Klockworks Germany

Review: Some 24 years into his career as The Advent, British techno stalwart Cisco Ferreira continues to deliver heavyweight records at an impressive rate. Here he makes his debut on Ben Klock's quietly impressive imprint, offering up a three-track missive in his inimitable style. Interestingly, there's plenty of subtle variety across the EP. Compare and contrast opener "High Horse", a formidably fuzzy and metallic chunk of peak-time techno sleaze rich in wonky vocal samples and booming bass, and the jacking techno loop-funk of "Sound Pove", which boasts plenty of restless drum machine handclaps and trippy musical samples. Sandwiched in between you'll find "Un Named", a smoother and deeper peak-time workout that's nevertheless still tough as teak.

Review: It would be fair to say that this latest EP from Minneapolis-raised Zak Khutoretsky features a trio of "tried and tested" cuts. Label boss Ben Klock has taken to closing his sets with lead track "Black Russian", a surprisingly light and airy chunk of loop-techno blessed with deliciously warm and evocative pianos. The other two tracks aren't quite as anthemic, but they're certainly floor-friendly; you'll struggle to find a more brutal and intense chunk of claustrophobic late night techno than "Spying" - all minor keys, restless shakers and booming sub - while "Creeping" is similarly dark and jackin', with distinct hints of early Belgian techno.

Review: The young Ukrainian producer follows his debut on Ben Klock's label with this innovative, unusual techno record. "Axiom" is reminiscent somewhat of DVS1, with its meaty bass snaking its way through an insistent, minimal groove. By contrast, "Sakura" resounds to microscopic beats and hypnotic, tonal bleeps. It's just as subtle as "Axiom", but far more understated. This proves to be a temporary diversion however, and straight afterwards, he drops "Lyrae". Tight claps, insistent pulses and bristling percussion make for a functional but distinctive dance floor track. Last and possibly best of all is "Luna". Its melancholic bass and windswept, mysterious melodies make for a beautiful, unexpected end to this release.

Review: After some minor delays Klockworks celebrates its tenth release by introducing Ukrainian artist Etapp Kyle to the label. It's the young producer's first vinyl offering and it's likely he'll enjoy a similar spotlight of exposure to that of DVS1 did he debuted on Ben Klock's imprint. The title track "Astra" sees melodic arpeggios bleep over a solid four-four kick drum as a 909 drum machine is used percussively as much as it is atmospherically. Kyle keeps things tonal in "Drama" adding a subtle dubby edge, while "Aurora" sounds like a chime-filled take of Ben Klock's most defining tracks "Pulse" and "Subzero". Kyle caps his homage to Berghain's most famous DJ with more sweet blips and tough-loving drums that are surrounded by a crackling ambience in "Prizma".

Review: Burning question of the week here at Juno: who, or what, is Rod? Here's how our file reads so far: He/she/they have just released a record on Ben Klock's Klockworks imprint. That's about it so far, but we're working on it. What we do know is the three tracks on the Malmok EP speak for themselves. The unsettling sonic architecture and tension building hi-hats on "Malmok One" are more indebted to the spooky exploratory techno of Jeff Mills' Something In The Sky project than the booming techno and punchy house Klock is known to admire. Flip over for the more sparse, almost quirky vibes of "Malmok Two" and "Malmok Three", which, although fascinating in their own right, are somewhat overshadowed by the groove built on the A Side.