Juno Recommends Techno September 2020

Review: Originally released back in 2011 on two singles, Shades of Detroit is a journey of six deep and dubby house monsters! The new limited reissue includes both Dark and Light parts, marbled vinyl and a new updated artwork. Essential Detroit house classic!

Review: Acidworx present their tenth release, which label boss DJ Seri so eloquently describes himself as 'more funky, squelching acid cuts for your brain'. Their acid trips have assisted them in travelling (without moving) as far as Japan, Australia, Netherlands and Switzerland on this one. The acid flashback on A1 will take you back to the days of the Plastik parties at the legendary Packard Plant in Detroit, while the tunnelling and strobed-out mentalisms of "10.02" will certainly cause long term effects - at the very least it'll have you calling in sick on Monday. On the flip, strap yourself in for a wild ride on the full-throttle acid trance epic "10.03" and boldly exclaim 'stay up forever!'

Review: The fourth release on LONEWOLF comes from a cast of underground talents. Four phenomenal slices of retro-futuristic techno by EYA Records aficionados Manuk,Otis and new affiliates Kepler and AC130.

Review: Nina Kraviz's Trip label welcomes back mainstay Vladimir Dubyshkin with his provocatively entitled Pornographic Novel EP. It's another blistering effort that is dedicated to the 90s Russian prom phenomenon and takes cues from absurd dialogues, bad acting and comic plots. The results are deadly serious however, with stomping beats driving forwards "The Return Of The Drunken Son", brutalism defining the hard edged techno of "Driving The Bus" and molten Mills style minimalism the order of the day on "Deaf Artist." The off-beat urgency of "Company Of 302s" closes in unforgettable fashion.

Review: Having devoted much time of late to the release of fresh material from his Karenn project with Pariah, this solo single from Jamie Roberts AKA Blawan is long overdue. Roberts opens with the thumping intensity of "40 Spiral", where cut-up, nightmarish vocal samples buzz around a ten-ton techno beat, before skipping his way through the loose-limbed, lof-fi techno-funk of "Immulsion (Come To Me In Full Electric Mix)". You'll find an alternate version of that track - the "That Kind Of Kink Mix"- at the end of the EP, and it's worth a listen thanks to a quirkier rhythm, stranger noises and discordant riffs. B-side opener "Rain", a kind of production-line clang-fest underpinned with formidably redlined beats, is also well worth a listen.

Review: Since debuting in 2016, Slovenia's PHI crew has delivered sporadic slabs of wax, with each occasional EP joining the dots between techno, acid, electro and IDM. This 12" narks the label's return to vinyl after a 15-month absence and boasts two tracks apiece from label regular Vid Vai and Luckison collective member Tzena. The latter kicks things off with "As The Dust Settles", a chiming and cheery chunk of funk-fuelled electro/IDM fusion, before returning to open side B with the crunchy sci-fi techno vibes of "Remixnotremix". Vid Vai's contributions are naturally impressive, too. "Syn20" joins the dots between Bleep & Bass and deep electro, while "Exciter" a rugged chunk of organ-sporting breakbeat/techno fusion.

Review: Delsin mainstay BNJM's last album Hypnagogia gets remixed by an interesting crew for this one. The ever deep German Efdemin goes for a smooth and serene techno atmosphere that's detailed with deft cosmic pads, and Luigi Tozzi channels classic Berlin dub techno on his icy yet warm take on "Inbdub." RRoxymore keeps things just as subtle but soothing on a dreamy late night and pad laced take on "Atoms Speak" while Mattheis traps you in a state of astral trance on his lush remix of "Moth Lines" which is as delicate and floaty as the insect it is named after.

Review: As PG Sounds, Philip Gelberg and Sven Reigler have delivered some of the most eccentric, interesting and off-kilter music on the SUED catalogue. On this much anticipated debut album, the pair continues in a similar vein, flitting between curious ambient experiments, sparse and ultra-dusty deep house, blunted instrumental hip-hop beats, mind-altering acid electronica, squelchy beat-scapes, rubbery techno wonkiness, deep space jack-tracks, twisted and brain-melting club stompers, and the kind of blink-and-you-miss-them interludes that will make you instantly rewind the vinyl to try and work out what's going on. It's the kind of set that defies easy categorization but is all the better for that. Recommended.

Review: Reedale Rise is the alias of Simon Keat, the Liverpool-based producer that has carved out an idiosyncratic style with a soulful and emotive quality that has been heard on imprints such as Frustrated Funk, Subwax Excursions and 20:20 Vision in the last few years. About a year and a half ago he released this little treasure on Domenico Rosa's Propersound, and it receives a much deserved repress here. From the deeply emotive hi-tech soul of "Astral Wayfarer" to the electro future funk of "Solice" or the Model 500 influenced "Welcome To Microworld" - there's no doubt that Keat unashamedly wears his Motor City influence proudly on his sleeve.

Review: Sebastian Mullaert is a real master of depth and atmosphere. He has been for many years and his WaWuWe project is some of his deepest stuff. Here he offers serene techno for late night motorway driving, underwater dub to get utterly lost in and spacious grooves that journey on the most deft and subtle of synths. This is meditative, heady music for thoughtful moments of escapism. The package is jut as special as the music here - it is a double, black, 180 gram 12" sheathed inside a custom cut and full colour printed hansaboard sleeve.

Review: Yila, an ex-Londoner based in Ljubljana collaborated with two Dj's: French London based Giom and Slovenian Alleged Witches.

The combinations were the focus; each person bringing their unique style, this natural melding deciding the genre without confines, guided by the Dj's understanding of what works in the club.

Sprinklings of nostalgia meet a future thinking fusion of dance music with a focus on slick production. There is a subject matter; not expressed through the contrived mind but through a subconscious sonic delivery, allowing the political nature of the music speak for itself.

Mastered by Brian Sanhaji @ Calyx

Review: Before the recent rise in '90s style psychedelic, ambient-influenced electronic music, one of the only producers offering up this kind of hallucinatory revivalism was Nick Harris AKA A Sagittariun. If truth be told, his productions are still a cut above the rest, as this fine outing on Craigie Knowes proves. The famously cynical (and, we should add, hilarious) Bristolian is in a positive frame of mind on bubbly, melodic opener "Heart Sutra", where a variety of melodic elements spar cheekily atop a rubbery electro beat. "The Soft Machine" sees him introduce some typically tough, mind-altering motifs on a darker and more psychedelic electro workout, while "Interzone" is rush-inducing, sunrise-ready dancefloor straight out of the top drawer.

Review: Since making their debut on Crosstown Rebels almost a decade ago, Barcelona-based twosome Fur Coat have notched up appearances on a variety of much-loved imprints, most notably Watergate Records, BPitch Control and Hot Creations. Here they make their Renaissance bow via a melodious, uplifting and terrifically tactile collaboration with vocalist Running Pine. Our fabourite mix comes from Tim Green, who adds some subtle, orchestral style sounds and heart-tugging pads to wrestle every last bit of emotion from the track (as well as add a touch of bittersweet beauty and a more huggable, laidback groove). That said, we're also fans of both Fur Coat's original version (track two) and the "Club Mix", whose darker tone and more foreboding electronic sounds makes it perfect for peak-time moments in dark, sweaty basement clubs.

Review: Karenn's Voam label continues its stellar early run with this salvo from hitherto unknown artist Regina Leather. As you might expect from this camp, bold and inventive techno is the order of the day leading in with the loping, melodic thump of "Tip" before swerving into the taut, cyclical piston-pump of "Comunicazione Uno". "Comunicazione Due" takes things tougher while retaining the nervous energy of its counterpart, leaving ample room for dynamic shifts and thrilling arrangement chops. "Industrial Collapse" completes the set with a swampy trip through twitchy lead lines and gluey percussion anchored by a chord progression you can get both hands around.

Review: Ever-stylish techno mainstay Shifted serves up more of his exquisitely designed loops on the Avian label. "Hard Matter" is a fizzing wall of grainy white noise with a pulsing synth running through the centre and hulking great kick drums down below. It's deceptively simple, but surly will be hugely effective at entrancing all who hear it on a loud system. "Form A Circle" is then a necessary and beautiful ambient reprise before the humid techno tunneller "Warm Currents" rocks back and forth on its kicks as increasingly edgy and paranoid pads rise up through the mix. Masterful minimalism once more.

Review: When it comes to robust, far-sighted and futuristic machine music, Posthuman can usually be relied upon to deliver the goods. Here they make a now rare outing away from their I Love Acid label, offering up a must-check four-track on Lobster Theremin's nostalgia-tinted There Is Love In You offshoot. The long-serving UK duo hits the ground running with sweaty opener "Chevrolet", a weighty, bass-heavy, warehouse-ready affair featuring the distinctive vocals of Josh Caffe, before switching to mind-altering acid techno heaviness on "The Depth". Over on side B, "Jupiter Traxx" sees them eagerly join the dots between electro, breaks and hip-house, while "My House Rules" is vintage deep house taken to the outer realms of the galaxy.