Mord Vinyl & CDs

Review: Portuguese techno mainstay Lewis Fautzi is in some form of late - it was only in September that he dropped his fantastic Manner of Death album on Faut, then he was back with more in 12" form on Polegroup in November and already he is now out of the blocks in 2024 with this impactful new four-tracker. His brand of tech tends to be dark and heavy, with apocalyptic abstractions and lo-fi synth, echoing hits and dub undercurrents all making for engrossing grooves full of drama and tension. Even the titles help to convey that message so drop any of these in the club and prepare for a brilliant meltdown.

Review: Portugal's Norbak probably deserves more attention than it feels he gets. He has been turning out effective and interesting techno weapons for a while now, and at a fairly high rate. He is someone who pairs a thorough knowledge of classic techno with his own modern interpretations on labels such as Soma Records, Warm Up Recordings and Mord. He's back on the latter here with some tunneling techno visions that are grainy, lo-fi, shrouded in late-night fog and perfect for losing your mind to at 5am in some dank warehouse.

Review: Prolific Ukrainian producer Stanislav Tolkachev returns this week with a new one for Rotterdam's MORD imprint. The How Much Do You Know EP features once again his idiosyncratic style of techno music: whether it's the multi-layered and widescreen arrangement of opening cut 'Pockets Full Of Lighters' which is truly indicative of his majestic style on the A-side, followed by the pounding, peak-time minimal assault of 'Zero Seconds Ago'. On the second side, Tolkachev presents more off-kilter offerings like on the experimental beats of 'One-Armed Leg' or the expansive electro of 'Talking Drum'. Tolkachev continues to prove himself as one of the most innovative producers in modern techno music with this release.