New releases last two weeks: Techno (All)

Review: Originally released in 2007, 'Our Life With The Wave' stands as a prime example of the late great Detroit producer's deep, soulful approach to electronic music. Crafted entirely with the Waldorf Wave i a synth Huckaby often called one of his favourites i the track captures his distinctive blend of warmth and precision. This reissue, featuring the original alongside new remixes, is both a tribute and a celebration of his legacy. The original version remains as hypnotic as ever, its rich textures and subtle groove sounding timeless. On the Federsen live dub, the track takes on a more fluid, organic character, with shimmering layers unfolding over a sturdy, pulsating rhythm. Side-B opens with the Cv313 + Federsen dub, a deep, aquatic reimagining where ambient chords ripple over a taut, rolling bassline i a perfect dive into weightless, dubbed-out techno. Finally, the Intrusion dub stretches the track into a more expansive, airy space, full of atmospheric drift and slow-building, epic emotion. Together, these versions honor Huckaby's spirit while expanding his vision. Each dub feels reverent but also full of life, ensuring that 'Our Life With The Wave' continues to ripple forward through the evolution of deep electronic music.

Review: Brazilian Jesse "Dreams" Pimenta has been roaming around underground circles for a decade plus. He has a stylish sound that is about heady excursions into deep rhythms. 'Losing Control' opens up with a warped and flabby baseline over buoyant drums for peak time deployment. 'Dangerous When Wet' is a tightly programmed and kinetic cut with flappy drums and snares, aliens in the machines and psychedelic vocal swirls. 'XTC Messenger' then hits hard with thudding kicks and hints of 90s tribal techno. Last of all, 'Pressure Points' flips out with broke beats and dubby undercurrents.

Review: The sign of a truly great artist is that you can put on one of their records from some 15 years ago, as well as one out next week, and not tell which is which. Mr Pittman is one of those - a Detroit flag bearer with a raw, otherworldly take on house and techno that always sounds futuristic. 'The Midwest Advocates Part One' first dropped back in 2007 and is being repressed now and is just as good as ever with ramshackle and dusty grooves, wonky synths and eerie textures all getting you into a trance and keeping you there. Both cuts on this are standouts in his impressive discography.

Review: Two decades deep into his career and still pushing forward, this seasoned German DJ delivers something that feels both timeless and fresh. The original version of 'Kingston Riddim' is a smooth, sun-soaked affair. Drawing from island dub but built with a crisp, modern hand, the track is full of warm organic textures and laid-back swing. The chords are clean and expressive without feeling too polished. There's a breezy confidence to the groove that makes it feel effortless. It's the kind of track that could slip into any set and feel right at home. Sato's interpretation dives into deeper territory. The bass rolls in thick and heavy while the chords get more tangled and echo-laced. There's a submerged quality here, like the track has been dragged through deeper waters. It's moodier than the original but still carries that same rooted sense of rhythm. This is one of those rare records where both sides hit in different but equally effective ways.

Review: There's a real sense of purpose running through these three tracks, like they were made for a distant world's warehouse party lit by strobe lights and swirling dust. With over ten years releasing music and up to more than 15 EP's, this producer is collecting an impressive catalogue of quality techno music. Here, the A-side opens with 'Undisclosed', a tightly wound piece of sci-fi techno that gleams with a polished edge. It flirts with trance without fully giving in, layering crisp percussion and sleek synth work. 'Serotonin Level' dives deeper into that interplanetary mood. Rooted in techno but smeared with a touch of psychedelic color, the track floats like a spacecraft sliding through static. On the 2nd side, 'Find Yourself' brings the most physical energy. The low-end rolls forward with serious weight while the top end keeps things agile. It's a catchy conclusion to this futuristic, slick and exciting EP.

Review: Alvar and S.O.N.S. team up for 'Quartz Visions', remote controlling a fairy dust storm over airspaces between Seoul and Oslo. Said to have been forged through remote viewing and guided by the energy of orbs and crystals, the artists, communing through and to each of the other's places of origin, offer a texturiser techno track each, 'The Light' losing sight of contrast through crystalline delay design, and 'Rose Garden Whispers' making supra-surreal use of Latin operatic vocals, peppered between burgeoning beats.

Review: In January 2025, Al Wootton visited Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio, which is home to a rare archive of vintage drum machines. Once there, he recorded the unique rhythms and quirks of these machines and captured their raw character. Back in the UK, he transformed those recordings through processing and layering to create this new EP, Rhythm Archives. The result is a stripped-back but impactful exploration of rhythm that draws from industrial, dub, post-punk and proto-techno influences. The record stands as both a creative tribute to the iconic machines and their makers and a nod to MESS's mission of preserving electronic music heritage and making it accessible through public engagement and education.

Review: Adam Winchester and Laurie Osborne (probably still best known as Appleblim) are Wrecked Lightship and they have an inventive approach to dub, breaks and bass. Their work creates an immersive world full of rich, atmospheric textures and the latest example of that is Drained Strands, a new album for Peak Oil full of fragmented, genre-blurring sounds. The six-tracker is full of experimentation and new ideas from the off. 'Delinquent Spirits' for example is a jumble of jungle breaks and vast basslines with minimal percussion, 'Reeling Mist' is warm, blissed out dub and 'Somnium Sands' is an eerie and evocative world of synth designs and industrial decay.