Back in stock: Trance

Review: Techno sorcerer Stephan Bodzin returns with his latest LP. In the last year, he glanced over unfinished material in his musical archive, and while spending time in Brazil, he selected 17 favourites and completed them to present on this album titled Boavista. With the aim of painting 'musical pictures that conjure up very real emotions in the listener', it features the typical style of dancefloor drama you have come to expect from the German producer such as the saucer-eyed epic 'Lil', or the strobe-lit rush of 'Astronautin' to the oncoming sunset euphoria of 'Nothing Like You' (feat Luna Semara) and the bittersweet affair River' towards the end.

Review: Sex Tapes From Mars come back a year after their last EP with a third one on the small but well-formed label and this one is handed over to Jata. Opener Stutter '(I)' is pure funky techno and mind altering cosmic synth work for the peak time. It's a bright and vivid sound world that's as good for the head as the heel. 'Midstate' then gets more dirty with warp synth riffs and smeared chords over industrial tech beats. It's restless and kinetic and another dancefloor bomb. Last of all comes the wonky closer Stutter '(I)' which is full of trippy effects and freaky little synth motifs over squelching basslines.

Review: Snippets Music is an emerging Russian label doing more and more to carve out its own niche in the world of trance, prog and Goa sounds. Rambal Cochet kicks off this one with some big-ass beats, tribal synth work and celestial chords to expand the mind. Dylan Forbes remixes into a more deep, spiritual prog-trance sound and 'Sasha The Explorer' then brings undulating, rubbery bass and modulated synth sounds that call to mind early era Sasha and Digweed work. 'Trancemental' shuts down with a darker sound that has all manner of synths spraying about the mix over phased bassline action.

Review: Cubic Space by SYT is a highly sought album from UK's mid-90s underground trance/rave scene, originally released on the Magick Eye Records, the label co-founded by Swordfish from Astralasia. With SYT short for "shave yer tongue" - don't ask us, we don't know - Cubic Space amounted to the only record outputted by the pseudonym, yet still went on to charm club-goers, owing to its unique trance sound-sources not available to the average high street shopper, and its many sprouting tangents through futuro-"tribal" sounds, dashing any concerns over tempo regulation or idiosyncrasy in the process; an ill a fellow artist might suffer from. Club numbers like 'Eclipse' and 'Global Drift' are torrential enough; it's the filterpassed breakbeats of the likes of 'Nu Dawn', and the punctiform, recherche sound design of 'Lost Cargo' that really get us moving.

Review: Little is known about this mysterious 1994 EP which was originally released on the now-defunct London-based label ITP Recordings and has long been captivating 90s trance enthusiasts. The EP features three tracks, each extending beyond eight minutes, and all diving deep into atmospheric, trance-inspired electronics. The producer skilfully layers textures to create a distinctive sound that feels like fractals brought to life. This unique aural signature is perfectly crafted for the psychedelic electronic music scene and offers a hypnotic journey designed for immersive dance floor experiences. The EP's rarity and intricate composition make it a treasured find.