Harmony Rec Czech Republic Vinyl & CDs

Review: Alfred Czital and Ayu return for their third collaboration and second outing on this Prague-based label. This tightly curated EP blends melodic techno with futuristic trance textures. The result is a spacey and emotionally charged journey. The A-side opens with Czital's solo cut 'Universal Language', is a soaring piece of melodic techno that builds with elegance and power. Ayu's 'Magnetic' follows as an uptempo workout with clever vocal fragments and percussive precision. On the B-side, the duo join forces. 'Physical' is a clear homage to late 90s trance, evoking memories of peak-time anthems with lush pads, glimmering synth leads and a sense of emotional urgency. 'Love Letter From Montevideo' closes the EP on a deeper, darker note that is rooted firmly in techno. A sleek, high-level fusion of techno and trance that pushes both genres forward while nodding respectfully to their roots.

Review: Sweet Harmony is back with a compilation bursting with colourful shapes, textures and fresh techno rhythms. Anatole Serre's 'Hyperdulia' is a fast-paced fusion of drums, breakbeats and subtle allure that is followed by Xiaolin's 'Breath of Water,' a more ethereal yet still-driving percussive trip. On the B-side, Feenicks' 'All Fairies Tell Tall Tales' delivers an uplifting blend of trance and new wave that has a dreamlike energy and the closer from Alfred Czital is a fast, progressive wonder.