New releases last four weeks: All genres

Review: RFXN kicks off life with a new single from David Agrella which has seen early support from Ricardo Villalobos. First off he offers up his own Acid Mix of 'Perro Balearico' and it's a supple, deep and dubby track with liquid synths and prog chords that sound both retro and future all at once. The original is a more dreamy and spaced-out sound for 5 am sessions. On the flip is a more punch but still silky and warmly melodic remix from Mario Liberti before last of all, Gabriel Rai gets darker. His drums hit harder and the synths are moodier as he takes dancers down a late-night path of mystery and intrigue.

Review: The present face of IDM is here heard occupied by dream duo D'Arcangelo and Karsten Plum, whose latest joint effort for Acid Avengers bowls us over with its acid tweezings, pangs, twingings, twangs, thrums and flits-past. The pH scale skyrockets to the point of insanity on Pflum's side, with 'Hornfish Acid' and 'Aroe Acid' jointly corroding the full length of the Earth's core with their snippy but incisive sizzles and 'ows, until we reach a forbidden underworld uncannily reminiscent of Oz - except the faces of the protagonists are horribly twisted into a yellow, illegal-raved rictuses. D'Arcangelo's 'Gawain' does equally as much with its eerie sprung-verbed chroma-chords and muted but moving melodies; so too does 'Walker Two' raise the tempo to silly speeds, coming as a veritable velociraptor of Druqks-y breaks and drill bits, all let loose from the barrel at a surely illegal rate of fire.

Review: Every new Carl Finlow record release brings an enthusiastic interest to those who follow him. Carl's robotic electro prowess is on full display on the A-side in 'Heed'. Fans of early 80s electro, Kraftwerk and the future of the genre, swear by this guy. 'Overlord' is a deeper groove that reminds of his otherworldly Silicon Scally moniker. 'Expansion' is just down right dirty. Nuff said! Dangerous stuff from one of the most consistent producers in futuristic electro.

Review: Swiss label Creaked has decided to give over a full 12" to remixes of HRDVISION's 'Captivated Heart' and the results are varied and impressive. It is the cultured electronica of Nathan Fake that kicks things off with some widescreen synth drones, She Spells Doom then brings some twitchy tech house and Shanx goes for something laced with alien effects, gurgling synths and swampy beats. Efemme brings some acid laced minimal funk and Sinistarr brings compelling broken rhythms and icy urban metropolis vibes. HRDVISION himself also steps up with a Hrdvsiovsiivosvsiosvin remix to close out in mad fashion.

Review: It's been a while since we've heard from Moroccan breakbeat favourite and Convergence Records founder Kosh, but he's back with a bang on none other than everybody's favourite Atlantean, underwater-breathing, acid trance house everything kru - Kalahari Oyster Cult. 'The Chopper' EP spans everything from Drexciyan kitsch-lectro to to floaty tech house trance to sillily verbatim breakbeat, ending on a hilarious high note with the timestretching, disc-scratching, stadium-ready rave rampage 'Come On'.

Review: The Paris based Velvet Spirit releases its fourth EP. After appearing on their third releases, the label had to have a release specifically dedicated to Numero 6 solely. If you are looking for something different then check out the head turning 'Midnight Treat'. Electro like you may have not heard. The Indy Jane mix of 'Are You Sure' is particularly nasty (in all the right ways), while on the second side, 'Vicious' is a clever and unique take on tech house that injects a bit of electro in it while 'Bloodline' is the smoothest cut of the lot. Quite eerie in a new wave way, you have to hand it to Numero 6 for making something quite unique.

Review: Random Factor's 'On The Air' EP is a hugely sought-after classic by those who know. It came on Ralph Lawson's ever-reliable 20/20 Vision and now, as it turns 25 years old, he has decided it is the right time to get it remastered and reissued. 'On The Air' is first up on this fine EP from Carl Finlow and it has serene synths that bring to mind Detroit techno soul over pulsing bass and slick drums. 'Lockdown' has a raw vocoder vocal over punchy drums and twitchy synth stabs and 'Undercurrent' is another weapon that has more than withstood the test of time as it bumps along on funky drums and is overlaid with more playful synth patterns. 'Disconnect' is a crunchy and 8-bit closer with pixelated synths and screwy acid lines. Superb.

Review: UK DJ and producer Justin Robertson is back with his latest 12" record 'Deadstock 33s', the fourth release on the up-and-coming Pamela Records label. This record is filled with groovy little tracks that blend various genres into one. 'In Minus Shadows' has a nice psychedelic campfire funk to it, with the dub-like 'Cup Of Silence' and the electro sounds of 'Of Ghosts' completing the package. Eclectic and unique dance music - very cool tunes here.

Review: First released back in 2007, UR's 'Hi Tech Dreams' is widely regarded as one of 'Mad' Mike Banks' most perfectly formed EPs - in part because its blend of optimistic techno futurism with dancefloor darkness offers a neat summary of the 'dreaming of utopia, living in a dystopia' message at the heart of Underground Resistance's militant ethos. But analysis aside, it's simply a terrific record - as this timely reissue proves. A-side 'Hi Tech Dreams' lives up to its promise, with far-sighted melodies, tactile riffs and soulful vocal samples rising above a loose-limbed Motor City techno beat. In contrast, 'Lo Tech Reality' is a moodier and more melancholic chunk of breakbeat-driven techno, while 'Hold My Own' is a murky, hip-hop influenced downtempo head-nodder.

Review: Balkan Vinyl has a strong resume of releasing excellent 90s inspired IDM and electro since the first release in 2010. Veteran producers Posthuman (Cousins Richard Bevan and Joshua Doherty) own and run the UK label. For this release they call upon a legendary friend Luke Vibert, to make a staggeringly great, joint EP. 'Still In Love' kicks off the record and brings Luke's familiar acid techniques to the party while sampling classic 80s and 90s dance tracks and samples within it. 'Android Webber' is quintessential sound Vibert is known for that balances a quirky IDM grit and a downtempo slow jam. For the B-Side, Posthuman offers the futuristic electro stormer 'Grad' followed by the sexy, slow burner 'Forever Circles'. A match made in acid house heaven.