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]

Crystal Maze – Black Orchid EP [EVR014]

CRYSTAL MAZE - Black Orchid EP

Cultured Greek outlet Echovolt serves up its second EP of the year and this one comes from Amsterdam techno pair Crystal Maze aka G-String and Marco Antonio Spaventi. ‘Black Orchid EP’ contains two slow techno jams that go deep and long plus a shorter kind of otherworldly beat less sound design. There are times that the production places plenty of focus on melody and other moments that terrified synth sounds conjure an uneasy sense of terror that then turns into trippy, loopy techno rhythms. There’s plenty of warmth, atmosphere and invention in all three tunes here, and together they make the ideal combination for both club use and heady listening.

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Crystal Maze – Black Orchid EP [EVR014]

VA – Alphabet Soul [INMR004]

Anderson is doffing his curatorial cap with the latest release on his own Inimeg Recordings label entitled Exchange Place presents Alphabet Soul. Productions from Anderson bookend the record and in between DJ QU and Nicuri offer some strong representation for the esteemed Strength Music camp. Lead track “She Is Afraid” finds Anderson working once more with Ebony Ugo, whose treated vocals complement the bugged out house backing perfectly. “Alphabet Soul” from DJ QU could almost be a Pangaea production whilst “Navigation 8th Density” finds Nicuri combining taut techno rhythmics with an underlying cosmic sense of light. If you enjoyed Anderson’s late 2013 Dekmantel dalliance you will most certainly dig final track “Linguistic Command”.

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VA – Alphabet Soul [INMR004]

Omar S – FXHE 10 Year Compilation Mix Part 1 [AOS2004]

It’s been ten years since outspoken Detroit house legend Omar-S launched his FXHE label, which is no mean feat for a DIY label. To celebrate the fact, he’s decided to put together the first in a series of mix CDs highlight the much-loved imprints vast discography. Entitled simply 1, the 74 minute vinyl only set takes an entertaining saunter through the label’s bulging back catalogue, showcasing a range of well-known cuts (“Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance” etc) and what the producer calls “some shit [fans] might have slept on”. Predictably, it makes for a sumptuous and suitably groovy blend, moving between bespoke soulful house (Omar-S’s much-loved “Sex”), deep Detroit futurism (Omar-S and O B Ignitt’s “Wayne County Hill Cops Part 2”), dreamy jack tracks (Jason Fine’s “Jack Yo Bodda”) and tactile tech-house (Fit and Gunnar Wendel’s “Enter the Fog”).

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Omar S – FXHE 10 Year Compilation Mix Part 1 [AOS2004]

VA – Semesters III [SMR013]

Four years on from the previous instalment, DJ QU’s Strength Music returns with a third edition of their Semesters series, with contributions from Pixel Music, Nicuri and QU himself this time around. Leading the way is “M- Theory” from Pixel Music, a lesser spotted alias of Italian producer Massimiliano ‘Hazylujah’ Vianello which selfishly grips the entire A Side and quite rightly so as it’s a potent production filled with mind bending potential. Having recently flirted with Joey Anderson’s Inimeg operation, Nicuri returns to the Strength cause on the B Side offering the pensive deepness of “Thoughts Of You” whilst DJ QU signs off the 12″ with the bugged out beat down of “Undescribed (Believer)” which is what Parliament would be making if they were to surface in today’s sonic climate.

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VA – Semesters III [SMR013]

Alex Israel – A Man Of Qualities [CR1271]

Creme Organization are getting busy right from the start of 2014, and here serve up an EP from Detroit insider Alex Israel. Israel has released on the label before and this new four track offering continues in his usual good form, exploring cerebral and atmospheric techno soundscapes with plenty of elan. A Man Of Qualities goes first and has a certain sense of menace luring at its sparse core. Sharp, coarse claps bring texture to the thick basslines and shiny synths and the whole thing gurgles invitingly. Next comes Mustard Greens, a slow and lazy affair awash with lush chords, ticking percussion and rasping rubbery bass notes. It’s pleasurable and immersive and on b-side ‘Angulas’ the tempo begins to pick up. Here more spangled synth lines wrap around echoing claps and well-defined percussion to make for a fragmented and uneven groove that rumbles along like a fully laden donkey. Closer Colugo is a more standard, gliding deep house affair with jazzy drums, stabbed chords and plenty of old school values reimagined in a modern framework. Once again here Alex Israel proves himself to be a high dexterous producer with a unique sense of groove.

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Alex Israel – A Man Of Qualities [CR1271]

Amir Alexander – Stardust Kisses EP [VS005]

An audio love letter. Four eclectic dance floor flavors, each burrowing to the heart of the groove from different angles. Alternately crazy, playful, sputtering, tribal, chunky, & broken . Featuring Clara Stjarna on vox.

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Amir Alexander – Stardust Kisses EP [VS005]

Art Crime – Never Look Back [WT020]

Stunning new WT records by Art Crime, who make it debut with his amazing 4 track ep. Hailing from Moscos Art Crime delivers a versatile ep with up tempo tracks ranging from more melodic piano driven house on the opening track to heavy percussion driven techno with a nice metalic bass line topped with more piano and almost Drexciyan atmospheres in the melancholic Happiness Side Effects, and beautiful dramatic vibes on the final track.

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Art Crime – Never Look Back [WT020]

Scott Fraser – Body [ALR019]

With the Body EP Scott Fraser signs his third collaboration for Astro Lab Recordings. Scott is back with this inspired track of Old School Chicago house with a small touch of classic Detroit techno. With Scott we decided to ask Raudive for the b-side remix, he tuned Body into his own techno secret, strong bass treatment, crazy synth, something really strong for the dance floor.

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Scott Fraser – Body [ALR019]

Echologist – Storming Heaven [PRGLP005]

Beat Pharmacy man Brendon Moeller delivers his fourth full-length, his first since 2011. In typical fashion, there’s a twisted, druggy intensity to the music, which flits between psychedelic electronica (see opener “The Frequency of Love” and vaguely tropical “Stepping Out”), tough, acid-tinged techno beatscapes (“Guilty Pleasure”), dub-influenced sludge (the excellent title track), and dubstep-influenced industrial spookiness (“Deep Fried”). For all the murkiness on display, there are moments of startling beauty and almost alarming clarity, with the samba shuffle and sun-flecked melodies of “Tricks of the Shade”, and picturesque, humid “Lost” standing out.

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Echologist – Storming Heaven [PRGLP005]

Alien Rain – Alien Rain 4 [ALIENRAIN004]

Milton Bradley lands his extra-terrestrial alias back on home soil. This fourth Alien Rain 12″ is arguably the best release of the series so far, with “Alienated 4A” tumbling through a wormhole of fluctuating acid pulses and a sturdy 4/4 kicks, while “Alienated 4B” shares a similar make up, the acid is coarser and the drums harder. “Alienated 4C” then sees Bradley in deeper techno mode, as ambient textures float around two voices of acid – one high the other low – making for a moody workout similar to his 303-driven productions on Prologue.

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Alien Rain – Alien Rain 4 [ALIENRAIN004]

Tripeo – Fifth Trip [TRIP005]

Darko Esser’s Tripeo alias is really starting to take off and this will likely be the final 12″ before the Dutch producer’s debut album as Tripeo, Anipintiros. It’s hard not to think Frozen Border, Sandwell District, or even Prologue when listening the A-side on this record, “Untitled #9”, while on the flip there’s “Untitled #10”, a Detroit inspired jumble of strung-out leads, confused computer bleeps and flexed 909 drums.

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Tripeo – Fifth Trip [TRIP005]