New releases this week: Trance

Review: Wildly exaggerated future-progressive techno from the Metaflora sublabel and crew, based in London. Already having procured a steady stream of tracks from techno favourites new and old, mostly on 12" EP - by Mind Again, Dyzen, Recondite, Sideral, Toto Chiavetta - this Habitat sub-imprint now douses another yotta-litre of gasoline on the fire they started back in 2023. The hydroplane is flown hotwired here, with an 8-side LP box set compiling all their best cuts of their two years in flight so far, from Mind Against's 'Babylon' to Just Iris' 'Invisible Hug'.

Review: A triple vinyl compilation documenting the lesser-covered contours of the American trance scene between the early 90s and mid-2000s, tracing its evolution through 27 tracks. It opens with Dennis Ferrer's ambient cut as Aurasphere, 'The Greenhouse Effect', and moves into the darker end of the spectrum with Disintegrator's 'Dark Black Ominous Clouds' and Koenig Cylinders' 'Carousel', both early products of New York's EXperimental and IST labels. Rabbit in the Moon's 'O.B.E' reflects Florida's early rave culture, while Aquarhythms' 'Heart Sequences' leans into more textured, electronica-informed territory. Progressive sounds from Fade affiliates Neil Kolo, Steve Porter and Chris Fortier - notably 'Track One' and 'The Love' - stand out for their tightly structured harmonic design. Markus Schulz's 'You Won't See Me Cry' anchors the Arizona sound, alongside cuts like Vertigo Deluxe's 'In Dark Skies' and Hyper-X's 'Out There'. The final stretch focuses on North America's most globally recognisable moments, with Delerium's 'Silence' appearing in its full Fade remix, followed by BT's 'Dreaming' and Conjure One's 'Tears From The Moon'. Contributions from Sandra Collins, Deepsky, and Guardians of the Earth close the set - balancing trance's rhythmic density with its melodic ambitions. A thorough and well-sequenced archival overview.