Review: An electrifying journey through relentless acid and high-energy techno as Acid Asian goes in hard. The title track, 'Deep Soul', sets the pace with a fierce acid trance vibe, pulling listeners into its hypnotic rhythm. 'Space Colors' escalates the energy with epic, pounding euphoric trance, creating a sweeping sense of exhilaration. Side-2 kicks off with 'Ain't Nobody Like Us', a hardcore techno banger that's percussive, catchy and impossible to ignore. Closing with 'Humans', the EP dives into heavy, intense techno, wrapping up with a powerful and gritty finish. From start to finish, a high-octane, genre-blending ride that masterfully mixes acid, trance and techno, creating a standout release for those who like their beats pulsating and energetic.
Review: Re:discovery has got a superbly illusive reissue eon its hands here with 1993's Clouds Over Europe EP from Aquarian Atmosphere, 39626 and Unit 2. It is a cosmic deep tendon voyage that tingles all of your sense as you ride on the gloriously serene synths of opener 'White Clouds'. It is one of the three tunes from Aquarian Atmosphere, the others being 'Floating On Boyne' a dreamy downtempo number that leaves you gazing at the stars and also 'Rhiannon', a thinking melodic masterpiece. 39626' 'Elixir Of Life' is an intense mix of synth modulations and minimal rhythm and Unit 21s' 'Clubtraxx' (Movement 1 - unreleased version) is pure Detroit techno goodness.
Review: Paul Mahoux's BuLu was a groundbreaking project when it was originally released 30 years ago on the French label Virtual. The Parisian, who is now based in Okinawa, crafted 'Silicon-Shepherd' and 'Senegalese-Sharpshooter' as defining tracks of the early trance scene and both of them transcended techno and house boundaries in all new ways. Side A features chopped vocals, trippy synths and M1 slap bass for some peak-time euphoria with a mind-expanding edge. On the flip, things slow down with a mix of traditional instruments and mystical choirs for a meditative journey. Remixes round out this great revising of a 90s free-spirited sound.
Review: Two techno knights in shining armour, Joseph Capriati and Indira Paganotto, rise to a collaborative challenge on their latest split vinyl single. Brought to their resident Artcore Records, 'Ananda' and 'Mantra' are spiritually intoned yet no less hard psy-tech towerers. Paganotto is said to have laid down the exotic vocal chops on 'Ananda' directly and the final product hears these laced through a blossoming, emu-synth rising action and a stuttering pre-drop. Perfect fits for the larger club or festival stage, these twin tracks work the careful balance of grave and utopian sound.
Before We Drown (Chris Avantgarde extended remix) (5:43)
Before We Drown (AC Wet remix) (3:59)
People Are Good (Indira Paganotto Psy remix) (9:29)
People Are Good (AC Fool remix) (6:45)
Review: The fifth edition of Depeche Mode's Memento Mori white label remixes series hears four new remixes added to the post-hoc vinyl selection, offered to the world after the release of the synthpop pioneers' most recent eponymous album. Beginning with the demure atmospherics of Chris Avantgarde's 'Before We Drown', then into two propulsive, audio-brut experimental downtempo versions by AC, but not before a brilliant pystrance B1 by Indira Paganotto, which makes for a squarely sagacious sendoff.
Review: Travel back to the golden era of electronic music with The Eyes of Goa, the latest release from the Danceopolis planetary system, capturing the essence of early 90s Goa trance while adding a modern twist. This EP pays tribute to the iconic sounds that defined the era, blending hypnotic rhythms with contemporary production to create a hybrid sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh. It's a perfect homage to the spirit and energy of Goa, transporting listeners to all-night dance floors and immersing them in a timeless trance journey reimagined for today's audiences.
Review: Where dub and ambient house meets tense techno, Sascha Funk has us covered. The prolific Berlin DJ and producer has here created a monument to a nearly lost cultural artefact: the Germina Speeder, the only skateboard made in East Germany before reunification in 1986. Known for their unwieldy quality - likely the result of technical limitations faced by the chocolate factory improperly tasked with making them - the title track on this record rolls much more smoothly than the Speeder, its trucks comparatively loosened and boardside waxed. But most skateboards out there would likely pair well with this glorious, wind-in-your-hair dance EP; 'Bo Knows' and 'Master Mind' are easy-rolling, manual cascaders of equal calibre.
Review: Shout out to Greek powerhouse Kinesthetik Recordings for making it all the way to a half a century of releases there. They celebrate in the best way they know - with more tranced-out sounds from artists in their orbit. Giorgio & Andreas open things up with 'Nice One' and its thudding tech drums and cosmic synth lines. Diskinesia gets much more raw and moody with the edgy drums of 'Back & Forth' and Interphase then drops a pair of industrial tech thumpers. Giorgio & Andreas reappear with a raw, roughshod and deep groove and Marcelino Sanchez's 'Motive One' offers dub techno to close.
Review: In 1997, the Spanish CD compilation Calambre Techno featured a track called Utopia, created by the electronic duo INTRO, which was brothers Francisco and Nacho Sotomayor. Originally released in 1994 as part of an EP, the track is a simple yet perfect techno-trance anthem that is retro-psychedelic but ahead of its time. Now, UFC reissues this classic on vinyl accompanied by new remixes. The MFA's '94 On The Floor Remix' blends IDM and experimentalism while Promising/Youngster's 'Electric Shock Remix' fuses powerful electro with IDM. Brassica's 'Psytalo Remix' mixes techno, breaks and psychedelia, and R.I.P. Bestia's 'FutureCosmicalAscension Mix' leads to euphoric heights.
Review: Carl Hardy's Animals on Psychedelics label doesn't rush things. It has put out a small number of relays over several years but each one is a classic. Swiss-Tunisian producer Ish is behind this next one and offers three mind melting jams. The epic adventure that is 'The Mind Is A Labyrinth' opens with sci-fi samples and warped basslines, trippy arps and silky pads that leave long tails in their wake. 'Humans & Robots' hits harder with hunched, thudding drum and more tightly looped synth phrases and 'Timewalk' has broken beats and swilling astral synths for mind, body and soul.
Review: Nina Kraviz has approached her latest single 'Tarde' with cogent flair, issuing several vinyl remix sets to divvy up and complement a full ten-track digital compilation, made up of a star cast of remixes by major artists. On another 12", Kraviz shortens the full ten tracks to a short selection. The tense, and hummingly fun, original track 'Tarde', released earlier this year, is heard in full effect on this record's B-side, coming complemented by Melchior Productions' phattened 'Late Mix' in the vein of flickering tech house. The A-side is taken up meanwhile by veteran endurance DJ Ricardo Villalobos, whose version of 'Tarde' doesn't care a hoot about tardiness less than it does bask in it, slowly unveiling a clockwork mechanism of spitting schematic beats and tastefully placed vocal shouts from Nina's original acapella.
Review: Indira Paganotto is one of the biggest stars of the new school scene. The Spanish artist has had a massive couple of years and is currently curating her own room at Amnesia in Ibiza. It is there she can showcase her dark, driving blend of trance, techno, Goa-inspired euphoria and plenty of hardness in between. This new EP also encapsulates all that with its Indian vocals and hyperdrive drums all run through with sweeping filters, plenty of mad FX and exotic sound sources that will no doubt send the younger, more wide-eyed ravers out there utterly mental.
Review: Snippets Music is an emerging Russian label doing more and more to carve out its own niche in the world of trance, prog and Goa sounds. Rambal Cochet kicks off this one with some big-ass beats, tribal synth work and celestial chords to expand the mind. Dylan Forbes remixes into a more deep, spiritual prog-trance sound and 'Sasha The Explorer' then brings undulating, rubbery bass and modulated synth sounds that call to mind early era Sasha and Digweed work. 'Trancemental' shuts down with a darker sound that has all manner of synths spraying about the mix over phased bassline action.
Review: The Diffraction EP on Polychrome Audio Records is a journey through diverse techno and house sounds, crafted for dark, intense dancefloors. On the Side-1, Hong Kong's Xiaolin opens the EP with 'Yonggum,' a progressive house track that sets an ambitious tone with its flamboyant and dynamic beats. Following is Barcelona's Iro Aka with 'Psy Sights,' a hypnotic techno cut that deepens the mood with its driving rhythm and introspective groove. On Side-2, it features Lyon's Desire with 'Psy Against Men's Tears,' an electrifying psy-infused track that blends pounding beats with ethereal melodies. Dublin's Dylan Forbes wraps up the EP with 'In Tongues,' a progressive anthem that delivers a burst of energetic rhythms and vibrant energy, perfect for lighting up any floor. Diffraction EP is a wide range of influences and sounds for those looking for adventurous techno.
Review: Sama' Abdulhadi is a DJ who very proudly represents her Palestinian roots and is the first artist from her homeland to break out onto the international stage. She has a passion for sound design and has famously been arrested and jailed for eight days for desecrating a religious site when she played a set, with permission, at Nabi Musa. Her entry into the legendary fabric series is a doozy with emotive techno and cavernous deep house from the likes of Michael Klein, Carbon & Peter Groskreutz and Acid Arab as well as her own cut 'Well Fee' (feat Walaa Sbait).
Review: Juno Reactor's 2004 album Labyrinth makes its vinyl debut, presented on double 140g black vinyl. This sixth studio album from Ben Watkins, a key innovator in electronic music, melds orchestral, industrial, and techno elements with the band's signature tribal sound, exemplified in tracks like 'Conquistador II.' Labyrinth also includes two collaborations with Don Davis from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions: 'Mona Lisa Overdrive' and 'Navras.' While Labyrinth represents a departure from the psy-trance roots of its predecessor Shango, leaning more towards dark d&b influences, its intricate detailsiespecially in percussion and Latin guitar elementsireveal themselves after multiple listens. The album is a distinctive listening experience, enhanced by Juno Reactor's unique fusion of electronic and global sounds. For fans of dark, immersive dance music and live percussion, this vinyl release provides a rich, sonic journey through Watkins' experimental vision.
Review: On Rotation label regular Lisene makes an impressive album debut here with his Science Friction long player which is a tribute to the psychedelic prog-trance sound he helped pioneer. Crafted with meticulous attention over several years, the album seamlessly transitions between diverse moods and grooves while showcasing Lisene's unique production style. It features club-ready tracks and bass-heavy electro perfect for DJs alongside expansive, slow-motion soundscapes for home listeners. Lisene describes it as a 15-year journey that captures his musical evolution and future vision. With its rich, cinematic flair, this one is a doozy.
Review: British psy-trance oddity Sphongle have been traversing the highways and byways of transcendental music culture since the late 90s, and they remain as adored within the scene as ever. Their third album, Nothing Lasts - But Nothing Is Lost is considered one of their great opuses - a twisting and turning fever dream of exotic passages, mind-warping synthesis and lysergic grooves from the studios and brains of Simon Posford and Raja Ram. Split into 20 tracks, but supposedly formed of eight phases in a cohesive dream sequence, it's the ultimate trip, and it's finally getting a repress on vinyl via Posford's legendary Twisted Records, one of the true bastions of psy-trance culture.
Review: What goes around, comes around, at least when it comes to dance music culture. The rise in new productions informed by early psy-trance and hallucinatory ambient techno jams has led to a swathe of reissues of long-forgotten releases from the 1990s. Here's another, and a chance to cop London outfit Shpongle's 1998 debut album, Are You Shpongled. As an LP, it's very much of its time, with the pair brilliantly blurring the boundaries between spacey ambient, dub, chill out room-ready downtempo grooves, intergalactic-sounding drum & bass, flute-sporting soundscapes and the kind of bustling rhythms and shroom-fuelled electronics that were once the preserve of new age travellers in brightly coloured trousers and slightly damp woolly hats.
The Aquatic Garden Of Extra-celestial Delights (11:40)
Juggling Molecules (9:16)
Further Adventures In Shpongleland (6:15)
The Epiphany Of Mrs Kugla (6:37)
Ticking The Amygdala (8:35)
Review: Sphongle continue to gift their fans with these exquisite reissues of their illustrious catalogue, catching up to more recent times with the richly dynamic sound of Museum Of Consciousness. This 2013 epic leant in on every dimension of Simon Ponsford and Raja Ram's sound, at once bristling with kinetic electronica energy while keeping their much-loved mysticism front and centre. It's a trip, like a Sphongle album should be, but it's also got a certain bite which more than stands up to the rigours of the modern dancefloor. One of the group's great skills has been in moving with the times while staying true to a certain deep-rooted, festival-friendly playfulness. Grab a slice of cosmic delight, freshly remastered for your brain to happily feast on.
Review: Cubic Space by SYT is a highly sought album from UK's mid-90s underground trance/rave scene, originally released on the Magick Eye Records, the label co-founded by Swordfish from Astralasia. With SYT short for "shave yer tongue" - don't ask us, we don't know - Cubic Space amounted to the only record outputted by the pseudonym, yet still went on to charm club-goers, owing to its unique trance sound-sources not available to the average high street shopper, and its many sprouting tangents through futuro-"tribal" sounds, dashing any concerns over tempo regulation or idiosyncrasy in the process; an ill a fellow artist might suffer from. Club numbers like 'Eclipse' and 'Global Drift' are torrential enough; it's the filterpassed breakbeats of the likes of 'Nu Dawn', and the punctiform, recherche sound design of 'Lost Cargo' that really get us moving.
Axel F - "Geronimo" (Special instrumental mix) (6:52)
Review: Continuing the research project started last year, Sound Metaphors, Transmigration, and historian Ray Castle present an in-depth analysis of the dancefloor scene in Goa during the 80s and early 90s, before trance became a mainstream genre. This tropical underground haven thrived on unique aesthetics, with dedicated collectors and DJs curating the finest "special goa music" from the era's emerging electronic tracks. This compilation features impactful new beat, proto-techno, early progressive, trance, industrial, EBM and house music tracks, accompanied by event photographs in a double LP gatefold with a poster and liner notes by Ray Castle. Re-mastered in Berlin, it's an essential addition to any record collection.
Review: The twin 'electronic' album to the supposedly 'acoustic' album that came before, Vaccine Electronic is Younger Brother's eight-track compendium of electronic versions of the 2011 album 'Vaccine', released three years later. Packed with may a psytrance meltdown and crystalline glitch-freaks - as if our ears had just been injected with a new experimental psilocyboid - choice tracks such as 'Night Led Me Astray Electronic' lay especial claim to Posford and Vaughan's mammoth production skill, in contrast to their matchable songwriting ability as defined on the earlier album.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.