Sonic Groove At Juno Download

Review: Totem is proof that Adam X's A&R skills are as sharp as ever. Diagenetic Origin come from Sweden, home to Adam Beyer and Joel Mull, and at times, this release sounds inspired by those 90s producers. The title track, with its driving, rolling rhythm and bombastic drums, could be a tribute to old Drumcode releases, while "Blossom" provides an update on that approach, with its snapping percussion and jarring, industrial beats. But the EP is well-rounded and "Sacred" sees Diagenetic Origin veer into broken beat territory, with eerie soundscapes unfolding over fractured rhythms. Meanwhile, "Landet" sees a lowering of the tempo but no sacrifice in intensity, with concrete beats and whiplash percussion prevailing.

Review: This release on Adam X's long-running label shows that Sabatini is one of the most accomplished new school techno producers. "Step 1" kick-starts the release with an abrasive bassline and a wall of gradually building noise that replicates the experience of getting too close a jet engine as it powers up. "Step 2" is less intense, but still has a menacing edge thanks to its droning bassline, while the third track sees Sabatini opt for a more stripped back rhythmic approach. Here too however are insistent, scary riffs and atonal rave bleeps. Even though "Steps 4" opts for a slower tempo, it is underscored by eerie sounds and abstract crackling and has an understated intensity.

Review: "Acrophobia" - meaning an extreme or irrational fear of heights - is the latest showing from G-Man & Rob Strobe. Adam X's venerable Sonic Groove imprint is the first of the techno majors to snap up the rising duo, and it's a decision that pays immediate dividends: the linear groove of "Courage" will see any hip high fist pumper down the last of their drink and steer themselves toward the dance floor. "Skotch" ups the ante but dims in mood as rolling drums accompany wistful leanings of dub techno, whilst "Fit" sees G-Man & Rob Strobe opt for a lift in consciousness via resonating dub techno atmospherics that resemble a more abrasive version of Wincent Kunth's remix to Marcel Dettmann's "Wound Up".

Review: Grounded Theory chief Henning Baer is on the verge of big things, and here he makes his debut on Adam X's iconic Sonic Groove imprint with an EP that sees abrasive industrial tones rub up menacingly against solid funk in a curious matching of audio devices. "Folsom" celebrates its graininess, but the beat remains an addictive and accessible one in the vein of the Live Jam collective. "The Spies" is more dangerous in its demeanour, as the stop-start groove does battle with decaying bleeps and kettle drum bass hits. "You Rhyth Me" on the flip ups the ante even more with a positively gruesome slow techno throwdown designed purely to terrify. Highly recommended.

Review: Although they are relative newcomers, this Scandinavian act has captured the techno zeitgeist with their uncompromisng style. Inspired by industrial sources, every track on Science succeeds in balancing subtlety and complex programming with the primal urgency of Frankie Bones and Regis. "9 To 5" is based on a huge throbbing bass, spindly perucssion and muscular, steely rhythms that recall the Birmingahm producer's 90s work, albeit at a slightly lower tempo. Meanwhile, "Powertools" is a harder proposotion, as stomping beats provide the basis for the duo to deliver belligerent riffs over garbled percussion. Finally, "Bolts" takes a sideways step; based on a broken beat, it is just as pounding as the other tracks and sounds like a jackhammer being bashed repeatedly against a concrete surface.

Review: The focus is on Italian techno right now, but Obtane's latest release shows that he's not a 'tunnel'-sounding show pony. Admittedly, "Symbology of Decline", with its fathomic, pulsing rhythms and layers of dense, dark drones doesn't depart too radically from the hypnotic sound that Obtane and frequent collaborator Gigli have been pursuing on their own Zooloft label. The real surprise occurs on the title track; starting with a squelchy bass and dramatic chord stabs, the arrangement veers into the kind of menacing, metallic riffs that Rob Hood pioneered on Minimal Nation. Obtane may be wearing his colours clearly, but "Utopian Man" sets a standard for his peers to follow.

Review: Canadian duo and former Juno Plus interviewees Orphx provide their fourth EP for Adam X's label, and in the process muddy the waters. Preceding releases on the label saw Oddie and Sealey extricate themselves from their industrial approach and focus instead on their own vision - and a bleak one at that - of club techno. On this occasion however, the lines are blurred. "Cut Through" does have the same kind of cold, detached bleeps that made "Black Light" such a malevolently addictive listen, but they unfold over a broken beat and razor sharp percussion. The key difference becomes clear as the track progresses; while the other EPs had a clean, austere sound, the introduction of a murderous, distorted bassline on "Through" makes it messier, more abrasive and like a halfway house between the Sonic Groove releases and their work for Hands. Up next, there is no such ambiguity; "Devourer" is based on twisted, tangled rhythms and fuzzy, feedback-filled sub bass lingering with intent in the background. "Preta Loka" meanwhile offers some relief; again, the rhythm is dense and off beat, but the way that the ghostly chord sequence unfolds over the seething mass of fury means it wouldn't have sounded out of place on Radiotherapy. "Hunger" sounds like Orphx wanted to choose between the club and their natural habitat and decided this time to head back into darkness.

Review: Dark 'tunnel' techno may be a very current sound, but there are few producers who come close to emulating the alluring noise that Orphx make, but then again, there are hardly any other acts with the industrial background that Richard Oddie and Christina Sealey boast. Like the excellent Black Light release, Traces is centred on rumbling basslines and metallic rhythms. "Apparition" is the most dancefloor-friendly track, its cold, mechanical bleeps creating an irresistibly menacing feeling. "Vapour" meanwhile is based on a more disjointed arrangement, but, flitting from straight 4/4s to bassy lunges, is as relentlessly utilitarian as Surgeon's work. Finally, "Density Current" threatens to dissolve in a wave of hissing percussive noise and murderous subs, but Orphx maintain the dancefloor dynamic that is central to their Sonic Groove output. If you want to disappear down techno's wormhole, then this is the soundtrack to guide you.

Review: Robert D'Atri aka Realmz drops another dark, industrial missive for Adam X's Sonic Groove. Instead of battering the listener into submission, D'Atri's modus operandi focuses on seduction by stealth. "Worlds Within", with its droning, spluttering bass, is a case in point as is "Surfacing", which features a more subtle touch. However, it would be wrong to assume that D'Atri's music doesn't pack the requisite punch: "Machine Elves", with its spiky, metallic beats and dense, breaking rhythm, disproves this theory, as does "Radar Jamming", which follows a different trajectory and is guaranteed to slay any floor with its intense filtering and jackhammering beats.