Back in stock: Techno (All)

Review: ANAZANAUT is a time-bending audio artefact stitched together from decades of disparate sonic moments. With recordings spanning from 1984 to 2024, the techno project feels like a cosmic scrapbook-fragmented memories reborn through meticulous remixing and remastering. From the icy atmospherics of 'Voice on the Air' to the vintage grit of 'Poacher Path (Extended Mix),' these tracks vibrate with echoes of past lives stitched together by a logic only time understands. ANAZANAUT doesn't follow a linear path; it loops, folds, and bends with compelling grooves and myriad occult sounds adding character and curiosity.

Review: Hand-wringing nighttime synth-Talo movements from B Ai, the curtly named new Lirica Archives signee and Motivation club night founder, based in China. While she opens this hat-trick of tracks with a rather functional, FM-driven drama, 'Hope', it's really the Diego Santana featurer 'Murderbot Diaries' that gets us going; the track breaks down into a supremely lasery, tubular, harmonically next-level strobing, conjuring alt-visions of a seedy but gaudy cyborg entertainment district. B-sider 'Once' Tron-ifies things with sweeping sines and popcorn leads, whilst 'Only We Know' utilises transitory crash cymbals and further slinky melodies, constructing a closing tech-funk number.

Review: Tom Carruthers takes the baton for Clone Jack For Daze here and in doing so offers up more of his irresistibly jacked-up jams. Each one distils plenty of classic tropes next to a keen eye for futurism with no-nonsense sound designs and hints of bleep techno all colouring the airwaves. 'Analysis' opens with a blend of bristling analogue beats and smooth chords, 'Confidential' has warped synth bass adding a dark edge and 'Lurk' is another menacing sound with eerie pads. 'Optic 2X' is a thumping closer with mystic atmospheres encouraging deep thought.

Review: Tom Carruthers is a genuine prodigy - a prolific producer of undeniably excellent techno, electro and house music whose expertly authentic nods to dance music's shared part belie his youthfulness. He's released on L.I.E.S in the past but has mostly put out music on his own Non-Stop Rhythm label. Here he makes his bow on the reliable Craigie Knowes imprint with a predictably good four-tracker. Predictably he's delivered the goods, first joining the dots between Joey Beltram, Chiago jack and LFO on 'Rhythm Control (XTC Mix)', before layering mind-mangling analogue electronics atop a heavy TR-909 techno beat on 'Zeta Wave'. 'Revenge' is moody, rolling and hypnotic, while 'Psyche' sees him once again pay tribute to his favourite genre of all, turn-of-the-90s bleep & bass.

Review: Foehn & Jerome's Hermanngirl EP delivers four standout tracks perfect for house club sets. On Side-1, the title track 'Hermanngirl' offers a smooth blend of tech and minimal house, ideal for late-night or early-morning sessions. 'New Kontrol' follows with a techy, uptempo vibe and a wicked bassline that makes it a tech house bomb. Side-2 opens with 'Mrs Eleven' (Tell My Wife mix), which seamlessly blends techno and house with a catchy melody that will stay with you. The final track, 'He Was A Boy,' features an infectious acid line and a great bounce and bubble, making it a perfect dancefloor filler. This EP is excellent and ideal for fans of minimal and tech house. These underground tracks are what DJ's search for. Check these out!

Review: Figure label head and longtime German techno titan Len Faki is back with another of his powerful two-track remix releases, and again he mixes up a favourite with a more recent gem. They come under his Hardspace alias, which sees Faki craft a deeper, more refined take that pays homage to his formative years while pushing forward with modern precision. Firstly, he reimagines Benjamin Damage's 2013 anthem '010X,' amplifying its soaring chords with jacking percussion and a beefed-up low end that turns the melodic original into a driving club weapon. On the flip, Faki dives into Aquatrax's late-'90s classic 'Stabilize' by adding a hypnotic, dub-infused loop that pulses with subtle detail and immersive energy.

Review: Uruguay has been a low-key hotspot for new school techno and house for sometime. Adding its own voice into the mix for the first time here is new label Ascendancy with a debut EP from Arturo Hernzama. 'Charamusca' is tough, industrial but also astral tech with stark hits and motorised bass. 'Pichikatero' is a little more loose with wonky basslines and shimmering sci-fi synths. There is a spaced-out and trance-inducing magic to the thumping beats of 'Chucaro' and 'Break Manada' closes on a fresh and crisp broken beat.

Review: Innershades delivers a nostalgic techno experience with The Beat EP on Impakto Records, channeling the essence of New Beat and Belgian proto-techno. The EP kicks off with 'The Beat,' a track that sets the tone with its driving rhythms and classic synthesiser textures. The 'Ibiza Mix' of 'The Beat' offers a sun-soaked, slightly more relaxed take, perfect for summer nights. On Side-2, 'What's To Come' dives into deep, atmospheric sounds, showcasing a blend of old-school synths and modern techno elements. The EP concludes with 'It's 1990,' a tribute to the era with punchy beats and an authentic retro vibe. Using iconic gear like the Roland TB-303 and SH-101, Innershades crafts a timeless set that resonates with fans of vintage techno.

Review: Jooice, yet another sublabel of London-based proggy dance and electro label Lirica Archives, drop a swell new dark acid trance release collectively smithed by five sound-stokers: J6, Christian Sarde, Aline Umber, Krol and Otis. Each titans in their respective scenes (between which there is much crossover on this release), the overarching mood is one of renegade sci-fi escapism and revolution, with glitching, quivering robo-vocals and technic, sciencey sound-tunnellings aplenty.

Review: "There are a lot of DJs now, I call them horses...", goes the open-ended narrative exposition of Andre Kronert's 'Open Our Eyes'. Even though the track refuses to erogate any further its musings on other DJs, there is an implied sense of oneupmanship and largesse. Said lay DJs are meant to be jockeys, but they end up defaulting to acting like the "horses" they ride; and here we can be sure that something's gone wrong; that some impinging force, be it economics, be it sheer want of will, has stolen from them their agency, their creativity, resulting in bland, with-the-grain selections. Kronert betrays his stated antagonism - to archetypal lapsing into unthinking fanservice on the part of the DJ - via four turbid, low-slung mini-tech weight heaters, each of which grow increasingly dubby and stabby as the EP progresses; we're asked to 'Close Our Eyes' again by the time of the B1, suggesting an immanent limit to our aspirations as DJs, and those long-tailed piano chords on the 'Revelation mix' also carry serious transcendental implications.

Review: Millsart is an alias of Jeff Mills which the Detroit tech pioneer and cosmic ambient maestro uses to explore some of his most melodic sounds. 'Theme From Star Child' is a lush soundscape with rich piano chords and glowing synths all over a mid-tempo beat that is perfectly inviting. 'Satori' is more percussive with loopy drums and scintillating hi-hats dancing over the beats. 'Love Warrior' is a broken beat trip with orchestral melodies and sustained chords that all glow like distant stars. Last but not least is the jazz-dancer 'Starlight Trance Dancer' with its rippling keys bringing future soul to the supple rhythms.

Review: Fusion Dance makes a fine statement with its first-ever release here. It comes from Mystery Friend who shows off a love of colourful synth work and a range of electronic grooves from disco to techno. 'Nueva Dimension' is a retro-future fusion of Italo arps and chilly 80s drums and claps. It's bright and sugary and fun. 'Energia Latina' is a darker cosmic exploration of analogue drum machines and searching synths and 'Robotico Sintetico' brings more flashy synth patterns and hints of proto-Chicago house to metallic drum sounds. 'Control' is the final offering with more vivid synth modulations and roaming basslines.

Review: On the debut release for their newly minted label, Manchester's Response and Buda make a bold statement with this EP. 'Evolutions' opens, delivering an immediate rush that churns up dark rave stabs and pounding percussion, invoking memories of the early 90s Jungle scene. Yet, there's a modern sharpness in the track's evolving structure, making it feel fresh without losing the classic vibe. 'Fintons Dub' adds a layer of atmosphere, with its subdued bass and cinematic samples adding depth. Double 0's remix of 'Fintons Dub' hits like a freight train, its forceful bass and raw breaks cutting through the mix. Rounding out the EP, 'Acid Vein' slows things down with acid house influences, merging acid squelches with a deeper, more contemplative breakbeat rhythm that adds tension to the release.