Techno Recommendations October 2010

Review: The presence of Model 500 on R&S some 11 years after their last appearance on the somewhat seminal label is further evidence of their new ethos of programming releases from past masters (Fabrice Lig) and future production icons (James Blake & Pariah). Model 500 in its current form includes techno founder Juan Atkins along with UR type Mad Mike, Detroit producer DJ Skurge and tartan fancier Mark Taylor. "OFI" marks the first recorded material from the quartet, vintage unhinged techno funk augmented by robotic vocals from Mr Atkins himself. Mad Mike Banks adds a further sheen of his own personal techno vision on a remix that retains the melodic core but strips back proceedings to a proper UR crunch. On the flip, "Huesca" unfolds in mesmerising fashion, with soaring arrangements driven along by a direct punchy groove.

Review: Four tracks here of brain throbbing, fast paced heads down techno business from London producer Phase. "Xylo 3" employs reverberant rushed metallic melodies to burrow deep into your psyche whilst the sheer percussive momentum of "Subtext" demands peaktime play. Dub technoisms played out at breakneck speed abound on the flipside "The Dialogue" whilst "Further Trials" has a vintage Plastikman swagger to it. Extra points for the grimiest looking sleeve art ever.

Review: Laboratory Instinct grace our shelves with the third in a quartet of 12 inch releases that act as the vinyl version for A Guy Called Gerald's recent and rather sleek ''Tronic Jazz'' album. Your attention on Side A will dominated by the spectral dalliance with vintage Detroit techno mechanics of ''Iland'', with expertly layered syncopation reverberating around to a backdrop of cavernous throbbing bass and dreamy synth lines. This contrasts nicely with the neo techno futurism of ''Just Soul'' with melancholic strings slipping between tense off-kilter drum programming and bubbling atmospherics. Proceedings shift up a gear on ''Round Eco,'' which pulsates with menacing KiNK-ish energy, with an odd vocal murmur forming the driving groove around which Simpson wraps glacial keys and deviant bass twinges. Closing track ''The Dip'' oscillates wildly with B movie sci fi synth lines and scratching metallic tones.

Review: Not content with releasing an absolute beast of a track recently in the shape of "Exodus Earth", Kirk Degiorgio reaches into his archives to give one of his most revered moments a re-release via his Applied Rhythmic Technology label. Originally out at the turn of the century on the long defunct New Religion imprint, "Nairobi" and the accompanying remix from Carl Craig have been on the want list for many a DJ. It's the Carl Craig remix that impresses most, a textbook example in tension building with the Detroit don taking some two minutes to fully unleash the thumping beat. Not hard to see why DJ Hell included it in his recent Body Language mix for Get Physical.

Review: In "Exodus Earth" UK techno ledge Degiorgio has delivered one of the most instantly gratifying techno tracks of recent times. Classic Detroit atmospherics are merged brilliantly with contemporary production techniques as Degiorgio combines driving relentless percussion with trance inducing synth work. Destined to be heard bouncing off the walls of clubs across the globe.

Review: Sleeparchive and Chris Liebing step up to deliver two contrasting but equally splendid remixes of Traversable Wormhole's "Superluminal". The Sleeparchive remix is that rare beast: a crawling dub techno remix which sounds equally unsettling at either 33 or 45 (the latter being the correct speed), while Liebing opts for a tension builder crafted from heavy duty industrial sounds. The midsection breakdown builds into a drop that is surely the techno equivalent of a multiple orgasm.

Review: Glaswegian techno veterans Slam make a swift return to Adam Beyer's Drumcode imprint after May's Maffaking EP. "Cacophony" is heads down peaktime techno business, with gruesome mechanical sound FX forming the backdrop to a relentless throb. On the flip "Souvenir" Slam implement some welcome melody into proceedings with wonderful results.