Figure Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Len Faki used the lockdowns to reconnect with production, hone his skills and tap deeper into his influences. The result was an adventurous long player, Fusion, that he has released over the course of a few EPs on his own Figure label. This is the third and final installment and it opens with 'Halide', a broken beat wobbler with plenty of percussive flair and slow-burning tension. 'Make Me Scream' has a throwback 80s synth feel with gothic vocals and then on the flip side he offers up more of the sort of potent peak time techno he is known for with 'Tor 8.' Last up is the cosmic melodic style of 'Astra' to conclude what has been a great project.

Review: After more than two decades at the bleeding edge of German techno, Len Faki broke through to the album artist realm with 2023's knockout long player Fusion. Since then he's been exploring the depth, breadth and hidden potential of his tracks with extensive remix commissions, which continue apace with this heavyweight double pack. There are premier league billings such as Luke Slater, Ploy and Modeselektor appearing alongside urgent underground talent like Hardspace, Beste Hira and Amotik, all bringing additional angles to the thunderous impact of Len Faki's signature sound, whether it's psychotropic breakbeat or anthemic, melodic techno you're in search of.

Review: Len Faki's ambitious Fusion project aw the German techno titan really dig deep into his own production process and challenges himself to up his game. The results were superb and devastating on the floor, and so have been the remixes he has served up on his own Figure label. This collection sees some top names rework the originals into their own style with Pangaea bringing some slick future synth work to 'Space Cowboys I', Rroxymore bringing heavy percussive grooves to 'Tor 8' and Truncate adding his signature rock solid drum funk to 'It's Time (To Move Your Body).' A very useful collection for DJs and dancers.

Review: The celebrated Lady Starlight returns to Len Faki's Figure imprint to follow up last year's "Which One Of Us Is Me?". Her mentalist and barrelling techno expressions are on fine display again on 'W', featuring the frantic acid techno banger "AC1", the old school UK techno vibe of "GR16" with its hypnotic chord stabs and steely 909 rhythms that good friend Surgeon would have played at the legendary House Of God if it was released back in the day. On the flip, there couldn't be a better snapshot of 5AM at revered techno mecca Berghain via the strobe-lit peak time intensity of "Red 4" bringing this EP to an epic close.

Review: It's been a strange year, as you may have noticed. But rather than shy away from boldness, Figure takes a leap of faith and here starts a brand new compilation series that features "forward-thinking electronica and ambient from a well-curated list of seasoned producers." Across six sides of vinyl, the tracks often draw out a different side of the artists involved and results are always designed for wandering minds. Highlights are plentiful with Sebastian Mullaert offering up plenty of his mistiness, Berghian regular Len Faki finding a softer side on 'Find Your Way' and Moritz Von Oswald offering up the sort of lo-fi and grainy atmospheres you would expect.

Review: X-Ray Pop play live at Rockomotives Festival in 2020. The cult band was first formed back in 1984 by Didier Doc Pilot and Zouka Dzaza and are said to be inspirations for the likes of Beastie Boys and Stereolab. Their set at Rockomotives marked a triumphant return to the stage for the group with Charlotte Barfuss and Zouka Dzaza providing vocals, Doc Pilot on space guitar and Olivier Gicquel on drums amongst others. The setlist takes in tunes from four albums - Surrealistic Pilot, Fuzzy Soundtracks, All that Jazz and The Dream Machine - with psychedelic jazz mixed with novo beatnik overtones.