Tactics Of Bass - "Big Hips Blue Gloves (No Dubs)" (7:48)
Tactics Of Bas - "Tactics Of Bas" (7:59)
The Ron Honey Experience - "D66" (7:14)
Quadruplex - "Sky Wave" (7:01)
Quadruplex - "Robot Rotate" (5:30)
Quadruplex - "G-Hop" (7:24)
The Secret Garden - "Rough Diamond" (3:24)
Review: A special white vinyl edition of a stonker of a UK techno LP. The legendariness of The 7th Voyage's Return Voyage LP is said to outstrip that of others, with the short-lived label and artist moniker of one Joe Smilovitch locking in a "lost album" compiling works by fellows Tactics Of Bass, The Ron Honey Experience and Quadruplex for gem-hunters. That's the cherry on top of two already-wonderful single-EPs from the Smilovitch himself, 'The Predator' and 'The 4 Point', both from 1996. Pariter deem it "an exceptionally rare issue of a highly sought-after classic", and we can vouch for that. Wicked tunes all round.
Review: A2L were active between 1988 and 1990 and released two albums and several EPs on labels like 1st Bass, Big One and Force Inc. Their sound blended British psychedelic house with elements of new beat, industrial, EBM and early acid house and in doing so captured the raw energy of the UK rave scene. Notably different from typical acid house acts of the time, A2L's music took in machine funk, samplers and turntable techniques to create trippy, infectious grooves. This collection compiles rare underground gems from them from 1989 and features standout tracks like 'Even Though It's Make Believe' and 'Come On.' It's a great look back to the experimental spirit of the late 80s.
Review: Acida Dominga makes their debut with 'Imagination Creates Reality', making their intentions clear: "(this) is my very first track, my very first EP and debut project as music producer, transforming music into a multi-sensory holistic journey." As she strikes a candid pose on the front cover, we're left puckering our lips at the pH levels on this one, with 'State Of Consciousness' and 'Lost Highways' sounding off raspy acids, while theming them after a psychedelic, hyperstitious consensus reality. Closer 'Coin Of Heaven' ends things on a wild harmonic layering over the acid sixteenths, with Twilight Zone radio murmurs swirling over the machinations.
Review: Chiwax welcomes Andrew Red Hand here for his third outing on the revered house label. We're told it is one of his most intimate and personal releases and there sure is plenty of deep and pensive energy to 'In The Cemetery (part III)' with its snappy electro rhythms but long-sustained and introspective chords. 'Summer Nostalgia' is raw, punchy techno and 'Autumn Nostalgia' gets more banging with a brazen bassline and celestial synth glow. 'Sorrowful Joy' closes down with a celebratory air in the happy chords but the betas remain heady.
South Of The Clouds Part 2 (Gregor Tresher remix) (11:25)
South Of The Clouds Part 2 (Extrawelt remix) (6:23)
South Of The Clouds Part 2 (2025 remastered edit) (5:53)
Review: Aural Float's 'South Of The Clouds' first evaporated, then fell as rain in the form of a two-parter progressive trance track released on a wider EP out on Elektrolux Records in 1995. Said to have effortlessly captured the feel and fervour of the Frankfurt trance zietgeist, the creative trio of Alex Azary, Gabriel Mastichidis and Pascal Dardoufas were over the moon to have heard their EP opener claimed as a scene favourite. Now after almost 30 years of cloud residence time do we hear two further precipitations of the already 26-minute (in total) track, by Gregor Tresher and Extrawelt respectively.
Raphael Scemama & Tournissoux - "Like This Girl" (edit) (8:02)
Review: Untold Stories finally tells their first story in Various Artists form, reaching their hands deep into a forgotten folk corpus to retranslate each tale to we, who only speak house and techno. Described heartily as a ripple-maker, Lebanese producer Nesta devises his own folk fairytale with 'Bouchees A La Reine', with Axel S leading on with a nostalgic and groovy jazzy infused minimal track to counterpoint the A's meaty copra. On the B, Sonus takes the help with a surreal electro-dance burbler on which a winsome voice repeats the word "dreaming". And closing out comes the flat beat knockout 'Like This Girl', an instructive melody for future storytellers.
Review: Spain's Tensegrity Records makes its debut with a release that locks together rhythm and atmosphere like well-fitted joints in a wooden lattice. Founded by Babu, the label takes its name from the concept of tensegrityistructures held in equilibrium through tension and compression. That same principle underpins these five tracks, where restraint and release shape the groove. 'Tensegrity' sets the foundation, interlocking elements with a patient, tensile flow. 'Erase una vez' nods to electro and new wave, its synth lines tinged with nostalgia, while 'Meritocracia' stretches out into lush, contemplative territory. On the flip, 'Romi' leans into shadowy, percussive minimalism, its tribal pulse threading through negative space. 'Structural Stress' closes with a rawer energy, drawn from personal upheaval yet channelled into something direct and resolute. With only 200 copies pressed, this first transmission from Tensegrity Records feels not just meticulously crafted, but necessary.
Review: A relentless techno workout from a veteran American producer with deep ties to both commercial music and underground dance culture. Across five tracks, the artist distills decades of dance music history into high-powered club weapons designed to shake any sound system. 'New York Is Dead' kicks things off with a raw, crunchy groove, its distorted percussion and searing synth stabs embodying the city's chaotic energy. 'Black Hole At The Disco' takes a futuristic disco turn, weaving shimmering melodies through a heavy, hypnotic bassline. 'Last Song Before Sunrise' taps into electroclash nostalgia, its rapid-fire beats and sharp synths evoking neon-lit hedonism. On the Side-B, 'Break Your Back' delivers a punishing mix of acid-laced bass and brutal drum programming, an industrial-tinged club destroyer. Closing track 'Mind Control' leans into retro techno aesthetics, its hypnotic synthwork nodding to 90s warehouse rave euphoria. Heavy, propulsive and fiercely dancefloor-driven, this is a techno monster ready to turn heads at every listen.
Review: Calagad 13 made a good impression with his first release, Cyberphunk, and now builds on that with a follow-up that goes long. As such, he broadens his palette with plenty of fresh twists and turns during an enthralling electro-exploration. 'LJDA: El Ultimo Baile' opens in brash fashion with a chaotic collision of drums and synths that carries on through the intergalactic warfare of 'Gamma'. Fizzy electronics marble the stuttering drum patterns of 'Actions Speak Louder Than Screams' while 'Cyanocrylate' has a more cinematic outlook and dubby undercarriage. This is full-on electro for main room action.
Review: Tom Carruthers returns with a fresh drop on Syncrophone Records, comprising the fresh analogue jams 'From Within', 'Zone', 'No Frequency' and 'Malfunction'. All hitting hard with an old-school, sequencer-happy flavour, one which requires no second-guessing, our faves here have to be the basal FM roller 'Zone' and the brash, trashyard B-fronter 'No Frequency', both of which make deft use of the same bassline, yet each to drastically different effec.
Happy707 - "Where Does That Noise Come From" (4:28)
Review: Menacing EBM and dark synth billows from a Netherlands hinterland; our heralds speak of an esoteric encampment by the name of Espectro Oculto, said to be the remote incantators of an unstoppable curse in sound. Six shadowy emissaries have been sent to spread the pestilence; Trenton Chase, Martial Canterel, DJ Nephil, Exhausted Modern, Fragedis and Happy707. Clearly, the faction have recruited only the best, trusted and yet most nefarious of spies from as far-flung regions as Czechia and Argentina in the administering of such a sordid sonic plague. We're left most quivery at the centrifugal doom drones of Exhausted Modern's 'Fear Of Focus', across whose breakdown banshees are heard wailing and snarling, and Fragedis' 'Landing In Reality', a lo-fi techno freakout and sonochemical anomaly, channeling militant two-way radio samples and hellish FM synthesis.
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: A long-overdue revival of an underground German gem from 1984, Jurgen Grah and Markus Kammann crafted a sound that fused early new beat, synth-pop and electro with a sharp sense of groove. Collage's 'Mit Den Puppen Tanzen' resurfaces as making it a hidden treasure for fans of forward-thinking dance music. The title track is a sleek blend of disco and electro, layering pulsating synths over a club-ready rhythm that still feels ahead of its time. 'Schwarze Nacht' twists post-disco elements into something funkier, reinterpreting familiar grooves with fresh energy. 'Harter Film' leans further into an edgy new wave sound, its electro beat driving a tense yet undeniably danceable atmosphere. Balancing underground cool with accessible hooks, this is a record that effortlessly bridged electronic experimentation and dancefloor appeal. A vital listen for those who appreciate the history of an exciting time between post-disco, house music and the 80s new wave sound.
Review: Bristol label-turned-blog Innate launches a new sub-label, Innate Editions, which it says is dedicated to timeless UK techno, IDM, electro and ambient music, and it'll all come on heavyweight vinyl to boot. The first release revives Connective Zone's Palm Palm, a millennium-era cult classic and Ben UFO favourite that first came out on Mark Broom and Dave Hill's Unexplored Beats in 2001. Now, this long-out-of-print, expensive and hard to find gem has been remastered by Jamie Anderson and so sounds superb with many lavish electronic layers, richly emotive melodies and dynamic drums that lean on UK techno, IDM, and deep electro. Sounds as good now as it ever did.
Review: In musical terms, Bill Converse is as iconic as the basketball sneaker with which he shares his name. He's a techno favourite and veteran of the Midwest scene who has come up under the likes of Claude Young and Traxx but very much fomented his own sound. Here the American ace returns to Dark Entries with a new seven-track exploration of raw, analogue-driven techno. His sound blends the acid grit of Relief Records, the hypnotic pulses of early IDM and Detroit's energy all with an unpredictability that mirrors that of his live sets. He makes fine use of classic hardware like the Roland TB-303 and modern modular synthesis to cook up off-kilter rhythms and abrupt shifts that keep you on edge. Another vital and visceral offering from this legend.
Review: Synchrophone proudly present the latest Gerard Hanson aka. Convextion release; a head-turner moment, since the last proper EP by the 2845 artist was over seven years ago, with Vectorvision for the EP 'Zy Clone'. Since then, Convextion has been hard at work, eschewing all concavities for a purely thermal, fluid sonic exercise. 'Torc' and 'Andas' are unsettling, looming techno visions, confecting a hypothetical world in which the hard sciences have taken total precedent over the human, resulting in a rapid dissipation of heat. The only energy that remains is that which is fed through the machine, as further evidenced on the sinister murk-movements on ERP's version, its two-tone Reese stab suggesting utter indefatigability when begged for mercy.
Review: Patrick Conway is back on ESP Institute for a third time and the returns are as brilliant as the first two outings with plenty of emotional depth on display. Opener 'Loss' sets a melancholic tone with a repeating high piano note guiding a poignant chord progression, angelic voices and a modulating synth all sinking you in. That contrasts with a gritty rhythm section made from corroded dancehall elements all bathed in saturation for added authenticity. On the B-side, 'Silencio' explores negative space and rhythmic dialogue using anthemic synth stabs to unify the more meandering melodies. When chaos and order synchronise with force like this, there is fun to be had.
Review: After more than four years without releasing any singles, Cosmjn returns with a killer solo EP for Radial. Sprinkling in notes of bassline and speed garage, 'Make Me Feel XTC' and 'Luvs & Dubs' hears a transition from filthy to brainy, the latter track especially likening the impulse responses of an impending, digital 303 to the kisses of a lover. B-siders 'Groover Killa Moves' and 'Aerosoul' mirror the A-side's movements whilst expanding their respective settings to cavernous proportions, the latter track especially wowing with its super-breathable, pipey sound design, making for a stirringly deep two-note hook.
Review: After the first in this new Mellow Bangers series got us nice and twisted we're delighted to have the follow-up from Italo Moderni. Cryk kicks off with an eerie blend of Italo arps and dark wave drums with electro overtones on 'Double Crash' then the moodiness continues with the depraved bass warbles and crashing hits of Fragedis and his 'Disco Nicotina.' Antoni Maiovvi brings a lightness of touch to his delicate arps and celestial harmonies on 'Stopping Power' and Adrian Marth layers plenty of sugar and pixelated synths into his loopy 'Modernism.'
Review: Athens-based label Ethos is looking to build on the good start it made with its first two outings with a third raw and direct EP. DimDJ is a legend in Greece and has been since the 90s when he first began making his mark. His sound is not all about nostalgia though - he opens his Welcome To This World EP with 'This Little Face' which is a deep house reverie with painterly pads smeared over dusty drums. Nice analogue textures make it all the more lived in and a Beatless version strips away everything but the suspensory synths. 'Welcome To This World is another lo-fi and crackly deep house meditation and 'Hyper Tonic' flips the script with some undulating acid lines, more light synth work and hissing hi-hats.
Review: The fourth release in the limited vinyl series BS-LTD features two new and exciting talents. On one side, we have Disco Stup, a rising artist from Hossegor, now based in London and studying sound engineering. On the other side, UK-based Swin, fresh off the success of his sell-out debut EP. He goes first with 'Broken Mute Point' which is a tech-infused disco with plenty of wet synth gurgles and snappy drums, then 'I'll Show You The Attic' ups the pace with more twisted loops. Swin's 'Entropy' bring pixelated colour and echo to a dubbed-out disco-tech groove and 'Loosing Their Minds' is more dubby and tippy to make for another fine outing.
Review: Originally released for LNS & DJ Sotofett's Japan Tour 2024, this 12" now sees a global repress and it is a fittingly chaotic sonic postcard from the road with unpolished, playful and strictly for the heads cuts. Kicking things off, Tokyo's DJ Gizzard delivers 'Jitter Analysis', which is a tight blend of analogue funk, crisp grooves and rolling basslines. LNS & DJ Sotofett follow with the cosmic 'Electrolium' with its whistling synths and spaced-out, vintage-style rhythms. LNS's solo effort 'Work Them' explores robotic electro-funk with computerised melodies and percussive precision. Closing the EP, DJ Sotofett's 'Out of Place' fuses ominous electro with bold p-funk.
Andrea Bertoli & DJ Bogdan - "Extremely On Line" (5:36)
Review: Exxtra Beats Records backs up its commitment to pushing things on with a new four-tracker of minimal and tech cuts. Edo Ecker's 'Extraluxxo' has warped synth lines that encourage introspection while the snappy beats make you move physically. Leff's 'Future Problems' has hazy and positive arpeggios that toot away over sustained chords and move at a nice inviting pace. Little Sea offers the snappy drums and gurgling acid lines of 'How I Wanna Feel' while Andrea Bertoli & DJ Bogdan's 'Extremely On Line' is a snappy and upbeat cosmic tech cut with wonky lines adding the charm.
Review: The Space Trace label keeps quality high with this fourth outing on wax. Eric Os is on the button for this one with 'Underworld' first to lure you into its world with gently broken bets and moody pads setting an eerie tone. 'Stereophysical' is more jacked up with fizzing synth lines and warped pads over future house beats and 'Elusive' bringing some trance energy to its flashy, bright synths. 'Electrodreammachine' is a wonky electro workout with withering sci-fi motifs, puling synth sequences and raw hits. 'Feeling Real' and 'Cherry Red' complete the EP with more blends of house, electroclash and sleazy guitar riffs.
Review: After his recent releases on X-Kalay and Craigie Knowes, Melbourne's Escape Artist returns to Phonica where he has previously released his well-received Energy Breakthrough EP. Once again here he shows his love of serving up euphoric and energetic cuts with the A-side, 'Forgot Who I Was,' building great intensity with delicate melodies and a shifting bassline. The B-side, 'Remembering', offers a contrasting yet complementary vibe that keeps on with the previous track's two-step rhythm while evolving into a more uplifting direction with ambient techno elements and acidic breaks. It's potent stuff.
Review: Human techno wildcard Carl Finlow drops his latest EP 'Terminus' through Fanzine Records, following up his pre-release fan exciter 'Phalanx'. No less than a futuristic electro EP, Finlow's chosen aesthetic permutation this time is snappy and high-end-centric, with saturated textures circumfusing designed, tire-puncturing beats. Desiccant sound design keeps the cool bag dry, as the war formation 'Phalanx' and its brilliantly named B-side complement 'Syncussion' break all the rules governing what one is "supposed" to do when making big-concept electro such as this.
Monday To The Moon (feat Peter Hook, Peter Duggal, Victoria Port & Thomas Vangarde) (6:46)
Review: Wolfgang Flur is of course the former electronic percussionist of Kraftwerk during their classic era from 1974 to 1986. He's now set to release a new studio album featuring collaborations with several synth-pop and dance music icons. They include German techno duo U96, Yello's Boris Blank, Thomas Vangarde - better known as former Daft Punk mainman Thomas Bangalter - Juan Atkins, Antony Rother, Emil Schult and New Order legend Peter Hook. Flur has since become a celebrated solo artist whose music blends retro-futurism, melody and narrative while always maintaining an optimistic vision for humanity.
Review: To mark the passing of three decades since he established the now iconic Environ imprint, Morgan Geist has decided to reissue the label's long-deleted debut 12" - a solo EP that was just his second release. At the time, Geist had yet to develop the disco-leaning but naturally synth-heavy trademark sound he's become renowned for. Instead, he was investigating the stargazing potential of Detroit-influenced techno and jacking-but-spacey house. Check first the lightly bleep techno influenced excellence of 'Sands' and the more driving, upbeat and jacking 'Airpour', before diving deeply into the percussively rich deep techno wonder of 'Smear'. To complete the package, we get a suitably cosmic, pitched down ambient techno revision of the same track by The Connection Machine - back then a duo who had just released a fine EP on Planet E.
Review: Good Block present their debut album, Window, on their own self-titled label and it is a collection of works recorded between 2017 and 2024. Self-released, with mixing, art direction, design and photography all handled by the duo, this percussive and world fusion showcases a diverse range of styles and emotions all with an organic texture and inventive sense of rhythm, It reflects the many influences that have shaped their sound over the past 15 years, blending elements of acid, synth, world and electro, all tied together by a unique signature.
Review: Hackney Electronica is a collective of underground stalwarts who came together during COVID. It comprises the mad prolific Quinn Whalley of Paranoid London, Warmduscher and Decius, as well as Unai Trotti from Cartulis Music and Margo Broom of Hermitage Working Studios. They deal in acid-laced sounds which are a perfect fit for Dark Entires and here explore twisted late-night club sounds that are alluring yet austere. As their name suggests, they capture the vibe of Hackney's backstreets in their music with 'H.E. Nuestro Circuito' and 'Whispers from the Depths' bringing 1980s DIY electronics to a contemporary dancefloor, while 'Efecto Perfecto,' 'The One' and 'Nueva Ola' deliver potent electro powered by big breakbeats. It's a superb EP of tension and transcendence.
Review: SQNC's debut release on Sequence Records delivers an electrifying clash of styles. Hearthug's playful energy opens the A-side with 'Beep Blump Beep (Sex Mix)', a bouncy track that effortlessly commands the dancefloor. 'Moonrush (Original Mix)' follows, taking a more acidic approach while maintaining that signature groove that's undeniably infectious. On the B-side, Cybercafe - Adam Dirk'heim's brainchild - establishes its cybernetic identity. 'Hyperdrive' is an immersive experience with deep kicks and distorted synths, creating a pulsating rhythm that draws listeners in. 'Katorza' takes things further with a retro-futuristic edge, adding a hypnotic energy that makes it perfect for late-night sets. It's a dynamic fusion of playfulness and intensity, showcasing the unique approaches of both artists while setting the tone for Sequence Records' future. This release is full of depth and dancefloor potential, marking the start of something exciting for the label.
Review: EC Underground is back with more inquisitors of low-end heavy sounds on Bass Scene Investigation vol 1 and again digs deep into the worlds of electro, techno, breakbeat and IDM. The compilation kicks off with the skittish percussive patterns of Illektrolab's 'Making Heads Dip', then heads into moody ground with ADJ, Pablo Funk brings some menacing synth work and Errorbeauty gets all weird and trippy with some mad electronics. Francois Dillinger offers a dystopian electro sound full of irresistibly jacked-up drums. A fine investigation indeed.
Special Occasion - "Flyin' To Santa Barbara" (6:37)
Review: Over the years, France's Favorite Recordings has been very good at sniffing out lesser-known European gems from the disco and boogie era, mostly for superb and must-check compilations. Recently, they decided to make some of these licensed obscurities available on a series of 12" singles, where a louder, club-heavy cut is preferable to DJs. The latest sees them offer-up two lesser-known Belgian gems produced in the mid 1980s by future new beat don Tony Baron. Jonathan Jr's 'Hanging On To You' is warm, shuffling and synth heavy, with the artist's soulful and jazzy lead vocal sitting alongside squelchy synth-bass, Nile Rodgers style guitars and post-electro beats. Special Occasion's 'Flying To Santa Barbara', meanwhile, sits somewhere between 80s soul, AOR synth-pop and sax-sporting B-movie soundtrack goodness.
Review: Planet Trip Records calls Millos Kasier one of their favourite DJs on earth so they are buzzing to have him next up. He is a Brazilian talent who brings plenty of the energy and style of his homeland to this EP. 'Te Quero Perto' has woody, knocking beats and an old-school Chicago bassline setting the tone before glistering and retro-future keys arrive to bring light and hope. A Latin vocal and Italo chords then take things to the next level and make this a real summer sizzler. A Paco Cabana is more percussive and Lipelis & Orion Agassi offer two different versions that rework it for the club.
Review: Naming his latest tunes 'Target Practice' and 'Improv', Spanish electro producer Kalcagni is determined to flaunt his care-less, unruffled streak, implying that the production of electro floor-haulage is a cakewalk. After all, the best among us eat bangers for breakfast! The A-siders rattle out like inexhaustible mags, as we hunt down bullet-holed cardboard cutouts of mortal enemies, spied in the reticle. It's only until after such an opening bloodbath that we find a moment to catch our breaths and put on a 'Clean Shirt', where rejuvenative acids resound between roomier beat. Finally, 'Drift N Shift' hears Kalcagni pack in his shift at the shooting range and steal away into a misty, chord-laden night, though the sense of urgency is not lost on us.
Review: Domingo Dark makes his solo vinyl debut as Kaxtelian with an EP that really finds him stretching his legs across a mix of electro, UK hardcore and techno with a smattering of Belgian influences and the authentic sound of Valencia also peeking through. Created between the ghettos of Albacete and Badalona, the release marks a fine new chapter in Dark's career. 'Hardcore Motherfucker' is just that with its blistering drum funk and acid brightness. 'Ghetto Cyberpunkers' has booming low ends and caustic synths and 'Hardcore Boys' is a dense melange of ghoulish vocals and synth intensity that rides a slamming electro-techno rhythm.
Review: Beaming into the future from the 1980s Belgian EBM scene, The Klinik (now reduced to two core members Marc Verhaeghen and Mark Burghgraeve) are a pivotal force. They helped found the underground, all while influencing a generation of EBM artists both locally and internationally. ‘Pain And Pleasure’ was their first blush, first released as an EP on Antler Records in 1986. Now recovered and “album-ified”, it takes on a new form as a full-length LP elongation, retitled Plague & Pain And Pleasure. With a new sado-leathered, plague doctoral, marble vinyl aesthetic, this is an electrifyingly chalky expansion pack taking after the original three-tracker, and which proves again the dark efficacy of their gluttonous, motoric overwhelmer sound, evidenced on the likes of ‘World Domination’, ‘Go Back’ and ‘Outside’.
Review: Lakker's debut release on Love Love Records happens to be the imprint's first vinyl and it melds shrill melancholy with hypnotic techno grooves. It's both captivating enough for home listening, but also primed and ready for DJ deployment. Following their work on Blueprint and Killekill, Lakker retains their intricate sound while intensifying their focus on the grooves with 'LF9' evolving from chaotic rhythms into a powerhouse of clattering percussion, accompanied by haunting pads. On the B-side, 'Deathmask' offers ambient melodies and precise skittering drums that create fragile beauty. 'PRESET Numb' plunges into cold, clinical rhythms with eerie synths, marking a striking new chapter for Lakker.
Review: Antoni Maiovvi flaunts an aerated, sunspotty sound on 'Knights of New Haven', blending Ned West Coast influences and US machine music. 'Later Not Lately' pulses with light kicks and ruffling hi-hats, echoing Chicago house and flavoursome tech trance; Legowelt (Danny Wolfers) reimagines it with serrated snares and a gritty TB-303 bassline. 'Slack Blabbath' weaves staggered synths and sharp percussion, and closer 'The Madness In The Method' swirls static-laced drums around eerire bass, balancing Maiovvi's horror-disco roots with bold house rhythms. This EP is a dark, driving, and grand fusion of electronic styles, veering increasingly crushy and redux-happy. Legowelt's snare is especially oomphy, and the closer's synths especially brooding.
Review: Seven years on from launching his Superluminal label, Matthias cements the journey so far with his very own debut album. Named after the term coined by astronomer Jacobus Kapteyn - used to describe the apparently faster-than-light movement of the ejecta (celestial flotsam) of the nova (exploding star) GK Persei - Superluminal has always drawn on the natural, parallel obsession that unifies the cosmos and dance music. The new record is expansive as such, with 'Underwater Maze' and 'Golem' colliding potent, anodic, reverberative sound design, and 'Fearless Voyager' and 'Sky Nomad' providing a chirpier ambi-acid techno front face.
Review: It's five up for the small but already fine NRV label who welcome Me&MyDog for this one. There is a darkness to their brand of tech that is evident from the off with 'Body Move' with its stark drum hits and twist deadline, all topped with some moody vocal mutterings. 'Moonside' brings kinetic rhythms that have carefully designed percussion sprinkled over the top to bring some looseness. A login bassline keeps things firmly rooted to the floor while 'GR308L (6AM mix)' gets more trippy with some acid modulations and wispy synths all fleshing out the minimal grove.
Review: This reissue brings a sought-after Italo-disco classic back to the dancefloor. Originally released in 1984, it's a timeless anthem with infectious melodies and pulsating rhythms capturing the essence of the era. The reissue features three distinct mixes, each offering a unique flavour. The 'New York - London Mix' is a vibrant and energetic journey, while the 'Free House Mix' takes a more laid-back approach, its hypnotic groove perfect for those hazy after-hours moments. The 'NU Style Mix' injects a contemporary twist, updating the classic sound for modern dancefloors. Whether you're a seasoned Italo-disco aficionado or simply a lover of feel-good dance music, this reissue is a must-have.
Review: This four-tracker from newcomer Nackley has been described by Bordello a Parigi, the label releasing it, as a "bold debut declaration from a rising talent". It's certainly a strong first offering, with opener 'Return of the Gecko' delivering a sparkling, life-affirming blend of thrusting, throbbing Italo-disco bass, drum machine beats, excitable acid motifs and picturesque melodies. Nackley dusts down his TB-303 once more on the all-action, mind-mangling throb of 'Sublime Desolation' - a track that manages to sound both brooding and over-excited - before reaching for breakbeats, memorable piano riffs and spacey electronics on 'Been a Long Time'. To draw down the curtain on a rock-solid EP, Athara and Child Of lend a hand on cheery revivalist Italo-disco/synth-pop jam 'Heartbreaker'.
Los Ninos Del Parque (Bionda E Lupo Neumisch) (7:16)
African Beat (Andrei Rusu dub) (7:46)
Review: Platform 23 platform the Italian 80s avant-garde and anarcho music scene on a fresh 12" compilation, kicking things off with an unreleased cover, by the band Nengue, of Los NiNos Del Parque's electro-pop-wave track 'African Beat'. Amid the political unrest of the Anni di Piombo (Years of Lead) - which saw the autonomist Marxist movement, and backdrops of government-mafiosi collusion, labour strife, and terrorist splinter group formations - underground artists found themselves transducing the radical energy of the time into rapidfire releases, put out through DIY networks. Rome's Nengue embodied this, blending industrial, jazz, and futurist influences. Initially, the release aimed to highlight their Kraftwerk-inspired African Beat, but the discovery of their cover of 'Los NiNos Del Parque', described as "powerful anarchic nonsense", became the focal point. Berlin's Bionda e Lupo contribute a remix, with Sneaker's sharp production and Sano's vocals adding a fresh dimension. Andrei Rusu (Khidja) delivers a deep, dub-heavy reinterpretation of African Beat, perfect for modern dancefloors while honoring its raw origins. A vital document of Italy's underground electronic resistance.
Review: Don't forget to put on your Anorax... A new retro-futuristic outing by veteran dance music exec Neil Rushton marks his latest configuration in techno, which has kept mutant ever since the DJ broke from his infamous, 1970s Northern soul label Inferno. If Inferno was a glittery bodysuit, Anorax is like blast-protective PPE. Here Rushton welcomes Mark Archer and Chris Peat aka Nexus 21 back to the fold. Emissaries of the Salford dance music circuit, Nexus 21 have always harked a frontier-scouring, centennial vibe in sound. Their latest release is reissued from 2008, though the Network Records original only cut it to B-side: 'Self-Hypnosis' is a semiconscious auto-state in sound, bringing jam-born orchestra-stabs and sprung synth toms to a strange brew. We're left spiral-eyed.
Review: Nicole and Troy's latest collaboration sharpens their vision for Cath Records, the Berlin-based label they launched as a home for boundary-pushing techno. Their stripped-back but potent style thrives on precision, drawing from deep club lineage while keeping an eye on the future. 'Out Of Control' is a lean, tunnelling workout, its tension amplified by Z@p, the Uruguayan producer whose percussive, swing-heavy take on techno has earned him a cult following. His remix reshapes the track with a ghostly, skipping momentum. 'Woo Woo' flexes a rubbery, low-end groove, built for peak-time propulsion, while 'Fractals' twists through warped, off-kilter sequencing. A sharp, high-pressure release that reinforces the duo's deft touch.
Review: Serenity is a mental health charity label that is now back with more sonic gold, this time in the form of a reissue of Marco Bernardi aka Octogen's 'The Journeyman' from 2008 on Soma Recordings. It is an immersive, emotive sound with lush and ethereal pads and a moody bassline that keeps you locked. The B-side offers two original tracks from Bernardi 'Travelling to the Sun' is one to hypnotise floors with its hypnotic chimes and raw drums, while 'Little Tiny Crickets' delivers a fast-paced IDM twist with some killer synth work. As always, proceeds go to charity this time Papyrus UK who support youth suicide prevention and MusicSpace.
Review: We really can't find out much info about pdqb but the producer behind the name is said to have gone mad after being possessed by an alien parasite, and his whereabouts are unknown. Synaptic Cliffs however has a bunch of music to release from him starting with this. The tracks "were created with the NCO6.27 for test subjects with brain implants" and the music combines dark, playful techno, electro, industrial, chiptunes, IDM and electronica into moody cuts with a unique energy and clout for the club.
Review: Exarde Records welcome a new pair of engineered shock troops from The Netherlands: pH Project. Many a year spent raving and partystarting informed the basis of this turbulent affair in acid and psych-prog house, which consists in the murmurous 'Obvitrip' and the interstatic 'Intersafe' on the A1, tracks which complement each other's twin fluencies in both the downtrodden and the upbeat. 'Kres' completes the trifecta with a third round in the ring of squelchy, functional festi-house, while Levat's version of 'Thritrakk' casts any predilection or expectation aside with a cascadingly tense electro recto on the B2.
Review: Prince De Takicardie delivers a new four-track set of tachycardial heart-racers as reinforcements to his own Prince's Castle, which is both a label and a proverbial princely citadel. This is also the Barceloni producer's second edition to the powered 'Force Bleu' EP series, matched colourfully by the equally propulsive 'Force Rouge' counterpart, for which there have also been two records so far. Increasing in both pace and intensity, this raw and jammy follow-up reaches its crescendo at the rough 15-minute mark with the hypnotic 'EX-ecute (Execution Mix)', which conclusively yields to mesmeric acid and mystical three-tone entrainments, contrasting the first three track's relative utilitarian sense.
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