STEVE O'SULLIVAN Vinyl & CDs

Review: Ever the enthusiastic collaborator, Steve O'Sullivan follows up the first volume of his Dimensions series on Sushitech with another eight stunning partnerships which read like a who's who of contemporary techno. The artists invited span a fair range, from established legends like Mark Broom and Steve Rachmad to inspiring newer artists including Exos and Soela. The whole release hangs together naturally as O'Sullivan's signature dub techno touch slips in amongst the approaches of his chosen sparring partners. From nervy immersion heaters to starry-eyed reveries, this is sophisticated modern techno at its finest, with every track precision engineered to work in the club and take the crowd somewhere very special indeed.

Review: As if the first two volumes of the Dimensions series weren't enough, Steve O'Sullivan is back on Sushitech with a final Parallels addendum to the collaborative series. On this occasion, the double vinyl set is reserved for four special longform mixes which let the ideas roll out in a truly hypnotic style. Of course, that's exactly how Ricardo Villalobos likes it and 'Short Circuit' tangles up beautifully in a mesh of interlocking rhythmic hiccups and immersive pads. Thomas Melchior holds down a sweet sustained groove for O'Sullivan's illustrious melodics on 'The Shadow' before Dana Ruh helps strip things down even further on the murmuring 'Beneath The Surface'. Soela pops up once again on 'Healing Spirals', lending a delicate and intricate touch which rounds the release off in beautiful, understated style. - vinyl only!

Review: We're always glad to hear new material from undisputed dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan. This new one on his own Mosiac label finds him facing off with Paul Simmons on a pair of deliciously deep cuts. 'Inner Glow' is given the whole of the A-side to make its mark and it does - with a slightly more soulful sound than you might expect. Rather than pure heads down underwater deepness, it's got a heart warming vocals hook and brighter chord vamps over the signature drum smoothness. 'Still Burnin''is a quicker cut with more radiant chords and a soulful spirit, then a Bluespirit dub of the a-side zones things out nicely.