Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: French musician Julienne Dessagne is behind Fantastic Twins and here presents a new album inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Adapted from her composition for the dance piece Meandres, the record is a textural world of leftfield techno, kosmische influences and cinematic soundscapes across five tracks. Along the way, we're told the artist explores mythology and symbolism while drawing from opera, film scores and literary works. Her set up included modular synthesis and layered vocals which lend things a rather psychedelic edge next to the strikingly atmospheric synths and subtle sense of unpredictability.

Review: Italian artist Fedele offers up here his first solo effort since leaving Agents of Time. This 12-track album on his own label showcases his exploration of fresh electronic music landscapes after making a great impact over the last three years with releases on Ellum Audio, Turbo Recordings, and Obscura. His acclaimed remix of Depeche Mode's 'Enjoy The Silence' received global praise and now Depth Of Being blends his signature style with experimental sounds and more vocals. It features tracks like the downtempo 'Departure' and the vibrant 'Your Eyes' as well as plenty of immersive, progressive, emotive club-ready cuts.

Review: Charming post-gabber connections from Fish & Rice aka Hellfish (King of Ironfist) and Akira (Ricemaster). Go Fuck Yourself goes with the epic synopsis of a sordid culinary horror: our deuteragonists Fish and Rice once again must defeat the tyrannical lord Pink Fist using stolen weapons-grade audio care packages, hacked from the data banks of Iron Prime (we can only guess what this means, exactly). Edacious in theme, this is an erratic, (sea) bass dropper of an LP, with not a single given eff in sight. 'Fish Ramen Gabba', 'Rice-Fish' and 'Do You Cook' serve poisson poisons of hardcore tok kicks and citrusy supersaw sound design, causing our faces to scrunch up in olfactory delight.

Review: A fascinating new long-player from Justin Robertson under his new Five Green Moons alias, marking another new stylistic turn for the Mancunian DJ and producer, whose main remit is house music to most. Moon 1, by contrast, is not "Justin at the house controls", but rather him delving into "his roots, digging around through the likes of P.I.L, Gang Of Four, On-U-Sound, Current 93, Coil, Sabres Of Paradise and all manner of post punk echoes", a "haunted ballroom of memories", in the artist's own words. Our glossing of Moon 1 is that this is probably the best post-punk come dubstep crossover record you'll hear in 2024, though it does also cross over into wonky beats and monologuing ambi-trance on occasion too. The record moves increasingly mauve-psychedelic as it progresses, with 'Everything's A Song In A Sound World' paring back its off-the-top vocal slogans for a purer exercise in rattling psyche-dub and 'I See All And I See Nothing' admitting to the contradiction of humility and quixotism in the same fret-slid breath.

Review: The fifth Flaoting Points album Cascade is a culmination of creative evolution. In late 2022, Shepherd found himself in the California desert, crafting a new sonic journey via his acclaimed Promises, where he ventured into airy dreamscapes with saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra, earning a Mercury Prize nomination and a sold-out Hollywood Bowl show in 2023. With Cascade, Shepherd returns to his electronic roots, craving the pulse-racing communion of the dancefloor. This album serves as a sequel to Crush, diving deeper into ravey, experimental realms, unexplored due to lockdown cancellations. Tracks draw inspiration from Manchester's record shops and California's desert landscapes, blending Buchla rhythms and glitching melodies. Shepherd's journey, from orchestral collaborations to laptop productions, underscores his relentless pursuit of innovation.

Review: Floating Points, also known as Sam Shepherd, returns with a new album that pushes his sound even further into exciting new territories. This album, consisting of eight tracks, offers expansive explorations of sounds and grooves, with each piece allowed to develop and evolve over up to eight minutes. Nearly a decade after his acclaimed debut Elaenia, Shepherd continues to blend his experimental inclinations with dancefloor appeal, a fusion that has become a hallmark of his style. Cascade is conceived as a follow-up to Shepherd's rave-reviewed second studio album, Crush from 2019. While Crush introduced listeners to Shepherd's more introspective side, Cascade aims to bring the traditional Floating Points experience back to the dancefloor. Bursting with Buchla rhythms and glitching melodies, it should be more in line with his dance singles. Shepherd describes the album as a continuation, which is reflected in the vibrant artwork by Akiko Nakayamaia colourful sleeve with fluid imagery that mirrors the album's dynamic soundscapes. The album's evocative title, Cascade, suggests movement, beauty and pressure, themes that resonate throughout its paces.

Review: Fluxion returns with a stunning full-length album that showcases his mastery of dub techno and chilled soundscapes. Opening with 'Life Motif', Haze begins with ambient textures that set a tranquil, atmospheric tone. 'Magenta' follows, delivering a hazy dub experience that channels island vibes, with deep, gentle chords that immerse the listener. 'Reflections' brings in deeper techno elements, with piano melodies riding over the rhythm to create a sophisticated, mature take on dub techno. 'Footsteps (Fluxion Rework)' is a poignant track, blending orchestral elements and church chimes, invoking a melancholic yet still, uplifting mood. 'Berlin' takes a turn into more traditional dub techno territory, featuring a deep bassline and club-ready vibe that remains true to Fluxion's roots. The album closes with 'Open Moves', a beautiful, emotional piece that blends classical influences with dub-influenced ambiance, leaving listeners with a sense of introspection and calm.Haze is a masterful exploration of dub techno's emotive potential, balancing deep rhythms, lush atmospheres and moving melodies. Fluxion proves once again why he remains a leading figure in the genre, seamlessly fusing elements of dub, techno and ambient like only he can.

Review: F.M. (Francois Marche) and Fa_Fane (Stephane Bodin) say they "perform live with an acid-tinged electro-dub set, a danceable balance between the organic and the digital, the hot and the cold." When it comes to the studio, the fine line they tread between machine and human, accessible and experimental is equally evident, making them sure fire winners in the world of movie soundtracks. Not least when the film is on the avant garde side of things, as Fotogenico is. Directed by Marcia Romano and Benoit Sabatier, the movie is a visually arresting, high tempo collage of a chase-mystery in which a father attempts to piece his dead daughter's story together using only the music she recorded. Glitchy, digi-dub and synthesised post punk ensues, among other stuff.

Review: Layer is the new label from Berlin techno favourite Berghain for the music released by its residents. Ben Klock is one of the most celebrated of those and here he links up with Fadi Mohem for an album that eschews his famous techno sounds in favour of a new blend of IDM, ambient and experimental sounds. 'Layer One' comes on double vinyl and opens with 'Ultimate (feat Coby Set)' which is an atmospheric opener with icy synths and sparse landscapes, then 'Escape Valley' explores kinetic rhythms and glitchy synths, 'The Vanishing' is another exploration of a distant corner of the cosmos and 'The Machine' brings more cinematic and evocative electronic designs.

Review: Wolfgang Voigt's Studio 1 and Freiland are landmark examples of 1990s minimalist concept techno. Studio 1 defined a stripped-down, hypnotic approach, while Freiland explored a more experimental, textured sound. This release features two discs with each of those differing approaches served up, but the second compiles the best of Freiland into a continuous set. Both showcase Voigt's pioneering vision and knack for marrying great precision with an absorbing atmosphere in a way that remains influential today. Essential listening for techno-purists and fans of the avant-garde.