22Recordings aka Veintidos from Barcelona is building on the city’s popular new beat, dark synth and EBM scene with this release from the ingeniously conceived and christened Synths Vs Me. “So Far” (2015), “Ballet Dancer” (2018) “Monotony” (2016) And “Bye Bye Tom” (2017) originally written, composed and recorded by Vanessa Asbert and Nico Cabañas. “Fahrenheit 451” (2016) recorded by Vanessa Asbert and Nico Cabañas is an adaptation from “Fahrenheit 451” By Scortilla. “Sei Morto” (2023) was recorded by Nico Cabañas and India Nardone and remixed by Dark Vektor. “In Loving Memory of Vanessa”.
The return of Roy Of The Ravers is always a moment for Emotional Response. Alongside, the infinitely heralded debut that was the 2 Late 4 Love EP in 2016 and the later Emotinium ’23 remixes, there has been the While Line Sunrise series examining the ambient, experimental electronics meets braindance techno releases that showcased lost archives from the late 90s to today, here reaching the 3rd installment with 2 EPs of more machine-driven acid funk. Following the grand expanse of double LP White Line Sunrise II and its subsequent double pack follow up White Line Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soliel), III (3) aims predominantly for the dance floor.
Skylax Records presents “Winter Sequences”, the debut EP by Arnaud Rebotini on the label and the launch of the Skylax Black series, dedicated to bold, sophisticated electronic productions.
The TRUST XY recombination series continues with DJ Di’jital, Microthol, Alex Cortex and Luxus Varta assuming lab duties. once more each artist has selected a classic track from the TRUST catalogue to remix in their unique electro style. Detroit electro master DJ Di’jital breaks down DJ Glow’s ‘Whoami’ in his unmistakable MPC warfare fashion. Vienna’s Microthol remake J/V/N Machine’s ‘Somewhere Tonight’ in what may well be their final ever transmission. Minimal electronics pioneer Alex Cortex strips down ‘Honokida’ by /DL/MS/ to its bare-bones emotional core. French electro virtuoso Luxus Varta brings out the sentimental funk of Populist’s ‘Psychometric Profiling’ in his subtle rework.
Following the first installment, Parallax Effect PT.2 finds Versalife shifting gears, distilling his unmistakable rhythmic instincts into something even more elastic and unpredictable.Smeared low-end and restless sequences coil around a framework of percussive movement, flickering between restraint and momentum. There’s an underlying tension–one moment held in suspense, the next unfolding into fluid motion. The machine logic remains intact, but with an organic pulse running through it, shaping each track in real time.
Tony Johnson is the electrifying new alter ego of multi-talented artist Toon Janssens. Under this moniker, he delves deep into the world of acid and electronic soundscapes, capturing the raw energy of the early days. Get ready to be transported into a hypnotic realm of cosmic atmospheres.
After five years, Ekman returns to Shipwrec with ‘Elixers’. Throbs of bass and rasping snares shear a path for smoother tones in ‘Alruin Met Cranberry’. Injecting the ever-present sense of unease, a menacing melody stalks the constricting recesses as paranoia takes hold. These inner alcoves are further explored in the disturbing ‘Doornappel Met Peer’. Spectral synth-lines don a thin shimmering veil, warbling notes tremble while beats offer little relief in this unstable outing. Aquatic undercurrents introduce the flip, a sharp drum slicing through the burbling bass of ‘Codeine En Rozemarijn’. From this murky soup, a string ascends as Ekman toys with contrasting tones to produce a piece of acid dipped elegance. Shattered drums pierce the ambient fog of the finale. ‘Alsem Met Anijs blends’ intricate percussion with soulful strings to produce a hauntingly beautiful dreamscape to finish Ekman’s heady brew
Antoni Maiovvi is an artist like few others. “Knights of New Haven” summarises his unique ability and unparalleled range. This return to the Bordello reflects the influence of the West Coast Sound of the Netherlands as well as that machine music of his adopted home of the U.S. “Later Not Lately” bends bars above a throbbing kick, hi-hats ruffling the clean arcs of string. Echoes of Chicago and Detroit penetrate the EP. Melting melodies fold and oscillate under the crashing cymbals of “Slack Blabbath”, staggered synthlines jolted by tight percussion patterns. A brother-in-arms opens the flip, Danny Wolfers drafted in under his Legowelt moniker to turn his magic to “Later Not Lately”. Undulating undertones are sliced by serrated snares before a sordid TB303 is unsheathed, Wolfers’ soulful and squalid retelling of the original. “The Madness in the Method” closes. Fizzing static blurs drum patterns, a taut note piercing the dense bass fog. Teetering between the profound and the profane, Maiovvi pivots his horror disco trademark sound with driving house drums and devil-may-care grandeur. An EP of epic proportions.
This new vinyl EP, released by Physical Education label, from Tim Jackiw manifests a high-energy fusion of fast-paced rhythms, melodic textures, and deep acid grooves—crafted for the dancefloor, designed for the underground. A relentless pulse of movement and emotion, pushing forward while staying true to the roots. Just pure analogue energy.
Analogue pressure from BufoBufo in the new Cabaret Recordings release. His second single for the Japan label, founded by So Inagawa and DJ Masda, proffers a hypnotic blend, binarising the mood with the sliding melodes of ‘Watercourse’ and ‘Armour Plated’ with comparatively sparse and gritty perc-slaps of ‘Wood Ant’ and ‘Cinnabar’. That strange but difficult-to-nail split between of hypnotic intrigue and immediacy is well and truly nailed.
Hackney Electronica come to Dark Entries with the Synaptic Shadows EP, featuring 5 cuts of acidic rave-inflected wave. Quinn Whalley (Paranoid London), Unai Trotti (Cartulis Music), and Margo Broom (Hermitage Working Studios) formed Hackney Electronica during COVID era. Trotti and Whalley were spending countless hours digging through records and making music during lockdown. As their sound took shape – heavy and hypnotic – they invited Broom to join, cementing the motley trio. The five pieces on Synaptic Shadows explore themes of altered states, late-night cityscapes, and the fine line between pleasure and paranoia. Each track pulses like a memory from the backstreets of Hackney, where the night transforms the city into an electrified maze of fleeting highs and inevitable crashes. The anxious grooves on “H.E. Nuestro Circuito” and “Whispers from the Depths” channel 1980s DIY electronics onto the contemporary dancefloor, while “Efecto Perfecto,” “The One”, and “Nueva Ola” offer breakbeat-laced electro that will keep you dancing until dawn. Housed in a sleeve designed by German Bardo, Synaptic Shadows is more than just a debut release, it’s a journey through the flickering alleys of the mind, where tension and transcendence intertwine.
Unwonted is a recently founded Electro project by the Techno veterans Alexander Johansson & Mattias Fridell, providing us with another massive 5 track EP called Analog Astronaut. This record marks the second part of the two-EP series.
Juaan’s debut on Kalahari Oyster Cult channels the Argentinian producer’s ability to merge gritty, hypnotic house and electro with an unmistakable dark edge. With these four cuts, he expertly navigates a sonic landscape where urgency and allure coexist in perfect harmony.
Since its inception in 2020, Italo Moderni’s energy, spirit and inspiration has been the dancefloor. The darkened bunkers of Belgium, the trembling speakers of Valencia, the warming dawn of Rimini, these influences have been the lifeblood. Solidifying this tireless effort, Mellow Bangers Vol 2 is the label’s most ambitious collection to date.
Kalcagni is back with another tasty batch of electro delights for his Cosmoba label. Kicking things off is “Target Practice,” a no-nonsense dance floor weapon. Think chunky analog basslines paired with eerie strings, all held together by rock-solid beats and a live break workout that keeps it raw and energetic. “Improv” follows up with punchy chords, sharp synth stabs, and deep, rumbling bass—built to rattle walls and fill rooms. On the flip, “Clean Shirt” features a wobbly, warping bassline that occasionally steps aside for lush, stacked pads, creating a hypnotic push-and-pull dynamic. While “Drift n Shift” closes with smooth minor 7th chords, dissonant basslines, and 808-driven grooves.
Syncrophone presents Convextion – Torc, marking Gerard Hanson’s long-awaited return to the EP format since his iconic releases. The title track ‘Torc’ delivers deep, atmospheric techno grooves, while ‘Andas’ plunges further into his signature sound. E.R.P.’s remix flips ‘Torc’ into a futuristic electro masterpiece.
The Hipodrome Of Music 