Jeroen Search joins Eternal Friction Records and on the Dutch veteran producer wastes no time but lets his ever evolving array of machines do the talking. They speak in many tones – be it snappy or propelling, vivid or restrained, stomping or intricate – yet they all retain Searchs consistently singular voice. All drenched in the signature analog Search-sound.
The Detroit techno master is back with a continuation of the series from ”Growth” (AX010, 1994) and ”Expanded” (AX039, 2004) under the same concept. An attempt to bring forth the notion that the Future could provide more than what we are doing now.
Phat grooving hypnotic techno tracks with an analog feel to it. Proper dj tools. Audition records is building up that momentum for their project.
Three more iconic Parallel 9 dub-techno classics from the Steve Rachmad archives re-issued on the Delsin Sterac series. Originally released in 1996 on Prime, now re-mastered. Track order is shuffled a bit, as it turned out the full 10 minutes version of Quanah was shortened in 1996. It was through the preparation of this re-issue Steve found out now 25 years later they had shortened the track by four minutes back then for some reason. Steve Rachmad’s richly melodic strain of techno has resulted in a huge body of work he has been growing since the early 90s. His sound is the perfect distillation of machine soul – dubby atmospherics and crisp, danceable dynamics balanced in perfect unison.
Konduku returns to the Delsin Mantis series with an exciting double pack which dives deeper into his remarkable fractured rhythms and light-touch synthesis. Over the course of nine tracks Ruben Üvez straddles the space between introspective headphone trips and hypnotising dancefloor elegance, operating in a liminal zone of fluid tempos, submerged atmospheres and pointillist beats. It’s an open-ended but clear-sighted approach that aligns perfectly with the direction of the Mantis series.
First edition of the Concrete series, a series that intends to involve the major artist of the scene in order to have a redefinition of the techno genre. This time Luigi Tozzi, Dino Sabatini, Giorgio Gigli & Lunatik, and the talented new artist Sub Accent, give us a redefinition of what we should cal “Hypnotic” techno genre. Obsessive rhytm and sweet ambient pads, merge perfect in a fresh deeply dance floor oriented sound.
Mike Parker fully debuts on Token with ‘The Burning Round Table’ featuring 4 corrosive tracks of unforgiving power. Highly skilled in crafting cavernous ambiances and sharp tension, the American virtuoso offers a record emphasizing just that: imposing cuts to be selected with intention.
Rod20 is a new project from Rotterdam based artist ROD. During the rise of Covid19 ROD decided to ditch the computer and dust off his vintage hardware collection, challenging himself to create strictly (analogue) hardware jams using only 1 synthesizer + 1 drum machine per track, recorded in a single take. Rod20 (as in 2020 as well as ROD 2.0) kicked off in style with ROD2001 ‘In The Mix’, a 13 track Mix CD (also pressed on 20 highly limited 3x LP copies) sold personally at the height of the pandemic, followed by 2 conceptual mini-albums ‘The Hidden Notes Project (Part 1 & 2)’ released on Jeff Mills’ Axis Records. Now with most 2022 dance floors in full swing again, it’s time to unleash the Rod20 project in full, starting with ROD2002 ‘SteraStudent EP’, a personal tribute to 1 of of ROD’s biggest inspirations and mentors in the world of techno; Sterac (aka Steve Rachmad). No computer. No edits. No nonsense. Just pure & raw stripped down (90’s) basement techno cuts designed to make you sweat.
Skudge may no longer be a duo – Elias Landberg has been using the alias for his solo productions for a few years now – but the long-serving act’s sound remains as inspired, club-ready and far-sighted as ever. That much is proved by Soundworks, the first Skudge album in two years. Rooted in machine soul, it boasts tracks that variously doff a cap to Motor City futurism, the organ-tinged throb of Rob and Lyric Hood’s 21st century Floorplan productions, the sparse and dubby vibes of vintage UK bleep techno, late ’90s tech-house, and the woozy, life-affirming lusciousness of deep techno. In other words, it’s full of “proper techno” produced by a true master of his craft.
Across professions, consistency is a direct product of work ethic. In the case of Judas consistency is key, “H O Σ T I L E ” is a great representation of the maturity of vision during these years, all the four cuts are crafted with the same language that the artist matured, but with a twist that defines his future and our future of modern techno music.
Rene Wise gets round to another of techno finest, Blueprint. A 4 track EP of his unique atmospheric soundscapes that always have a raw but modern touch, captivating the listener from beginning to end.
Originally released in 2000 this ep showcases the unique sound that is synonymous with Hood: simple but effective minimalism for the dance floor. This 4 tracker is essential for anyone considering themselves a Techno fan.
Originally released on M-Plant subsidiary label, Duet in 2002. The record gets its hypnotic grooves remastered by Thomas Heckman for its 20th year anniversary,.
A stalwart of the Dutch techno scene since the mid nineties, Jeroen Search has been ploughing his own furrow aside from the typical norms and standards of the techno scene with lasting integrity and unflinching dedication throughout the years. A coinage derived from the sharp, clinically designed blends he has come to be known for, that Search-sound has long established as a blueprint for DJs seeking laser-guided weaponry into their sets, and Jeroen’s maiden effort for RYC follows that very guideline. Starting with the massive pound of the title-track, “Enigma”, the EP knocks into your system with blunt force, ushering us into a no-frills corridor of hydraulic kicks and sizzling static. As per usual with Jeroen’s compositions, minimalism serves a purpose of exponential effect.
Monday Off label is back to techno’s shadowy depths; where the music’s subtle dynamics unfurl in intensely cerebral and psychedelic ways.Semantica artist Ruhig returns to MOFF with a four track release of hypnotic soundscapes. MOFF favourite Claudio PRC reworks Numerical Analysis into a groove-centric banger that ebbs and flows with mesmerizing precision while also being infectiously danceable.
‘Draw The Line’ is a brand new techno compilation from Semantica featuring Regis, Oscar Mulero, ASC, Stanislav Tolkachev, Anthony Linell, Jonas Kopp, Claudio PRC & Blazej Malinowski, Valentino Mora, D-Leria, Sciahri & Desroi, Simone Giudice and Svreca.
Lewis Fautzi’s new EP for Fault Section is full of trippy pads and powerful bass lines. Mesmerizeng techno as its finest and with a small cherry on top of the cake: a remix by Rodhad.
Non Series turned 10 years last December since its inception in 2011. And they celebrate it with this great, deep, minimalistic, forceful, lethal compilation from friends and artists of the label. Tracks by Distant Echoes, DJ Nobu, Lugi Tozzi, Neel, Orbe, Ryogo Yamamori and more.
UK techno legend Mark Broom returns to Radio Slave’s imprint Rekids for his latest full length, ‘100% Juice’. Title track ‘100% Juice’ leads the charge, barreling forward with phased hats and trippy bleeps, before ‘Slush’ carries the rest of the A-side with dense synths and stereo trickery. ‘Rainbow’ bridge sees muted chords drifting in and out of focus alongside rattling drum programming before ‘Reverse’ mutates dub techno inspired elements with swathes of spacious FX and pitch-perfect processing. Opening the second disc is the aptly titled ‘Wonky Workout’, which sees hard-hitting kicks meeting freaked out leads, followed by the fast-paced ‘I Want’, which brings crunchy, shuffling percussion and effected vocal samples together to devastating effect. The final side of vinyl is the one-two punch of ‘Boxed In’ and ‘Wiggle Me This’, with the former bringing sharp keys, rumbling low end and glistening pads, while the latter closes out the LP with warped acid lines and crisp drums.
The Hipodrome Of Music 