Back catalogue: Techno (すべて)

Review: High-octane experimental trance via freetek via hardcore from Hamburg collective Phantasia, with an absolutely flooring, walloping debut release. The fact that four different artists might each bring their own mood to the table and yet hear their respective sounds unified bespeaks the brilliant mastering job held down here: Dolomea's 'Augural' and Rupert Marnie's 'Elastic Thoughts' commit to a mutual sonic trustfall, one seeming to writhe about in rhythmically unpredictable fashion through pressure-cooked, rubber-ballistic acids, and the other rootling its 4x4 kick snout into floors down under. The B-side goes electro, culminating on the brilliant brainwash by Finona Rider, 'The Impact', a track haunted by the voice in its own head.

Review: Robert Drewek vs Tomie Nevada's 'Time 4 More' EP was originally released on Unleash Records in 2005. Nine years on and Rawax are reissuing it on black wax and the tunes sound as good as ever. 'While He's Away' is a slick blend of garage-infused house drums and warm synth pulses with catchy vocal samples that bring a hint of old school. On the flip is 'Down With the Bass' which flips the script with a stripped back and militant but silky groove, dubby pads and a head's down vibe that really hypnotises.

Review: Yay Recordings closes out another solid 12 months with a various artists' EP that showcases right where the label is at. Heavy Mental kicks off with 'Dabro', a colourful and loopy house jaunt for sunny days. Twowi's 'Metaverse' takes off to the cosmos on lithe electro rhythms with ice-cold beats and widescreen pads. Parchi Pubblici & Lucretio's 'Aladdin Sane' brings some wonky deep tech vibes with of-balance drums and muffled spoken words and Rinaldo Makaj closes down with a fresh party sound perfect for cosy floors. There's plenty of variety here, which makes this a great addition to your bag.

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: 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: Kulture Galerie is back with more wax and the third time proves a charm here with Doc Sleep, Rambal Cochet, The Jaffa Kid, Mesmerist, Jack Bags and Undsidedly all coming correct under the stewardship of label head Filippo MSM of Metropolitan Soul Museum. Cochet kicks off with some trance-infused prog techno, Doc Sleep offers jacked-up and analogue house, there is lithe cosmic tech from The Jaffa Kid and twisted machine sounds from Jack Bags, while Undsidedly's dreamy electro and The Mesmerist's peak time synth techno close down in style.

Review: CULTED return in trademark force with five wild psych-bangers from luminaries Simple Symmetry, Thomass Jackson, Orchid, Ayala, and Multi Culti boss Thomas Von Party teamed up with Oltrefuturo. A sense of weirdness exudes from these tunes, refusing the common pitfalls of twee chord progressions or underproduction hidden behind rawness; these ones are as high-qual, watery, poured-over as can be, yet also bring with them a real sense of exploration and eccentricity of mood. The utmost case in point is Thomas Van Party & Oltrefuturo's 'Kookoo', a chugging machine-elven carnival of doffed conical hats and gated cute vocals.

Review: Banging electrobass from Spain's Masa Series, mooting six of their roster artists for an incendiary exercise in grit and vibrancy. Having already invited a slew of artists for individual releases, the Cluster series here aims more at collectivity. All the tracks here nail the label's signature smushing of heavily heat-glued sound, moving between everything from electro to breaks, landing somewhere in the synaesthetic register of an earthen sonic purply-brown. The highlight here, though, has to be Anna Kost's 'Conjunction', which breaks this general rule through a fast dubstep-ish 150BPM exploration in nervous respiratory pad design and glance-off percs, making for a bracing potential set intro.

Review: Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain, the masterminds behind Future Sound of London, return with The Pulse EP Vol 3, a reissue of their classic work under various aliases on the Jumpin' & Pumpin' label. This highly anticipated 12" features tracks that showcase their 90s techno brilliance. Side-1 opens with Smart Systems' 'Tingler' (Four By Four mix), a dark, sinister track that channels Beltram's 'hover' sound into a hardcore rave anthem. Indo Tribe's 'Owl' (I Can See You mix) follows, hailed by fans as one of the greatest breakbeat hardcore tracks ever made, a retro-classic loaded with chunky, energetic beats and an unforgettable sample. Side-2 kicks off with Indo Tribe's 'Bite The Bullet Baby' (Jacques Reynoix mix), another gem that blends early 90s rave energy with a unique edge. The real highlight, however, is Yage's 'Calcium' (Elementary mix), which first appeared on Future Sound of London's Accelerator album. Even today, it sounds transcendental and timeless, its melodic piano lines and otherworldly ambiance continuing to win over listeners. This EP is a vital piece of underground rave history and an essential listen for fans of early techno and breakbeat hardcore.

Review: Three South American artists - SV3, Trajano, Sebastian - converge alongside French maestro TC-80 on a new, gung-ho vinyl release from Coqueto. Reflecting a para-militant mood, from 'Armament Belico' to 'Hipnosis Global', hi-tech metanoia is balanced with a crude militancy here, reflecting an aggressive permutation of trance. Closer 'Desapariciones' (from Spanish, "disappearances"), we round out on a scathing but ghostly judgment call, with gasping transitions and tanky poundings.

Review: Impressive debut business from Egyptian producer and DJ Taher, with 'Rival Conga'. Debuting on the nascent and bawdy breakbeat outfit Geeza Records, Taher demonstrates the best of his abilities and agilities here. The fast pace of 'Rival Conga' doesn't just establish a heavy, fun-loving performative and creative attitude, but also nods subtly towards Taher's foothold in the live electronica circuit, through which he performs most of these tracks on the fly. Best of the bunch has to be the weirdo's modu-twiddler 'Pogo Slick', which launches outwards and outstrips the EP's acid midpoint for a tense but still cathartic, chorded uprising.

Review: While she's been making moves as a club DJ in recent times, Paula Tape has not released a record since 2021. This EP, whose title doffs a cap to her Chilean roots, is therefore well overdue. It's rather good too, as proven by opener 'Acid Latino (Sonido Real)', where distinctively South American melodies, TB-303 tweaks and echo-laden spoken word snippets rise above a bold acid house bassline, tough beats and layered percussion. 'Feel 2 Real' sees our hero reach for sparkling house pianos, deep bass, sharper acid lines and spacey synths, while 'De2 Locura' is warmer, heavier and more melodically complex. To round off a fine EP, she joins forces with Caravan for the sax-laden South American house excellence of 'Ibis', a track as percussively intense as it is sonically seductive and sub-heavy.

Review: Thoughtforms' Blue EP features three tracks that combine forward-thinking techno with dancefloor appeal, creating a unique balance between deep thinking techno and ones that move your feet. Side-1 begins with 'E-blue,' a techno track infused with elements of Italo house and an 80s sound. Its futuristic vibe and movie soundtrack feel set an imaginative tone. On Side-2, 'Phantom' introduces alien sounds with a haunting and dark atmosphere, enveloping listeners in its eerie ambiance. The EP concludes with 'Stomper,' an electro track that is both futuristic and otherworldly, delivering dramatic flair. Blue by Thoughtforms stands out for its innovative approach to techno, blending retro influences with a modern edge. Each track on here demands your attention.

Review: Nicolai Toma is back on Subject To Restrictions Discs with some more arresting excellence. 'Phase Binder feat. Zorimira' delivers a blend of organic synth waves and acid textures that showcases Toma's evolution/ The three tracks are built on fine beats ranging from downtempo grooves to acid-infused anthems and pop-tinged house hits. Zorimira enhances the sounds with her unique vocals and lyrics, which though reminiscent of samples, are in fact originals. Adding to the collection, Swedish producer Vesto Comodo offers a remix to enrich the EP with his distinct touch.

Review: Captain Barbatus D. Wreckords' journey started on the label's first release and carries on with aplomb in Episode 2, "where the pirate sails through The New World." In this sophomore outing, the mystery of the 'Void Century' unfolds and is brought to life through the sound of two seasoned Neapolitan sailors, Luigi and Andrea, aka Two Opposites. They infuse the tale with Italian romanticism by blending trance-infused electro with haunting sirens and secret government whispers. In short, this is a nice storytelling EP of well-designed electro.

Review: Passing Currents aims to stand out from the predictable by offering a deeply human touch in its music. This five-tracker backs that up by melding academic expertise with dancefloor intuition and the A-side features txted by Phil Moffa remixed by Yamaha DSP coder okpk after they met during doctoral studies, they flip technical mastery into bass-driven energy while Atrevido' fuses California warmth with analogue electro, Josh Dahlberg's rediscovered 2009 electro gem, 'Ass On The Floor', still bangs and Detroit's Kevin Reynolds delivers hypnotic grooves before Hazmat Live pushes boundaries with a sound rooted in soulful, experimental innovation.

Review: Synth-pop, cold wave, dark wave, EBM, future pop. Whatever label you want to give Joyland, the second studio album from Canadian electronic music project TR/ST, one truth is undeniable - this is unashamedly overt and unapologetically futurist in sound, and the tracks big enough to fill a main stage and then some. Opening on 'Slightly Floating', a rare moment of calm before the storm, once second tune 'Geryon' drops it's game over in many ways. You're in, and there's no way out. That said, it's not all rave horn synths and bounding kicks drums. 'Are We Arc' is as weird, trippy and opiate as they come, like the twisted fever dream of a cabaret duet. Or something similar. 'Four Gut' is a wobbly tech-hued workout, and the title track probably owes as much to hardcore as anything else.