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Review: Dutch industrial techno producer Parrish Smith created Light Cruel & Vain over the course of nearly three years. Each track on the record was originally conceived solo, then further realised with the assistance of contributing musicians Sofiane Brahmi and Javier Vivancos. The collaborative where no studio sessions occurred due to the pandemic - the full collaboration conducted remotely. Notable tracks include the seething post-punk swagger of "Black Scarlet" or the brooding industrial rock of "Sway", to the industrial strength breaks of "Never Break Faith" and a frantic techno banger towards the end "I Wanna Be An Idol".

Review: Carebears have been issuing sublime, deep diving 4/4 gear for some five years on their self-titled label now. The quality richens with every release, and now they're notching up a drop on Irenic which takes things even further out to sea with the gorgeously hypnotic 'Auri'. The beat is steady, shuffling but overall subtle, while the pads have a barely-there quality which actually draws you deeper into the track. By way of contrast 'Tame' lets the beats bounce a little further forwards in the mix, but overall this is still stealth mode tech house for those who favour the deeper path.

Review: Looooooongish Cat and Davecoin have come together for their debut album Realizer on Adeen. It is a record that swings from the dark and mysterious to the more upbeat and playful as it explores a range of techno styles. The material originates from the pair's live set so has a real dynamism to it as well as it moves through ever-evolving psychedelic soundscapes. Vocals, synth lines, and guitars have all been laid down on tape and then resampled and deconstructed to "create an analog patchwork which floats over the hard-hitting beats and fat analog synths and bass lines." It's an immersive and inventive record that also has a fresh cover design.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The DJ Kicks series has managed to outlast the vast majority of other DJ mixes we can think of - the good, the bad, the populist, and the plain cash cow. Even the mighty fabric compilations have rebranded and rethought, bringing the original legacy, FABRICLIVE included, to a respectful end at 200 outings. Strange, then, to think, that !K7's mighty offering to the world of "What should we listen to at the afters?" has arguably managed to become more relevant as the years have flown by.

There was a time when the series existed at the lighter end of club fare, with some examples barely even matching that description. These days, though, there's often a dance floor heaviness central to the selections, with Jessy Lanza's broken, bass-driven set a case in point. Pointless attempts to describe the music, and lazy track list namedropping aside, this is energy-packed, heads down, futurist stuff packed with infectious percussion.

Review: Six years after debuting, Global Underground's Select series has reached its seventh instalment. Like its' predecessors, the two-disc set offers a pair of non-stop mixes (created by an uncredited DJ or studio engineer), both of which are packed to the rafters with up-front, soon-to-be-everywhere cuts plucked from the worlds of tech-house, progressive house and techno. Expect tracks and remixes from the likes of Stephan Bodzin & Marc Romboy, Ame, Patrice Baumel, Gorge, Steve Bug, Fur Coat, Captain Mustache [sic] and Alan Fitzpatrick, plus a breathless, life-affirming flow and entertainment aplenty. As the old Ronseal advert used to proclaim, this does "exactly what it says on the tin".

Review: Cesare Vs Disorder aka Cesare Marchese joins the ever-growing Raw family with an EP that shows off his studio mastery across four varied cuts. 'All One' (feat Kevin Knapp) is a fleshy minimal house cut with silky rhythms and lots of machine funk. 'Leo' then flips the script with old school breaks and rave tinged vocals for spine-tingling peak time action. 'You & I' drops into a dark and garage-tinged house groove that shuffles and wiggles under well treated vocals. 'Robot Backpack' shuts down with maybe the best of the lot - cyborg electro funk with dry hits and irresistible bass.

Review: Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard created a landmark of ambient music when they released 76:14 back in the 90s. Their Global Communication project was never just about ambient though, and it also coursed through deep house and more besides. In the spirit of progress, Middleton has returned to thinking about the project from a contemporary perspective, stepping forth as GCOM with the epic scope of E2 XO. From stirring orchestral suites to high octane DSP, it's an expansive listening experience that shows Middleton pushing himself into new terrain in the studio. Whether you tie it back to the prior material or not, it's a towering piece of work from an elder statesman of UK electronica.

Review: Marking over 16 years as an artist, Robert James unveils his debut album Battle of The Planets. A milestone in any musician's career, the LP illustrates the breadth of Rob's tastes and influences, exploring the rugged terrain of planet electronica. Ranging from breaks and electro to house and techno, Battle of The Planets was made during lockdown, a period of creativity and isolation for many artists around the world. Across 10 skillfully produced cuts Rob takes us on an intrepid adventure into the cosmos, where mysterious atmospheres and uplifting melodies sit side by side with captivating dance floor rhythms. Many shades of his personality come through on this album, all tied together by his unique sonic identity; informed by his years spent on the dance floor, behind the decks and in the studio. On Battle of The Planets Robert James presents a distillation of his extensive knowledge and experience into one succinct, highly engaging body of work.

Review: Since releasing his debut album 12 years ago, Solomun has become one of the world's most popular tech-house artists - a DJ/producer with a wonky but accessible style tailor-made for big rooms and debauched afterparties. His change in status is reflected on belated second album Nobody is Not Loved, which appears via major label MBG packed with guest stars including Jamie Foxx, Zoot Woman and Planningtorock. Wisely given his DJ roots, the Hamburg-based producer has made the set a non-stop mix that gently increases in intensity before mellowing out again right at the end. Highlights include the minimal-meets-deep soulpop opener 'Ocean', the Isolee-influenced melodic shuffle of 'The Center Will Hold', the tech-house-goes-electroclash sleaze of 'Tuk Tuk' and the moody, new wave-inspired darkness of 'Kreatur der Nacht'.

Review: After being commissioned to produce several 'interlocking' ambient pieces for an art gallery piece in LA, Brian Foote and Sage Caswell decided to take the concept of 'audience crossfading' to the next level, creating an entire ambient album using a particular sonic technique. Over five long pieces from 'Waterwheel' to 'Smiley', their aim was to evoke the feeling of bodies moving in thoroughfares. The tracks are long-exposed movements captured in ambient space, blending rhythms and soundscapes for chillout rooms that exist only in memory now.