Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: German duo Ame, consisting of Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann, makes a striking comeback with their new single, 'Asa,' marking their first original release in three years through Innervisions. 'Asa' epitomises their approach to dance music, blending vibrant joy and euphoric energy into an unforgettable track. The composition thrives on repetition, yet each element is dynamic and ever-evolving. The piece weaves together bold synths, pulsating beats, and intricate melodies into a catchy dance track. This track demonstrates their knack for creating exhilarating, peak-time dance anthems while maintaining their signature adventurous sound.

Review: Mutual Rytm deals in proper techno that does the basics well and doesn't worry about modern fads. 'Surface' is the standout here - it has brilliantly bubbly synths rippling in sync with the hunched drums and bold bass notes. It works perfectly on both head and body and so does 'Blush' though with a more sleek, straight-ahead groove and minimal percussion over the echoing claps. 'Grainy' shuts down with another stylish techno bent and confirms Dold to be a vital voice in the current underground.

Review: It's not a scam... it's Skam! To the Skam sister label Kasm comes Russell Haswell with a mitre-sawing electro release, veering toward brash abstraction. A gobby intonation is wrought from the distortion send here, where drums near-vocally poke through the muck, like rambunctious talking ghosts in machines. Warring allusions to lost humanity take shape on titles like 'Fractured Bones' and 'Tournament Species', where cyborg gladiators rise from their catacomb internments to face off against each other again and again, in haunted perpetuity. 'Different Takes' is the best example of the record's at times tempoless ferocity, scattering what remains as an intuitive pulse across phase-distorted gargles and made-wonky beat hydraulics.

Review: Karachi-born, Toronto-based Measure Divide steps up for a first full EP on Mutual Rytm X here after having become known for reviving Toronto's techno scene through his FORMAT parties. Measure Divide has crafted a distinctive sound in that time which collides techno with innovative breaks and modular experimentation. Drawing from his experience in sound design and film scoring, this playful release departs from his usual serious tones by offering adventurous DJs and listeners a vibrant, chaotic journey through tracks like 'Wormy Wonderland' and 'Eeeeeermmmm' which mix unconventional percussive sounds, twisted synths, and caustic rhythms into real bangers.

Review: Cristian Sarde (aka. Mamosato, Samo) teams up with fellow techno tussler Bakked for an off-piste non-label release, sharing inverse sides of a single furtive black label record. Veering minimal, moving, and moribund, both staples of the Italian dance musical underground share what is implied to be their deepest, darkest and most exclusive thoughts, strictly for heads only; 'Love Tea' is an unusual track, fusing an almost early-noughts dubstep wriggle against an otherwise taut house groove; a move we don't see coming. Bakked meanwhile brings 'Effect171', on which a raw MPC-style jam - pleated with analogue rimshots and backsliding chords - is sown as the underlying field line onto which a dreamy sampled vocal admission, "I don't mind talking about it", may be heard. Both artists sound to have indulged a weirder side to their crafts, hence the labelless aside, and we love to hear it.

Review: The third Trip release features extended acid narratives from SOUR, the mastermind behind Florence's Warehouse303 club. The producer invites you into his hard-hitting and 90s-referencing acid odyssey from the off, with 'Six Times Three' weaving intricate basslines, deep distortions, and mesmerising synths into something that hammers home the groove but is never austere. After that dancefloor delight, "Mainframe' delves deeper into trippy realms with more warped acid, subdued rhythms and fizzing synth textures. It's a superb exercise in making a maximal impact from minimal elements and is one that we thoroughly recommend.

Review: Whoever is behind these STEDIT drops is striking upon pure gold, bringing a legitimately underground techno crunch to the pop edit practice. Having previously tackled the likes of Brandy & Monica and Ultra Nate, now two of the biggest pop divas of all time are getting some low down and dirty reworkings which tread the fine balance between earworm familiarity and the heads down moodiness of a locked-in dancefloor. 'Slow' becomes a slippery acid abstraction peppered with all kinds of sonic freakery, while 'Justify My Love' becomes a brooding, steadfast workout tipped towards the minimal crowd.

Review: Ste Roberts, under his STEDIT alias, has been building a reputation for taking beloved classics and flipping them on their head. This latest release is no exception. Two synthpop anthems, once the defining sound of an era, have been reimagined, reworked, and unleashed across dancefloors all summer. It's not about the big-room bombast or predictable edits that cater to easy thrills. No, Roberts is more nuanced than thaticrafting something that feels at once familiar and alien. The first rework, Depeche Mode's 'It's No Good,' is a masterclass in restraint. The track's dark undertones remain, but Roberts pulls it into a gritty, subterranean space. It's a slow burn, keeping the tension tight while the vocals float above a relentless, pulsing beat. Then comes the flipiHuman League's 'Don't You Want Me.' What was once pure pop joy is now something altogether darker, more elusive. Roberts has stripped it back, laying bare the iconic vocals against a stripped-down, funky groove that simmers beneath the surface.

Review: An up and coming producer and more known for his dub techno roots, Stojche shifts gears with three tracks of futuristic techno. Bringing a harder, more pounding techno sound to Mutual Rytm, the title track, 'Stomping Ground', hits with catchy chords and a strong, dancefloor-ready rhythm, complete with infectious hooks that keep energy levels high. Side-2 begins with 'Oberheim' a percussive, melodic builder with a heavy beat that captivates with its addictive groove and some gorgeously dynamic layering. The EP closes with 'Consequence', a spacey, floaty track that lays beats over a shimmering, providing an outstanding end to a great release.

Review: With roots in electro, hip-hop, house and techno, you can never quite be sure what Orlando Voorn will serve up next. On this top-notch ten-inch single - his first for NOUN - he's in full on techno mode, puffing out his chest and striding confidently towards peak-time dancefloors. The legendary Dutch producer first offers up 'Infinite Voyage', a slamming, warehouse-ready workout that wraps buzzing, mutant electronic lead lines and star-fall around stomping beats and booming bass. On 'Straight UP' he opts for darker, bolder, stabbing bass, alien-sounding bleeps, jazzy synth stabs, heady aural textures and another tough-as-teak drum track.