6dimensions Vinyl & CDs

Review: Given that legendary London DJ Steve Bicknell was one of the earliest champions of "proper techno" in the UK, it's been heartening to see his recent renaissance. Renewed interest in his 1990 productions has allowed him to issue a string of previously unheard gems from the vaults. Awakening The Past takes this approach, too, serving up a trio of previously unreleased gems from 1998 - the wonderfully trippy, late night techno loop jam "Physical Life", ragged acid workout "Natural Vibrations" and even more psychedelic "Fearing The Mind's Fears" - and a cut recorded earlier this year in Berlin. Interestingly, the latter - an intense, bleeping, modular-sounding slammer entitled "Conscious Awakening" - sounds like it could have been recovered from the same dusty DAT as the other tracks, despite being 100% new.

Review: Steve Bicknell does not muck about on this one. The 25 year techno veteran is a UK mainstay but somehow often rather slips under the radar. Sure, he had a few years away from 2005 to 2013, but he has rarely made a misstep since for fans of hard, dense techno. After EPs on Ostgut Ton and highly touted collabs with Function and Luke Slater as LSD, he's back on his own 6dimensions with an EP that you may have already heard DJ Nobu and Jeff Mills playing in recent sets. Three of the cuts pack a visceral punch, with hammering drums and walls of sheet metal synths and frazzled percussion applying huge amounts of dance floor pressure. Our pick of the bunch: hypnotic and stripped back closer "Undue Identification".