Juno Recommends Techno: November 2023

Review: DJ Bone is a Detroit titan. He plays on the decks with high energy and next-level skill that few can match - which is why they call him the Terminator. He pulls no punches in the studio either, crafting all killer no-filler club weaponry as exemplified here by his new album Further. This is top-level techno on his own Subject Detroit label with lashings of machine soul, futuristic ideals and evocative atmospheres. Some cuts sink into deep inner grooves and take you on a mindful trip and some are more wildly expressive, but all of them bang in the club.

Review: Producer/DJs Dorisburg and Efraim Kent have pretty much always dealt in textural, knocky takes on the intersection between minimal and bass music, and this sensibility more than shines through on their latest split EP, 'Further'. The A-side would work just as well in a Plastic People revival rave as it would a minimal neeks' free-for-all, working in endlessly-shifty laser wibbles, risers and a yobby vocal shout. B-sider 'Attjo' is no less fidgety, but errs on the minimal tech side, but also comes with a subtle 'tribal' umbrage, with ghostly spirits seemingly conjured in firelit reverb and drum hits.

Review: Well, we must admit that we never foresaw Luke Slater and Dubfire coming together on the same 12". Both enjoy lofty statuses in the tech world but at very different ends of the spectrum - Slater the always underground head who keeps it futuristic and fresh, Dubfire someone happy to play to vast crowds in the more commercial side of the scene. But their work here is faultless. 'The Dissent' is a psychedelic roller for the dead of the night. 'The Sonic Assassin' plunges you deep into the cosmos with its pulsing synths, bass and bells, and 'The Drama' is a meaningful and widescreen cut permitted by fantastic synth designs.

Review: Cabaret is one of those well regarded minimal and tech labels that is pretty much buy on sight for fans. Next up to keep that reputation alive is Dojo Zone who does not disappoint across four well designed techno offerings. 'Quasi Disco' is a big and bumpy one with rickety percussive loos and drums that demand the floor makes moves. 'The Green Planet' (feat Emily Lind) is crispy tech house with classic cowbell sounds and eerie whistles, then 'Walk The Path' heads into the cosmos with psyched-out synths and plenty of sci-fi effects. 'Who's Watching' closes down with a darker heart but still plenty of trippy motifs for late night action.

Review: You wait ages for a Peverlist solo EP, and two come along at once. As the title suggests, Pulse Modulation is a partner 12" to the recently released Pulse EP, and continues that release's titling system and subtly eclectic approach. The Livity Sound founder begins with 'Pulse V', where rising and falling, trance-influenced lead lines ride a hissing and a jacking drum machine beat, before peppering a minimalistic, sub-heavy techno groove with spaced-out bleeps on the superb 'Pulse VI'. 'Pulse VII' opens side B via an attractive blend of warped and metallic motifs, deep sub bass, snappy drums and dreamy chords, while 'Pulse VIII' draws proceedings to a close in excitable fashion - think skittish jungle breaks, booming bass and sparse, echoing synthesiser lead lines. Tried and tested treats from one of UK techno's most distinctive musical operatives.

Review: Detroit house purveyor Norm Talley has been particularly busy over the past few years, pushing a brand of deep and hypnotic grooves that keeps dancefloors happy. His 2010 track 'Cosmic Waves' is now an evergreen bit of club tackle - "a crisp drum machine bump, teasing strings and dubbed out melodics precision built for maximum immersion" we reckoned last time round and we wouldn't disagree. Remixes from Delano Smith and XDB make this reissue one to catch.

Review: Red Axes have always operated in their own little niche within underground electronic music. The Israeli duo has plenty of genuine guitar-playing skills which they bring to a fine grasp of synth work and a love of acid, wonky grooves and psychedelic colours on labels like Disco Halal and K7. Now they step up to fabric with a new album that also post-punk and new wave flourishes to tracks recorded as live jams in their home studio. It's packed with energy and mischief and is another superbly singular offering from the duo.

Review: For big-room techno, there are few finer labels out there right now - or ever - than Adam Beyer's monstrous Drumcode. The boss himself dropped a huge EP not so long ago and now turns to Space 92 for the latest aural assault. The artist serves up just two tracks but both are hugely weaponised affairs, starting with 'Time.' It is lacerated by gurgling synth lines that fire across its face like lasers, while the rolling beats and edgy stabs all build the tension. On the flip is 'Voyager' which is an acid-laced pumper with non-stop drum funk and flat-footed kicks to make huge club rooms march as one.

Review: Robbert Heynen aka Exquisite Corpse served up one of last year's finest EPs with his Integration 12". Now though he has opened up his superb archives and invited the one and only Greek maestro Anatolian Weapons to set to work reworking it for this fresh new four-track EP on Transmigration. It's a deep and dubby affair to start with on 'Honeymoon' (Definitive mix) while 'Calling The Quarters' (Beauty Below mix) is awash with trippy electronic lines and shimmering pads. 'Outlandis' (Deep Anatolian mix) is a heavy, percolating bit of elongated electronic dub with 'Chalice' (Secret Acid mix) closing down the EP with another slow and captivating rhythm made from jumbled parts and tribal drums.

Review: A brand new red-marbled 12" edition single of '33 Tours Et Puis S'en Vont' by red-faced techno legend Laurent Garnier. The euphoric track appears as the title track of the fresh new LP of the same name, and his first in eight years; here, remixes are handled by the likes of Voltaire, World Of Intent and Avision, forming a physical edition of a much wider remix pack.

Review: The intriguingly named Kalahari Oyster Cult deals in music that is just as interesting and this new album from OK EG is no exception to that. Rivulets manages to be both perfectly designed for an indelible impact in the club, but is also nuanced and detailed enough to work in headphones in a range of other settings. It's minimal in design but never cold and abstract - the synths are warm, the drums rubbery, the rhythms lovely and compelling. 'Circular Arc' for example is bumpy and bouncy with a killer bassline, 'Matched Grip' is melon-twisting halftime brilliance and 'Endless River' is a super deep and silky jungle workout drenched in soulful vocal swirls.

Review: Charlotte De Witte has long been a leader of the new school of techno. Her sound is tough an uncompromising and borrows from trance, hard techno and ambient often all at once. Her own KNTXT label is where she releases it and that is where she appears once more now with another fierce peak time EP. 'Power Of Thought' has big unrelenting drums, guying acid and some subtle smoked words for maximum anthemic effect. 'Pria' then brings some Middle Eastern melodic and vocal exoticness to her tightly clipped techno grooves and 'Abada' is a dramatic and cinematic ambient closer.

Review: Viewfinder has launched Rescan Records from Manchester to explore deeper realms of techno and tech house with a vintage flavour. Following a sterling debut with The Second Phase, they're back with another three excursions into outboard production following in the footsteps of B12 et al. 'Existential' is a particularly powerful track which echoes Underground Resistance and adds some choice swing into the groove. Prague-based Sasha Nevolin sneaks a cut in on the B2 with the outstanding 'Hempus', bringing a starry-eyed inventiveness to his synth work and keeping the energy up.

Review: Irish artist Outlier is in fine form here as he sets out n a mission to explore a panoply of genres in a new double 12" for Appian Sounds. Alaya is an immediately immersive listen from the first moment the first pads of 'Suspend' smear out around you. There is a deftness to the barely there dub rhythms of 'Moabit, 022017' which means the track plays out like a half remembered dream and 'Worshipper' is suspensory ambient with only the lightest cosmic signifiers for company. That reserved and tender artistry continues even on more beat driven cuts like the gorgeous 'Svagatam'.

Review: Toupaz is a new name on our radar but he'll stay firmly on it after this release on forward-thinking London label, Well Street. The EP kick-starts with a fusion of techno, bass and club rhythms spliced with brilliantly bubbly toms & synths that fall down the face of broken beats. The flip side explores a new take on UK funky with whirring machines and fractured vocals, whilst the closer 'Maudlin Lakitu' features the most experimental and skeletal rhythms of the project.

Review: London label Pleasure Club is the chosen haunt for Bobby, a mover and shaker pursuing seductive, trippy strains of techno that favour analogue warmth and a playful energy. This year so far there's been some strong showings on the label from Rudolf C, Johnny Hunter and B.AI and now it's Bobby's turn to return to the fold and get a little freaky. The results speak for themselves, as the teasing psychedelics of 'Strange Fantasy' melt into the darkly cheeky acid freakout 'Human Race' and 'Last Chance To Trance' sets up a serene and fluttering set of arps for 'Train To Tokyo' to carry home in a rush of symphonic synth goodness.

Review: Cologne label Mephis/Monevido continues to be pushing some of the freshest acid and tech house around as they welcome Artesano Titer and B22 for a split 12" of dazzling late night sonics. Titer's 'Free Fall From Space' is an expert exercise in layered up 303 snake charming, while 'An Unexpected Arrival' locks into a lowdown groove with brain-tweaking modulation running up top. B22 kick off the B-side with a bleep-informed dose of acid from the dark side and some downright nasty groove action kicking off on 'Make You Free', with an instantly recognisable sample from an LFO classic thrown in for good measure.