Juno Recommends Techno: March 2024

Review: When it comes to wresting maximum emotion and energy from analogue electronic instruments, few artists can match acid revivalists Paranoid London. They've certainly made their machines sing on Arseholes, Liars & Electronic Pioneers, their third full length excursion. Kicking off with the EBM-meets-acid growl of Joe Lewis hook-up 'Love One Self', the set includes such gems as 'People (Ah Yeah)' (an ambient acid number featuring Bobby Gillespie on vocals), the hard-wired acid trippiness of 'Up Is Down' (with DJ Genesis), the squelchy and spacey excellence of 'Start To Fade' (with Josh Caffe), the acid-electro brilliance of 'GRINDR' and a genuine future anthem in Mutado Pintado collab 'The Motion'.

Review: Lempuyang makes it to release number 15 with a devastatingly deep new EP from Deepchord Records co-founder Mike Schommer. He kicks off with 'Scapegoat' featuring the alluring vocals of Milly James which echo out over super slow-motion dub rhythms and icy pads. The Pole rework brings more crisp hits and distant eerie drones over a more pronounced rhythm but one that remains devilishly sparse. On the flip, 'Deceivers' has more hypotonic drive - a fleshy dub stepper to lock in any 'floor and then 'Believers' slows it down to a crawl once more. An essential dub EP that promises no represses.

Review: The highly anticipated secnd full length album from Polar Inertia is here. It makes absolute sense that 'Environment Control' makes its way to the Swedish label Northern Electronics. For those that know the label and this artist, it seems like the perfect pairing. Formed in 2010, Polar Inertia has been one of the leading new producers of darker techno. The title track is opener and a sign of things to come. Futuristic techno of the upmost. These tracks engulf you with their power and depth. Some tracks are sinister and foreboding while others are atmospheric and cavernous. 'Artic Horizon' shows the deft touch of his producing ability. Sinister techno beats shrouded in a deep haze of ambience give off the impression that you are almost outside a club listening to the techno inside. For fans of techno and ambient, you are hard pressed to find a producer who does it better. These copies are sure to go fast so pick one up as quick as you can.

Review: Elias Landberg continues to press ahead with the instantly identifiable Skudge sound, where the best of contemporary techno locks in for tight but funky grooves of the highest calibre. It's not often we see the project break away from the self-titled label, but here it's gracing Syncrophone with some of the finest uptempo, deep-diving gear you'll hear all year. 'Wander' has a snappy strut to the beat and lead riff alike, with the drums coming on like uptempo house as much as techno. 'Hidden Location' locks in harder thanks to the enduring creep of the background pads, while 'The Wind' takes on the dubbiest duties as it stretches out across the B-side.

Review: Innershades has always dealt in lo-fi, misty sounds that are steeped in beauty and melancholy and offer plenty of subtle homages to Detroit. Here he cooks up more electro magic on the Explorer EP, which is again minimalistic in design but maximal in terms of dancefloor impact. His melodies really convey true emotional pain and the drums bring sleek electro energy and brilliance. 'Unknown Depths' is a serene one to open with, 'Explorer' brings some acid modulations and extra percussive snap and 'Aquaculture' is the most liquid and dubby cut here. 'Super 6' has a sense of hope for the future in its brighter, more optimistic melodies. Exceptional stuff.

Review: The king is dead, long live the king, as they say - except in this case the late king is DJ Bone's legendary Subject Detroit label, which has now been shuttered after 25 years, and the newly anointed king is his new outlet Further, taken from his Amsterdam parties of the same name. It kicks off with a pair of new EPs on the same day and this is the first from Yeti Mind Tricks. 'We Ain't Like Them' is a hammering Motor City techno cut for the peak time which Bone remixes into a more stripped-back but no less edgy and potent cut. On the flip are 'Bimini Road' and 'Vandelay,' both of which bring stylish techno drenched in machine soul.

Review: Tin Man has been on a mission to find the human heart in his machines for many years now and it all started with Acid Test 01.1. This vintage package now gets reissued on his home label Acid Test and it is as alluring and heady now as it was back then, first time around. The way he bends and blends his 303, smears it across the subtle, soft, deep house and techno drums and allows it to make a lasting, lingering impression is second to none on the opener. From there a 2024 rework ups the energy slightly and then a Donato Doozy rework gets even deeper before 'Love & Sex Acid' closes in a warming fashion.

Review: Mark Broom is one of the mainstays of the global underground. The UK titan has a recognisable take on house and techno genre that is underpinned by slamming kick and that comes to bare once more now as he lands on fellow legend Radio Slave's Rekids label. These four cuts bring a more house feel to start with as 'Klashjamz' layers up disco strings and vocals into something joyous. 'Showtime' has a garage slip to the loopy, silky drum rotations and 'HighNRG' throws it back with big stabs, percussive drums and chopped up vocal shards. 'Jazz Ting' is an aptly named closer with plenty of steamy sax notes of raw, loopy grooves.

Review: Fresh from a surprise - but no less surprisingly sublime - appearance on Timedance, Ploy returns home to the Deaf Test imprint he set up as a vehicle for his productions back in 2022. As usual, what's on offer is a fresh-but-nostalgic set of cuts full of audible nods to heavyweight dancefloor styles of the 90s. The A-side boasts two top-notch takes on 'Vortex': the bleep-and-breaks style sub-heavy shuffle of the 'Stripped Mix' and the early 90s UK techno heaviness of the more expansive 'Busy Mix'. Over on side B, trippy and energy-packed throb-job 'In Your Head' is followed by the moody bass propelled breakbeat house of 'Eyes On You' and the early Orbital-esque excellence of 'Sending'.

Review: Texas based producer Ben Hixon has been garnering a wide following with his clever old-skool influenced house tracks. The feature track 'ND Fresh', spreads its' wings over the entire A-side. This house builder has the ability to tear the roof of the party. A strong, tribal and urban builder that creates a scene on the dancefloor. With his background as a multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer, you get an interesting and unique approach on rhythm within the house genre. The two B-sides offer up some great material as well. 'As You' is a soulful stunner that gives off strong deep Chicago vibes. 'I Smoke!!' is the banger of the bunch that will send any party into overdrive. It's great to see and hear someone is making such strong house music from the south there in America. Top Notch!

Review: Casino Classix is one of several aliases for legendary minimal man Baby Ford. Here it is also the name of a four-track EP that finds the long time UK underground operative working alongside fellow British techno luminary Mark Broom on a quartet of devastating cuts. 'Ringer' opens up with some dark and nimble baselines darting about beneath a dense layer of percussion and FX. 'Hoppa' is then a more precise and minimalist cut with wonky bass snaking down low beneath the icy hi-hats and jumbled toms. There is a warm dub depth to 'Hot Pot' to kick off the flip and 'Beach Club' shuts down with a restless mix of synth daubs and deft percussion over an ice cold groove.

Review: Domesticated has been giving us a great blend of upbeat genres on each and every release since the label first came out. No exception here, Ukraine producer Kiddmisha jams five heaters on one piece of wax. The first cut 'The Search', is a demented and seedy electro cut that is sure to be a hit those who hear it. If you want to hear what bass music subgenre sounds like, then look no further than the monster that is 'Def'. For the B-side, Kiddmisha showcases a few groovier tracks with the infectious 'Gradient' and killer robotic electro of the title track 'The Game'. Fans of dangerous electro like Carl Finlow or what you would find on the Trust label will know what we are talking about. We really like the seedy and sleazy sounds that germinate 'Freaktown' as well. Once you hear these you are likely not to forget them. Wicked EP!

Review: Tensal's take on techno is a perfect blend of heady soundscapes and potent drum programming. He brings that to Arts collective to kick off his 2024 in typically excellent fashion. He opens his account on this one with the pulsing basslines and zippy synth textures of 'Virgo' before 'Molecular Base' heads down a darker rabbit hole full of late night allure. There is more of driving and linear feel to 'Black Annis' which locks you into a meditative state and ready to gaze on at the passing synth loops and last of all 'Chromatic Aberration' ups the ante with more frosty synths and cosmic synth tension as busted techno drums loops below.

Review: Arkajo's seld-titled label rolls out another sophisticated EP as it continues to stand itself apart in its early days. This one kicks off with 'Entwine' which showcases the artist's mastery of deep rhythms that seem to float above the dancefloor. The broken beats are lush and airy, the synths wispy, the vibes uplifting. A Polygonia remix brings a little extra weight to the low end but it remains just as classy. 'Signature' then has a more edgy feel with heavier hits, squelchy bass and a physical feel that is super irresistible. Last of all is the Konduku remix which takes things into tripped-out 5am territory.

Review: OHM is quickly becoming a quality imprint you can count on for techno and dub techno. The ninth addition in the series, it calls for an excellent blend of composers to balance this EP out. Veteran Jamie Anderson collabs with the brilliant Owain K on opener. The 'Aqua Dub' builds a euphoria for late night smiles. Smooth is an understatement on this linear gem. One artist on here that's been making strong appearances on many dub techno labels is the ever-talented Francisco Aguado. 'Balance' is a great tribal transition track for any DJ who can it creatively to build the means to an end. On the second side, Star Dub offers the very addictive and techy 'Forst'. Ending on a high note, the brisk and flighty 'Ever Growing' by Volpe completes the ninth edition in a rapturous mood. If you like deep techno, the OHM series is a must to collect.

Review: Sindh combines old and new worlds on his latest mystic hymns, this time kicking off the A-Biotic label with his dark and alluring four-track EP 'Andaman'. He manages to fuse organic and synthetic materials here as he heads down a darkly introspective path where minimal and IDM, dub and techno all collide in mutant form. 'Jangil' is a real standout with its bubbling halftime rhythms and icy synths backed by distant angelic chorals. The bewitching sounds continue on 'Galathea' which rides back and forth on its heels as subtle sines, scurrying synths and menacing pads all interlock before 'Hinam' locks you in a dense synth stasis and loopy sense of lurching rhythm.

Review: The deep techno lovers at the Modern Hypnosis label have got Sub Basics on a new 12" that will lock you into a meditative state from the off. 'Offshore' is first up and ride son icy, minimal and gently broken techno loops that are fluffed out with deft synths and wispy pads. 'E443' is another super paired back sound with a quiet, late-night approach to floating and loopy techno. 'T441' has skittish rhythms and warped synths suspending you in mid-air while closer 'Lucid' (feat Traces) has a darker intensity to its lurching drums and pulsating synth lines.

Review: The big room techno don that is Adam Beyer is back with more potent techno weaponry on his own Drumcode label, this time with part two of the 12th volume of his A-Sides series. His 'Take Me There' is first up in remix form and Carl Cox flips it into a surging peak time roller. Matt Guy's 'Give Me What I Want' is an emotive banger with big synth energy and reverberating vocals while ADHS's '2STEP' hits hard with its flaming drums and trance-y synths. Kaiserdisco then brings dark, stomping warehouse energy to their raved-ready 'Get On The Dancefloor.'

Review: Tides is the much anticipated new album from Ignez on Belgian label Token Records. As far as debuts go, it is a superb one with meanderings through diverse soundscapes from highly emotional ambient cuts to more pumping and club-ready techno. The sound design throughout is deft, often underexposed and moody, with opener 'Enchant' welcoming us into a future world with smeared pads and bright lights. 'Veiled Dreams' is a nice dusty, dubby techno pulser and 'Drama' brings writing bass and minimalism. There is optimism in the cosmic twinkles of 'Delusional Bond' and a dystopian vision of the future in 'Immersive Mind'.

Review: Mighty European powerhouse Drumcode rolls out more of its techno tsunamis here with part one of the 12th volume of its A Sides collection. The boss himself, Adam Beyer, offers up one of the biggest cuts - 'Heading South' is a surging, straight-up techno weapon rippled with deft synths that ever forever on the move. Danny Avila's 'My Crew' (feat Flowdan) is built on a foundation of earth-shattering kicks and rolling bass with hellish stabs and vocal fragments making for an intense atmosphere, and Simina Grigoriu's 'Flight Tracker' is the sort of quick-moving techno sound to lock you into a trance. Add in LAAT's 'The Age Of Juno' (oi oi!) and you have a very useful and high impact EP of contemporary techno.