2026 sees Robert Hood going back to his minimal techno roots and then flip things forward with remastered releases from his ground-breaking label, M-Plant. Robert Hood’s “Psychic / Pole Position” is a classic which features his stripped-back minimal techno style that helped define the sound in the late ’90s. Both tracks are built around hypnotic rhythms and sparse, precise grooves characteristic of Hood’s influential production ethos. Originally released in 1999, the EP reflects Hood’s focus on minimalist electronic structures and dance floor functionality, and has remained a sought-after piece among fans of the genre.
Our Darkness descends upon Dark Entries with a reissue of Anne Clark’s epochal proto-house masterpiece from 1984. As a young poet, Clark found herself drawn to London’s emerging punk scene. She became acquainted with Psychic TV affiliate David Harrow, with whom she would collaborate on 1983’s Changing Places and 1984’s Joined Up Writing. “Our Darkness,” off the latter album, was released as a single on Ink Records that same year, and became an underground club hit. It’s a singular piece of music: Clark’s lyrics, delivered with equal parts muscular confidence and unease, speak of urban alienation and heartbreak, while Harrow’s production pummels the listener with hydraulic beats and gloom-laced arpeggios. The song’s spirit would prove influential on both the early Chicago house and Detroit techno scenes, where mechanistic funk and existential despair could catalyse dancefloor mayhem. This reissue offers three versions of “Our Darkness”: the original 12” remix, the Razormaid mix, and a previously unreleased dub version uncovered by David Harrow. Also included is the extended mix of “Sleeper in Metropolis,” another dancefloor hit of Clark’s, as well as the elegiac “Poem for a Nuclear Romance.” The record includes an insert with liner notes and lyrics. “Our Darkness” channels timeless longing and contemporary dismay, a classic overdue for a little light shed upon it.
Originally released in 2010 via Jesse Rose’s Made To Play label, Oliver Dollar’s ‘Doin Ya Thang’ has gained iconic House track status. A standout record that blends deep, rolling basslines with crisp percussion and a catchy, looped vocal hook from a certain Detroit based DJ & Producer. Built around a stripped-back rhythm and its infectious swing make sure it’s still a favourite among DJs. Now picked up by Defected this is the first official reissue on vinyl since its original release.
Enrico Rava’s second solo record, recorded in Milan in January 1973 and released on the German BASF label, is nothing less than a cornerstone of Italian jazz-rock. The lineup is killer: John Abercrombie on guitar, Bruce Johnson on bass, Chip White on drums. Four musicians operating at the absolute peak of early seventies fusion energy – electric, cosmopolitan, burning with that particular fire that only existed in that brief window when jazz met rock and nobody knew the rules yet. Abercrombie, already on his way to becoming one of the most distinctive voices in electric jazz guitar, delivers some of his most ferocious early work here. White’s drumming is relentless, pushing the music forward with an intensity that never lets up.
In classic Italo-disco fashion, Lovables was a one-off project masterminded by Mauro Farina, a producer who delivered a dizzying array of club cuts-turned-pop hits throughout the 1980s and early 90s. First released in 1984 and here reissued by Spanish mega-label Blanco Y Negro, ‘It’s Beautiful’ sits at the more melody-driven, synth-pop-influenced end of the Italo-disco spectrum – all cheery lead lines, Bobby Orlando-influenced motifs, chugging bass and classic ’80s electrofunk. As the original did 42 years ago, this re-release pairs the familiar, much-loved full vocal mix with a jaunty and ear-catching instrumental mix.
The long-awaited reissue of ‘Another Song’ by Music Service, one of the finest Italo-Disco tracks goes to Antony Soumas, the amazing Greek DJ owner of Disco Time Records in Athens.
In the mid 1980s, it wasn’t just Italian producers and artists making distinctive, US-influenced electronic disco records. As Blanco Y Negro’s ongoing reissue series shows, plenty of Spanish acts made inspired and ear-catching blends of synth-pop, freestyle and Hi-NRG too. Tokio’s 1986 jam ‘You Can’t Stop This Game’ is a terrific example. Taking cures from NYC/Miami freestyle, the productions of Arthur Baker, Bobby Orlando’s Hi-NRG and big synth-pop acts of the period (think Pet Shop Boys for one), it’s a jaunty, attractive and thoroughly synthesiser-powered affair. This reissue naturally features both mixes from the original 12″ – the vocal mix and superior instrumental take – as well as the punchier and shorter radio edit.
As the label turns 35 years, Tresor Records’ ongoing reissue series comes round to Scan 7’s 1999 album, Resurfaced. A true exemplar in the canon of Detroit techno, the LP is a further reminder of Scan 7’s confidence to patiently let the music unfold, never needing to overplay their hand. This is demonstrated from the first second as Random Soul opens with a slow downbeat and soft, almost imperceptible synths before quickly settling into a perfect groove whose power is present without the need for a hard edge. This strategy is utilised throughout the album in tracks like Black Wall and Unit Seven, while Invisible Invasion and Twisted Groov add in some intensity for deeper moments in the club.
Maxwell Elemuo, Nigerian singer and soul provider of twitching funk entertainments, dons again his flares with Maxwell Elemuo Acc By Friimen Music Coy, a long-forgotten Afro-soul record now rereleased through Afrodelic. Backed by the Lagos-based Friimen Musik Company – though he himself was more a fixture of the Aba and Port Harcourt scene – Elemuo delivers seven heavens of late-60s energy despite their mid-70s birthdate: heavy, thudding drums and wah guitar framed aloud in warm, assured vocals. Album hearthstones ‘Love And Happiness’, ‘Let Me Love You’ and ‘People Get Ready’ ride that classic West African blend of American soul influence and local swagger, cementing a lesser-cited strand of southeastern Gulf soul.
The legendary album from South Africa’s House and Kwaito master Doctor House is being reissued for the first time with a full remaster from the original DAT. Nelson Phetole Mohale released a series of albums as Doctor House. Cutting his teeth in the 80s as a session player for a host of big names like Volcano, Senyaka and Obed Ngobeni, he moved on to programming for acts like La Viva and Jivaro, also contributing to Carlos Djedje and others. Still barely out of his teens he became one of South Africa’s first rappers as part of PT House, co-written and produced by Danny Bridgens. Their debut album Big World was released in 1991 and followed by Big City Taste a year later.
Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with Warehouse Trax, an EP of previously unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Warehouse Trax follows with six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1991 and 1994. The material here has all the hallmarks of classic K’Alexi. Salsa-inflected rhythms, emotive basslines, and hip-house vibes are displayed on tracks like the high-octane “Jungle Line” or the low-key tearjerker “Protect and Survive.” There are also some unexpected surprises in store. “Aaaah” comes out of the gate swinging with hard-hitting beats and apocalyptic ravey vocal pads evocative of the edgier material on Saber Records or Djax Up Beats, and the surprisingly contemporary-sounding “Klub Dred” delivers half-time dub with stuttering vocal samples.
Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with K.A. Posse’s Strikes Again, an EP of preleased unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Strikes Again brings us six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1988 and 1990, which come courtesy of Mike Dunn’s personal archive. This record showcases the rawer, more immediate side of Shelby’s sound, with tracks full of overdriven 808’s, careening sirens, and dangerously funky breakbeats. “Imported Taste” brings Shelby’s signature deep pads to the front of wild congo-laced percussion. “Suckas Be Ready” is a slamming hip-house cut featuring vocals from MCD-TA, while disco-samples duel with crunchy 909s on the jacking “Muzic Box.” Strikes Back showcases the real underground sound of Chicago, where sonic abstraction meets full-body kinetics.
‘Acid Nation, is one of the defining releases from US techno and house icon K. Hand (Kelli Hand). First pressed in 1995 on Loriz Sound in collaboration with Acacia Records, the record captures the raw energy and forward-thinking spirit of the American underground scene of the era. Driven by gritty acid lines, powerful rhythms, and a fearless, machine-driven groove, ‘Acid Nation’ showcases the full depth of K. Hand’s talent as a DJ and producer. Now seeing the light again on the Time To Impact imprint, the record returns in a remastered version, bringing its timeless acid power back to contemporary dancefloors.
ep into the wild heart of New York’s underground avant-garde jazz scene with ‘Voyage from Jericho’. Recorded in 1974, release in 1975, this landmark session finds the Charles Tyler Ensemble pushing boundaries with fearless improvisation, deep spiritual yearning, and a raw emotional fire. Joined by top-tier collaborators — including Arthur Blythe, Earl Cross, Ronnie Boykins, and Steve Reid — Tyler shapes a sound that fuses avant-garde intensity with soulful depth, creating a powerful celebration of freedom and expression. This is music that demands attention and rewards deep listening. Whether you’re a devoted explorer of the avant-garde or a curious listener seeking something beyond the mainstream, Voyage from Jericho offers a journey both challenging and transcendent.
Astral Industries presents a vinyl reissue of Robert Henke’s multifaceted concept album ‘Layering Buddha’. An erudite masterclass on sampling and composition, ‘Layering Buddha’ encapsulates the material process of metamorphosis and a well of nascent, ever-present potentialities. Originally released in 2006, ‘Layering Buddha’ began with a curious encounter with the ‘Buddha Machine’ – a pocket-sized, battery powered playback device that, over the past two decades, has quietly achieved a cult status around the world. Conceived by the Beijing-based group FM3 (Christiaan Virant, Zhang Jian), the machine takes inspiration from Tibetan Buddhist prayer boxes and consists of nine sound loop compositions of varying length, which can be toggled with a single switch. Due to low production cost and manufacturing imperfections, each Buddha Machine is unique, giving slight variations in sound, pitch and duration. Using a state of the art A/D converter Henke made high quality recordings from a single machine, providing the source material for the album. Through various processing and arrangement methods, new pieces emerged, most of them all deriving from a single source loop. The pieces were then set up on the computer as generative arrangements, living as continuously permutating structures that could theoretically go on forever – just as the loops do within the Buddha Machines…
Somewhere around 1993 or ’94, a quietly profound landmark in deep house emerged: The Relics E.P. by Austin Bascom, better known as Abacus, originally released on Chicago’s Prescription Records. Now, three Decades later, Clone Classic Cuts present a fully remastered edition, including previously unreleased material from the same recording sessions.
Leonardo Marletta’s astounding ‘Percussioni ed effetti’ was originally released by Cenacolo in 1983 and is the one and only album of the Italian composer. Other than a handful of compositions which appear on other Library albums from the era, very little about him remains known, adding an air of tragedy for what might have been, as the first sounds of the album ring through the air.
“Challenger was the debut and unique album from the iconic and unique italo disco band Baby’s Gang. Although officially it had only two singles (Happy Song and Challenger), some other labels found extra tracks to be released as single (America) when Memory Records decided to focus on new releases. Produced by Anfrando Maiola (KOTO), Stefano Cundari and Alessadro Zanni, ‘My LIttle Japanese Boy’ is one of those tracks so it was worth buying the album. The album did not neither included the original version for Happy Song, but a ‘Remix’. Probably someone back in the days should have made this EP including both track…now we have done it. This 12″ included the original versions plus two Razor’s Edit to make it more DJ Friendly.”
Audiotech is one of the many visionary aliases of Juan Atkins, the Detroit pioneer widely recognized as one of the originators of techno. Originally released in 1987 on Express Records, “I’m Your Audio Tech” captures a crucial moment in the evolution of electronic music – when raw machine funk and futuristic minimalism merged to form the Detroit sound.
A well-timed remastered version of this killer jacking electro cut from Aaron Carl on the legendary Metroplex label, featuring none other than Juan “The Man” Atkins. The release includes four versions. Dirty, essential Detroit electro.
The Hipodrome Of Music 