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Home  DJ charts  Juno_Recommends_Techno  

Techno Recommendations Best Of 2012

Juno Recommends Techno

Juno Recommends Techno

Techno Recommendations Best Of 2012
4 Dec 2012
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1
Cat: CBS 012. Rel: 05 Mar 12
 
Techno
Grain
Be There At Night
24 (Gesloten Cirkel remix)
24
out of stock $7.42
2
Cat: AUTO 012. Rel: 05 Mar 12
 
Techno
Sophisticated Animated
Moonlight Sonata (parts 1 & 2)
Review: Hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed Whalesong EP for Trelik, OCH returns with another equally crucial deep club orientated two tracker. The A Side cut, "Sophisticated Animated", contains a level of funk and energy that is often lost in today's house music. Being constantly inspired by the US pioneers of the genre, OCH presents stripped back Chicago grooves alongside heavy analogue bass and jacking percussion, teasing with a sprinkling of 303 acid and a sparse yet deadly piano solo. Up next, "Moonlight Sonata" is OCH's deepest work to date, incorporating dubstep inspired drums and ambience with lush old-school synth chords which build and modulate before the track climaxes into a thundering four to the floor workout. Shrink-wrapped clear vinyl pressing.
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out of stock $6.35
3
Cat: 7777 002. Rel: 30 Nov 09
 
Techno
This Love
Last Two
Ghettoblaster
Office Analogue
Review: Here's a welcome acid house reissue that's not from the '88 Trax fold, but rather the five-years-young second release on Jared Wilson's 7777 imprint. It's everything we've grown to love from the man, bringing gnarly 303 business bang up to date while keeping a classic approach about his productions. "This Love" simmers with all the sensuality of a Music Box classic, while "Last Two" flexes a little electro muscle in the mix. "Ghettoblaster" turns the filth up to 11 and makes no apologies about it, and then "Office Analogue" blasts off into hyperspace on a most lurid and dazzling of synth excursions. Pure acidic perfection.
...Read more
out of stock $9.28
4
Cat: M 05/10071. Rel: 05 Oct 20
 
Techno
Track 1 (9:33)
Track 2 (5:51)
out of stock $13.79
5
Cat: WOEVIL 01. Rel: 03 Sep 12
 
Techno
Intro
Night
Dusk
After Dusk (solo by Jon Dixon)
Review: The trans-Atlantic pairing of Kyle Hall and Funkineven inaugurated their Funkinevil collaboration with the much anticipated plate Night, probably the first of many twelve inch shaped emissions to surface in the coming year. Setting the tone with the dextrously smokey "Intro", this twelve inch essentially pairs off the rugged, flatulent sounding DJ tool that is the title track against its smoother B Side counterpart and fans of either producer will need little additional persuasion to indulge here. The way that the percussion is almost spat out of the speakers at you on "Night" is just one reason why the track lives up to their new name, with the intermittent distorted chants of "evil" voiced throughout making for a neat reminder. In contrast, "Dusk" lets in more of the boogie infused swinging Eglo lightness, the moment those keys rise through and align being a mere shade short of sublime. "After Dusk" proves to be a fitting final act, all too brief but allowing Underground Resistance Timeline band leader Jon Dixon centre stage to show off his keyboard skills.
...Read more
out of stock $9.53
6
Cat: EMP 011. Rel: 06 Feb 12
 
Techno
Mmmmmusic
Mmmmmusic (reprise)
Distance
Mmmmmusic (Chicago Skyway Pay Toll mix)
Review: ** Repress for the Tang fans ** Obsolete Music Technology aka Steven Tang has had another great year, nurturing his personal take on Chicago-filtered house music. "Mmmmmusic" is just sublime, taking us on a journey through rugged, drum machine terrains, swaying pads and crafty vocals; whilst the reprise version unearths those synths to create a majestic soundscape which develops into a semi-groove thanks to its smart melodies. Over to the B-side, "Distance" is as deep as one can go, aligning sharp slabs of percussion to more tranquil pads and woozy synth chimes. We even get a boisterous Chicago Skyway refix of the title track, rendering almost unrecognisable thanks to a truly mesmerising bundle of hi-hats and toms. Beautiful.
...Read more
out of stock $9.53
7
Cat: SHEWORKS 004. Rel: 19 Nov 12
 
Techno
Sailing Solvents
Nicotine Window Netting
A Room Full Of Fuck All
Clean It Up
Lifesbleach
Wideyed
Review: The fourth release on Works The Long Nights sees the return of Karenn, and the most substantial statement of Blawan and Pariah's growing prowess as a duo. Brandishing some six tracks of raw, growling techno spread across two hefty plates of vinyl, Sheworks 004 is as heavy to hold in your hands as the music is uncompromising on your ears. From the off, it's clear Karenn's music has been influenced by the creative constraints afforded by swapping software for hardware, and also Blawan and Pariah's growing relationship with Italian duo The Analogue Cops. The wonderfully grimly titled "Nicotine Window Netting" jostles for favour with its equally well named B Side accompaniment "A Room Full Of Fuck All" - the former dominated by the deranged acid line that jolts around unsettlingly atop the all too dense thud. The latter's drum textures have this strange purring sound and even weirder velveteen, skin crawling sensation and this doesn't even cover the onslaught of tunnelling deranged rave sirens that veer in and out of focus. The vicious "Clean It Up" demonstrates they can manipulate pretty straight forward, heads down yet still blunt techno, while "Lifesbleach" sees them dabbling in tape saturated electro.
...Read more
out of stock $14.84
8
O/V/R
Cat: BP 030.1. Rel: 24 Jan 11
 
Techno
Post Traumatic Son (Ben Klock techno mix)
Post Traumatic Son (Ben Klock Wave mix)
Post Traumatic Son (Ben Klock Vibe mix)
Review: O/V/R's "Post Traumatic Son" was one of the tracks of last year if you like your techno dusty and rusty, and Ruskin and Regis flexed their big name credentials here by enlisting Ben Klock to add his own perspective to the track. Just for the 'kraic', the vested one has decided to produce three remixes, all of which are naturally covered in essentialness! Klock's Techno mix stretches across the A Side, a merciless locked groove of stomping, menacing syncopated textures with no concessions for anything as throwaway as a breakdown. This is rattling, heads down industrial darkness at its finest. The flipside offers Klock the opportunity to experiment, with the Wave Mix, stripping back the track to a skeletal electro twitch, gradually accruing a haunting gloss via the ascending, foreboding synths. In contrast to this, the final Vibe mix drenches "Post Traumatic Son" in an all consuming psychedelic lustre, with the originals synths laid atop gently jacking beats and a delightful array of bleeps and beeps with the resultant effect truly hypnotic.
...Read more
out of stock $8.48
9
Cat: AVN 001. Rel: 25 Apr 11
 
Techno
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Review: Coming replete with a hand stamped Blue Tit (of the ornithological variety) the Avian imprint launched its debut release with the mystical sounds of Shifted - this year's most elusive producer who prefers to let his productions do the talking. And we're not going to disagree with this stance given Shifted's excellent output in 2012. Sounding vaguely reminiscent of the sort of techno excursions Mills has been exploring on the Something In The Sky series, the A Side gradually fills the expanses between the crystalline rhythms with chilling atmospherics. Proceedings on the B Side crawl through the lower recesses of noir filled swampish ambience - freaking these ears out for the first time since Demdike Stare's "Hashshashin Chant" - thankfully Shifted arises from the thick gloom with the fully reaching skeletal Berghain pump of the final track. Great first release and a highly awaited repress from this ever-promising imprint.
...Read more
out of stock $7.42
10
Cat: UNTERTON 01. Rel: 02 Apr 12
 
Techno
Leaning Over Backwards (Efdemin remix)
Girts (Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer remix)
Review: 2012 saw Berlin kings, Ostgut Ton create their considerably more housey, Unterton sub-label, giving the opportunity to some of Berlin's less pounding tracks to surface and emanate from those cavernous Berghain walls. For their first release, Berliner Tobias is remixed by two inarguably charismatic artists. "Leaning Over Backwards" is given a re-touch by none other than Efdemin, who has shaped the original into a deeper, leftfield excursion - raw as hell percussion glides freely among a whirlpool of strange bleeps and enchanting effects. For the B-side we have Meister Villalobos and Max Loderbauer giving some of their peerless organic beats and subtle harmonics. Great stuff as always from the German capital!
...Read more
out of stock $19.63
11
Cat: MPM 15. Rel: 15 Jun 15
 
Techno
Altered Ego
Confess
Review: ** FLOORPLAN REPRESS ** It's fair to say that this was one of the best Robert Hood moments in a while! Just two tracks but boy do they hit hard - "Altered Ego" is more brakey than the usual Hood bombs but he's kept the inimitable chords, all wailing and weaving their way through the beat. The real heat is on the flip however, where the nostalgic, rave-infused piano keys of "Confess" make for a certified classic! Is it Hood who influenced Shed on this sort of beat or the other way around? Who cares, it's bloody amazing!
out of stock $9.28
12
Cat: KLOCKWORKS 004/57563. Rel: 10 Nov 08
 
Techno
Pulse
Grope
Grab Me
Grasp
out of stock $9.28
13
Cat: SITS 002. Rel: 29 Oct 12
 
Techno
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Review: What would we do without these warehouse finds? Luckily, our dedicated team at Juno HQ are always on the lookout for such rarities. This time it's the second instalment of the Something In The Sky series by none other than techno guru, Jeff Mills. All untitled of course, and "Track 1" sets the scene with a galloping thump of a drum loop, surrounded by a myriad of eerie sonics and chilling melodies; "Track 2" adds the classic Mills-esque grit to the percussion and finds itself lost amid glitchy, minimalist howls and distant noise injections. Over on the flipside, "Track 3" indulges in a faster tempo and reduces the melody to shreds, whilst "Track 4" uses more shuffling tactics and comparatively less frightening timbres to its core. A must have!
...Read more
out of stock $9.01
14
Cat: MATH 044. Rel: 27 Sep 10
 
Techno
Desert Expedition (original mix)
Life Choice
Fullness For Life
Bright Shadow Of A Star
out of stock $9.53
15
Utopian Disaster (End) (10:07)
The Strange Attractor (7:24)
Invocation Of Lust (5:12)
Review: Juan Mendez has pushed the largely abstract approach on his debut album towards the dance floor. Ironically though, the LP version of "Strange Attractor" was more brutal and upfront. On this version, Mendez lets the chain mail groove throb beneath layer upon layer of eerie chords, abstract whispers and what could be an angle grinder running in the background. This extended version of "Invocation Of Lust" has an eerie, garbled vocal in the background, but fused with spiky metallic percussion and a thumping kick drum and throbbing bass, makes for a compelling club record. Finally, "Utopian disaster (End)" is the most Sandwell-esque track on offer, its slamming rhythm, droning sounds and reverberating, doubled up claps sounding like a sequel to the Negative Fascination EP that was released on the seminal, now defunct techno label.
...Read more
out of stock $10.60
16
Cat: SD 20. Rel: 30 Jan 12
 
Techno
With All Faces Bleached Out
Worn/Scarred
White/Drip
Review: The mysterious Rrose secured perhaps the most potent release in Sandwell District's glorious history with the thrillingly unrelenting sounds that permeated both sides of Merchant Of Salt. This was soon followed by the announcement that operations as we know it at Sandwell District HQ would soon halt, though the arrival of a new Rrose 12" was a final last surprise. "With All Faces Bleached Out" simmers with clinical restraint, offering several movements in sound sculpture as the needle draws unerringly towards the runout groove. Firstly, arid mechanical textures undulate through the swampy surrounds of sub bass and rippling percussion, seemingly falling victim to the increasing sensation of sonic claustrophobia before emerging midway in the midst of sub aquatic bleepery, only to be dragged back down in the closing spectral moments. The pin pricking sensation continues with a sense of almost gleeful menace with the two Rrose productions on the flip, though both are pretty much in the shadow of the epic A Side.
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out of stock $7.17
17
Cat: TTT 005. Rel: 01 Oct 12
 
Deep House
The Overlord
African Love Story
Duh Duh Dunk
A Summer In Grass
out of stock $11.41
18
Cat: UNTERTON 02. Rel: 09 Jul 12
 
Techno
SFS
Bias
Begger
Review: Gerd and Phil land their first set of original Tuff City Kids tracks in style, taking the controls for the second release on Unterton, the newly established offshoot of Ost Gut Ton. The Bobby Tacker EP has Janson and Lauer crafting three tracks of beefcake house with one clear purpose in mind, and executed with the skills they've honed over countless excellent remixes under the Tuff City Kids banner over the years. Lead track "SFS" wastes no time in playing its trump card; a glossy, thick synth line that pulses all the way through the track while the bottom end comes on all rugged and antsy. Meanwhile "Bias" exercises an air of restraint, letting a simple beat unfold while a tense string edges in from the side hinting at the fearsome techno line that growls in the lower register, imbued with the DNA of dub but twisted to a malevolent intent. Finally "Begger" kicks off on some booming Chicago drums slowed down to a modern cruise, but once again it's a powerful lead synth that rules the day.
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out of stock $8.48
19
Cat: MOTELP 01. Rel: 16 Apr 12
 
Techno
Bleeding Through
Out Of Tune
Leather
Colour Of The Fall
Suffocate
Relict
Lexis
More Static
Review: Shifted's identity has remained somewhat of a mystery in 2012, but crucially, he does not come from the small coterie that has dominated UK techno over the past twenty years. Like the signature image he uses, a grey, shadowy creature creeping through a snowy forest, his infiltration of the sound has been stealthy and understated. In many ways, his lack of connection with techno, his automatic outsider status, has allowed him to effect an entrance into a hitherto new terrain. Like his releases on Mote Evolver and his own Avian imprint, Crossed Paths tingles and fizzes with an atmospheric sensibility that monochrome techno often lacks. All of this is made possible by his distinctive sound design; intricate and subtle, yet at the same time both functional and multi-faceted, where all of these divergent paths cross, you'll find Shifted.
...Read more
out of stock $16.97
20
Cat: CA 004. Rel: 10 Dec 12
 
Hard Techno
Mark Tyler - "23 Degrees"
MAXX - "Triple Alpha"
Rene Reiter - "Megamech"
Acid Chochi - "Techno Severo"
out of stock $7.42
21
Cat: UR 078. Rel: 09 Jun 08
 
Techno
Sao Paulo
Erzuli
Cachaca
Minha Mocambo
Review: Thank heavens for the repress habits over at UR headquarters! The surprisingly kind Mide Banks has actively resuscitated many sought after records form the 90s in the last couple of years, many of them going for triple their original prices. Here, Mark Flash injects some exquisite South American flavours to the Detroit sound and "Sao Paulo kicks things off with rugged breakbeats and a deliciously meandering synth. Next up, "Erzuli" takes a broken beat approach, aligning its jagged, percolated rhythms to frightening dabs of mutant bass and a chilling female vocal. On the flip, "Cachaca" sounds more like it was made in Bristol thanks to its dangling half-step beats and tribal percussions; and "Minha Mocambo" further explores African grooves, delivering some killer bongo work topped with some impeccable tribal hymns.
...Read more
out of stock $8.22
22
Rubber Jazz Band
Pipe Dreams
Climb The Walls
Beatnix
Street Jazz
Ghetto Booty
Work It (remix)
The Underground
Follow Me Ghetto (acid)
Computer (remix)
FTMFB (revised)
Review: If the title of this new reissues label is to be believed, we should be in for an abundance of great Dance Mania-era ruffness from the nastier side of Chicago's gift to dance music. Parris Mitchell's bumper Life In The Underground is a great place to start, covering the side of ghetto house that was more concerned with challenging sonics and grit than it was with ass and titties. There is an obligatory nod to the ladies on "Ghetto Booty", but tracks like "Street Jazz" are downright revolutionary in their manipulation of old records, while "Work It (Remix)" comes on like a truly primitive vision of where juke ended up.
...Read more
out of stock $22.26
23
Deflowered (Kassem Mosse/Mix Mup remix)
Lolita (Warehouse dub)
Review: This was the killer second twelve in Paul Woolford's Special Request project, dominated by yet another collaborative slice of excellence from Leipzig duo Kassem Mosse and Mix Mup. In discussing Special Request, the freshly invigorated and newly beard rocking Woolford has explained the project has been inspired by the current crop of those that go in on Rinse FM which brought up the producer's own nostalgic visions of original pirate material. Given their standing among the Rinse acolytes such as Ben UFO and Jackmaster, commissioning KM & MM to add their own slant to Special Request seemed like an all too inspired decision. It's one that manifestly pays off tenfold, with the duo's remix of "Deflowered" a heavily smudged out slalom through recycled rhythms that could only ever come from them. On the flip, Woolford drops a Dub version of "Lolita" that only serves to ramp up the menace of those heavily phased waves of hoover bass - as a side note it sounds strangely wonderful at 33rpm!
...Read more
out of stock $8.48
24
Cat: KLOCKWORKS 005/59210. Rel: 31 Aug 09
 
Techno
Searching
Floating
Running
out of stock $9.81
25
The Realest Of The Real
Sonic Weaponry
Rebel Music (version one)
Who Are You?
Review: The Idiot Savant Masterpieces is an absolutely mental slant on the house and techno template from Chicago resident Amir Alexander, a producer whose unwillingness to sacrifice his stylistic principles has seemingly been belatedly embraced on a wider scale with some well received EPs for Hype LTD and Deep Vibes. This 12" also marks the first full release from Alexander on his own Vanguard Sound label, and anyone with an open mind will probably be hooked as soon as the dense but warm brilliance of "The Realest Of The Real" launches into action. A near perfect example of Alexander's craft, the way the track agitates from between a very focused groove and all out madness really sets him apart from the ever swelling raft of boring revivalists out there, which the remaining three tracks also achieve. You need this record in your life.
...Read more
out of stock $9.28
26
Welcome Center
Oscillator
Paperclip Man
Climax
The Floor
Clear & Present
Throw
Steam
Parking Garage Politics
Country Boy Goes Dub
Slam Dance
My Neighborhood
Review: This year saw Planet E delve back into the sizeable archives of label boss Carl Craig with this timely remastered edition of the Paperclip People album The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich. Originally released in 1996, this double LP collated ten of Craig's early 90s emissions under the Paperclip People moniker, drawing on a rawer sound than the mechanoid Detroit aesthetic seen under other monikers like 69. It's perhaps down to the shoddy nature of the original pressing that Planet E have opted to remaster the release some 16 years on, and the chance to bask in Paperclip People classics like "Throw", "Oscillator" and "The Floor" should not be passed up by those who don't already own them.
...Read more
out of stock $16.97
27
Cat: 3024 018. Rel: 21 May 12
 
Techno
Lied To Be Loved (feat dBridge)
Zero
Stay (feat dBridge)
Review: It was an important year for Jon Convex and after his spectacular collaborative album with his Instra:Mental brother, Boddika, he needed to continue delivering the goods. London's 3024 has been his closest imprint, having released a string of fantastic releases for the label. The title track features the debaucheries of D&B legend, dBridge, where the pair have conjured a monter track, filled with swarming slices of bass, shifty drums and smooth vocals. "Zero" places its thumping drums next to bleepy melodies and a seriously odd bass line - a certified booty shaker! "Stay" is a gentler hymn, aided once again by dBridge's mastery, where 4/4 beats meet with anthemic piano keys and ludicrously seductive bass tones.
...Read more
out of stock $6.63
28
Cat: SECTCDVS 2. Rel: 05 Mar 12
 
Techno
Jolka - "Life Is Changing"
Casual Violence - "Acceptance Of The Fact At Hand"
Review: The second vinyl sampler showcasing some of the highlights from Sect's recent compilation It's All For You sees Croatia's Jolka and Manchester's Casual Violence share the billing on this fantastic 10", pairing two huge tracks that feel like two sides of the same coin. Jolka's "Life Is Changing" is the more overtly bright of the two, utilising a jagged arpeggio and bright stabs which provide an intensly hypnotic backdrop to the track's monolithic beats. On the flipside, Casual Violence's "Acceptance Of The Fact At Hand" operates on a slightly more subtle level - its sweeping strings and soothing melody deceive you into thinking the track is lighter than it is, but the thundering kicks and concise percussion tell a different story, creating what is an organic, cavernous composition filled with rich textural nuance.
...Read more
out of stock $6.35
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