Mama Told Ya France Vinyl & CDs

Review: Left-of-centre electronic maverick Randomer returns with a new EP on Anetha's label, Mama Told Ya. After what we're told was something of a reflective hiatus, the UK artist delivers five emotionally charged tracks, all bar one of which are solo cuts with the other being one co-produced with Anetha. Thematically these cuts explore life's unpredictability and encourage embracing chaos and randomness. Drawing from his deep study of melodies, Randomer blends techno, trance, techstep and sacred choral music to create a cathartic journey across several different sound worlds here and it all adds up to a powerful, introspective listening experience.

Review: Mama Told Ya is French DJ & producer Anetha's own record label, where for its fifth release she presents the creme de la creme of global talent. Indeed, L'eau Repousse Les Feux Agressifs covers the many shades of contemporary techno: from austere and strobe-lit warehouse bangers like that of label staple UFO95's 'Naturbath' or MDR alumnus Ryan James Ford's 'Snake Bitter' (1999 mix). X-Coast and Isabella channel the early '90s heyday of rave, on the breaks-driven energy of 'Mutation' and 'Impresia' respectively. Elsewhere, the more experimental fringes of the genre are covered as well, courtesy of Varg2TM who collaborates with Posh Isolation's Croation Amor on the sonic contortions of 'Bully', while EMMA DJ veers off into hyperware territory on 'Extremely Urgent'.

Review: Anetha's Mama Told Ya label has given the French techno provocateur the perfect space to shape out her particular vision of techno in the 21st Century. It's a taut, sexy kind of peak time with plenty of space for rhythmic intrigue and bold curveballs, as perfectly demonstrated on the MTY series of compilations. This third entry brings together a whopping 22 different artists across four slabs of wax, taking in some heavyweight talent from Zoe Mc Pherson to Benjamin Damage, Boys Noise and way beyond into the cutting edge of the modern techno scene.