Search dance music

Review: A repress for four prime slices of classic Baby Ford minimal tech gear, from the rhythm-centric drum machine fest 'Very', the resonant bleepy tones of 'Test', the sparse and spacious 'Down' and the subtle acid undertones of 'Percy'. Baby Ford is finally getting his props as one the UK acid and techno scene's true innovators and pioneers, and these four very mixable tracks are four more reasons why this is only right.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Aubrey is a man on everyone's lips at the moment. After nearly 25 years of releasing music, the South Coast techno pioneer has just completed a busy 2013, including a remix for Juan Atkins' Metroplex Records and is pushing his own DOT Records to new heights. Here, Aubrey has followed up his earlier Ferox releases "Abstractions" and "Inner Feelings" with two super deep cuts on this techno jazz fuelled 4 -tracker. On remix duties are label boss Russ Gabriel and his RT-Transmissions partner - Germany's Hans Thalau.

Review: 20/20 Vision present the debut release from Manchester based artists Armec. Following releases for Cultivated Electronics and Furthur Electronix, the Caged EP hits the ground running - with a record that spans heavy club-ready electro and futuristic soundscapes. Complete with a hefty remix from German acid connoisseurs Hardfloor.

'Caged' sucks us down the rabbit hole with dense textures fortified by an infectious groove, vast pads, and bubbling synth lines. The Hardfloor remix of 'Caged' submerges us into an acidic electro trip - fuelled by quirky melodic licks, a menacing low-end and body shaking drums.

On the flip side 'Curvature' is an out-and-out understated bomb. Propelled by a squelching, supercharged bassline which soars over Armec's signature textural landscape, it's reinforced by razor sharp hats and a heavy kick-drum. 'Replicants' is a side-winding, emotionally charged cut that feels truly fresh and forward-thinking. Deep, luscious pads are underpinned by a superbly engineered break-beat driven groove.

Review: Hungarian-born, Dublin-based Phil Robertson has some pedigree but Arbilla is a new name he's operating under, and indeed there seems to be a slightly more musical, less relentless angle to his once defiantly minimal sound to go with the new moniker too. He provides three of the four tracks here, from the chunky and dramatic 'Stranger Things' and the breezy, spacious 'Fragrance' to the EP's glorious title track, with its Plaid-like syncopation and spiralling melodies. Mysterious techno 'supergroup' from Detroit, Scan 7 remix 'Virtual Reality' and they whip it into thunderclapping Underground Resistance shape. Greatness in evidence whichever way you turn.

Review: Apoena is the alias of Henrique Casanova, a DJ and producer from Brazil who heads up Allnite Music which presents his latest effort titled Oceanos Extintos. The mesmerising dub tech house of opener 'Eu Lembro' calls to mind classic Thibideau brothers, leading in to the frozen borders of the title track which will engulf you in its cavernous sound. Over on the flip, the steely and pummelling 'Trabalho Bracal' is by far the fiercest cut on offer, and the collaboration with Zenta Skai 'Fosseis' takes a u-turn on this trippy and contemplative electro jam.

Review: Fresh from the label's second release 'Robot Romance', supported by the likes of Laurent Garnier, Fred P, Jane Fitz, Jennifer Cardini, Rossko and more. David Agrella returns via his spaced-out house EP 'Freedom Unfolding'. Remixes are delivered by London favourite N-Gynn (Pleasure Club) known for drawing on left-field, ravey sounds and esteemed German live techno act and Muller Records/Acid Orange boss Beroshima.
Elastic basslines and tumbling percussion unfasten the A-Side with 'Walking Loud' as sinister synths convulse around the beat before N-Gynn provides a frisky reshape with sharp snares, golden keys and subtle, loopy vocal samples on a chuggier tip. The eclectic experience continues on the B-Side with title track 'Freedom Unfolding' as swinging basslines carry dream-like pads and fluttering samples, while Beroshima's acid-infused, broken beat rework provides an anthemic finale to the release.