Juno Recommends Techno: February 2023

Review: Revelation - not the 70s soul and disco group but in this case, the short-lived house duo from New York City - dropped just three EPs and this was the second one from 1990. 'Synth It' is a mix of sounds with phenomenal synth work. The poised techno chords are balanced with electro roots and a squelchy acid line then you get a weird and wonderful bleepy dub trance sound on 'First Power (Domination Dub).' It is loved up and very special. Add in two other fine versions and you have a killer reissue here.

Review: A hard to find sci-fi Detroit techno classic - it's featured everywhere from Marcel Dettmann to Zip's SW sets.- gets a timely reissue complete with a new, super solid Delano Smith remix. It's hard not to love the original in all its futuristic glory, led by a sturdy four-to-the-floor pummelling but boasting a throbbing neo-disco bassline - imagine a lost Gorgio Moroder classic being remade by Jeff Mills in PurposeMaker mode. But the Delano Smith remix updates it for modern palates, ironically by delving back even further, to the early 70s model Kraftwerk from whom he borrows some very austere but classy synth sounds and a touch of electro syncopation. Take your pick according to mood, they both do the job admirably.

Review: Since relaunching the Bluetrain project in 2016 following a 13-year hiatus, UK techno mainstay Steve O'Sullivan has released a lot of inspired dub techno under the alias - not least last year's fantastic full-length, 'Steady Pulse'. To begin 2023, he unveils two fresh cuts that hit the same sonic heights as that must-check album. 'Precious Dubs', featuring the quietly soulful inflections of mic-man Prince Morella, adds O'Sullivan's sturdy, hypnotic and thickset spin on the vocal dub techno template laid down by Rhythm & Sound in the late 1990s, with deep bass, echoing motifs and hazy electronics riding a locked-in groove. On the flip, he goes even deeper on the pleasingly stretched-out 'Woodland Dub', opting to combine a more rolling, house style beat with ultra-deep bass, delay-laden vocal snippets and swirling dub techno textures.

Review: Brighton-based Caldera is a talent behind the decks, but is perhaps even more remarkable in his studio expertise: his subtle productions weave a seemingly effortless sense of pace and texture, groove and abstraction, weight and space. For this colourful outing he channels - in turns - David Moufang, Thomas Fehlmann, Yanneck Salvo, and Sebastian Meissner, with deep techno, sumptuous house and beguiling ambience the bewitching end product.

Review: Kosmogonik offers up a top debut album here packed with fresh ambient, techno, house and electronic deepness. Polyverse has nine exploratory cuts that take you on a real trip through the cosmos, right from the suspensory opening chords of the prelude. After that come the lean and elegant Detroit techno lines of 'Oscillating Grids' and the far-sighted cosmic bliss of 'Orion'. 'New Ground Galactica' is about as delightful and wondrous as electro gets and lovers of breakbeats will find plenty to get excited about on 'Astronomicon' with its smeared chords and colour alien details. A gorgeous album of well-crafted electronic escapism.

Review: Here's a big old belter on that biggest of techno fortresses, Drumcode. On this two-track slammer, Adam Beyer and Bart Skils' monster track 'Your Mind' gets revisited by New York up and comer Charles D. After releases on Say What? and Pryda, D is able to show off his skills twice over, on the A-side living up to the billing of the 'Epic mix' of 'Your Mind' by bringing in the big, swelling pads that can fill a stadium and get hands raised aloft. On the flip, the 'Acid Line' version unsurprisingly brings a little 303 action into the mix, and makes sure the undercarriage is a thunderous juggernaut of supersized techno.

Review: SND & RTN show their class here with a set of six sublime dub techno cuts that have been pressed to nice solver and heavyweight vinyl. There is nothing groundbreaking about the music here but what is done is done to an exceptionally high standard. The sound designs are faultless, from the bottomless bass to the pilot kick drums via the way in which their fizzing chords do nimble dances over the face of each tune. Some lean into the wind, some are utterly horizontal, all are great.

Review: Utterly brain-assaulting techno onslaughtery from the collaborative duo that is Alexander Johansson and Mattias Fridell (Lomsk), debuting this new EP for Blueprint. As ever nailing their conscious decision to make 'playful and mischevious' techno, this one finds sadistic pride in pummelling our ears with womp and repetition, for its own sake. The double-clapping 'Klot' in particular reigns supreme over this EP for its Birmingham-style chord stabs, while the overall pleasing mix of 'Koner' rounds things off on a cuspy, raspy, wally note.

Review: A fresh top-up to the vogue of 'trance-infused techno' by Alignment, the Berlin producer whose heavyset techno chops come straight to Charlotte De Witte's KNTXT label, which has launched the careers of several younger artists. Burbling Detroit voices command us to 'attack' through the opening droner 'Attack', an inception boomer if we've ever heard one. Followers 'Dream State' and 'Multiverse' timeslip through grit and dirt and arpeggios, getting faster and faster before Alignment shows us 'The Way' on the final roundoff.

Review: Since launching in 2021, the Ohm Series has brought us swathes of immersive dub techno works from the Scandinavian perspective. With artists like Thor attached to earlier instalments, this VA run comes with an assurance of quality which maintains on part six. Whether it's the billowing clouds and minimal house shuffle of 'Syntax' by Sirko Muller or the fluid techno pulse of Shcuro & Vil's 'Fluxus', this is a masterclass in the style from artists who know how to evoke those tundra-like soundscapes within a sophisticated dance music framework.

Review: A true titan on the early techno wave, Joey Beltram has left a monumental impact on the development of the culture thanks to his productions and DJing alike. His catalogue of releases and mixes is vast, but the simply titled Live Mix from 1997 is a seminal document of the Brooklyn bad boy's approach, packed full of classics and whipping into 'Energy Flash' on track two before launching into all kinds of high-pressure acid and techno. The mix has only ever been on CD before, but now Music On Vinyl are pressing it up on wax as a lasting document of a classic set from the golden age of techno mixes.

Review: Earwax is back to fill your lug holes with something far more appealing than his alias suggests. His brand of techno is deeply seductive as proven by the opener here, 'Perception Units.' It is a driving, linear, traced-out cut for the dead of the night. '49 Hours' then kicks off with a more bulky and physical rhythm and 'Matrix' goes deeper into more tunneling, linear techno that is perfectly designed to hook you in. 'No Taste' is a more banging closer with unsettling synths and pummelling drums. It's a militant marcher to close a boss EP.

Review: Charlotte De Witte is, in no uncertain terms, one of the leaders of techno's new school. The Belgian powerhouse is busy on all fronts from epic live streams at Formula 1 circuits to dropping her own clothing ranges, running her KNTXT label to dropping red-hot records like this one. It finds her once again bringing trance and 90s video game sounds track influences to her driving techno template. 'Missing Channel' is chunky and hard-hitting with mind-melting synths burrowing deep, then as the name suggests Apollo gets more celestial with heavenly vocal sounds layered up over spacecraft sound effects and linear techno drums. The flipside brings acid and then otherworldly ambience.

Review: The third edition in the mysterious Suoni Incisi series is another exercise in slo-motion tribal trance that would make even the master Donato Dozzy sit up and notice. The A-side cut is sublime ambient techno awash in layers of intricately woven textures, led by a gently bouncing arpeggio. Over on the flip, the second offering takes a more abstract turn with an emphasis on the hypnotic polyrhythms that underpin its overall ritualistic and psychedelic arrangement - altogether geared for pure enlightenment. Tip!

Review: You know what you're going to get from Planet Rhythm: banging techno that is made like it used to be. The eponymous production outfit is behind this latest offering and opener '90's Acidcore' is perfectly summed up by its title: heavy drums, manic acid, and scintillating percussion. 'Impulsive Mass' is more frosty, panel-beating techno brutalism and 'Tribal Ritual' throws it back to the golden era of video game soundtracks like Wipeout. Just for funsies, 'Like The Heaven' chucks some dusty breakbeats into the mix as well as the acid and steel percussion.

Review: Few partnerships in techno are as fruitful as SHDW and Obscure Shape. They are of course commanders-in-chief of this From Another Mind label which is now almost a decade into its journey. And it is still going strong with more all consuming techno power offered up here: 'Planet Der Sturme' is muscular, bulky techno that's built around heavy bottom ends before things get unhinged with the wonky loops of 'Der Urknall'. On the flip, some brighter trance influences colour the synths of both tunes to make for something more heads up and emotive. It's a refreshingly different sound to go with the high functioning A-side.

Review: Neapolitan producer Raffaele Attanasio pays homage to his homeland's rich musical hertiage with this mega-impressive techno-trance five-tracker. 'Quasar' is an expert project when it comes to breakdowns and buildups, with spitting synth stabs occupying the oft-minute long spaces between each drop and drum section. While the title track is the main melodic star, an acidic lichen begins to grow on the EP at about halfway in, rendering the whole thing darker and texturally juicier.

Review:  Billus is a new name to be emerging from the Melbourne scene and here he shows his mastery of groove and percussion. There is a real lightness of touch to the breakbeats of the opener 'Cubic'. They mean you instantly take flight and drift through the skies next to pillow melodic clouds that cast your mind adrift. It's deliciously deep and colourful stuff. 'Shifting Sands' is another mix of suspensory chords that pan all around and bubbling, percussive drums that are hard to define. 'Splay' sinks into a watery world of dubby chords and skeletal but compelling beats and 'Under The Canopy is melodic minimalism of the highest order.

Review: It is now well over a year since we got hyped by the first release from Phara on the Phaar label. Thankfully we are finally blessed with a second hand-stamped 12" that contains more brilliantly supple yet powerful techno. This is techno that is warm and has a real sense of machine soul no matter the mood or tempo. Things open in artful fashion before the pace picks up on 'Fleshy Part Of The Thigh' with its cantering kicks setting a heady pace while lush harmonics peel off the top. 'In Dubio' is a dub techno banger while 'Float' captures the essence of early and soulful Detroit techno in a modern framework.

Review: Portugal's HAYES label clocks up a fifth EP here and once again takes us deep into a world of supple but subversive techno. It is a mix of artists who serve up the sounds with VIL's dancey 'Dothejazz' layering minimal synths and drums with potent bass rumbles. Norbak & Temudo then rock you back and forth on your heels as drunken synths evoke and adapt to the icy groove on 'Cloud Seeding.' VIL & Temudo then pair off for the more twisted 'Pampomaniac' and Quelza closes down with 'Arnold,' a whacked-out and skeletal techno rhythm that borrows from early jungle.

Review: There is seemingly no sound, scene, genre or era out of reach for Wagram. The label is on what seems to be a mission to document all the biggest tunes from every possible sound across the last 50 years. This time they look to Techno with this first volume of tunes from all the big names. Frenchman Laurent Garnier has his classic 'Wake Up' chosen to kick things off and from there plenty of recognisable artists appear from Silicone Soul with their smooth 'Right On' to a rare Daft Punk remix in the form of I:Cube's 'Disco Cubizm' as well as the delightful 'Rej' from Ame and Josh Wink's 'Higher State Of Consciousness.'

Review: Planet Rhythms on a real roll right now and Steve Parker continues the legendary label's current fine form with this new and powerful four-track offering. Parker is an exponent of classically inclined techno with subtle twists. 'Monofunctional' kicks off and is a hefty warehouse cut with dub weight and frazzled synth work warming up the frosty hi-hats. 'Hyperspectral' is urgent and tense with its tight synth loops and clipped, punchy drums. 'X-2222' is more edge-of-your-seat dark techno brilliance and 'Flashes' then lights up the rave with its synth stabs and rusted drum loops.

Review: Shout out to Taapion, the French label that hits a nice 20th release milestone here. Blame The Mono is given the honour of serving up the sounds and takes no prisoners across a turbocharged plenty of techno and industrial. First up is the menacing 'Forlorn' (feat Herrclem) with its supersized drums and synths that tear up the groove. 'Front Left Rodeo' pairs up more large, heavy, raw drums with twitchy, spikes synths lines and 'Conepusher' is a brutalist stomper with vocals trapped in the midst of the noise. 'Caledonian Woofers' is a hands in the air trance-techno banger with hints of euphoria that get you all weepy.

Review: Last year Woody McBride's Minnesota label Sounds. reissued the Lovers EP, a 12" he originally released back in 1996 under his Modal alias. Now the remixes gets reissued to follow up, leading in with some Mariana trench depth charge gear from Roy Davis and DJ Skull. The Terry Mullan mix is a springy, 909 techno workout, while the Boom Box mix takes a lighter, drum machine jazz approach. There are so many old-school heroes involved here - Hyperactive, DJ Slip, Mystic Bill - but then what else would you expect from someone as invested in the scene and community as Woody McBride?

Review: Adding yet another slice of cheeky, aquatic and breaksy music to the pile, Lithuanian artist Pletnev debuts 'And You Never Came Back' for RAND Muzik, not shying from the characteristic playfulness that has his earlier releases like 'Peep Of Dawn' or 'Voranto Bros'. The opening track evokes the sense of turning subwoofers to quicksilver with a minimal MIDI midas touch, while the EP begins to open up properly on 'Average Monday', a slow-burn of sloshing flute-birds, gated vocals and buzzers. The B's highlight is 'Am I Looking At Two Cats', whose unusually bass-heavy groove recalls the work of late 1990s UK artist Snake Thing.

Review: Some techno is hard, some tech is cosmic, some techno is minimal. And some techno, like this EP from PO, is fun and funky. The drums are programmed in a way that gets you on your toes and tapping out various patterns while your mind is lost in the intergalactic synths work. 'The Time' is the finest example of that while 'We Are Wvil' gets a little more stripped back and serious but still has intriguing melodies and inventive bass shapes. Flip it over for further excursions into comics techno with an 80s feel, slap-funk EBM influences and brain-rewiring hardcore.

Review: Felix Benedikt is onto a winner with his Alpha Tracks project, leaning in on the uptempo zeitgeist with smart techy trance gear which has already found favour with labels like Blue Hour, Cheap and his own Morbid. Now he arrives on underground trance label UTE.REC with four blasts of hi-tech trip-out gear, keeping the pace right up there without resorting to heavy-handed production methods. There's a particularly light touch to 'Starbeams', which juggles plenty of zippy rhythmic touches while keeping a melancholic mood through a lingering synth line. If you're interested in where fast music gets deep, look no further.

Review: The Analogue label is right back to its brutal techno, best right out of the blocks at the start of 2023. This 12th such offering is a vicious various artist affair that kicks off with the one and only Perc. 'Skinner' rides a wave of serrated bass energy and turbulent synth work that will blow up any club. Remco Beekwilder's 'Dominance' is darker, even more caustic and direct and UVB's 'Gun & Run' is a hypnotic industrial stomper. Plenty of throwback rave energy and hints of gabba define the maximal closer, Jerm's 'Flesh Hoover.'