Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: Originally released in 2023, this record quietly turned heads with its singular blend of UK-rooted rhythms and forward-leaning sound design. Now reissued, it finally gets a second life and the wider attention it deserves. The producer, a longtime figure in the scene with more than twenty releases under different monikers, brings a depth and precision that only comes with years behind the boards. 'Fathom' opens with a fast broken beat that feels equal parts urgent and submerged. The textures are mechanical and murky, like a deep techno transmission beamed up from under the floor. 'The Cusp' follows with a completely different angle. This one leans into the IDM side of things. It's spare and skeletal, filled with deep bass swells and a structure that feels more like a shifting sculpture than a club track. On Side-B, 'Markers' blends fast dub mechanics with intricate programming. There's a trace of Autechre here, but filtered through a system more grounded in soundsystem culture. It rolls and unravels in unexpected ways. 'Trooper' closes it out with cinematic flair. Strange melodies stretch through space, evoking science fiction landscapes and distant worlds. It's not just club music. It's sound architecture for curious minds and adventurous ears.

Review: Oh yes, we love it when Theo represses some of his most sought after tracks and this one is particularly well-timed. Leron Carson is still an unknown figure, a kid who used to make viciously raw and futuristic techno tracks in the late 1980's! "China Trax", alongside the rest of his tracks on a different Sound Signature double 12", is totally ahead of its time and if it was truly made in 1987 then it is nothing short of amazing. Of course, it's not just the year it was made in that's interesting but also the fact that it's music without an age, able to be appreciated by any generation of techno freaks. Theo's own "Insane Asylum" on the flipside is also pretty monumental; rigged beats, off-kilter grooves and that familiar spontaneity so heavily associated to the label.

Review: Murky, organic and gravelly techno is the Cassegrain sound that we know and love from. Here Munich based label Prologue snap up the duo for the freshly squeezed Dropa EP. No exception to the techno rule, dark, progressing sounds rife with complexity and eeriness strike again on "Dropa", while "Luban" echoes with gruff metallic edges as it progresses through heavy kicks and bounding samples. "EUD" goes for a heftier tempo and piercing cymbal crashes, while "Lop-Nor" offers more of the same in an intricately crafted tunnel of mysterious kicks, hats and echoes.

Review: Since Cassegrain entered the techno consciousness back in 2010 with the final artist 12? on Kevin Gorman's Mikrowave label, the Greco-Austrian pairing of Alex Tsiridis and Huseyin Evirgren have carved out their own corner in the world of foreboding, bassline driven, deep techno. And with material from Tiamat the focus of a recent heavyweight remix package from Prologue - Mike Parker, Svreca, Andreas Tilliander's TM404 project and Ed 'Inland' Davenport all involved - Cassegrain return to the Munich label with their first solo release of 2014. The title track's power electronics fall somewhere between a Regis, British Murder Boys and Donato Dozzy production, while the focus of "Hexagon Fifteen" is steely ambience, oblique drums and ghostly textures. The final track, "Yokai", is what real Prologue fans will associate with most thanks to its floating hypnotisms and extreme feedback loops.

Review: First released in 2006, 'Ceerial Port' is the ultimate wildcard in the electro profligate Ceephax's towering discography. The seven-or-eight track album does things with the electro form that few of Mr. Jenkinson's contemporaries would dare ever indulge, were it not for this initial fatherly stamp of approval. lead reissue cut 'Acid Whorl' is the foremost case in point, hard-limiting and soft-clipping a cyclonic 'whorlwind' of pitch-whacked acid effluence. Further 8-bit playtimes come in the form of 'Acid Highway' and 'Acid Causeway', recalling the feeling of scouring the outer edges of an Atari Kart game and encountering nothing but rolling, pixelated skies; 'Tough Grugoy Acid' and 'Woodlice Acid' make up the longer wavelengths on the spectrum, stomping and echo-rimshotting to ever-weighty, yet jolly ends.

Review: Ceri's 'Don't You Wanna' is a cult cut that has now been remixed several times. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Mr. G and Fred P and D'Julz, this one features four more on-point artists adding their own spin. It's Paul Rayner who goes first brings old school 90s synth lines that bubble up through the mix. The Zombies In Miami remix is more buoyant with raw stabs and drums, Cici then hammers home a tribal techno groove with psyched-out synth patterns and last but not least is a warped, ritualistic and tribal dance rework from Dee Diggs with her excellent Whisper mix.

Review: The prolific Dutch powerhouse that is Conforce (aka Versalife aka Boris Bunk amongst other things) is in techno mode here with this new green-marbled 12" on Syncrophone. Commuting Part 1 opens with the quick-stepping and deep dub techno rhythms of 'Octave Echoes' which is delightfully fluid. 'Stable Velocity' then bids up impossible smooth dub loops and watery pads into something buoyant and stirring both physically and emotionally, and 'Self Assessment' then ups the pace with thudding, infectious kicks and plenty of rippling synth details. 'Highway Hypnosis takes a more paranoid and stripped-back approach and closes out Conforce's finest EP in some time.

Review: Christian Smith revisits Carl Craig's iconic ambient masterpiece 'At Les' with two exceptional remixes, originally crafted in 2010. This reissue on Tronic revives the deep house genre with a fresh perspective on a track that first appeared on Craig's 1997 album, More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art. On Side-1, the 'Tronic Treatment remix' injects a pulsating energy into the ethereal original, blending rhythmic depth with the serene atmosphere that made the track a legend. Smith's remix maintains the emotional intensity while adding a driving beat that propels the listener forward. On Side-2, the 'Hypnotica remix,' where Smith delves into a more immersive, trance-like state. This version is all about loops and intricate layers, creating a soundscape that feels both expansive and intimate. Smith's reimagining of 'At Les' pays homage to Carl Craig's genius while introducing new sonic dimensions. Still, 14 years later...this is a club ready peak time record.

Review: The cultured ESHU label has pulled other some more tasteful talents for this four track 'Conrexture' EP. It opens up with Julien Fuentes's 'Jah Justice' (Klaridub Ambient mix) which is a nice atmospheric opener with some conscious dub mutterings and sci-fi pads. Jocelyn & Yasin Engwer then kick on with some watery, sub-aquatic minimal dub tech bliss in the form of 'Sticks & Stones', Voal gets even more dark and dirty with some grubby dub basslines on 'Eight Ball' and Ivano Tetelepta/Christine Benz layer up watery droplets, melodic whistles, static electricity and rubbery rhythms to mind-melting perfection on 'Supreme.'

Review: Mental health charity label Serenity keeps it sophisticated with its sixth outing and once again donates all proceeds to charity this time Young Minds. It is underground house mainstay and DiY Discs legend Nail who steps up first with a much more breezy and balmy sound than you would expect but it sure is lush. 'Pad On' slips into his more usual and driving house sound but with swirling pads up top for summery refinement. Trixie, Connor Male & Thoma Bulwer then get deep and late night with their punchy 'Impromptune' while Trixie's solo cut 'restless sculptures' is a jacked-up and percussive number that leans into techno.

Review: Riviera's early momentum continues here with a punchy four-tracker from six on-point artists. Lewis Taylor kicks off with 'Non Stop' which is a straight up and funky peak time then pumper with bright chords and plenty of fun in the atmosphere, Cult keeps the energy high with 'Total Kill' and X Coast & DJ RaDa then offer the acid-laced and turbocharged bass stomps of 'Come Together.' LIL NASSTY then flips the script with some sleazy trap beats with menacing bars and futuristic synth patterns on 'Get It Up So' and DJ Pacifier shuts down with some high-speed ghetto-tech in the form of the relentless 'Fried Again.'

Review: Abstrack Future's 4th release delivers a diverse blend of forward-thinking techno and otherworldly electro. On the A-side, Two Phase U's 'Soft Maz' moves you with its retro yet futuristic pulsating electro groove, reminiscent of Drexciyan aesthetics. Mat Roz's '4 AM' on the same side presents a hardcore breakbeat foundation layered with atmospheric melodies and a big acid line, creating a hypnotic and spacey atmosphere. This is unique to say the least! Flipping to the B-side, Manuk's 'Astornauta' takes us on a journey with its breaks and 90s-inspired sound, tinged with Bleep-style elements and an eerie melody. Each track on this EP offers a unique sonic experience while showing Abstrack Future's commitment to pushing boundaries and exploring the outer edges of electronic music.

Review: Berlin Atonal returned two years ago from a long hiatus, 23 years to be exact. After three tremendous festivals this decade, they now present us with their first recordings since 1984. These particular ones from the 2014 edition. Cabaret Voltaire (in this incarnation featuring only Richard H Kirk) was a true highlight and contributes "Microscopic Flesh Fragment" and "Universal Energy". One half of Demdike Stare Miles Whitaker went solo, presenting his truly unique take on techno, and the slow burning attitude of "Vagabond No. 7" is evidence of this. New Zealand's Fis also appears; rather uncategorisable as always on "Dist CL (Atonal Version)." On the third disc we have Northern Electronics main man and modern auteur Abdulla Rashim presenting two commissions from his captivating atmospheric set that year. Limited to 700 copies.

Review: Joseph Capriati has very quickly risen from underground techno player to top-tier titan. The Italian hails from Naples, a famous hotbed of minimalism that has spawned stars like Marco Carola. whose footsteps Capriati has followed in by securing his own Ibiza residency for his Metamorfosi party. The sort if sounds you can expect to hear on that label and at the events are well showcased here on his new mix of the legendary Global Underground series. From dark and driving techno to more emotional and melodic house, it's a colourful and widescreen ride that features a couple of his own fresh jams and many more from contemporary artists.

Review: Renowned producer, remixer, DJ and record label owner Carl Craig is one of the few artists who can truly claim to have shaped the sound of
modern electronic music. Making music since the tender age of 17, Craig has created everything from ambient soundscapes to jazz
during the past 20 years, but it's his work in dance music that is at his core. 'Sessions' is a long overdue album that brings together a personal
selection of Carl's incredible back catalogue, from his early work under the aliases Paperclip People and 69 to worldwide hits like 'Throw'
(recently covered live by LCD Soundsystem) and groundbreaking tracks like 'Bug in the Bassbin'. Alongside the classics, the two discs also showcase why Craig is still such a powerful force in music today with a diverse range of remixes for the likes of XPress 2, Theo Parrish and many others. For his rework for Junior Boys'. 'Like A Child' he was just nominated for a Grammy.
The selection also includes previously unreleased tracks, alternative versions of his own productions, as well as some exclusive unreleased
remixes. 'Sessions' reminds us of how exciting and unique Carl Craig's productions and remixes are and why he remains at the top of his game,
a retrospective of one of the world’s most influential and groundbreaking figures in electronic music.