Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: We've extensively covered the work of Greek electronic music project Neural Network for a long time now, thanks to their compelling fusion of experimental techno and industrial music with themes of malevolent AI and/or cyborg takeover. Mostly active during the 1990s, the trio were instrumental in bringing robotic ideas to EU techno. This reissue of 'Cybernetics' is a big curio, with four new alternate takes on classic neuromantic cuts including 'Authentic' and 'Mechanic'. For those who like to sprinkle a bit of dystopianism into their DJ sets, this EP littered with sinister vocal samples scraped from future-facing TV documentaries abut cyborgs.

Review: 'I Feel It' might sound contemporary, but it's actually a classic track by Nux Nemo, a Belgian producer active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and a favourite of the raunchy XXP Records who released the gem in 1992. A seminal example of Belgian new beat, one of the many precursory building blocks of trance, both the original 'Fast Forward' and 'No Beat' mixes of the track are breaks-driven entrainers, and feature the unmistakable "hypnotise me" vocal sample heard in a great many dance tracks of the same ilk, to this day. The track features a hypnotic groove, distorted vocals, acid synths, and industrial sounds. Now comes the reissue, with two mega-fresh versions by Trent and Juan Ramos, who help push it forward for the Sound Migration series.

Review: Italian techno heavyweight Giorgio Gigli has been at the forefront of his country's scene for some time now, working with Dozzy way back in 2004 and releasing an album on Speedy J's Electric Deluxe label in 2015. This release on Planet Rhythm gathers together a series of collaborative EPs Gigli recorded for the label between 2015 and 2018, working with tough techno operators Ness, Paul Ritch and VSK. Gathered together in one handy triple-vinyl package, this is an essential set for anyone who cherishes dark, driving techno loaded with steely atmospheres and next-level production.

Review: Two key pushers of New York tactile ambient-techno, Anthony Naples and DJ Python, here present a fittingly named compilation (and the third in the series) curating only the best found in that style and scene: 'Air Texture VIII'. Spurred on by a cost of living crisis in Manhattan, areas further afield in neighbouring Brooklyn have become much more central to artists such as Beta Librae, Downstairs J and 5AM, spurring their rise and that of producers like them. Don't miss this important chronicling of the scene, which still unfolds in real time.

Review: Russian avant-garde sculptor namesakes Naum Gabo, AKA Jonnie Wilkes of Optimo and mastering engineer James Savage, drop their inaugural album, 'F. Lux.' The pair delve deep over eight tracks of cavernous ambiance, pummeling industrial techno and barren, windswept synthscapes, which are perfectly alluded to by Scottish painter Andrew Cranston's surreal artwork. In turns introspective and oppressive, the pair ditch their usual stylistic sensibilities for something altogether more longform and enveloping, allowing for full immersion in the cavernous soundworld. Highlights include opening wormhole 'Aora' and the deeply tense grindhouse resonances of the aptly named 'Hebust Cometh'. Wicked and bad.

Review: Nthng is an indomitable name in the world of what one might call 'deep lo-fi house'. The mysterious and prolific techno producer released his debut album, It Never Ends, on Lobster Theremin in the mid-2010s, when the genre had taken by the internet by storm with its Leckeyesque rave nostalgia and unbridled emotion. Nthng's first music marks a point before the scene merged with the international DJ circuit, when many lo-fi house musicians became superstar faces. But not Nthng, who still retains an integrity through anonymity that few artists can be said to have so successfully kept up. A reissue and relisten to the album now actually sheds new light on the project; while classic deep cuts like 'Soms', 'Touches' and 'Eternal' are the epitomes of what we remember the Nthng-core sound to be, there are also curveball cuts of the harder-hitting variety on there, such as 'Last' and 'Unity'. On reflection, this is a delicate and precise album, one that doesn't treat the production of deep dance music with so much as a hint of unsubtlety.

Review: There are few borders to NTHNG's sounds. His debut album 'It Never Ends' made a big impression back in 2017 as it mixed up dub, deepness and techno and he has since impressed with plenty of lo-fi sounds and ambient bliss-outs on labels like Lobster Theremin and Lobster Sleep Sequence as well as dropping his more raw techno Delsin. Here he is in soundscaping mode again but also drops some slick electro, downbeat and Balearic sound on There Is A Place For Me on Transatlantic. It is a cosmic work of widescreen design and immersive effect.

Review: Do we really want to know What You Should Know About Yourself? There's a high chance we find out something we don't want to hear but alas, the NX1 duo poses the question anyway across a broad selection of techno sounds on 11 different tracks. The moods are often introspective and provide an opportunity to get lost in deep thought and challenge yourself. The dramatic ambient start makes way for crunchy drums and fizzing synth disruption on 'Based In Lies', then dark and hard drums define the monstrous menace of Polarized Soul' and industrial clatter brings the heat on the militant and marching grooves of 'Cosmos Inside You.' A fierce album of uncompromising techno.

Review: Darren Nye has been devoted to deep machine-dreaming techno since the 90s, but he's hit a particularly productive run in the last four years. We've been gifted scores of albums on Childhood Intelligence, Exalt Records and now Elusive Intelligence, with Voyage Of Light representing the latest transmission from an artist brimming with inspiration. Nye takes his cues from the likes of B12, Kirk Degiorgio and Stasis, crafting a classically-crafted strain of techno which suits headphones as much as dancefloors. Across nine tracks Nye weaves a spectrum of sci-fi tales with the textbook tools - warm, expressive synth lines and crisp, intricate drum machine patterns. If you dig that sound, you're going to love this album.

Review: The heady techno fans out there will already know that Darren NYE has been serving up deep and dreamy techno and roundabout sounds since the 90s. He is turning out some of his best ever material right now though and does just that again now on Deeptarx. His Thoughts & Emotions is an extended offering across four sides of vinyl that explores the intersection of techno, electro and dub, always with a soft touch, a warmth of sound and a pensive mood. There are deft cosmic jaunts, more heavy and purposeful slow burners and life-affirming nocturnal trips like the gorgeous 'Late Night Thinking.'

Review: Norm Talley returns to his Upstairs Asylum label alongside fellow US house pioneer Delano Smith for Straight Up No Chaser, an eight-track opus featuring four solo cuts each. Talley's gritty, dubbed-out, low-rolling house style is present and correct throughout with the loopy chords of 'Blak Bottom' getting things going, 'The Flip' getting more cavernous and aqueous and 'ISO Vision' leaning into dub techno. 'Believe It' is a soulful deep house looper, while Smith gets bubbly with 'The Bassline', lays down thumping kicks on 'Travels 23' and his trademark synth smears on 'The Drive' while 'Remembrance' is a heady dub house cut that locks you into a state of perfect hypnosis.