Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: It's rare that more than four artists feature on a single EP, but Berliners Inner Tension have brought that number to five with their latest. Made up of artists who've rubbed shoulders with the likes of Semantica, Spazio, Disponsibl and Pole Group, 'Are We All Alone Or Just Overwhelmed?' sees label boss Blazej Malinowski collaborate with many a fellow producer on the label. It's a steamy deep techno slice-barrage, evidencing a command over minimalism, calm and serenity few others can convey well through the same media.

Review: The Valley of Tears series has been a key part of the success of the Soil Records' journey. The next edition is another doozy that features Parand, who is the newest member of the crew. His 'Missed Connection' is a warped and darkly futuristic techno-come-electro offering with fizzing synths. NX1's 'SL2' is a tightly, loopy metallic sound with bass that is full of unsettling tension and Crystal Geometry's 'Haute Tension' ups the ante with more unrelenting loops and percussive patterns. E-Bony closes this fresh techno 12" with the metallic clatter of 'Zero Point Echo.'

Review: Italian techno label Void+1 Recordings' newest release, 'Convergence Chapter 1', is one for those who like their techno extreme. Four tracks from artists not known for techno of deep introspection. These tracks are minutely produced, influenced by EBM, breakcore & harsh electro. The first cut, 'Loose Fit (Tensal remix)' is a fast-paced, four-to-the-floor rocket of a remix by prolific German techno artist Tensal. The next track by Australian CTSD sounds like a dark, modern interpretation of early 2000s breaks. Serbian hard techno artist Scalameriya's track 'I Am Soloing Your Egregores' mixes a cut-up beat with harsh feedback noise. The last track by Japan-based Cam Lasky sounds like techstep slowed down, No U-Turn meets Ancient Methods.

Review: The third in Exitus Records' lightyear spanning V/A series, we again hear six new, boundary-pushing new ones from six satellite artists of the present day Berlin techno scene. Opening chord cascade 'Figure Eight' by Pink Concrete contrasts sharply to tunnelling techno-body suite 'The Dream Of Motion' by Krow, signalling several more tuff propulsions to come: most notably Sayid K's 'No Lights', a balmy nightscape from the newcomer, where digital zaps initially double up as hi-hats.

Review: 'NET 23EP5' on Network 23 Records sees more lost classics from the Spiral Tribe production squad getting a reissue. On Side-1, Crystal Distortion's 'Beat Frequency' (2nd mix) wastes no time in establishing its dominance with a fast loop that's both banging and driving. Pushing the boundaries of intensity and percussion, this track is sinister in its execution, dumbfounding listeners with its relentless energy. Following suit, 'Drumkode' delves into heavy bass territory, infusing techno with elements of EBM, resulting in a raw and powerful sonic experience. Flipping to Side 2, 69db's "The Tunnel (Kgb 001)" offers up precise techno craftsmanship, characterised by mechanical sounds layered intricately to create a hypnotic atmosphere. Closing the EP, 'Trip-Le Time' takes listeners on a sci-fi journey, with broken beats and intriguing rhythms that defy convention.

Review: There's no stopping Possession when they get on a roll, and so their second various artists series reaches release number four with another grip of devastating techno bombs for the harder floors of the world. Randomer is up first, throwing down the hard trance-licked thumper 'Shiver' before Somniac One's subtly dreamy beast 'Midnight Intruder' comes marching into earshot. Charlie Sparks kicks off the flip with an unrelenting hard techno assault before Vizionn brings some hard house sass to bear on 'Dream'. It's a fun and feisty selection which tells you everything you need to know about the current wave of hard dance.

Review: Each release on the Vacuity label follows a spiritual journey inspired by the chakra system. This third EP focuses on the solar plexus chakra, which represents self-confidence, action and inner power. Titled 'Chiron Key,' it also references the astrological symbol of healing and resilience and embodies a coming together of spirituality and rhythm that, hope the label, encourages you to connect deeply with your own inner strength through music. Cakkou's 'Missed Call' has tribal techno leads and trippy neon lines and Luca Ruiz's 'Safari FM' is a twitchy and futuristic world of minimal tech with sprawling bass.

Review: Buckle up for some no-nonsense techno thrills from a powerhouse collaboration, as Enrico Sangiuliano and Charlotte De Witte mint the third entry in Sangiuliano's self-styled 'transient record label' NINETOZERO. 'Reflection' has all the thunderous low end thrust a big room techno record requires, while the scattered hoover stabs and edgy vocal mantra bring the playful charm to the track - hold tight for the head-nagging acid drop. Meanwhile the 'Intro Mix' of the track gives DJs something to play with when kicking off one of those epic aircraft hangar sets. For something different on the B-side, Sangiuliano goes it alone and presents a tool of sorts featuring a stilted voice defining the titular 'Sources Of Propagation' in cold, clinical fashion - something we imagine will become fun to play through ample FX when getting creative in the mix.

Review: You can always count on Capracara to bring something a little spicy to the table, but the results are even more unpredictable when you throw UK house magician Simbad into the mix. If you like your house music extremely grubby, blippy, analogue and slightly unhinged, but still soulful, you're in the right place. 'Roubaix Cube' jerks and bumps along with all kinds of bleeps and rugged beats, and the pads sound delirious but still inject some real heart into the track. 'Prowler Report' heads further off into discordant freakiness, but there's still plenty of punch down low. 'The Ozone' is the smoother offering, with some gorgeous keys, chords and pads interweaving for a still-rugged but oh-so-sweet strain of deep house music.

Review: "Emergency protocol activated. Evacuate your homes and immediately go to the bunker for your safety. The invasion has begun!" Spectrum Data Forces makes a blistering return to New Flesh, fifteen years after first touching down on the label with Exodus and Reencarnacion. 'Trinity' hears Jose Maria Moreno Vega reshuffle his arsenal, securing salted-earth electro and mecha-funk fallows across four tracks and one remix. 'form900' launches the A in full arpeggiated mode, its high-velocity synth lines and crunching drums lensed through SDF's retrofuturist sound-and-vision. Umwelt tears into the remix with typical ferocity, twerking analogue gnarls into a thumping, break-laced payload. On the flip, Moreno dons his C-System alias for 'Mind Restore', a pummelling techno cut streaked with eerie pads and flecks of IDM. '7H3 F4M1LY', finally, under the 7053M4R14 moniker, hears the whole crew round things off in wiry, off-grid style.

Review: Two electrifying tracks that are tailor-made for the main stage, combining powerful rhythms and high-energy techno set to ignite pretty much any dancefloor. The title track, 'Deeplight', sets the wheels in motion with its tribal-driven percussion, gradually building intensity to become a relentless, attention-grabbing force, the hypnotic elements and steady groove making it a standout piece. On Side-2,'Black Dog' takes things further, fusing an exciting blend of house and disco influences with big, pounding techno. The track's floor-filling energy is enhanced by the clever mix of classic genres, resulting in a track that not only keeps the momentum high but introduces a refreshing depth with its dynamic progression. Produced by veteran New York-born Jerome Sydenham in collaboration with the German collective Cosmic Soldier, 'Deeplight' effortlessly blends different techno styles with its own distinctive flair. Both tracks are finely tuned for high-impact performances.

Review: First cropping up in 2012, the mammoth A-Sides series from the titanic Swedish techno label Drumcode charges ahead into its 11th installment (can you believe it?) while also managing to split said installment alone across seven slices of vinyl. This is the fourth record of seven in part eleven. Only gigantic-room techno could justify this waxen audacity; the music is braggadocious to boot, with contributions from Nicolas Taboada, BEC, Avision and Cosmic Boys. The tracks here are as dreamy as they are goosebump-inducing, easily seguing between massive transitions and drops to cathartic reesebound trances.

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: A quick piping of ultrafast space-techno comes as a six-track aural electro-techno drip, courtesy of Berlin's Mechatronica Music. The second in their 'Constellations' series of V/A EPs, this is an exodic exultation, charting top farings from the likes of Umwelt, Ben Pest and Viikatory. Umwelt's opening charge 'Stellar Oscillations' is a warpsped drive back to the retrofuture, with punctured stabs and fractal chord efferents propelling a lengthy trance crissing 'cross the milky way. Pest's 'Shodan' takes a detour, recharging at an interstellar traction substation specialising in sputtery, kilowatted electro. And 'Be Scared Of Clowns' is the titular highlight by Prz & Ori bringing a different spaceship to the same docking bay; it is the comparative Borg cube to the A3's Romulan craft, lessening any residual humanity for a shocking laserdesign B cut.

Review: Premade heavyweight Obscure Shape and classically trained musician Conrad team up; Berg Audio proudly welcome them as a new duo addition to their roster, together under the name Urban CC. Throwing back to real-deal minimal-ambient techno of a steezy kind, something between Maurizio, Move D and Ghost, 'Pegasus' and 'Marly' cycle through fluttering dub techno and 1-2-step garage respectively, the latter bringing an eyebrow raising combo of yearnsome garge vocal science and pulsewidth techno shots, post-drop. 'Hadban' sneaks a cheeky drum & bass bullet train onto an otherwise techno-centric platform, marking Sleepnet-style vocal etherics and sold-on-us liquid. 'Shagya' finally restricts the mix, with a dubtech-house full of beeping, filtered vocal shouts; a Strictly Rhythm-meets-Chain Reaction contraction.

Review: One Eye Witness rounds up another four acts for their periodic V/A series, spewing forth four breaks-driven whooshers crossing into progressive techno territory. The Hague duo Young Adults nod to a 1997 Loveparade anthem with 'It's Only Temporary', while breaks and kick implants converge on Christopher Ledger's 'Change That', a track which sounds like the starting firings of an interplanetary expedition pod after years of disuse. Joely brings cosmic chug on the cocooning B1 'Transitional', while the Samesame closer 'Novel End' is just that, traversing a noxious atmosphere with a flexoskeletal electro beat.