delphi then switches it up with more twitchy, synth-laced and tense house while DJ Rou's 'Elastic Body' brings acid charm to steely mid-tempo beats. Relative's 'The Piece' shuts down with a darker heart and prying synths.
Review: Matt Cheon & Co. unearth yet more rare gems from old school electro fiends Caroline Herve & Michael Amato here, on the second volume of Lost Trax. As story has it, after the French duo met at a rave in their native Grenoble in the early '90s, they made music heavily influenced by 80s synth, post-punk and Italo disco. Bored by the techno scene at the time, they set out out to lighten the serious tone and bring a campy sexiness to the dour musical landscape. From the sexy, four-to-the-floor EBM of "Upstart", the Drexciyan style "Love On" with its aquatic bass assault, or the classic Miss Kittin & The Hacker sound of old on the monochromatic" The Building" featuring the former's trademark deadpan vocal delivery.
Review: This release features four club tracks from the recent Cold Blow fifth anniversary CD compilation. It includes contributions from Matti Turunen of the renowned electro group Morphology who does a good job of serving up his signature while the EP also highlights a funky electro collaboration between Qwerty and Ed DMX. Additionally, there's a true minimal techno banger from the legendary Mono Junk and last but not least is the introduction of an enigmatic new producer named Sleep Mathew. He adds an intriguing touch to this diverse collection that marks five years of Cold Blow in style.
Review: Viikatory and Manao's Alt Frequency EP showcases a captivating blend of styles, with two dreamy electro tracks on the A-side and two dynamic percussive techno tracks on the B-side. 'LQS' opens up with rising arps and percolating drum funk, while 'Target' has reverberating dub chords and a floating broken beat. 'XOXO' (Viika cut) ups the ante with thumping rhythmic intensity and some warped acid lines while the 'Manao cut' is a more lithe broken beat sound. Additionally, a fifth track is included as a digital download exclusive and each record is hand-stamped and comes with stickered artwork on the sleeve.
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