LUIS MALON Vinyl & CDs

Review: The Hyperdrive label is back with a third outing which once again offers up some exciting and forward-thinking new artists. Anderson's 'Sweet Psylow' kicks off with some psychedelic synth loops over crisp tech house drums that hark back to the 90s prog heyday. HearThuG's 'Back To The Future' is a darker sound with whistles, snappy snares and eerie chords and Luis Malon & Seb G then combine for the bouncing techno rhythms and acid-laced pads of 'Extasis Nebular.' Last but not least, Jamie Leather's 'Strange Commodities' is a surging cosmic techno trip with dynamic drums and perc and majestic leads. This is another fine release from this young label.

Review: Those with a keen interest in London's techno and electro scene may already be familiar with OPIA, a well-regarded party collective who have been running events in the city since the summer of 2016. The Elektropia EP marks the debut of their new offshoot label and gathers together a quartet of quality cuts from friends and like-minded souls around the world. Audri kicks things off with the simple but hugely effective sci-fi techno/deep house fusion of "Cyclick", before Luis Malon drops a hugely attractive and stargazing chunk of punchy dancefloor electro. Turn to the flipside for the deep, melodious and delicious electro/breakbeat fusion of Basement Space's "Electronic Orbit", not to mention the chunky, bass-heavy tech-house hustle of Antoine Sy's "Passion Vitesse".

Review: The brand new Hyperdrive label kicks off with a mix of the old and the new - some tracks made recently, some that date back to the 90s, all of them top quality. Liquid Earth opens up with the spaced-out synths and electronic house sounds of '1_HP_D' then Art Of The State gets a little more tranced out and cosmic on '2_HP_D'. Dan Piu's '3_HP_D' is a tech house exploration with wispy sci-fi leads and a playful rhythm then Luis Malon & Seb G combine for the turbo-charged tech of '4_HP_D.' The legendary Freddy Fresh closes down with a high-speed sound on '5_HP_D.' Says the label, "Hyperdrive is dedicated to preserving the rich history of electronic music," and on this evidence, it will do so expertly.

Review: Just like the label's well-regarded debut last summer, this second salvo from Amorfo is a group effort. What Luis Malon, Bruno Di Paolo, Z@p, Digregorius and Guillermo Miranda collectively served up is impressive, with four varied cuts jostling for dancefloor domination. Our highlight is probably opener "Apologias Del Futuro", a pleasingly heavy and melodious fusion of bumpin' beats, heavy sub bass, Detroit Techno chords, wiggling acid lines and funk-fuelled synth solos. There's plenty to admire elsewhere across the EP too, from the deep, angular and intergalactic electro-acid swing of "Ars Magma", to the psychedelic electronics, rumbling analogue bass and off-kilter beats of "Abrazo De Oso".