New releases last four weeks: Techno (すべて)

Review: Formed in 1992 in Cheltenham by vocalist Mark Diston and DJ Curtis Lewis, Bass Cadets were always ahead of their time. Their sound was a collage of electronic, breakbeat and experimental sounds with a fierce DIY attitude, and this long-lost 4-track EP captures that raw, genre-defying spirit in full force. Now, finally pressed to vinyl for the first time via Relic, it takes in the sleek urgency of 'Feeline', ambient pads of 'Dealay' and kinetic trance techno tribalism of 'Nuclear Starfish'. With tracks that still sound fresh nearly three decades later, this is a perfect time capsule of early 90s innovation

Review: Mutual Response first appeared with its inaugural release back in 2023, so this second one has been a long time in the making. It's the Brit-based Dockett Eddy who runs the Turnend Tapes label who steps up and brings some invention to four tracks of deeply atmospheric techno. 'Monofly' has modulated synth bleeps and squeaks and smeared pads, making it a trippy and futuristic sound, while 'Delayed Response' is slow, heavy and marbled with sombre, downcast chords that make it an introspective delight. '00:04' has a lithe, jittery rhythm with eerie pad swirls up top and 'Tapeline' brings a bit of late-night urban grit and cosmic eeriness. It's a moody EP, this, but one that is always intriguing and inviting.

Review: Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Sofia Records distils its now well-honed sonic spirit into a powerful EP that pairs the veteran pBPM crew and rising talent Impe?rieux. Prolific Bulgarian synth wizard KiNK leads with 'Let The Bass Kink,' a raw, kinetic dancefloor banger, and KEi follows with the emotionally charged, hypnotic 'Killing God Theme,' while Tegav, which is an alias of pBPM founder Kalin Baychev, delivers 'Stomper,' a percussive and edgy groove. Impe?rieux closes the EP with 'Jarka,' a playful leftfield track pushing dance boundaries with a blend of legacy and innovation. Now a decade strong, Sofia Records marks this milestone by looking boldly ahead.

Review: Two standout tracks from Priori's This But More get a stripped, emotional rework from Loidis, which is of course the introspective alias of Brian Leeds aka Huerco S. and Pendant who is known for his minimal, textured approach. Here, Loidis stretches the originals into hypnotic, slow-burning explorations. The rhythms remain intact but feel deeper, warmer, like echoes from a distant rave. It's dancefloor music in slow motion: eyes closed, head lost in the groove. These extended versions don't just remix, they reimagine while blurring lines between ambient and club, motion and stillness. It's a compelling fusion of restraint and rhythm, perfect for late nights and deep-listening sessions alike.

Review: With Pattern Gardening, London-after-Leeds imprint Wisdom Teeth yank out an extra gnasher we didn't know we had. As has always been the case, label heads Facta and K-Lone could be said to have curated and curetted a new compilation from the joint dentist's chair, exacting a 22-track root canal with periodontal precision, nearly doubling the size of their V/A ambit since 2024's Club Moss. But on this selective six-track sampler for wax, we've only a further sanding down of a much larger minimal, micro and tech house selection; here's gummy textures and maxillary moods by Polygonia, rRoxymore, Lurka, Sub Basics, and newcomer Jichael Mackson. Clarity and sound design are top priorities, as is the ideal of whitened teeth flashed by the poolside. Snappy, Rhodesy, watery.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: As Soul Capsule, Baby Ford and Thomas Melchior made some of minimal techno's most accomplished records. It has been many years since they stopped turning out new material - sadly - but their archive tracks are still in hot demand and undeniably relevant. While 1999's 'Lady Science' might be their most famous offering, this EP from 2001 on Aspect Music is no less vital and it will currently cost you well over L250 on second-hand markets. It is Ford's Trelik label who reissues it here in all its glory: the entirety of the a-side is taken up with 'Law Of Grace,' a delightfully deep and breezy minimal dub house roller with pensive chords draped over the frictionless drums. 'Meltdown' has a more experimental feel with brushed metal drums beneath a wordless vocal musing. The cult 'Lady Science' (Tek Mix) is also inched with the whole package being remastered by D&M to make this one utterly essential.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: It's reissue time for one of the most in demand records from the Trelik catalogue, featuring Baby Ford and Thomas Melchior under their Sunpeople alias. The flip side's opening track 'Check Your Buddah' is probably the best known of the four tracks here, with its spacious echoes, mantra-like voices and heads down beats, but there's plenty to be said for the other three. 'Lovers Eyes' is an equally dubby techno affair, but pinned down by sturdy, infectious beats, 'Sungods Wedding' is blessed with churning, warm bass action and just a smidge of cowbell and 'Make It Right' is properly hypnotic 3am gear that's a dream to mix and draws in the listener with its imperceptible builds and three note bleep magic. Worship the Sun!