Juno Recommends Electro: April 2025

Review: B.Love is next up on Leeds legend Ralph Lawson's 20/20 label having come to his attention on Record Store Day 2024 with his Music Dance Experience EP and then later that day when playing as a resident at the Bizarre Trax party Lawson was en route to play. Here he showcases his electro sound across four cuts starting with 'Rhythm Freq', a celestial and disco-tinged sound. 'Movement Feeling' is a party starting cut with old school style and plenty of percussive lushness, then 'Soda Junior' brings louche, low-slung disco funk before 'Bisous' shuts down with more cosmic playfulness and vibrant synth colours.

Review: Urgent electro from adept producer and DJ Munir Nadir. His third outing for a new favourite label, the Italian outfit Odd One Tape, this sawtooth croaker is an especially squelchy dance record, drawing on tail ends of minimal techno and noughts electro house, and with perhaps a tad of skweee thrown in too. 'Give Me A Second' and 'Paratoxical' use conspicuous reverb tails and flex-gurgled vocals to spoken and spelt-out effect, while the B-side's 'Sniper' is as wilfully minimal and baleful as it gets, working in a monster of a ghostly vocal underbeat. Finally, 'Flying Ladder' rounds off on a matchingly minimal euphorizer in the 4x4 vein.

Review: Dutchman Boris Bunnik is a man of many moniker,s but here he returns as the electro-leaning Versalife with Parallax Effect PT.2, the second and final chapter in his series, which pushes his rhythmic vision into more elastic, unpredictable terrain. Shifting from the precision of PT.1, this release coils low-end pressure and restless sequences around percussive frameworks that flicker between tension and release. Each track feels alive-mechanically structured yet pulsing with organic energy unfolding in real time. The balance of restraint and propulsion gives the EP a kinetic, suspenseful edge which means that PT.2 doesn't just follow its predecessor; it refracts it, bending the narrative into new shapes.

Review: Originally released for LNS & DJ Sotofett's Japan Tour 2024, this 12" now sees a global repress and it is a fittingly chaotic sonic postcard from the road with unpolished, playful and strictly for the heads cuts. Kicking things off, Tokyo's DJ Gizzard delivers 'Jitter Analysis', which is a tight blend of analogue funk, crisp grooves and rolling basslines. LNS & DJ Sotofett follow with the cosmic 'Electrolium' with its whistling synths and spaced-out, vintage-style rhythms. LNS's solo effort 'Work Them' explores robotic electro-funk with computerised melodies and percussive precision. Closing the EP, DJ Sotofett's 'Out of Place' fuses ominous electro with bold p-funk.

Review: Tooflie's latest offering dives into the allure of French pop's vocal sensuality that weaves intricate production with global influences. The opener, 'CS VG,' anchors the release with its half-step beat that flows through grainy tonal shifts and rhythms, twisting familiar elements into something new and magnetic. Its dreamy, almost spectral feel is offset by sharper, more defined edges, creating an engaging dynamic that keeps the energy fluid yet charged. As the record progresses, 'BLORN' introduces a more laid-back groove, combining minimalist funk with a sense of melancholic soul, perfect for late-night listening. The flipside continues to surprise, with 'KRLE' and 'JUWRK' fusing breakbeat elements with soft digital textures, offering a distinct and refined energy. Tooflie expertly blends the experimental with the accessible, crafting a release that's both bold and sophisticated, ready to ignite the most discerning dancefloors.

Review: Granada's Cosmic Tribe know the definition of "electro" in its broadest sense; their new Xtrictly Electro comp keeps the dystopian sound endemic to the genre's most present incarnation, but refuses to restrict itself to one tempo: the standard 130-ish that has sadly infected the otherwise genius genre as a necessity. An international splinter cell of spec-ops and mercenaries are recalled from retirement here, as we hear Calagad 13, Nachtwald, EC13 and many more mechanoid ilk lay down all manner of slick utilities, making up a morbid multi-tool. 5zyl brings further lasery Lithuanian steeze on 'Vilnius Bass', whilst Spectrums Data Forces betrays the existence of a sinister corporate entity, whose business model works towards the object of instilling 'Darkness In My Head' through giant, killer mozzy basses.

Review: Menacing EBM and dark synth billows from a Netherlands hinterland; our heralds speak of an esoteric encampment by the name of Espectro Oculto, said to be the remote incantators of an unstoppable curse in sound. Six shadowy emissaries have been sent to spread the pestilence; Trenton Chase, Martial Canterel, DJ Nephil, Exhausted Modern, Fragedis and Happy707. Clearly, the faction have recruited only the best, trusted and yet most nefarious of spies from as far-flung regions as Czechia and Argentina in the administering of such a sordid sonic plague. We're left most quivery at the centrifugal doom drones of Exhausted Modern's 'Fear Of Focus', across whose breakdown banshees are heard wailing and snarling, and Fragedis' 'Landing In Reality', a lo-fi techno freakout and sonochemical anomaly, channeling militant two-way radio samples and hellish FM synthesis.

Review: To go "sniper mode" implies a mixture of precision and force, and doesn't Gregor Sniper know it! Returning to Rawax after a break, this fresh 12:" killshot emerges stealthily from a protrusive barrel, with guest vocals from fellow producer Exzakt aka. Larry McCormick on the lead tune. 'Homecoming' exemplifies creative vocal processing, working snappy rhythms about reverse reverb and harmonic pitch layers. 'The Iron Raven' contrasts with its purgatory purity, opting for cleaner drums and dastard ricochets, set against an inauspicious detuned tone. 'Golan Heights' builds on the same root note to soar above an emergent landscape, while 'Bornheim 34' again concludes things on an ill-bade note, evoking moods of a goblin kingdom turned collective cyborg zombie.

Review: Techno veterans Alexander Johansson and Mattias Fridell recently decided to come together to found new collaborative project Unwonted to explore a new electro realm. They bring their vision to Abstract Rhythm here with a massive five tracker this is the second part in the series. '60 Minute Stars' opens with a widescreen celestial atmosphere and 'Astrobio' then rides a more forlorn vibe with melancholic pads. There is a serenity and sense of calm to 'World Overthrown' with its low-key drum patterns and sombre pads and 'Holo Haven' brings a warped bassline to the fore as glitchy machine sounds and smeared synth calm counters that raw focal point. It's a sound superb outing from this venerated pair.

Review: Get ready for The Electro Guilde's fifth volume, another invitation to get lost at the heart of the rave. This time Zodiak Commune Records enlist Robodrum to kick off with the relentless synth slithers of bleeps of 'Call Me Bitch' before Redjack's 'Call The Monster' layers up mad analogue cowbells, blasts of distorted bass and a sense of intergalactic tension. Baka's 'Flux' dup shootings up with some visceral acid and he also takes care of the closer, 'Androids Hate Marching' a warp-seed, neck-snapping electro terminator with future synths and hiring sounds all spinning your mind into a fenny.

Review: Brighton's underground mainstay, StandUp, celebrates its own launch with a debut EP from Bognor-based electro pioneers Transparent Sound (Tresor), celebrating the project's 30th anniversary. Through electro and breakbeat, the title number secures high-octane dancefloor power, while label founder Oren's remix marks a deeper, atmospheric turn. On the B, 'Get Up' brings acid-laced grooves, and Forgotten Memories shifts to introspective melodies over Orson's signature hits. A dynamic four-tracker, setting a bold foundation for StandUp's future.

Review: UK-based electronic musician Luke's Anger (aka Luke Sanger) is a 20+ year scene veteran who a new four-track electro EP that's both nostalgic and future-focused. Known for his genre-hopping rave output and live experimental techno sets, often gracing stages like Berghain, Sanger returns to his banging roots here. 'Particle Swarm' opens with squelchy synth textures, while 'Threshold Rider' bounces with infectious 808 energy. The title track builds euphoria through fluttering rhythms, and 'Silicon Boogie' closes things with funky digital chaos. With nods to sci-fi electro and UK bleep techno, Ceiling Walker is a tightly engineered ride through bass-driven, mechanical funk built for serious body movement.

Review: Under his long-standing electro alias Sniper Mode, German techno veteran Gregor Tresher returns with a new EP. This is a sharp, sci-fi-inflected collection that shows his enduring command of sleek, futuristic sound design. Though better known for his techno output, Tresher’s electro work is no side project. Side-A opens with 'Homecoming', featuring Miami’s Exzakt. It’s a shadowy, pulsing cut built on punchy drums and steely synth lines. This is pure classic dark electro with modern muscle. 'The Iron Raven' follows, a high-definition flight through synthetic skies, all crisp sequences and distant echoes, evoking cold futurism with cinematic flair. On Side-B, 'Golan Heights' ventures into IDM territory while staying grounded in electro’s tight frameworks. Its textures shimmer, its rhythms glitch and glide. This is sci-fi circuitry rendered with surgical precision. Closing track 'Bornheim 34' tips its cap to the old school, fusing vintage 808 bounce with a contemporary finish. Tresher taps back into the pulse of pure machine funk, reigniting a project that’s quietly shaped the electro undercurrent for nearly 25 years. It’s a controlled detonation of style and substance.

Review: Domingo Dark makes his solo vinyl debut as Kaxtelian with an EP that really finds him stretching his legs across a mix of electro, UK hardcore and techno with a smattering of Belgian influences and the authentic sound of Valencia also peeking through. Created between the ghettos of Albacete and Badalona, the release marks a fine new chapter in Dark's career. 'Hardcore Motherfucker' is just that with its blistering drum funk and acid brightness. 'Ghetto Cyberpunkers' has booming low ends and caustic synths and 'Hardcore Boys' is a dense melange of ghoulish vocals and synth intensity that rides a slamming electro-techno rhythm.

Review: EC Underground is back with more inquisitors of low-end heavy sounds on Bass Scene Investigation vol 1 and again digs deep into the worlds of electro, techno, breakbeat and IDM. The compilation kicks off with the skittish percussive patterns of Illektrolab's 'Making Heads Dip', then heads into moody ground with ADJ, Pablo Funk brings some menacing synth work and Errorbeauty gets all weird and trippy with some mad electronics. Francois Dillinger offers a dystopian electro sound full of irresistibly jacked-up drums. A fine investigation indeed.

Review: Chiwax welcomes Andrew Red Hand here for his third outing on the revered house label. We're told it is one of his most intimate and personal releases and there sure is plenty of deep and pensive energy to 'In The Cemetery (part III)' with its snappy electro rhythms but long-sustained and introspective chords. 'Summer Nostalgia' is raw, punchy techno and 'Autumn Nostalgia' gets more banging with a brazen bassline and celestial synth glow. 'Sorrowful Joy' closes down with a celebratory air in the happy chords but the betas remain heady.