Tresor Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Tresor is celebrating 30 years in the game with a series of special reissue projects. This one really goes way back to almost the start, when Juan Atkins was already defining the early techno sound. For this one he linked up with Moritz von Oswald and Thomas Fehlmann in 1992 for a second iteration of the 3 Men in Berlin project. The monumental results join the dots between Detroit and Berlin across a collection of timeless cuts that meld bassline funk, hypnotic minimalism and soulful machine sounds into propulsive, emotive dance floor joy. The unbridled energy and cosmic elegance of 'Jazz Is The Teacher' might just be the highlight.

Review: To coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of Berlin club Tresor, Juan Atkins and Moritz Von Oswald have released a second Borderland album together. It begins in ominous mode, with the title track's brooding bass tones casting a long, dark shadow, but the pair soon find a way to break away from the gloom with the mesmerising chords and heavy rhythm of "Lightyears" and the wonderfully spacey Detroit techno of "Riod". Both "Odyssey" and "Merkur" push the tempo back down but keep an emphasis on hypnotic, woozy textures, snappy drums and jazzy tones, while "2600" shows that Van Oswald hasn't lost his ability to craft dub-heavy, dreamy techno.

Review: Cybotron are best known as the early purveyors of electro as we know it, responsible for the genre's more mechanised incarnations from as early as the mid-1980s. Now, though, they "re-emerge in our contemporary cybercultural age when artifactual futures begin a transition into a new era of "Meta'", with two new tracks on Tresor, 'Maintain' and 'The Golden Ratio'. While this sentence might take some decoding, we're fain to speculate that it has something to do with the current mass-mediated zeitgeist centring on virtual reality and its implications for metaphysics, both of which right up Cybotron's street as concepts go. Something about the perturbed spirit of 2023 has awoken Juan Atkins and Laurens von Oswald from their decades-long slumber to produce this vocoded, deep-waving, technocult opus. We must figure out what!

Review: Although instalments are few and far between (the last one dropped eight years ago), Terrence Parker's From The Far Future album series contains some of the Detroit veteran's finest work. The latest volume - Part 3, fact fans - continues this trend, mixing weightless, deep space ambient with a wealth of Afro-futurist techno and tech-house works that make great use of impeccably programmed, loose-limbed rhythms, twisted synth lines, and aural textures that are genuinely cinematic in sound and vision. The plentiful highlights include warehouse-ready club cuts 'Unconditional Love', 'Spectrum of Light' and 'Out of Darkness', and the ambient sprawl of 'Remarkable Wanderer'. Sci-fi techno at its finest.

Review: Parisian scene stalwart DJ Deep has always transcended genre, keeping one foot in deep house, and the other in futurist, Detroit-inspired techno. This ability to twist elements of both styles - and more - into thrilling new dancefloor shapes is evident on Fosph, his first EP for Tresor in five years. He begins by adding humid field recordings and booming bass to a polyrhythmic Afro-tech rhythm on 'Swamps', before unleashing a jacking techno drum jam (the sweaty and intense 'Tommy'). 'Utrecht' is a hushed, spaced-out ambient soundscape, while 'Escape' is a panicked, paranoid techno throb-job that features subtle nods (to our ears at least) to the '88 version of the KLF's 'What Time is Love'. To round things off, he returns to chunky, polyrhythmic techno via the late-night murkiness of 'Demonstration'.

Review: Releasing techno that's built for both deep listening and the cavernous expanse of a warehouse dancefloor is something Tresor has prided itself on for over three decades now. The latest release delivers a powerhouse of raw, underground energy with 'Life' by DJ Plant Texture from Bari, Italy, a release that feels perfectly at home on the label. Side-1 opens with 'Ripetitivo' (Stretch Mix), a frantic, sci-fi-infused cut driven by intricate percussion and a relentless tribal groove. 'Seq21' follows with hypnotic, heavy underground techno, pulling the listener into its deep, looping vortex. Closing the side, 'Cycles' introduces a rolling bassline and ravey intensity, demanding attention while maintaining a deep, driving rhythm. On Side-2, 'WTT' (Dub Mix) stands out as a massive bangerideep, tribal and hedonistic with an incessant pulse that locks dancers into its grip. Finally, the title track Life delivers a pounding finish, embodying the raw, uncompromising energy that defines this release. An intense experience that balances hypnotic depth with peak-time firepowerianother essential entry in Tresor's legacy of underground techno.

Review: DJ Shufflemaster (real name Tatsuya Kanamori) first saw fame with Tresor's release of the 'EXP' album all the way back in 2001, at a time when the Berlin clubbing institution was already aiming to shine a light on techno scenes beyond its own walls. Vastly ahead of its time, the tracks on the album (now once more called to our attention via this reissue) are what we'd have considered ourselves more liable to encounter in the UK in the mid-2010s; tracks like 'Onto The Body' have a broken beat feel to them, and many tracks verge quite readily off the edge of 4x4 kick drum orthodoxy. A compressed and washy techno album drawing on every influence from dub to Brummy sound.

Review: DJ Stingray 313's 'INDUSTRY 4.0' is a contemporary dazzler from the enigmatic techno artist. Seemingly at once a lament of - and an embrace of - the modern manufacturing concepts that impact and even construct humanity's contemporary self-concept, this techniciously high-octane new EP wrenches our modern psyches by the collective ear and abrades it like an existential rasp. 'Large Language Model' pummels our sono-somas with jagged electrobass hellpits and the occasional robotic voice interjection - "machine learning" - while the second act, 'Multi Functional Robotics' and 'Sensor Data', moves even less predictably, exuding aneurysms of wonky mindmelt toplines turned assembly lines gone maliciously sentient turned rogue. The music plays back like a forbidden dossier of infohazards; terrifying AI trade secrets you weren't meant to see or hear.

Review: Drexciya released a lot of seminal work during their tenure, but Neptune's Lair was when James Stinson and Gerald Donald built upon the conceptual depth of their project across an album format for the first time. Released in 1999 on Tresor, the album still sounds leagues ahead of the pack if you think in terms of electro, but to be honest that simple genre tag feels a little reductive at this point. Drexciya were consummate world-builders and they proved this beautifully across achingly beautiful tracks like 'Andreaen Sand Dunes' and 'Polymono Plexusgel', while they still brought serious amounts of funk to 'Habitat of Negative', 'Surface Terrestrial Colonization' and 'Oxyplasmic Gyration Beam'. A perfect album given a proper 'special edition' reissue treatment on CD.

Review: As part of Drexciya's latest reissue campaign with Tresor, their most defining album 'Neptune's Lair' here gets a rerelease with brand new cover art from Detroit contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison, not to mention a fresh remaster. Perfectly representing the DIY flair of their original deep-sea electro sound - with rough analogue electronics submerged in lo-fi, as though they're being drowned a Drexciyan merman - we're more than happy to have 'Andreaen Sand Dunes', 'Universal Evement' and 'Surface Terrestrial Colonization' grace our ears again.

Review: To mark the album's 20th birthday, Drexciya's most melodious and perfectly formed full-length has been remastered and reissued. 'Harnessed The Storm' has consistently been cited as one of 'the greatest IDM albums of all time' since its release, and we'd have to agree with that assessment - even if you could argue it's really an electro album. Deep, atmospheric and melodious, it's arguably the perfect distillation of the pair's distinctive sound, style and ethos. Certainly, it contains a swathe of absolute gems, including the robust and otherworldly club electro of 'The Plankton Organization', 'Dr Blowfin's Black Storm Stabilising Spheres', the heart-aching musical melancholy of 'Birth of a New Life' (recorded shortly before Drexciya member James Stinson surprisingly passed away) and the gorgeous 'Digital Tsunami'.

Review: In recent years, David Sumner's music as Function has tended towards the dark, lo-fi, industrial and minimal. "Existenz", his first solo album in six years, is an altogether more melodious, thoughtful and ear-catching affair. Of course, there are still some suitably mangled, mind-altering club cuts on show - see the buzzing, shape-shifting heaviness of "Ertrinken", the spaced-out hypnotism of "Kurzstrecke" and the Berghain-ready "Vampire" - but these largely play second fiddle to more playful and tuneful expressions of electro, Detroit style techno, dreamy fusions of deep house and early UK style tech-house, and ambient cuts so lovely you'll want to bathe in them. He even makes room for a couple of vocal collaborations with Robert Owens. It all adds up to a stunning set that's undoubtedly one of the most instantly arresting techno albums of the year.

Review: For the latest volume in their essential reissue series, Tresor has decided to offer up a brand new edition of Robert Hood's celebrated 1994 debut album, "Internal Empire". A quarter of a century after Hood first committed it to wax, it remains one of the Motor City maestro's most potent and inspired works. It effectively defined his throbbing, minimalist style, with heavy and hypnotic cuts such as the bleeping "Minus" and deep and wonky "Within" perfectly encapsulating the stripped-back genius of Hood's production. If you've yet to acquire a copy, we'd recommending grabbing one of these: in truth, no techno collection is complete without it.

Review: This 30th anniversary reissue celebrates a groundbreaking electronic release that continues to stand as a benchmark for minimal techno. Originally released in the early 90s, the album introduced a stripped-back sound that pushed the boundaries of the genre, focusing on elemental rhythms and sparse, hypnotic structures. The music is deliberately repetitive, drawing listeners into a digital wormhole where subtle variations in looping basslines and synthetic polyrhythms create a mesmerising, almost alien atmosphere. Tracks like 'Home' laid the groundwork for ambient techno movements, with their intricate yet minimalistic percussion and atmospheric sound design. Despite the minimalism, the album is packed with sonic depth, offering everything from digital chirps to crunchy metallic percussion, creating a sense of space that allows each element to breathe. The reissue's sharper sonic clarity enhances the album's subtle density, making it even more immersive. This release not only codified a new era of techno but also remains a timeless, hypnotic gem. Its influence is still felt today, proving that even the simplest sounds can create profound, futuristic music.

Review: Imogen's 'Metanoia' on Tresor is a powerful six-track release that pushes boundaries within the techno sphere. Side-1 begins with 'The Way She Moves,' a hard-hitting, crunchy track that brings intense, aggressive energy to the table. The industrial-tinged 'Summer Kiss' follows, driven by an uptempo tribal rhythm, while 'Tired Bones' brings a deeper grooveiclassic Tresor with its wicked, pulsating proper techno vibe. Side-2 ramps things up with 'Growing In The Dark', a relentless, alien-sounding cut with sharp percussion that drives the energy to fever pitch. 'Breathe Again' shifts gears, incorporating breakbeats and a melodic layer with a touch of Belgian doom, adding a moody edge. The EP closes on 'DX Melancholyflower', an ambient and mysterious ender that feels stark and airy, leaving the listener in a reflective state. 'Metanoia' is a fierce, dynamic EP that features Imogen's ability to blend intensity and atmosphere, making it a thrilling listen for techno enthusiasts. Not for the faint of heart!

Review: Juan Atkins' Skynet under the Infiniti alias showcases a different side of his sound compared to his iconic work as Model 500 or Cybotron. This album leans towards a minimalist, soulful Detroit techno approach, with fewer layers and a relaxed, mid-paced flow that allows the rich synth sweeps and harmonic pads to shine. Tracks like 'Postcard From The Future' and 'Higher' are tracks that blend subtle melodies with atmospheric percussion and a groovy, uplifting energy. 'Thought Process' is stunning with its ticking, minimal beats, while 'Walking On Water' and 'Coffee Shop (Connection)' explore dub techno influences and soulful elements. While Skynet may not be as recognisable as some of Atkins' most celebrated works like Deep Space, it's still a very enjoyable album that in some ways is more well-rounded. The hypnotic repetition and sparse arrangements offer a fresh perspective on his sound, reminiscent of Detroit techno legends like Carl Craig and Kenny Larkin. For fans of pure Detroit techno with a lighter touch, Skynet delivers.

Review: LNS and DJ Sotofett explore a new direction on their latest EP, 'The Reformer,' released on Tresor Records. Moving away from their debut album, the duo fuses digital artifacts, scanner sounds, and vocoder voices with melodic colors that radiate across cold electro landscapes. The opening track, 'Reform,' takes a deep dive into the electro sound, while 'Plexistorm' blends synthesised strings with arpeggiated acidic bleeps. 'Electric Terraforming' uncovers charged energy sources for life on another planet, and '909 The Controller' features washes of dub over a skipping beat, with a slow, rippling melody and percolating synths. The vinyl version includes exclusive locked grooves by DJ Sotofett.

Review: Since opting to release more music under his given name, DeepChord man Rod Modell has largely stuck to dubbed-out ambience and heady drone soundscapes. His latest full-length is a little different, though, offering up club-focused cuts that mix his usual fuzzy aural textures and dub-fired motifs with up-tempo techno rhythms. By his standards, it's a very forthright set, with highlights including the noise-soaked stomp of "Reiki", the thrusting heaviness of "ITO", the hypnotic slam of "Jade" - where breezy, early morning electronics flutter away above tough drums and a mind-altering bassline - and the boisterous peak-time techno anthem "Scrawler".

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Since opting to release more music under his given name, DeepChord man Rod Modell has largely stuck to dubbed-out ambience and heady drone soundscapes. His latest full-length is a little different, though, offering up club-focused cuts that mix his usual fuzzy aural textures and dub-fired motifs with up-tempo techno rhythms. By his standards, it's a very forthright set, with highlights including the noise-soaked stomp of "Reiki", the thrusting heaviness of "ITO", the hypnotic slam of "Jade" - where breezy, early morning electronics flutter away above tough drums and a mind-altering bassline - and the boisterous peak-time techno anthem "Scrawler".

Review: Legendary Berlin techno label Tresor welcome Oscean for a standout debut EP. Oscean is a collaboration between Argentinian scene-leaders Sebastian Galante, also known as Seph, and Andres Zacco. They bring a propulsive sound and dense arrangements across the four cuts. Each one moves fast, with 'Feral' having scraping textures and rubbery drums racing onwards, 'Spacion' riding on a supple drum line that bubbles and boils and as a searching synth pans about the mix and 'Austraal' ends in Millsian style with electronic funk buried deep in its bones. It is the scuffed up broken beats of opener 'Spiral' that wins us over the most, though.

Review: Tresor Records is celebrating the legacy of Detroit techno pioneers Scan 7 with the reissue of their debut album, Dark Territory. Originally released in 1996, this influential LP has been remastered from the original DAT files by Mike Grinser, with select tracks like 'Unusual Channel' mixed by techno legend Blake Baxter. The reissue features updated artwork and comes in a double vinyl format, preserving the raw energy and forward-thinking sound that defines the album. Dark Territory is a masterclass in techno minimalism, characterised by tough, groovy rhythms and a deep, restrained atmosphere. Tracks like 'Planet Energy' showcase Scan 7's ability to build tension with precision, holding back before unleashing powerful basslines that electrify the dancefloor. The group's leader, Trackmaster Lou, conveyed his vision of techno's future with each track, blending Detroit's signature machine-funk with a darker, moodier edge. Scan 7's debut was ahead of its time. Even nearly 30 years later, it still feels fresh, reaffirming their place in techno's pantheon. The remastered release allows a new generation to experience the depth and innovation of Dark Territory in a new package.

Review: 'The Cosmic Memoirs Of The Late Great Rupert J Rosinthrope' is an obscure rarity by a short-lived alias of Drexciya member James Stinson, Shifted Phases, which is now getting the full, refocused reissue treatment by German clubbing giant Tresor. Having remained out of print since its initially tiny release for over two decades, this bubbly yet grim electro album reflects an epistolary concept expressed musically rather than in written form. Rupert J. Rosinthrope is a mysterious character, but these cosmic memoirs hopefully shed at least some light on "his" misunderstood memory.

Review: Tresor's extended focus on reissuing old Drexciya and Drexciya-related projects continues here with this version of Shifted Phases' 'The Cosmic Memoirs Of The Late Great Rupert J Rosinthrope'. A short-lived alias of Drexciya's beloved James Stinson, Shifted Phases' only LP here is one of few affiliated projects that has remained out of print ever since its rather low-key release in 2002. Wildly popular despite it, the music heard on the album is undeniable early electro, locking in a characteristically frank, almost meek, yet astro-nautical electro sound. Scratchy crud and sonar feedback beeps extend to the deepest sonic reaches on this one; you better salvage it from the abyssal waters of history (by copping it), and quick.

Review: Given the reissue wave of Drexciya-related material has been trucking for more than 10 years now, it's quite remarkable this masterpiece from the late James Stinson has waited so long to be reissued. Originally carried on Tresor in 2002 as one of the final releases he put out in his lifetime, the one-off Shifted Phases project feels loaded with context not least with the album framed as 'Cosmic Memoirs'. This is unmistakably Stinson's work, veering from rubbery machine funk freakery to the melancholic, back room electro mood of The Other People Place, all presented with due care across three discs by the Tresor faithful and including two outstanding tracks which were previously only available on the CD edition.

Review: Although he first appeared on Tresor back in 2011, "Trust" still marks Roger Semsroth AKA Sleeparchive's first full-length excursion for the legendary German imprint. More surprisingly, it's also his first album to appear on wax. It's a forthright, all-action affair with Semsroth peppering high-tempo, lo-fi techno beats with a variety of unsettling, creepy and mind-altering musical loops. This is fiendishly heavy club techno that takes no prisoners, though there's enough variety and melodic flashes to keep most listeners happy. Check for example the alien bleeps of deeper rub "Leave", the panicked and breathless industrial techno chase of "Fence" and the noisy, ear-pulverising insanity of "Concrete", a track that's as weighty and dense as its title suggests.

Review: After a five year album-hiatus, the iconic UK artist is back with his highly-anticipated release, Crash Recoil, which has found its home on the equally iconic Tresor. Drawn from the spontaneous experimentation of Surgeon's live sets, Crash Recoil spans eight MIDI-sequenced, hardware-reconfigured tracks, inflected with the artist's signature penchant for raw and rugged sound. The first track, 'Oak Bank', builds up to a throbbing core - a cacophony of driving percussion and side-stepping melodic layers that shift expertly in and out of focus. 'Second Magnitude Stars' moves with a tidal rhythm, like waves retreating backwards across shingle before crashing forwards once again with force. 'We Laugh & Clap At The Circus' is, texturally speaking, a touch lighter and more spacious, yet still replete with a sense of spiralling chaos. 'Leadership Contes' feels closer to ground-level - earthy yet eerie atmospheres meld with drums that seem located in the subterranean. A masterful album from the techno key-player - well worth the five year wait.

Notes: Tresor is pleased to announce the Drexciyan journey's continuation with the release of The Book Of Drexciya, Vol. 1, a graphic novel which covers the first 5 vivid chapters of this powerful mythology, a crucial Afrofuturist work.

African pregnant women thrown o the slave ships gave birth underwater to amphibious creatures. They could breathe as they did in their mothers' wombs, they had webbed hands and feet and became the Drexciyan wave jumpers: great warriors of the abyss. Revealed in the inner sleeve notes of The Quest (1997), through a map of the diasporic black culture, Drexciya illustrated four phases: The Slave Trade, Migration Route of Rural Blacks to Northern Cities, Techno Leaves Detroit, Spreads Worldwide, and The Journey Home (Future). It introduces the very creatures and warriors found in these pages, such as Wavejumpers and Deep Sea Dwellers. The return home is of destination future, where lays the population of their abyss.

Follow the story of the first Drexciyan, his subaquatic birth, growing up in the caves of Ociya Syndor, later to become Drexaha, the empire's first king. Get introduced to Dr. Blowfin, Master of Alchemy and Quantum Genetics, who masterminded Drexciyan computer systems and network, based on Genetic Intelligence and DNA matrix systems. Hear the story of the birth of the wavejumpers, the mightest warriors of Drexciya. Enter Bubble Metropolis, thriving with its central command, aquabahns and aqua wormhole gateways to the cephalopod-like oceanic Cruisers.

Authored by Abdul Qadim Haqq and Dai Sato, it features the art of Haqq, Leo Rodrigues, Alan Oldham, Hector Rubilar, Leonardo Gondim, Daniel Oliviera and Milton Estevam. Haqq's legendary concept imagery associated with the Detroit techno community and beyond for almost 30 years and his contributions to the mythology at the time of conception makes him uniquely positioned to lead this endeavour. Dai Sato is most known for his screenwriting for animes Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell.

This project comes with the full support of living Drexciya member Gerald Donald and Helen Stinson, the surviving mother of James Stinson.

Notes: We continue to learn about the Drexciyans and their first leader, Drexaha. 5 stories just like the Book of Drexciya, Volume One.

Notes: We continue to learn about the Drexciyans and their first leader, Drexaha. 5 stories just like the Book of Drexciya, Volume One.

Review: Of all the many Drexciya-related projects, Transllusion is surely one of the finest. Coming in the twilight years of James Stinson's life, there's a bittersweet quality to Opening Of The Cerebral Gate but it doesn't hold the force of the music back. From 'Transmission Of Life's searing arps to the nasty machine funk of 'Negative Flash', this is Stinson running at full clip, speaking that innate Drexciyan language through the machines in a manner which has been oft imitated but never even remotely matched. Reissued by Tresor in 2014 with a bonus 12", now it's presented with a fresh sleeve design which evokes the cyberpunk mood of the music in fine style.

Review: Tresor home in on the happy musical 'accidents' of acclaimed techno duo Transparent Sound for this eponymous new triple retrospective album. Containing such neat audio-tools like the drill bit 'Slang City' and the spanner 'Windows To Your Sole', the originals heard here nail that sense of original, minimal, space-invadery, and melodic electro charm that many artists try to emulate, but few can properly muster up. Perhaps it can only really come from having made that kind of music at the time of its origination, which Transparent Sound luckily did.

Review: Tresor is a titanic techno brand that has very much had a large say in how the genre has sounded over the last few decades. The German club and label now welcomes Parisian artist UFO95 into the fold with his Backward Improvement EP which draws on elements of all the genre's many niches from London to Detroit to Berlin. 'Cogitor' is thumping and wried up with warped lines, 'Sexual Tension' has a more seductive sound with a rubbery and funky bassline and 'Fragment' then brings panel-beating loops for peak time showdowns. There is pure sci-fi atmosphere to the bells and the sonorous synths of 'Solar' and 'Gargk' closes down with a glitchy and ambient-laced breakbeat monster. Great variation makes this a useful EP.

Review: Tresor dig deep into the vaults for a reissue of one of Robert Hood's many seminal releases. This one comes under his The Vision alias and is an impressive 30 years old in 2023. It came originally in the year he left his Detroit hometown and the safety of the Underground Resistance label and head to New York with Jeff Mills. The music is fast and furious and funky as you would expect, with funky techno drum foundations and mind melting details up top. It set a ridiculously high standard and hasn't aged one single bit. All hail Hood.

Review: Motor City earned its name thanks to the increased mobility bestowed unto black Americans thanks to the invention of the car, and the centrality of the car industry on Detroit. On his latest LP, house maestro Waajeed pays homage to the joys of black leisure and play in the city, which came about in large part thanks to technological advancements such as this. In his own words, 'Memoirs Of Hi Tech Jazz' signifies the 'transition from labor to pleasure', a transition we can all but dream of in today's age. Laid-back, frivolous, decadent house tones blend effortlessly with super-swirly jazz motifs.

Review: Wajeed maybe doesn't get the credit or attention of many of his Detroit peers, but he surely deserves it. His take on his hometown's house sound pairs gorgeous synths with steely drum work and new one 'Motor City Madness' backs that up. It's got the nice raw drums, the elastic bass and is smothered with synth goodness while incidental sax and trumpet pads bring the romance. A People Mover remix goes heavy on the jazz vibes with a broken beat workout, Underground Resistance take it deep and SHE Spells Doom jacks up those drums into something close to a UK funky take on Detroit house.

Review: Waajeed's Memoirs Of Hi-Tech Jazz came out on Tresor in late 2022 as a definitive statement from a true Detroit original. Following the Motor City Madness remixes 12" which accompanied the album drop, here comes a follow up single shining fresh light on the project via a whole new set of remixes. There's no need to introduce a legend like Mark Broom - a stalwart of UK techno who brings his decades of experience to 'Right Now' as he remains in an enduring purple patch. Staying in the UK but coming from a whole different angle, Yazzus brings her upfront flair to one of the most compelling, emotionally charged pieces on the album, 'The Ballad Of Richard O'Bryant'. Then it's left to Jensen Interceptor and Assembler Code to link up for a remix of 'Memoirs Of Hi-Tech Jazz', complete with some of Black Nix's original poetic flow over the top.