Psionic Vinyl & CDs

Review: Strap in for a wild techno ride on the first ever offering from Psionic. The new label kicks off with an EP from Astral Travel. The aptly named artist reaches for beyond the event horizon on "Sky's The Limit", with its punchy kicks and relentlessly wobbly bass. "As One" gets into a nicely mechanical groove built on stomping kicks and rigid synth movements that make for perfectly robotic funk and the trip closes out with "Orbiting." With its urgent drums that are smooth and silky and serene synth work, it's one for peak time techno cruising.

Review: Marcos Coya's Comportamientos Nocturnos EP, released on Psionic alongside label mate Velasco, is a great example to the Uruguayan talent's multifaceted sound. Across the EP's four tracks, Coya showcases his diverse influences and experiences accumulated over multiple decades. 'Relaxx Your Soul' and 'Doggy Style' on the A-side offer off-center, eccentric house and techno sounds, characterised by mechanical movements and twisted beeps and bleeps that define Coya's signature style.Think Green Velvet and Chicago house and you can relate. Although, 'Doggy Style' has some interesting trance inducing vibes. On the B-side, 'Real Shit' and 'Evil Gear' continue the trip with their fusion of underground techno and house elements, ready to captivate any dancefloor. 'Evil Gear' almost gives us a Dynamix II sound circa 1987. Psionic has carved a niche for itself as a purveyor of classy, peak-time underground sounds, and Coya's EP perfectly embodies this ethos. With its rich textures and flavors, Comportamientos Nocturnos promises to be a standout addition to any DJ set or dancefloor moment.

Review: Earlier in 2020, Molly Oshana decided to launch her new Psionic label via a fine 12" from Astral Travel, her occasional collaboration with Anthea Nzekwu. Fittingly, for release number two she's decided to go solo, in the process delivering her first lone EP for well over 12 months. We're particularly excited by A-side 'Techno the Planet', a bouncy and bass-heavy affair that wraps cyber-sonic electronics, sci-fi chords and retro-futurist synthesizer melodies around deep sub-bass and snappy beats. Arguably even better though is the bleeping, Motor City techno-meets-acid-funk squelch of 'Back to the Source', which closing cut 'Meditation Meditation' sits somewhere between druggy Belgian new beat and rubbery, mid-'80s EBM.