Review: There is no messing when it comes to the techno served up by Umwelt's essential Rave Or Die. Over the course of 14 previous EPs the label has dropped rib-rattling, brain boggling bangers aimed squarely at the floor. This time out the boss himself steps up with Ancient Methods with each providing one solo track. This one comes on limited 10" picture disc so is an extra special one to add to the collection Ancient Methods's 'Accept Light' is a harshly textured industrial banger and Umwelt's 'Shades of Security' is just as caustic and hard edged.
Review: There is a reason Mark Broom is still so revered in techno circles after all these years. He has a knack for sound design and crafting such powerful kicks that his tunes are always irresistible to both DJs and dancers. He offers up two more high grade weapons here for the second release on Beard Man. First is the maximal minimalism of the bendy 'Loop 132' with its glitchy hits and undulating synths, then comes the more driving and uplifting dub techno banger 'Loop 131.' The titles of these tunes make you wonder just how many of these this man has sitting on his computer ready to go.
Review: Mutual Rytm deals in proper techno that does the basics well and doesn't worry about modern fads. 'Surface' is the standout here - it has brilliantly bubbly synths rippling in sync with the hunched drums and bold bass notes. It works perfectly on both head and body and so does 'Blush' though with a more sleek, straight-ahead groove and minimal percussion over the echoing claps. 'Grainy' shuts down with another stylish techno bent and confirms Dold to be a vital voice in the current underground.
Review: Acquit is a super under-the-radar label that has been making some great moves in recent times. DX 9's 'Incoming Signal' is further proof of that. It's a Detroit-referencing techno outing with the sort of chord work that gets you lost deep in through while the bulky drums lock you into an intergalactic trip. The G-Prod remix brings prickly and kinetic electro beats, while the Taho remix is awash with celestial synth work and cosmic melody. 'Decoded Signal 1' is a final original that has more kick and but still plenty of machine soul. This sweet 10" is limited to 200 copies so move fast.
Review: Greyscale unveils its latest endeavour, the Spectrum Series, as a way to continue to evolve its offerings and this time it is with something that makes a vibrant departure from its traditional black-and-white aesthetic. The inaugural release features the iconic Lithuanian dub track 'Kasdienybes Sventykla' by grad_u & Eazystyle MC as a way of commemorating its 15th anniversary. It came as a double CD in 2011 but now gets a first vinyl pressing on a nice 10" slab of wax. The track itself taps into the earliest roots of dub in the 70s and traces a line through the 80s with its heavyweight drums and endlessly echoing bass topped by great mic work. A pared-back instrumental features on the flip of this latest crucial drop from the dub dons at Greyscale
Review: Entrancing deep techno from Bristol's Moth Club, embracing the umbral charge of longtime producer How Do, a recent populariser of the sound. 'Void' and its '128 Version' carry an essence of the original dub techno sound and its emphasis on atmosphere, though there are fewer percussive knocks or scrapes here; the track is more a sustained tonic glom of energy, and alludes cleverly, preconsciously, to the more UK-bass informed B-side, with its echoic vocals almost barely perceptible as such until we flip the record over.
Review: Karachi-born, Toronto-based Measure Divide steps up for a first full EP on Mutual Rytm X here after having become known for reviving Toronto's techno scene through his FORMAT parties. Measure Divide has crafted a distinctive sound in that time which collides techno with innovative breaks and modular experimentation. Drawing from his experience in sound design and film scoring, this playful release departs from his usual serious tones by offering adventurous DJs and listeners a vibrant, chaotic journey through tracks like 'Wormy Wonderland' and 'Eeeeeermmmm' which mix unconventional percussive sounds, twisted synths, and caustic rhythms into real bangers.
Review: There are plenty of electro overtones to the brain of techno that Savtsenko kicks out here for his latest on Kinetic. 'Auto Pilot; is a raw, textural banger with corrugated basslines surging to the stars. 'Come Again' has hammering kicks and more slinky baselines this time with raw punk energy and 'Seductionizer' also brings great texture and a rather hellish vocal edge to slamming electro-techno low ends. There is no let up on 'Detox' with its slithering synth gurgles. A vivid and vicious EP, for sure.
Review: The third Trip release features extended acid narratives from SOUR, the mastermind behind Florence's Warehouse303 club. The producer invites you into his hard-hitting and 90s-referencing acid odyssey from the off, with 'Six Times Three' weaving intricate basslines, deep distortions, and mesmerising synths into something that hammers home the groove but is never austere. After that dancefloor delight, "Mainframe' delves deeper into trippy realms with more warped acid, subdued rhythms and fizzing synth textures. It's a superb exercise in making a maximal impact from minimal elements and is one that we thoroughly recommend.
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