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Review: ***B-STOCK: Box damaged, product in perfect working order***


You can always rely on the Cocoon compilations to bring you a high level of quality control and an authoritative overview of the state of techno around the time of release. This mammoth six-LP set will give you a lot of music to work with, and it's featuring a dizzying cast of high-end operators starting with the mighty Stephen Brown. Each track gets a side of vinyl to itself, serving as a kind of statement for how much faith the label put in each of these 12 tracks. Amongst the best on this top-drawer comp are Daniel Avery's metallic, spellbinding 'Your Future Looks Different In The Light' and Carl Finlow's lithe electro workout 'Surface Control', but as you might well expect each track is one you'll turn to again and again to give your mix some spice.

Review: Juan Mendez took his Silent Servant project to another level when he released Negative Fascination on Hospital Productions in 2012. His EBM-informed, brooding slant on techno had already made its mark on Sandwell District and other such influential labels, but his debut album afforded the space to really shape out his seductive sonic dystopia. More than ten years on, it stands tall as a masterpiece in the space it occupies, seething with hard-boiled urban malaise but equally adept at using subtlety alongside intensity. This expanded edition incorporates the Extended Mixes 12" as well as additional demo versions for those who like the tracks a little rawer.

Review: Talk about an opening statement of intent - Habitat Recordings are making the fiercest of first moves into the techno world by presenting this triple-vinyl compilation with some serious talent on board. Just check the opening round of tense, emotionally charged tech from Mind Against & Sideral, 'Criseide' and you'll get a feel for the vibe of the whole release. While there's a big-room appeal to these tracks, the emphasis is on melancholic, introspective moods such as the heartfelt piano sneaking into Dyzen's 'Talk To Me' or the intriguing re-framing of the house diva vocal in sad-eyed chords on Ivory's 'There Would Come A Day'. Sensitive souls take heed, this is the techno compilation for you.

Review: Voices From The Lake is the pairing of Italian techno craftsmen and sound sculptors Donato Dozzy and Neel. They came together to do a live show at the famed Labyrinth festival in Japan and that's what gave rise to this new now seminal album. It's a deeply meditative and dubbed-out world of delicate synths and rolling drums that change only slightly and slowly but manage to keep you utterly locked in for the duration. It's pure techno that has been remastered for this new edition across eight sides of wax. An absolute modern classic for sure.