New releases today: Techno (すべて)

Review: By the time they released Raumgleiter in 1998, Der Dritte Raum were already legends of the German techno-trance scene. This all-time classic album from the breakthrough years of the sound also saw the project move to a major label - Virgin - but now it's being brought back home to Harthouse, the iconic Frankfurt imprint which first nurtured the sound. The scope of the album is wide and playful, teasing ear catching synth lines which keep the mood fun and freaky, not least on the likes of 'Bedruck', while there's an epic tone to standout trance monster 'Hale Bopp' thanks to the cascading arps and relentless forwards thrust. Of its time but wholly relevant in the current zeitgeist, this is the kind of 90s techno reissue that makes perfect sense.

Review: The much loved llian crew reverts to its Skee Series here and serves up more magic from Skee Mask aka Munich mainstay Bryan Muller. He has roasted pretty exclusively here and never fails to innovate with each new drop. This one again hits the mark across seven elastic techno cuts that are underpinned by lovely dub weight and propelled by tight, pinging kicks. 'Dachtekker' is lit up with hi-tek soul synths straight from Detroit, 'Double Standard' is deliciously deep and driving with swirling pads smeared around up top and 'Small Stone S700' manages to pair soul-drenched chords full of subtle joy with kinetic drum programming that makes you want to move. Superb.