Review: Volume 7 in the series but for once we can't really say "you should know what to expect by now" because what this compilation really goes to show is just what an eclectic and diverse camp the long-running Manchester label has become, with tracks on 'Paper Cuts #7' ranging from the near-ambient Balearica of Aniso Tropics' opener 'Apricot Memorex' to the self-explanatory synth-y stylings of La Guardia de la Luz's 'Trance Aleman de los 90s' via the uptempo strut of Jahn Solo's 'Disco'. So all we can really do is point you in the direction of some standout cuts, which for this reviewer would include D.S.D's luscious 'Just Can't Stop' and Benny Pitcher's 'Transatlantic Motion', which is like a little musical nod to the days when Paper comps were called 'Splinter'.
Review: Following last year's Half Full release, Hurdslenk returns to Hardgroove. Outside gets off to an exciting start thanks to "Futures". Centred on a throbbing bass and steely hi hats, this pulsating peak-time track is sure to stand out from the crowd. "Jugular" is more visceral. With a dense rhythm at is core, it sees Hurdslenk weave in layers of rasping percussion and intense filters. "Collect" marks a departure for the Hardgroove sound. Its stripped back, jacking sound sounds like Hurdslenk's take on early 00s minimal house. It's only a brief divergence though. "False Pretence" is led by a frenetic rolling groove, while the use of dramatic chords and a stuttering vocal sample will set it apart from most hard-edged techno.
Review: The Sneaker Social Club crew continues to impress with every new drop they deliver, this time diving further into their more garage-centric roots as they welcome House of Black Lanterns inside for four fiery creations. Opening up with 'Back To Back Special', a murky, sublow bubbler jam-packed with nostalgic drum chops and unique bass design, followed by the more brightened chord progressions of 'Out To The Private Number' and moog-driven subs slides of 'Slew', again, combining old school with originality in real style. Finally, 'Summon Like This' gives us a spacey roller to close things off, focussing on bone-chilling transitions and moody synth sweeps, rounding this project off with a serious buzz.
Review: Alexander Johansson and Mattias Fridell follow their debut on Blueprint from earlier this year with another killer release. Between them, they have decades of experience making techno - and this really shines through on Marvatten. "Distansminut" resounds to acrid 303s and a wiry, angular rhythm that is as insistent as it is repetitive. "Bidevind" is a harder track, with the pair dropping concrete weight kicks and powerful, filtered builds. "Sejnfall" is in a similar vein: it sees powerful tones set to heavy drums. Rounding off the release is "Styrfart". Shifting style to embrace atmospheric Detroit chords, the track is powered by a steam-rolling rhythm.
Crystal Geometry - "The Intelligence Briefing" - (3:46) 138 BPM
Ket Robinson - "La Passion Tue L'Amour" - (6:30) 138 BPM
Review: KR celebrates its fifth birthday with this diverse techno compilation. KR050 gets off to a frenetic start with Clotur's "M33, a peak-time track that resonates to building acid and a firing, angular rhythm. Similar energy levels also fuel the grainy techno of Joton's "Cyber Machinery" and Roll Dann's contribution - the chord-heavy banger that is "Suga Nit White". But it's not all peak-time tracks. Benales looks to Detroit for inspiration to deliver the raw minimalism of "Undo", while a more contemporary take on stripped back dance music prevails on the murky "Lost In The Loop" by KUSS. And Metapattern's "25 Min" is a distinctive, ebm-inspired jam.
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