Back Catalogue

Review: The Boddika-helmed Nonplus unveil Think & Change, the label's first compilation and what a way to mark such an event. Calling on a cast of the great and the good of contemporary techno and bass music, Think & Change arrives sporting some thirteen tracks, a statement of how far Nonplus has come since its emergence in 2009 as an outlet for the Autonomic family of artists, gradually mutating into a more wide ranging approach, with material from Actress, Kassem Mosse and Basic Soul Unit ensuring a reputation as one of the most respected labels in the bass music diaspora. The highlights on this compilation are many, but you should be checking Four Tet's contribution "For These Times" (easily his best, least fussy club track to date) "Bad Chicago" from Martyn, and Kassem Mosse's excellent "Broken Patterns".

Review: The "Jupiters" remixes are finally available on digital format and this time it's a strictly UK affair, with Happa and Jamie XX on remix duties! Happa's re-interpretation of "Jupiters" is a thumping beast of a track, where a startling bass drum churns its way across a militant percussion - violent hi-hats and snares all round, coated graciously by the most ominous synth stabs to have ever appeared on a Four Tet record! Jamie XX's take on "Lion" is a calmer, sub-heavy parade of swinging drums and mutating bass lines, growing in ferocity with every new bar.

Review: This young DJ /producer is one of 2012's most promising new artists - take one listen to Water Jump and it's clear why he is so hyped. "Reception" uses a mutant, noisy take on Chicago house basslines to brutal effect, while "Drone Logic" also revisits the past to create a new vision for the future. There, heavy drums roll in and an old school progressive house bassline - one that sounds more Guerilla than Digweed - is chewed to pieces by bursts of electronic feedback. But it's "A Quiet Life" that really stands out. Underpinned by a splurging bass, haunting angelic voices breeze in as psychedelic drums that have little bearing to traditional house / techno structures explode through the speakers.

Review: The first of two samplers heralding the forthcoming Nonplus label compilation Think and Change arrives bearing two heavy hitting tracks not to be found on the compilation proper. First up, Boddika & Joy Orbison's Sunklo hit "Mercy" gets the VIP treatment from Boddika; the result is a peak time tool which strips the original down to its barest components but still maintains the juggernaut-like quality of the original. It's joined by a fresh Kassem Mosse track in the form of "Broken Patterns", a typically tough production from the Bosse which combines and endlessly stomping 4/4 rhythm with cascading string plucks and rattling synth textures.

Review: The adoption of a new name and a new sound by Marcus Intalex has been one of this year's success stories, with his rattling brand of warehouse appropriate techno under the Trevino moniker gracing labels as diverse as [Naked Lunch], Apple Pips and Craig Richards' The Nothing Special. With a forthcoming debut on Klockworks on the way, Trevino returns to Martyn's 3024, the label where this new name was first established. Then appearing on a split release with Instra:mental, Trevino comes through with a full release in Tactical Manoeuvre EP which brandishes three tracks that showcase the different styles and sounds of the producer. The murky warehouse vibes of the title track make it the Juno favourite here but all three productions here are clearly the work of a producer in a rich vein of form.

Review: Tom Rowlands is the spectacle-wearing-half of the Chemical Brothers and he debuts his solo work on Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound. Rowlands merges new school styles of throbbing and jacked-up house - replete with marching snares, curdling cow bells and cut vocals - with powerful stylings of EBM. Pitch that against a synthesiser that sounds like its being hung, drawn and quartered and you have Rowlands' title track "Through Me". Meanwhile, the chainsaw synth of "Nothing But Pleasure" dominates the track, which builds into a druggy drop made for party-harder dancers moshing like they were at a Rage Against The Machine or Justice concert - harking back to the days when French electro labels Institubes and Ed Banger ruled.

Review: Ahead of a forthcoming new album for Brainfeeder, Martyn drops this killer induction into Steffi's recently established Dolly Dubs imprint. The offshoot launched in relatively low key fashion late last year, with Swedish producer Staffan Lindberg at the helm. The addition of Steffi's compatriot Martyn is however big news, with the three track Newspeak EP the Dutchman's first proper release since Hello Darkness, the single that bookended his album for Brainfeeder in March of last year. Long term devotees of the 3024 boss's output should be familiar with the sub heavy snap of the title track which featured on his Essential Mix for Radio 1 last Spring, whilst lead track "Oceania" is a rolling, broken treat.

Review: Veteran German house producer Dlugosch shows the new guard that he still has the magic touch. The title track is a forceful but feisty club groove, its warbling synths set to a backdrop of gurgling acid and crashing cymbals as an unknown vocalist promises sweet nothings. "Sweet Talk" is even more seductive; this time an old school ooh ooh vocal snippet is fused with swirling filters and a limber low-end rhythm. Admittedly, the remixes are of a high quality; Show B drops a deeper version of "Knalldrang", Nico Lahs swathes the arrangement in tranced out melodic layers that sweep in across his stepping rhythm and In Flagranti drops a version that pulses and jacks in all the right places.

Review: Belgian/UK label R&S claim that the tracks on Orders could 'only have been made in 2012', but this writer begs to differ. Like Truss's recent release as MPIA3 for Shifted's Avian label, part of Orders sounds like it could only have been created during the early to mid-90s. Like "Ely" and 'Squatter's Dog" from the Avian release, "Crusty Juice" and "Acid Badger" take inspiration from the sound of techno labels like Magnetic North and the pioneering US imprint Synewave. "Juice" in particular is inspired by the output from Dave Clarke's now dormant imprint. Its main focus is a distorted, grainy kick drum, a beat that is so cavernous and malevolent it could have been programmed on Lucifer's own 909. The demented horn sample that rattles in, creating more impetus for the track, could have been lifted from a Djax record, but irrespective of the source, "Juice" has the kind of raw form agression and sense of danger that's rare in contemporary techno. "Acid Badger" is slower, but its intensity levels are the same, with a pounding industrial track covered in layers of grimy acid. At any moment, it feels like a vocal is going to order the listener to 'bang the box', but it never materialises. By contrast, the remaining tracks could only have been made in 2012. The combination of rattling broken beats, distorted, tangled bass and digital noise that prevail on "Ridge Way", "Roly Poly Babs" and the title track are a byproduct of the shift towards more abstract dimensions, but they can't compare to the sheer brute force of MPIA3's 90s obsession.

Review: Kevin Saunderson's label has released so many classics that this compilation celebrating its quarter century is an embarrassment of riches. Classics provides an insight into Saunderson's diversity as a producer; from the classic late 80s/early 90s Detroit techno-house of "Rock to the Beat" and "The Groove That Won't Stop" through the pop techno of "Good Life" and the deeper, bass-heavy sound of his E-Dancer project, represented here by "World of Deep" and "Bassline", this is a well-rounded snapshot of Saunderson's best-known releases and projects. However, it also wins extra kudos for including some obscure gems like the classy, ominous vocal-led house of "Forces", reorded under the Essa guise.

Review: More commonly found throwing down dubstep variations, Biome indulges his techno side on this appearance for adventurous Manchester imprint Mindset. "Spawned" is a minimal cut of the most stripped order, focusing on finely honed layers of relentless rhythm that sport a depth that belies the producer's dubstep roots. "Driveway" is more animated, working snatches of melody, bass grind and haunting pads into a dextrous mixture, while "Conscience" heads into a more mellow territory with a half step beat and lingering melodics of a more soundtrack-friendly persuasion. It's a diverse EP that displays the versatility this accomplished artist has under his command.

Review: Gerd Janson's Running Back open their 2013 account with a label debut from evergreen producer Oliver Ho under his Raudive alias. Ho's garnered something of a chameleonic reputation over his 15 year recording history, demonstrating little interest in focusing on one sound or genre. Most recently seen fronting the spiky three piece band The Eyes In The Heat, Ho returns to the Raudive name that scored a great History Clock 12" for the four track Traffic EP. Fitting in snugly on Running Back, expect muscular EBM and house workouts with the detuned pianos and manipulated vocals of the title track likely to garner considerable attention.

Review: Civil Music invite some high profile artists to revisit tracks from Body, the superlative debut album set from Darling Farah with the results every bit as good as the source. Given the arresting aesthetic of the album, subverting the stylistic traditions of house and techno in a truly rewarding fashion, there's naturally a lot of space for revision and you have to applaud label and artist for who they approached for the task. Baaqi's fellow Detroit native Jimmy Edgar tackles the title track and delivers a remix filled with the kind of 90s house motifs that his Hotflush boss has been revelling in of late. Elsewhere Lando Kal turns in a typically futuristic take on "Aangel", while Darling Farah provides his own live edit of the same track, and rising Parisian producer Bambounou delivers a darkly techno flavoured remix of "Fortune".

Review: Clone Jack For Daze usher in this rather potent three track collaboration between label boss Serge and veteran contributor Alden Tyrell. The two have been irregular studio sparrers since the turn of the decade, contributing remixes to the various branches of the Clone conglomerate, but House Countdown marks their first original material together. There's no drastic stylistic departure from their previous work here, which isn't surprising given the bare bones house ethos that drives the Jack For Daze series. Two variants on "House Countdown" line the A Side; the first "EPS Deng't" mix is dominated by the grinding, thick bassline that just about fits between the channels, while the "Eighty Nine" mix rounds out the bassline and marries it to a rough drum flex with the results more playful. Up next, the amusingly titled "Pump-o-matic" is Serge and Alden doing Dance Mania with an early 90s Dutch rave twist.

Review: Soul:R boss and all round drum and bass legend Marcus Intalex's Trevino moniker has been used previously by Kaye on a split release with Instra:mental for Martyn's 3024 label, but the two tracks on this purple ten inch are much more in line with Al Bleek's material for [Naked Lunch], adopting a rhythmic poise and sound palette that leans heavily on the mid 90s bass heavy techno sound of LFO. "Buried" is the deeper of the two, building nicely from sparse percussive beginnings into a fully formed procession of warm, kaleidoscopic chords and bubbling analogue undercurrents. Those craving something darker will revel in the heady jacking brilliance of "Derelict" which betrays his D&B history via the deviant bassline twist.

Review: Paganini drops a heavy, functional EP for Sven Vath's label. The title track sets the tone for the release, a dark, slamming affair characterised by heavy, concrete beats and hissing percussion. A similar approach applies on "Fire In My Arms", but here the central riff drones like a strike craft moving in to drop its deadly payload.
"Polyester" is more straightforward, as a rolling groove drops and builds again, powered by metallic drums. "Hot" sees Paganini revisit the approach on the title track with insistent vocal samples littered in the arrangement, while "Parallel" features a vocal snippet intoning "I'm stretched" over a belching acid line.

Review: It's hard to believe that Sweden's Drumcode has been going since 1996, but Adam Beyer's imprint celebrates its fifteenth birthday this year, and as part of the celebrations the label have released this essential 28-track compilation. Instead of looking to the past, as is usually customary with this kind of collection, 15 Years of Drumcode focuses on the newest work of the label's current roster alongside new material from some well known names from the label's past and special contributions from some bonafide techno legends. Highlights come in the form of Slam's powerhouse "Temperance", and the percolating, acid tinged textures of Jesper Dahlback's "No Control", the pulsating robo-techno of Patrick Seich's "Structure", and the dubby atmospherics of Mauro Picotto & Riccardo Ferri's "Asteroids".

Review: Machinedrum, Blawan, the collaborative Third Side project and new name Kobosil remix tracks from Barker & Baumecker's brilliant debut LP Transsektoral. Up first is Machinedrum, who replaces the broken beats of "No Body" with a bassy four-to-the- floor hum-drum, starry synths and a compatible resonance that successfully maintains Barker & Baumecker's previous garage vibe, and upstart Kobosil removes any melodious element from the original "Silo" and reworks the drums suitably for peak time Berghain action. Blawan's re-command of "Crows" sees ritualistic drums swagger clumsily in and out of time to orc war-horns that sound like they're rung in the midst of battle, while Third Side then turns "Schlang Bang" inside out by buckling down on a single looped-up sample. Sometimes remix additions can be a little underwhelming, this ain't one of them.

Review: Although it has only one release to its name - Happa's Beat Of The Drum - London club night turned record label Church is looking to be an imprint to keep close tabs on, especially on the strength of this second EP, from young London producer Rumah. Although his debut from last year demonstrated an atmospheric, syncopated style of bass music, "Stutter" shows a marked progression into swung techno styles, with a weighty track full of concrete rhythms and glassy synths; "Murmur" is similarly powerful, throwing acid flecks and sunken vocals into the mix. Meanwhile, Apes & Seb Wildblood offer their own take on "Stutter", tempering some of the original's more ferocious attributes with some subtle dub techno elements, while James Fox refixes "Murmur" into a slinky, mid-tempo house groover, whose swelling synths offer something considerably deeper.

Review: The Versatile main man and one half of Chateau Flight doesn't drop as many singles these days as he used to, but at least when he holds off he can come correct with some firepower for the floor. Sizzling hats and a solid disco beat set the tone for "Transpiration" while the meat of the track comes in the form of a nasty old-skool rave stab. It's a monster tune that should get sweat pouring from anything in a five-mile radius. The title track is a pacey, Italo flavoured cut that seems to intentionally challenge the demonic moniker, while "Jah Menta" opts for a deeper shade of disco. Highly recommended.

Review: It seems incredible to think that despite his nearly 20 years of production experience, Dave Sumner hasn't released a full Function album until now. Thankfully Incubation proves it's been well worth the wait with the Sandwell District member really stretching his legs out for one of those techno albums that is most definitely an album experience. This nine track set bristles with great ideas and murky atmospherics, combining dystopian sci-fi soundtrack textures with the precision techno he's become known for. There are robust dancefloor tracks - see the murky acid techno of "Against The Wall" and sweaty "Modifier" - but also moments of intense, melodic beauty, from the crystalline bliss of "Counterpoint", to the dreamy hypnotism of "Inter (album version)".

Review: The first release of the year for Hessle Audio sees the long-awaited release of "Raw Code", a live favourite of the sets Peverelist and Kowton perform with fellow Bristolian Asusu as part of Livity Sound. It's been high on the request line for some time, having featured in acetate form on mixes dating as far back as the label showcase for Benji B's Radio 1 show from February of last year, securing it a place on Ben UFO's recent Fabriclive mix. The lead track sports the kind of instantly recognisable string bursts that have characterised Kowton's recent crop of grime influenced techno productions, together with a bouncy yet mechanical groove dominated by weighty sub bass. It comes backed with "Junked", a slower, decidedly more broken production reminiscent of the experimental rhythm tracks present on Pearson Sound's Clutch EP released last year. Essential.

Review: Marcel Dettmann returns with yet another EP full of dusty atmospherics and brooding minimalism. The dark synth line of "Range" wallows around sketchy percussion and filtered pulsations while the density of "Islo" ups the energy in a hectic mess of Dadub-esque drum patterns. Machine gun snares strafe the Berghain-y kicks of "Push" as otherworldly vocals breath pitched down variations of the track's title. "Allies" is Dettmann's take on party techno, but tailored entirely for flinty concretions and sturdy pylons - an absolute Berghain classic.

Review: Russian producer Nina Kraviz gets remixed in three radically different ways. KiNK's take on "Love or Go" is a mellow affair, with dubby drums mixed with a resonating bass and a warm acid bleed leading into a sensuous breakdown. By contrast, Steve Rachmad puts the focus on the dance floor for his reshape. The Dutchman's 'Jack' version is powered by heavy drums and Kraviz' vocal contribution sounds like it has been taken over by a montone robot as an atmospheric filter pushes it into an epic breakdown. Rachmad's 'Scorp' version is far heavier and more stipped back, with tearing acid lines unravelling over metallic beats and the robot reduced to intoning what sounds like 'techno, techno, techno'.

Review: Like the best labels, the 3024 operation overseen by Martyn seems locked onto it's own trajectory, slipping out records as and when they feel appropriate instead of regularly churning out material just so you know they are there. The label's first release of 2013 is a sampler that shines the light on the talent bubbling in Canada right now, securing original productions from recognised names like Kevin McPhee, Bruce Trail, Nautiluss and Gingy (no Bordello) The skewed take on techno that's so popular right now is evident across all three tracks with McPhee's "Version 5" a searing delight.

Review: Enjoying something of a renaissance recently, Stephen Brown steps up to Theory to deliver two tracks and surrender them to Ben Sims for surgery. In their original forms, "Fuego" and "Polar" are stunning slices of stripped-back techno. The first pumps on a prominent shuffle carved out of tough, funky drums, but keeps the synths subtle and spacious, while "Polar" gets dubbier and freakier with a soft beat and an ace hiccupping vocal slice. Sims' remixes unsurprisingly jack things up noticeably, retaining both tracks' inherent qualities but giving them a good old UK techno injection to cut it in rougher situations.

Review: Scottish hotshots Clouds drop a killer release for Tiga's label. "Those Cracks In Your Face, Do They Hurt" is a highly effective peak-time affair, its concrete weight but deceptively lithe beats and growling riff underpinning squelchy acid licks, a churning filter and the kind of pitched down vocal that featured on 'Losing Control'. Taken together, these elements makes for an utterly modern, smart referencing bomb. Truss delivers a grinding, broken beat take on "Those Cracks" but it can't compare to the other Clouds track here, "Krafterah". It's also based on a stepping rhythm, but the eerie chords and segue into straight 4/4s will seduce anyone who likes techno raw and unpredictable.

Review: Rocking up to his regular home at 50 Weapons, Bambounou brings yet more of his playful, experimental bass music to bear with this rock solid three tracker. There's a great focus on wild, disorientating noises hammered into solid rhythms, whether it's the metallic swirls that slop around the insides of "Filled", or the jerky tap drips that inject the funk into "Brim". Aside from the spicy sounds, there's also plenty to hold onto, not least with the whopping great chord stabs that also inhabit "Brim". Having said that, "Boarder" is more intent on plunging you into a bizarre soundworld of bold VHS synth drones and snaking percussion that seems intent on dodging the groove at all costs.

Review: Modeselektor's 50 Weapons label reaches its preordained halfway point with this early 90s referencing release from Dettmann. In particular, "Linux" sounds like an amalgamation of early Synewave and Robert Hood's 90s work, its squeaky, linear groove supported by doubled-up claps and subtle percussive slivers, but with a lower pace and inadvertent jerkiness which makes "Linux" more accessible to a wider range of DJs. It's a similar story on "Ellipse"; while the insistent rave horn, coupled with a succession of doubled up claps, makes it sound more insistent, it avoids the bare-knuckle extremism of the 90s minimalism that it takes inspiration from.

Review: Fast on the rise and seemingly everywhere at the moment, Trevino shifts from the snappy electro of his [NakedLunch] release to two crisp and punchy analogue house cuts that sport the same tendency for strong atmospheres and subtly modulating synths. As with the last release though, it's the clarity of the beats that make the tunes, particularly on "Backtracking". Up next, "Juan Two Five" is no less stark in its lavish production, as a sticky pad washes around the rigid jack and deadly bassline. The old skool house march goes on, and the ideas still keep on coming for fresh ways to interpret a classic sound.

Review: Henry Riton's last release was the co-incidentally-titled Dark Place, which came out shortly after the tragic death of his Carte Blanche partner, DJ Medhi in 2011.Having understandably kept a low profile since then, he's now back with this powerful new release on Ed Banger. "Bang Your Head" is a hysterical, anthemic acid freak-out, "Dance To The Great Golfball In The Sky", is a glammy electro-house stomper, and "Lost My Mind" is, surprisingly, a total ghetto hip-hop curveball that's echoed on EP closer, "Girls In The Hood" - a deep and heavy bass-led grinder boasting a cameo from French Electroclash chanteuse Miss Kittin. Good to have him back!