DAN PIU Vinyl & CDs

Review: Dan Piu wrote this album during the "dark, dystopian times" of the last year. The record's themes take in nature, human life, sci-fi, cyborgs and plenty in between with opener 'Tru Confession' being a robust house track stacked with throwback breaks, futuristic synths and old school vocals. There is a real warmth and soul to the machine sounds of 'Un-X-Plored Exodus' while a certain sense of 90s New York house colours 'Upgrade System M59'. 'System Of Ethics' shows off a fine mastery of synth craft that brims with emotion and 'Asteroid Blues' is like a lost Kerri Chandler cut. Essential.

Review: London label Cartulis Music has struck gold with this release, turning to Swiss producer Dan Piu for a much-needed vinyl edition of his 1999 album Self Education. Renamed Living In Fear and featuring a rearranged, remastered grip of 11 tracks, it's hard to believe techno this inventive and original managed to stay as a limited CD release for so long. There's a rough and ready Midwestern techno finish to many of the tracks on offer, but between the tough impact of certain sounds there's a great deal of subtlety to enjoy throughout this album. Surefire floor workouts like "Self Education" meet with playful hip hop experiments to make for a wholly enjoyable, not to mention surprising, listening experience.