New releases last four weeks: Techno (すべて)

Review: Colombian producer JP Lopez aka Verraco delivers full-throttle techno gritted up with grime influences on his new 'Basic Maneuvers' EP for Tra Tra Trax, the label he co-founded. His offbeat, chrome-plated and heavy style has been heard on Blawan's Voam and Batu's Tiemdance before now and here Verraco blends Latin club energy with signature rhythmic invention. The title track drives with mind-melting techno and ragga-infused bass, while 'Total' fuses gqom and dubstep with holographic vocals inspired by Arca. The grime-tinged 'Sobe Sobe' features Ugandan MC Yallah over Orbital-like pads and gritty, Coki-style midrange. Verraco's genre-blurring mastery knows no bounds.

Review: End Of Perception welcomes Italian label head and Acquario resident Viels for a first solo outing that is all about peak time techno with a meditative energy and strong mental imagery. These sounds sit well with those from country peers like Nuel and Donato Dozzy in that they are linear, loopy and full of spectacular sound design. 'Sospiri' is a swampy and dubby sound that is always shapeshifting, 'Movimenti Tellurici' is more intense and sounds like being trapped in a factory during peak production hours and 'Incompleti' has a deep space pulse. 'Destino' pairs thudding hits with synths that encircle you and lock you in the here and now.

Review: Caricia Records launches with a debut release from longtime collaborators and techno-faves VIL and CRAVO, who have been refining their signature sound through years working with the Portuguese Hayes collective. After killer outings on labels like Monnom Black and Klockworks, they deliver a precise yet characterful EP here. Opening track 'So Right' locks you in with rolling percussion and hypnotic vocals, setting a controlled mood. Then '420% FODA' grooves with classic swing and textured loops made for full-body movement. On the B-side, CRAVO's 'Future Detroit' brings a spacious, subtle vibe, while VIL's 'Hard to Find' closes with more unrestrained and mischievous energy. A focused, no-nonsense statement.

Review: Interdance impressed with its first couple of forays onto wax and now its third release packs in more fresh talent from South America's underground. On the A-side, Buenos Aires' Vinz delivers two standout tracks: 'Instinto,' a raw, trance-tinged techno trip straight from 1992, and 'Transradio,' which is a cinematic journey with pounding drums and acidic synth lines burrowing deep. Flip to the B-side for Uruguayan producer Juan Dairecshion's deeper, more hypnotic sound on 'Rebel Rebel,' which rides a steady four-on-the-floor pulse, while 'UR Love' dives into murky, Detroit-inspired territory with eerie vocals and twisted melodies inspired by the group name-checked in the title. A bold, mind-bending four-tracker built for serious late-night floors.

Review: SEXYRECS is back for round two with a selection of technoists all charged with firing up the floor. VNTM's 'May I' opens with booming kicks and unsettling tension. Jerm's 'Scar Tissue' is more in your face with ragged rhythms and lurking low ends that flow through the mix. Obscure Shape taps into his signature scintillating loop sound which is designed to suspend you just above the ground on 'What Connects Us?'. Last of all, Valentina Miceli ups the intensity with 'Fact One', which marries the urgency of early Jeff Mills with the low-end throb of Skudge. Four well-tooled weapons.

Review: Dutchman David Vunk returns to his Moustache label with the Backdoor EP, which is a powerhouse concoction of electro, EBM, acid and techno in true bunker style. The 12" features gritty, all analogue-produced cuts like the hefty 'Purple Light,' more bright and melodic stomper that is 'K2' and gurgling, swampy, depraved 'Tornado Acid'. 'Stop the Insanity' is a crackerjack of pinging toms and rickety drum machines backlit with synth warmth, all crafted in his basement studio by the harbour and mastered by the master, Alden Tyrell. These are sounds that are ready to storm speakers but do so with plenty of narrative and emotional nuance.

Review: Guess who's back and peeking out of the shadows with more warehouse-ready and deadlines than ever techno? Chicago's Beau Wanzer, that's who, and this is another wonderfully unhinged release on his self-run label. Grimy, raw and as off-kilter as ever, this is wigged out techno for freaks and misfits. His twisted machine funk brings industrial grit and lo-fi crunch across a series of no-frills weapons. The opener is as unsettling as it is irresistible. 'Rhythm Track 46b' is ramshackle and grubby, 'Trial Of The Decade' is a swampy prowler, 'Excellent Exaggerator' is metal being fed into a meat grinder and 'Better Judgement' is a depraved beatdown. 'Crunch Bunch' is the best of the lot with its analogue drums, hissing leads and coruscated pads.

Review: Rene Wise returns to Dustin Zahn's Enemy Records with a potent follow-up to his 2022 debut 'Jungle House'. This EP delivers four hypnotic, heads-down techno cuts in his trademark style. The A-side leans into minimalism with 'Anxiety' and 'Insomnia' both bringing stripped-back, tripped-out moods that are built from subtle textures, deep grooves and eerie synth work. On the B-side, Rene ventures into more experimental territory while retaining the moody essence. 'Sakar' builds tension with a constantly evolving synth line, while 'Cutting Thick' brings percussive flair and staccato basslines for the release's most rhythmic, funk-infused moment.