Back catalogue: Uplifting Trance

Review: In celebration of their tenth birthday, Selador marks the occasion in style with a four-track collaborative EP, featuring tracks from 3D, Robert Owens, Olivier Giacomotto, Quivver, Dave Seaman, Hernan Cattaneo, Argia, and Jepe. The opening track, 'Known Love', is a deep, pulasting house tune that feels like an instant classic, perhaps thanks to the soulful, pop-tinged vocals - think LCD soundsystem meets Four Tet. 'Snailblazer', the second track on the EP, takes a much darker turn, with a chugging, EBM-esque feel. Full-bodied and complete with obscured vocals, this is the kind of track to pull out your bag when it's time to really get stuck in. On the B-side, 'Napkin Knowledge' draws on the glistening synths of eurodance, yet still securing the melodies to a grounded bassline and rhythm section. 'Salitre' is the perfect closing track, rising up in a gleaming, ecstatic melody, before delicately returning to ground level. A varied yet firmly cohesive collaborative release - the perfect way for Selador to kick off their 2023 catalogue.

Review: A new collaboration of Philoxenia Records founders Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, Affekt Unit is informed by an aim to "spark new feelings on the dancefloor". The three track Discorgy EP celebrates their musical obsessions - Italo house, Frankfurt EBM-house and trance - with the result proving an electrifying crossover of these classic genres together with surprising new sounds. 'Oct-Opus' boasts a serious electro component, fused with progressive trance, UK bass, techno, transcendental rave and even a climactic outbreak of rave-era breaks. The title track 'Discorgy' draws from Euro dance and EBM, experimenting with a polyrhythmic bass line and bringing the kind of 'stadium house' that The KLF were always aiming for. Closing track 'Dreams Of Wrestlers' is cosmic house at its sweetest and beefiest, spruced here and there with Italo stabs and pianos, drum machine fills and some lovely subtle filtering. Not so much a case of something for everyone than everything from everyone, you might even say.

Review: Two underground artists with many years in the scene behind them in Darwin Chamber and DJ Spun come together for the second in their Episode series on Rong Music. Once again they dig into the sounds of their formative years while also looking to the future as they blend dub, trance and techno into lithe new forms. 'The Revolution' is a mid-tempo and atmospheric roller with hypnotic vocals, while 'The Playa' is a deft bit of electronic minimalism with a deep space feel and ticking 808 sounds. Things get more loose with the warped synths and dusty tech beats of 'Dysfunction' while 'Acid Tounge' closes with trippy designs, a skeletal rhythm and a sense of late-night melodic and afterparty mischief.

Review: Indie house duo Parachute Youth released their 'Can't Get Better Than This' single back in 2012 and it went on to become a huge international hit. Now they have resisted it after pairing up with Chicago house vocalist John Summit. Renamed 'Better Than This' it becomes a spine-tingling vocal house cut with warm, shuffling drums and subtle synth work. Packed with blissful and youthful vibes and plenty of sun, it is an energetic rework that has a nice touch of nostalgia and a bassline that will lock in any crowd for days. As well as the easy to love new version, the still lush original version is also included on the flip.

Review: Anacalypto Records' second release revives a gem from the Dutch electronic scene. Originally released in 1998 by Luc Wacherlin, aka Luca, on Orlando Voorn's Slamdunk Records, this four-track EP represents one of the label's final releases. Described in its press release as "beautiful, elongated, shimmering, Detroit-style trancers for the morning after the night before," it delivers on that promise. The tracks blend Detroit's vibrant techno with Sheffield's deeper sounds. From the liquid synths of the title track to the hypnotic grooves of 'Indian Summer,' the EP's immersive warmth and intricate compositions capture the essence of '90s techno, restored for a modern audience.

Review: Quinoa Cuts's fourth release combines some smart nostalgia with plenty of modern innovation. Side A opens with two analogue-driven tracks reminiscent of the 80s synth-wave era, so rich with electro-inspired nuances that evoke a bittersweet and rather romantic atmosphere. It transports you to a dreamlike, neon-lit past then Side B takes a darker, more introspective turn by exploring shadowy, progressive sounds. These haunting tracks come with deep, emotional layers and show Marvin to be quite the producer.

Review: The sixth UFOs outing is another intergalactic adventure in sonic form and this time at the buttons it's New Balaance, a Mexican artist at the heart of a new wave. Space Jungle though is an apt title for this EP, which kicks off with some stylish breaks and nimble basslines overlaid with lush cosmic arps. 'Space Jungle' (feat Parallax Modulators brings a more pensive mood thanks to the sustained chords and deeper grooves, but subtle acid and chattery perc bring it to life. 'Grantourismo' is a lively and dynamic cut with more swirling synth work while 'Redemption' closes down this quartet of excellent explorations with a mix of 90s prog, techno and breakbeats all imbued with plenty of colour.

Review: Multi Culti introduces Orchid's vibrant tribute to Spain's trance era on this album which merges Balearic allure with a rejection of modern techno's commercialism. Orchid, isolated in a psychedelic-deprived nation, yearns for the cultural fusion of sex, power, love, and sweetness found in Spanish-speaking music scenes. Techno Valencia beckons listeners to immerse themselves in a nostalgic journey, evoking the soulful resonance of a bygone musical era. Through exploration of archival sounds, Orchid resurrects the essence of pure musical expression, inviting a return to a time when music was deeply felt-a testament to passion and fun in an age of commercialisation.

Review: Boys Noize has been tearing up dance floors and serving up arresting electronic assaults for ages, often on his own self-titled label. He branches out here though with a new one, Ones & Zeros, which he has said is a "concept label reflecting new modes of creative and subcultural circulation". it launches with a bumper compilation featuring 22 blistering sounds across six sides of wax. Two of them come from the bas himself, one is a collar with Locked Club, and elsewhere new school and more established names like Skee Mask, Safety Trance and Manni Dee all offer up the sort of high impact tracks that will always be useful to have at your disposal for when the rave really is ready to peak.

Review: This is the final instalment of Nous Klaer Audio's beloved 3x12" compilation series and it's another classy outing that serves up a diverse range of sounds from deep, immersive rhythms to driving techno, rave-infused house and some in-between surprises. Curated by label-head Oberman, it features contributions from both established artists and fresh talent, including Megan Leber with the serene 'Tides', a textured remix from Pye Corner Audio, the lushness of Eversines's 'Rhapsodia' and more besides. It adds up a real trove of top tackle.

Review: Serbian-born, NYC-based DJ and producer X-Coast returns with a new set of high-energy tracks designed for big arenas and main stages. As shown when remixing Shygirl's '4eva 'and DJ Gigola's 'La Batteria', he blends house, techno, electro, drum & bass and trance on labels like Steel City Dance Discs, Higher Ground and Mama Told Ya. X-Coast's signature sound fuses 90s and 00s rave nostalgia with modern production here and results in the tribal-infused 'Neapolis', soaring trance of 'Desert Storm,' and diva house energy of 'Hold Me Baby'. They all make for a dynamic collection which shows off X-Coast's genre-spanning versatility.