Review: Ronny Pries returns after a long hiatus a new EP on Abstract Rhythm that channels Detroit-influenced techno and electro with late-night dancefloor energy. Pries is a veteran of electronic music with roots dating back to the 90s and brings emotional weight to this release, especially on the standout cut 'This Ain't Jazz,' a dense, percolating acid techno cut that rewires your brain. 'Terminal Velocity' is a blizzard of distorted synths and manic percussive lines, and 'NGC 4889' explores an electro-adjacent sound with more celestial-style pads. After years focusing on other projects, this marks a meaningful comeback for Pries.
Review: Back in February, Detroit Sound Odyssey put out the first part of the Better Together EP and it found Mexico-born but Detroit-based Isaac Prieto hook up with several different artists including Javonntte and Moppy. Here he goes it alone for part two and blows up with an all new electro that is part electro-funk, part ghetto, part cosmic wig out. 'Go For It' (feat Loren) is punchy drum-led tacker with a brilliantly knackered bassline and pinging 909s. 'Hesitant Hand' (feat Ali Orlandi) is quick and supple techno with razor sharp hi-hats and synth details that have a mind of their own. 'Rasta Pasta' (with Moppy) slows things down to a deep beatdown then it's off to the stars with thumping house curveball 'Interstate 90 Highway' (with Javonntte). What an EP.
Review: Isaac Prieto is Mexico-born but Detroit based and that is presumably where he hooked up with the Motor City's assured house auteur Javonntte. The pair take a trip through scuffed-up deep house brilliance here with the chattery claps and blurting bass of spaced-out opener 'One Take' before 'Brothers In Rhythm' is a more dance-y cut with pinging kicks and detuned synths stumbling about the mix to make for a brilliant sense of mechanical funk. 'High Energy' brings edgy chord stabs over busted beats and bass and 'Lost & Found' is more kinetic analogue madness with hurried techno hi-hats, spangled pads and punchy kicks all bringing an utterly fresh type of sound.
Review: It's silly but true that anything which has the words Detroit on it will immediately get more attention than something that doesn't. 99% of the time though the music lives up to that reputation as is the case here with a fourth offering from Detroit Sound Odyssey. It's a four-tracker that sees Isaac Prieto hook up with different collaborators on each tune. Moppy and 'Double Bass' open up with a well-swung house kick and deep bass combo while the machines get a little more unhinged on 'What Do You Want' with G&J. Javonntte brings his signature depth to 'Imperfections' and Ali Orlandi adds a heavyweight downbeat headiness to 'I Like That'.
Review: Primal Code brought plenty of fresh ideas and new perspectives to their debut album "La Via Della Seta" last year, and continue to do so on this fascinating new 12" for Sweden's Hypnus Records. They have a tribal take on techno that draws on indigenous cultures and instrumentation to make for darkly hypnotic tracks that echo the experimental work of the likes of Donato Dozzy, Neel and even Shackleton. It's mesmerising and cerebral stuff with psychedelic overtones and plenty of intriguing sounds, effects in the swirling ambient pads and deft little hooks that litter the rubbery, drawn out grooves.
Review: Primrose does that most difficult of things on this new EP for the Cead label's last single-digit release: hits a perfect sweet spot between dancefloor damage and nuanced home listening. The punchy and driving 'Los Angeles Wingspan' kicks off and is backlit by a heavenly synth glow that softens the punchy, tightly coiled kicks and sprinkles of fluttering metallic percussion. '1980 Dream' is a more refracted piece where melodic phrases dart about the mix, synths scurrying up the scales, paddy drums unfurl in broken patterns and the whole thing keeps you nice and loose. An Or:la remix of '1980 Dream' rounds out a classy EP.
Review: Prince De Takicardie delivers a new four-track set of tachycardial heart-racers as reinforcements to his own Prince's Castle, which is both a label and a proverbial princely citadel. This is also the Barceloni producer's second edition to the powered 'Force Bleu' EP series, matched colourfully by the equally propulsive 'Force Rouge' counterpart, for which there have also been two records so far. Increasing in both pace and intensity, this raw and jammy follow-up reaches its crescendo at the rough 15-minute mark with the hypnotic 'EX-ecute (Execution Mix)', which conclusively yields to mesmeric acid and mystical three-tone entrainments, contrasting the first three track's relative utilitarian sense.
Flare's Grip - Prism Remix (Herbert's Make It Right dub) (6:39)
Vol 03 - 02 (6:16)
Review: Remastered rarities by the late Susumu Yokota under his 246 and Prism monikers. Go Up was originally a defective release which has since been corrected and remastered and Vol 3 - 02 was not released. It also features a megamix of Ambient Love and Squeeze Up (which feature on Cosmic Soup 005) by Gene On Earth and a remix of Flare's Grip - Prism Remix by Matthew Herbert titled "Herbert's Make It Right Dub". Three legends on this EP. Superbly remastered and cut by Mike Grinser at Manmade in Berlin. Artwork by John Williams.
Review: PRSPCTV aka XENTRIX is an emerging Belgian techno talent who steps out here with his first release on Musik is Egall. His moody and atmospheric original 'Perspective & Surface' is found on the B-side. It's a hunched-over, stripped-back deep techno and dub fusion with grotty synths and vast incendiary hi-hats hurrying you along. Label co-founder Oliver Hess steps up with his own remix on the A-side and flips the track into something as deep as they come, with dubbed out chords and warm, edgeless but driving kicks and smeared pads all laced up with muffled vocal mutterings and rising synths. It's one for early-evening groove sessions or late-night zone outs.
Review: By now already a cult favourite label, Banoffee Pies Originals is back with new beats from Planet Euphorique label boss D. Tiffany and multidisciplinary artist and Rinse FM resident Ciel working together as Psychedelic Budz. The Canadian duo delivers two off-kilter club tracks here with a guest appearance by Adam Pits under his Lil Mushroom alias. That's on the title cut 'Wonk Donk' and it features a supple and hyper-speed rhythm with dubby undercurrent and deft vocal smears next to acidic squiggles. The other cut 'Vokal Fry' is a percussive jumble with broken beats, watery effects, chopped-up vocals and a generally beguiling vibe.
Blazej Malinowski - "Beyond The Veil Of Sleep" (6:52)
Save Your Atoll - "Psyop" (5:56)
Review: The note with this new collection from Fur:ther Sessions is a quote by the Latin thinker Cicero. "We must live to enjoy the freedom that can benefit our friends and harm no one." It is certainly something to ponder while you get lost in the deeply immersive techno that comes with it. Psyk'scaptly titled 'Static Drift' does fizz with a microscopic sense of electrical activity while Shoal's deep, speedy, meditative 'Backflash' swirls with cosmic waves. Blazej Malinowski's 'Beyond The Veil Of Sleep' has a darker core thanks to the twisted synth phrases that worm their way all through the middle and Save Your Atoll then allows a little melodic light to shine into his hallucinogenic roller 'Psyop.' Smart stuff for both head and heel.
Review: Parchi Pubblici is an Italian hardware specialist who usually makes music by doing one-take recordings. This is his debut vinyl EP and it features four original tracks with the first three designed as peak-time club anthems, all powered by roaring analogue machines. These tracks are built to make dancefloors sweat and they surely will. The title, 'Pressed Trouble', perfectly encapsulates the EP's energy. 'Clogged Key' is all bleeping synths and rugged low ends, 'Cautela (feat Delia Derbyshire)' is more funky and bouncy, 'Error504' is acid laced and dirty and 'HTSG' is lit up by superb synth arps and cosmic adventuring.
Review: Oyster Ass return with their Italian brothers for a third round of mind-bending techno. This EP is a retreat into altered worldsirigidly organised, timeless and often inescapable trance-like states. Public Request and WAS take charge of the correction, guiding listeners through a sonic landscape of hypnotic rhythms and disorienting soundscapes. 'C'MON' by Public Request sets the tone with its pulsating energy and infectious groove, while WAS's 'Spoon My' dives deep into a hypnotic abyss. 'Ego' and 'Tunnel' further explore the depths of this sonic odyssey, each track offering a unique perspective on the theme of mind-body dislocation. This is one for those who like their techno with a touch of the surreal and a healthy dose of sonic exploration.
Review: Rico Puestel is part of the techno furniture and has always explored the genre's frontier, free from fads and trends. This latest drop comes as a hand-stamped one-sided 12" limited to 100 copies on Exhibition. 'We're Younger' sets to work over the course of more than 10 minutes, and not a second is wasted. Right from the off it is a mind-melting track with a real physical impact - the drums are raw and heavy, synths are twisted into all sorts of shapes, funky guitar riffs pop out the mix and menacing vocals add further layers of girt and grime to this warehouse banger.
Review: Deep techno mainstay Rico Puestel has many killer cuts in his back catalogue and now he has decided to remaster and repress some of them. The Undeniable Classics Vol 1 is a bold title for your own work but the tunes stand up, thankfully. This is the first time these have actually been available on vinyl too so do not sleep as 'Volute' is a perfect early evening roller with dubby drums and languid hits that hook you in and get you ready for more. 'Remembering October 3rd' is a cut for the early mornings with soulful pads and vocals soundtracking the moment the sun first peaks through the blinds.
Review: Melbourne's Pugilist opens the proceedings on Modern Hypnosis's third various artists EP. It is the sort of hi fidelity and rhythmic precise techno that you might find on labels like Livity Sound. 'Flip Trix' is couched in plenty of warming dub undercurrents with upright drums and funky percussive patterns. Henry Greenleaf then goes into overdrive with his double time and mind-melting drum programming on the frenzied 'Stopper Knot' and Ebb shuts down with the broken rhythms and raved up synth fizz of 'GTAM' to make for an adventurous EP indeed.
Review: Interruption Records 007 delivers four techno monsters, each track a distinct force within the genre. Side-1 opens with Punto's 'La Trampa,' a heavy pounding techno workout that brings no-nonsense, big sounds to the forefront. Following is Marcio M's 'Spacetime Stone,' an ominous builder with rising energy and a catchy vibe that keeps the momentum strong. Flipping to Side-2, Acerbic's 'Way Of The Underground' introduces alien-sounding retro techno, evoking rave nostalgia with its unique blend of sounds. Finally, Phazegenerator's 'PartyLine' offers a loopy, underground track that's a strong DJ tool, perfect for driving the dancefloor. Powerful and diverse, this blend of heavy beats, rising energy, and nostalgic elements ensures the techno party will not stop.
Review: Two revered dance music institutions come together here as Pye Corner Audio steps up to Emotional Response with his debut EP for the label. What's more, it is a two-parter with the second half also available now. This one from Martin Jenkins finds him making an homage to the acid house he has always loved with opener 'Stegan Acid' starting with slow grocers and foggy moods run through with subtle 303 modulations. 'Magnetic Acid Three' is another deep and stripped-back sound with rumbling drums and bass coloured with soft acid contours and 'Thermionic Acid' gurgles a little more as the icy hi-hats cut through a mutant deep techno swamp. 'Magnetic Acid One' is one final meditation on acidic house depths.
Review: Shiffer and Paul Brenning's latest collaboration is a masterclass in restraint and groove. The tracks here unfold slowly, each element carefully placed, allowing the deep, rumbling bass and crisp percussion to speak for themselves. There's a warmth to the production, with subtle melodies peeking through the smooth rhythms, creating a hypnotic effect that pulls you in. The vibe is steady yet unpredictable, and you can feel the influence of house, techno, and everything in between. It's an understated but impressive exploration of sound.
Review: The debut album from Ukrainian collective Noneside unites musicians and visual artists under the inspiring words of poet Taras Shevchenko, who said 'Make love, o dark-browed ones.' Framed by a painting from contemporary artist Iryna Maksymova, the music explores the trance and tech house that is destined to bring souls together on the dancefloor this summer and beyond. Shjva opens with fresh and mashed bass and sleek trance pads that are subtle but effective. Lostlojic layer sup deep, bubbly techno drums and bass with an angelic vocal tone and Saturated Color's 'Trancia' is a speedy, scuffed-up tech groove for late-night cruising. Peshka and Yevhenii Loi offer two more future-facing trance-techno fusions packed with feels.
Review: Banging electrobass from Spain's Masa Series, mooting six of their roster artists for an incendiary exercise in grit and vibrancy. Having already invited a slew of artists for individual releases, the Cluster series here aims more at collectivity. All the tracks here nail the label's signature smushing of heavily heat-glued sound, moving between everything from electro to breaks, landing somewhere in the synaesthetic register of an earthen sonic purply-brown. The highlight here, though, has to be Anna Kost's 'Conjunction', which breaks this general rule through a fast dubstep-ish 150BPM exploration in nervous respiratory pad design and glance-off percs, making for a bracing potential set intro.
Review: Future Romance's Collector II release is a futuristic trek into through the realms of melodic trance and techno, featuring four melodic tracks by different distinct artists. Solee's 'Euphoria' takes trance into the future with a smoother, more reserved approach, toning down the over-the-top elements for a refined experience. Paul Angelo & Don Argento's 'Harpe' delves into a deeper style of trance, characterised by snappy percussion and growling basslines, with influences from goa trance. On the flip side, Drumcomplex & Frank Sonic's 'Ultra Hex' offers celestial-sounding techno that builds euphorically. Closing the EP, Off Night's 'Definition' presents the most peak-time trance track, with epic and big-sounding elements. If you are looking for the future of the trance and neo-trance, check this out this EP from the birthplace of the genre.
Luc Ringeisen & Funk E - "Treinta Y Siempre" (7:33)
Polyfan Polyphenix - "Polymorph 2" (7:02)
Review: There's plenty to get sucked into on this latest 12" transmission from Germany's Movida. It is Part 1 of a new Waterdrop EP from a quartet of artists. Somfay goes it alone to start with on the far-sighted and zoned-out house of 'Arborvitae (A Voice Like Water). Luc Ringeisen & Funk E then link up for 'Treinta Y Siempre' which is a lithe and sleek electro-tinged rhythm with lovely downbeat bass notes and more uplifting melodic patterns. Last of all is Polyfan Polyphenix, a jittery and rugged rhythm with razor sharp hi-hats and twisted vocals that bring a leftfield sound to 'Polymorph 2.'
Review: Perc Trax has long been excelling at caustic and industrial-tinged, white-knuckle techno excursions. Former 3 is another case in point as various artists come together to nail you to the floor of a gritty warehouse. The boss himself, Perc, appears with Million on the squealing, blistering workout that is 'Rotopod' while EAS brings wild video game soundtrack madness to his intense 'Ryu Acid.' Add in linear bangers from Somniac One with 'Junkyard Shift' and Exos's gabber-tinged, flat-footed stomper 'Warlion' and you have an absolutely monster EP of techno.
Pig & Dan vs Gregor Tresher - "Granular" (Update 2022 mix) (6:37)
Wehbba - "The Next Step" (6:10)
Nicole Moudaber - "Come To My Beat" (feat Romina) (6:50)
Review: The all powerful Drumcode label still does a fine line in big room techno after countless years and even more releases of the stuff. This third part of the A Sides collection brings together a towering selection of names from that scene including Tiger Stripes with the smooth cruise that is 'Altar'. Veterans Pig & Dan vs Gregor Tresher get more intense with frosty loops and dubby hits building a vibe and Wehbba ups the ante with acid daubs and fizzing drums on 'The Next Step.' Nicole Moudaber's 'Come To My Beat' (feat Romina) then hammer home a hefty techno groove.
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.
Ancient Methods - "The Clock Hands' Endless Mantra" (5:14)
Phase Fatale - "Corporate Graft" (4:49)
Review: This compilation marks a decade of relentless techno energy, celebrating the underground legacy of Lanna Club with four powerhouse producers. This isn't just a compilationiit's a snapshot to a decade of raw, uncompromising sound. Umwelt kicks things off with 'Alchemy', an intense, hard-hitting track where pounding beats merge with traces of trance, electroclash and EBM. It's a high-energy, mind-bending opener that sets the tone for the record's deep journey ahead. Silex92's 'Blades & Pillows' follows with a slower, yet equally heavy approachiits trudging rhythm and sci-fi-infused melodies create an ominous and hypnotic atmosphere. On Side-2, Ancient Methods delivers 'The Clock Hands' Endless Mantra', a percussive, looping techno storm laced with tribal and alien textures. It's the kind of track that transforms a dancefloor into a ritualistic experience. Phase Fatale closes things out with 'Corporate Graft', a showcase of strong production and dystopian energy, where industrial undertones meet body-shaking rhythms. What you get is, four powerful examples of current style in techno.
Porter Brook - "Three Things You Can Watch Forever" (5:58)
Ayu - "Light & Reflection" (4:51)
Atavic - "Subconscious" (5:30)
Tammo Hesselink & DYL - "Accent Award" (5:10)
Plebeian - "Gowanus" (5:05)
Review: Aaron J's Sure Thing kicks on towards its tenth release with a superb new 12" packed with fresh techno jams. Myriad different mods, grooves and tempos are on offer here starting with the puling rhythmic depths of Vardae's 'Pahlevan' then moving on to Kick21's 'Bright Interface', a dark and haunting low-end wobbler. Atavic's 'Subconscious' is a heady one with ambient cosmic pads over deeply hurried, supple rhythms then while Tammo Hesselink & DYL combine to mesmeric effect on the carefully curated broken beat brilliance of 'Accent Award.' A forward-thinking EP for sure.
Review: The cultured tech house auteur that is Julian Perez returns with another cultured new EP that pushes boundaries while staying rooted in the sonic ethos of Girada Unlimited. More than just a collection of tracks, these sounds explore energy, emotion and movement with Perez's evolving artistry at their core. His take on deep grooves with hypnotic textures stands him apart once more from the zippy synth kinetics of 'Pressurah' to the drum funk of 'Es Un Disparate' via two different, equally fresh versions of 'Alpha R'.
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