Juno Recommends Electro: May 2023

Review: Scanone is a producer who has proven his versatility and so it's no wonder he's been tapped up for some killer tunes by the Reposition label. This blistering electro EP features three originals that mix up industrial textures with caustic drums and star-gazing synth work. 'Vivre' is an eye-watering opener with sheet metal sounds and frosty pads, 'Kraft' is then a slower more pensive electro soundscape and 'Vertabre' has a truly brutal groove that will rattle the walls of any club space, as well as dislodge brain cells. Sync 24 rounds things out with a remix of the same cut that becomes a sonic blizzard.

Review: Marking the next edition of We're Going Deep's solo series, the label reaches out to the talents of UK based songwriter and producer, James Shinra to produce a heavyweight four-track EP, tunneling through heady 303 excursions. 'Jaunt' kicks things off with a bang, a meteoric bassline drives forward a deep, hypnotic melody which journeys into the far reaches of outer space. Another standout track, 'Flexion', reveals a softer, more contemplative side to Shinra's sound where precise kicks slot elegantly into the melancholia-tinged melody. A wonderfully diverse yet cohesive EP from the talented UK producer, we're already keeping an eye out for what's next.

Review: Kirk Degiorgio's As One project continues to be a beacon of inspiration within the annals of deep, melodic UK techno. As a true pioneer of the sound from the earliest days, it's impressive to see his inspiration maintain, and there's no better home for his work than De:tuned, a label dedicated to preserving the rich expression and invention of that foundational sound. On AsOne2 we're treated to an extended excursion into widescreen machine soul of the highest calibre, where melancholic chord progressions collide with restlessly original drum programming. It's quite simply exquisite, produced with an impeccable ear and loaded with sincere human feeling. This limited pressing of the album comes on red marbled wax too - highly recommended for the collectors out there.

Review: Dj Di'jital is one of the myriad lesser-known but supremely talented producers from Detroit that don't get the headliners of the more celebrated few. And that's astonishing when you learn that the man born Lamont Norwood has been making beats since the mid-90s after first falling for electronic sounds after hearing Kraftwerk. His electro here is utterly on point, with body popping rhythms and crisp analogue drums, celestial synth lines and plenty of punch bottom end. Yet another fine EP that deserves all the attention it will get.

Review: Mall Grab's Warehouse Music serves up sounds for just that setting and for this latest bit of dancefloor dynamite, they turn to Joshua James & Ride Committee Featuring Roxy for a twisted new single. 'Love To Do It' is a mix of hefty hits and crunchy drum breaks, driving techno bass and filtered vocal stabs with wordless vocalisations. It's intense and high energy but has a unique character which then gets mixed up by Mella Dee, twice. His Law & Disorder mix is a stripped-back and punchy banger with freaky vocal work and the Split Your Wig mix is even more punchy and barrel chested.

Review: 'Red Line' is a collection of four archival tracks by Periferico, a lesser-known alias of Italian producer Livio Foglio, noted for his activity in the 90s electronic music scene. Lovingly rescued from DAT and now released by Undersound, this is organically lo-fi acid trance to a T, blending charmingly undermixed elements with chimey progressions and tittilating builds. The sampled vocal countdowns are just the icing on the cake.

Review: The Record Store Day releases are coming thick and fast now and next up is a reissue of Spencer Tune's 'Nightmare' 12" for the first time since it first dropped back in 1989. Back then it marked one of the first ever electro beat tunes and so it has something of a cult status amongst those who know. It's the work of writer and producer Dizzie Dee (aka Danny Spencer) who made plenty of good stuff in the 90s, including as a co-member of Candy Flip, amongst other aliases. The Evil Maggots Revenge version is dark and heavy while the Maggots Over Antwerp is more acid laced and mysterious.

Review: LNS and DJ Sotofett explore a new direction on their latest EP, 'The Reformer,' released on Tresor Records. Moving away from their debut album, the duo fuses digital artifacts, scanner sounds, and vocoder voices with melodic colors that radiate across cold electro landscapes. The opening track, 'Reform,' takes a deep dive into the electro sound, while 'Plexistorm' blends synthesised strings with arpeggiated acidic bleeps. 'Electric Terraforming' uncovers charged energy sources for life on another planet, and '909 The Controller' features washes of dub over a skipping beat, with a slow, rippling melody and percolating synths. The vinyl version includes exclusive locked grooves by DJ Sotofett.

Review: Returning with his signature sound drawn from the early UK techno scene he helped pioneer, Kirk Degiorgio's new album lands on De:tuned, a label dedicated to upholding that very sound and the continued creativity of its originators. Of Degiorgio's various aliases, AsOne is the one which has endured, and existing fans will find themselves more than satisfied with the approach taken on this new long player. Of course part of that satisfaction requires a sense of progression, given this has always been music concerned with the future, and Degiorgio manages to keep his sound moving forwards, drawing on ever-richer production and luxurious melodic sensibilities to deliver a mature and immersive kind of techno as suited to armchair escapism as dancefloor immersion.

Review: Moxie is a fitting title for the latest offering by Volruptus, here delivering a stunning mini-LP of alien electro on Herrensauna. Extra processing on the Reeses, added melodies on the arps, unusual choices of snare - we really are spoiled for choice on this snippy and ice-cold album. It's a neat exercise in storytelling from the Egyptian producer, who summons simple excitement from minimal, shrill combinations of parts.