Back in stock: Techno (All)

Review: Following 2023's When A Worm Wears A Wig, Robin Stewart returns with Crinkle and delivers a set of warped dub techno tracks that apply advanced dub logic to precise, pointillistic rhythms. Channelling influences like Peder Mannerfelt and Rrose, Stewart revives classic genre tropes with a fresh perspective that dives deeper into the physicality of sound and focuses on bass throbs over aggressive kicks. Standout tracks like 'Stomach' surprise with lolloping off-grid beats soaked in lysergic textures while 'Compact' delivers a more traditional peak-time vibe with innovative processing. The title track brings everything together with mind-bending spectral rhythms.

Review: Sa Pa's mastery of dense, immersive sound design takes on fresh forms here, with four extended cuts that unravel in their own time, drawing deep from the wells of dub, ambient techno, and minimal groove. Opener 'Captigon' rolls out like a slow-motion mirage, its submerged rhythms and cavernous textures shifting like sand underfoot. 'So Simple' strips things back even further, a delicate interplay of drifting chords and weightless percussion that feels like it could dissolve at any moment. On the flip, 'Boredom Memory (Extended Mix)' lets a steady pulse guide its shimmering layers, balancing restraint with a quiet insistence, while 'Gausian Ecstacy' brings things full circleihushed, intricate, and hypnotic in equal measure. Designed for deep listening, whether warming up, winding down, or staying in, these tracks reward patience, letting their submerged details rise to the surface at their own pace.

Review: Florence-based Sciahri launches Sublunar once more for an excursion into psychotropic techno that keeps the energy up without forsaking delicacy. Even in its loopiest, thunderous peaks, there's a certain sensitivity of sound which keeps the sound energising and uplifting rather than oppressive. It's no wonder Sciahri has recently been spotted on the likes of Non Series and Semantica - labels which equally value the balance between power and poise in big room techno. There's space for synthetic drama on 'Infatuation' and 'Glow' strafes its de-saturated pulses across the stereo field for a hypnotic end result, but at all times the drums will keep you locked and limber like you'd expect from a proper techno record.

Review: 'Axis Mundi' is the latest offering from label head Sciahri and Hertz Collision and it follows on from their acclaimed collaboration on Clergy. For this one, the Italian duo returns with a textured, nuanced techno journey starting with the title track which opens with razor-sharp sounds and driving rhythms setting an electrifying tone. 'Drifting' follows and weaves hypnotic grooves and floating synths into a slick voyage. On the B-side, 'Entropia' introduces a mind-bending synth that launches the track into another realm, while 'Silent Pulse' closes the vinyl edition with minimalist elegance-a refined piece suited for any moment of the night.

Review: Ratiug Recordings presents a new record with Uruguayans Elias Sternin and Nicolas Arin in tow; it is their fifth to date. Touted as four hypnotising tunes set for puppetted dancefloors, Sternin and Arin procure two tough-stuff yet eerie possessors each, releasing them all in a single sweet bowl in time for Halloween. Sternin's 'Reina' and 'Venemo' contrast one other by way of pinched lead synths and boomy basses thrumming under; both claw at an early Detroit techno style and yet still manage to tease a glowing vivid goo from its otherwise mechanistic productive veins. Arin moves things much more noble gaseous, irradiating light trails of ensembled top synth against heads-down nodder kicks and basses.

Review: Suicide AFTR 7 comes alive as a sonic meeting point between Neud Photo and Antic, binding New York's underground pulse with London's shadowy cool. Lead track 'Soft Geometry' carves its own hypnotic groove with low-slung bass and a mist of crystalline synth chords, a perfect primer for the EP's darker allure. Meanwhile, 'Interplay' stands out, balancing distant, echoed lyrics with snappy snares, luring listeners deeper into its bass-throbbing spell. The release reaches a pinnacle with 'Last Word,' a tense 808-driven workout that underscores the EP's raw, fog-drenched aesthetic.

Review: Aksel Schaufler has undertaken an ambitious effort this year with his Golden Ravedays concept, where over each month throughout 2017 he has released another respective edition. We are almost at the end - but as sad as it is, we do have the music to celebrate which is the main thing, right? Golden Ravedays 10 features another couple of long and epic cuts. The A side features the slo-mo rock 'n' roll swagger of "Rock 'N' Roll Baby" featuring Schaufler's creepy vocals over a hypnotic and at times esoteric sounding arrangement. On the flip, we have something entirely different in the form of "Shining" an early '90s IDM sounding journey which we must admit was our pick on this release - it reminds us of the glory days of Peacefrog and Planet E way back when: when electronic music had soul! Volume 10 does not at all disappoint and for those of you who've not been paying attention thus far: we'd highly recommend you catch up on previous editions: you won't regret it!

Review: Swayzak is a micro house, minimal and techno duo, aka James S Taylor and David Brown from the UK, whose name alone will get many older dancers hot under the collar. Their craft was second to none during their peak and here we get a reminder of that with a new outing on Rawax. 'Floyd' is a jazzy dancer with live claps, spinning hi-hats and louche grooves all topped with synthetic synths that never quit. 'Doobie' is a more deep sound with late-night headsy vibes. The drums are supple, the synths squeal and spoken word mutterings add a human touch. Two well-realised and effective cuts from Swayzak.

Review: 2023 was a knockout year for Portuguese artist Temudo, taking in techno totems like Blueprint, Klockworks and Hayes in pursuit of his driving, sharply-focused sound. Now he lands on Italian label Sublunar with more of that refined, precision engineered gear for the wormhole crew. 'U Where My Second Choice' is a taut, edgy workout with a nagging synth hook, but 'Asset 2' ratchets down to a pure, heady locomotion which will take you tunnelling deep into the night. '2029' has a restrained funk which will work the body good and proper, and 'Affection' simmers down to a minimal palette peppered with pointed blips moving in expertly sequenced formations - smart techno at its finest.

Review: This eight-track release plunges listeners into a world of sci-fi techno, where melodic interludes meet deep, atmospheric edges. Side-1 opens with 'Fukaeri', a track defined by its broken deep beats and ambient drift, evoking a sense of floating through a distant galaxy. 'The Increasing Past' follows with gentle IDM beats, rich colo, and masterful productioniperfect for deep, immersive listening.'Tela' delivers a serene ambient experience, holding the quiet beauty of a rising sun with its delicate textures and evolving warmth. 'Gyeon' shifts into a slow breakbeat with a gentler, deeper approach that feels both introspective and expansive. 'We Are Not Alone' closes the side with cloud-like ambient soundscapes, hazy and airy, as rising vocal arcs add to its otherworldly aura. Lush, cosmic soundscapes and intricate beats create a masterful blend of ambient and techno elements, perfect for those seeking both depth and escapism.

Review: Back in 2012, Glasgow operation put their reissue hats on to present a new edition of Multi Ordinal Tracking Unit, "a secret weapon and personal favourite" from late 90s UK techno types Unspecified Enemies that the label's founders all experienced in their formative years at Club 69. Some two years on and with Numbers now a globally recognised label, unreleased material from Unspecified Enemies pair Louis Digital and CiM features as the label's final release of 2014. Lead cuts "Ms.45" and "Chip Mode" have been sourced from a tape CiM and Digital sent to Rubadub back in '99 with DJ Chip's Dancemania classic Imported Booty Music the apparent influence here. It's quite evident too in the frenzied and furious tempo Unspecified Enemies implement throughout the record with the final superbly titled "Lifestyles Of The MiniDisc Era" a real fckn highlight.