John Barera & Will Martin – Milestones [DOLLY018]

John Barera & Will Martin delivering some straight up & effective no-nonsense house music on Dolly 18. Three powerful and euphoric contemporary club tracks with both that classic club feel and that esoteric Detroit touch, effectively combining the best of both worlds. Third Side on the other hand (the hardware techno formation consisting of Dolly labelboss Steffi & The Analogue Cops) is taking things into slightly deeper and darker techno territories with their driving and hypnotic remix of ‘Milestones’… Great allround dj package that will stay in many bags for a long time.

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John Barera & Will Martin – Milestones [DOLLY018]

Esteban Adame – Home Sick EP [EPM006V]

Cover art - Esteban Adame: Home Sick EP

The opening track, ‘Home Sick’ is taken from Esteban’s forthcoming album, while ‘Search For Resolution’ is exclusive to the EP. And with their deep techno grooves, heavy basslines and melodious synth work. Detroit’s MGUN remixes the title track.

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Esteban Adame – Home Sick EP [EPM006V]

VA – Super MT [SUPPLY008]

The first Supply showcase: four label-newcomers range with veteran authority from deep house to driving techno. The opener is a grooving house burner: an infectious loop and low-slung drums build triumphantly. Anders Hellberg drops in some acid, with a strident 909 beat stalking an open, melodic soundscape. Kicking off the flip, label co-owner JB teams up with Bostonian Paul Morse in an icy, tantalizing variation of elastic, swinging deep-house; before Stojche’s Outward opens up an ending, its pounding beat laced with bitter-sweet Detroit strings.

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VA – Super MT [SUPPLY008]

Staffan Linzatti – The Slight but Dramatic Difference [EVENT0007]

Staffan Linzatti returns for his second release on Chronicle with another uncompromising selection of linear techno constructions sculpted with an unfaltering vision of how hypnotic body music can transcend simple rhythmic needs. Icy atmospherics and razor-sharp production make for one of the strongest manifestations of Linzatti’s distinctive sound.

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Staffan Linzatti – The Slight but Dramatic Difference [EVENT0007]

S3A – Bastien EP [HY010]

It may still be early days for S3A but in a short space of time he has managed to carve a niche in the sample-a-delic world of disco and funk fuelled house music, as the vocal sample attests to in the opening track on his latest EP for Hold Youth. There’s certainly no shortage of low-slung goodness to be enjoyed here, From the wistful lilt of “Those Voices” to the rougher tumbling beats of “No More Pretty” S3A has done a bang up job of reappropriating sound sources and working them to his own design, without sounding like yet another knock-off re-edit producer.

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S3A – Bastien EP [HY010]

Jay Daniel – Karmatic Equations [WOJD01]

Wild Oats come through with the double plated goodness, as the oft-hinted label debut of Jay Daniel arrives in the shape of the Karmatic Equations EP. A resident at Detroit party Fundamentals alongside Kyle Hall, Jay Daniel has been a hot tip ever since he made his 12″ debut last year in illustrious fashion with the rugged Scorpio Rising EP for Theo’s Sound Signature label. Since then, Daniel has become an increasingly regular presence on the European club circuit – recently making his debut at Panorama Bar – lauded by FACT and dropped a guest mix on Benji B. So you could say there was a sense of expectation surrounding young Jay’s next release. The five track Karmatic Equations is likely to be as popular as that SS release, further refining Daniel’s rugged approach with C Side cut “Change 4 Me” and the bumping final track “4 Red” likely to be the cuts most selectors pull for again and again. Housed in a full colour reverse board record sleeve and full colour centre labels, Daniel’s EP for Wild Oats precedes the promised launch of his own Watusi High label later this year.

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Jay Daniel – Karmatic Equations [WOJD01]

VA – Genesis Tracks [SIS022]

Sistrum ventures ever deeper into the cold, dark nights of winter, conjuring the hidden warmth that lies within each waveform. Genesis Tracks showcases a collection of deep techno talents who aren’t afraid to stand their ground for purity of sound – featuring Modular One (Patrice Scott and Chris Mitchell), Johannes Volk, Marco Zenker, and Sharif Anderson.

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VA – Genesis Tracks [SIS022]

Gary Martin – Post Techno Life [GG050]

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After 20 years of experience, Gary Martin couldn’t resist a 12” that is also the 50th release for Teknotika: a label from Detroit that didn’t exactly stick with the game when it switched to the mp3 format. “Basking In Blackness” is a composition of textured broken beat then classic four on the floor old school soul.“Synthotika” is what would happen if a synthasizer could take over an orchestra. A track inspired by Detroit peers no doubt. “Every Bit As Beautiful” goes sensative deep house piano, a lil Latin percussion and soaring Eno-esque synths to top it off. The title is a bit sarcastic, let’s face it, there is no life after techno.

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Gary Martin – Post Techno Life [GG050]

Stefan Vincent – Cynosure EP [ART016]

VINCENT, Stefan - Cynosure EP

After his highly acclaimed debut for the Balans label Stefan Vincent has been getting attention and plays from luminaries such as Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier and ART owner Kirk Degiorgio. ART have wasted no time in securing Stefan’s next release – a storming 3 tracker ranging from deep, modern acidic techno of Cynosure to the wide Mills-esque soundscapes of Paranal One and Two.

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Stefan Vincent – Cynosure EP [ART016]

XDB – Ganivon EP [DOLLY017]

XDB returns on Dolly with the ‘Ganivon’ EP, the follow-up of his excellent ‘Recago’ ep from 2011. XDB is once again delivering the goods, with 3 top-notch contemporary techno tracks filled with his trademark hypnotic melodies, lush strings and solid groovin beats. Favourite is ‘Tonik’ with its classic Detroit-feel and special atmosphere. Berlin/Berghain based Answer Code Request is doing the remix job for ‘Ganivon’, resulting in an effective techno bomb which perfectly combines industrial techno elements with the Dolly feel. ‘Recago’ might have been hard to surpass, but XDB might just have done it.

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XDB – Ganivon EP [DOLLY017]

Stephen Brown – Illuminance EP [ARTLESS2191]

Stephen Brown is an institution when it comes to cutting-edge Detroit Techno made in Europe. He has always been on top of the game since almost two decades and knows how to convince with his trademark hi-tech soul. His new release called Illuminace EP marks the return of Mojuba sublabel a.r.t.less and brings two killer tunes from the vaults of the Realtime label boss, while the a-side with SD1 aims clearly at the dancefloors of our beloved underground clubs, the b-side with Free & Easy comes along with a great portion of compelling emotions and funk.

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Stephen Brown – Illuminance EP [ARTLESS2191]