Back catalogue: Techno (All)

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: 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: 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: Helena Hauff's distinctive musical vision has made her one of techno and electro's most unique and celebrated selectors, and it's this side of her work that's showcased on "Kern Volume 5: Exclusives & Rarities", a triple-vinyl set that focuses on the numerous hard-to-find and previously unreleased tracks featured on her new DJ mix for Tresor. As you'd expect the quality threshold remains thrillingly high throughout, with Hauff focusing on fuzzy and scuzzy heavyweight slabs of electro, techno, ghetto tech and industrial-strength hardcore. Amongst the unreleased highlights are tracks from Umwelt, Machino, Galaxian, L.F.T and her good self (alongside Morah), while crate diggers will note the inclusion of rarities from Esoterik, Andrea Parker and David Morley, and DJ Godfather and DJ Starkski.

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: 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: 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: Since at least 2024, by our estimation, shells have been enjoying something of an "it moment" in electronic music. Don't ask us why. Perhaps the icky palps of nautiluses, or the helical segmentation of various fossils, would seem to predict the naturalisation of mechanical reproductions expressed in techno. Birmingham keystone Surgeon (Anthony Child) swoops in on the fervour, repurposing larked sonic opercula into filter-fed 4x4 Borg-anisms. But despite the implied theme, Child uses limited equipment - "For me, it's an interesting experience returning to old techniques again after 30 years" - and refashions a classic live-show-style approach here. All eight tracks were done in a single take, and only 'Dying' upends beats, delivering a moribund, mantric sound piece.

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 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.