DJS: MOST CHARTED - TECHNO - MOST CHARTED IN SEPTEMBER 2014

Review: ** REPRESS ** It seems like the last few months of 2014 are going to be quite big for a newly bearded up Surgeon with a series of enticing looking reissues of 90s material under the SRX banner due to commence soon, as well as an incoming British Murder Boys retrospective on DNS. First up, the UK techno legend makes his debut proper on Token with Fixed Action Pattern, a two-track 12? of distorted, broken beat techno tailor-made for the Belgian label. Essentially two variants of the same track, the A Side original is exactly the sort of searing, peak time wall shaker you'd expect when Surgeon meets Token, and it's complemented nicely by a B Side dub version that the label quite aptly compare to Lee Scratch Perry dabbling in industrial electronics.

Review: With speaker racks still settling after being put to the test by his recent third LP The Air Between Worlds, DC's most foremost Dutchman Martyn looks to have wasted little time in returning to matters of a 3024 nature. The label's latest release comes from Doms & Deykers which may sound like a new name, but is in fact a collaborative effort from Martyn and compatriot Steffi. Using their respective surnames, the first fruits of Doms & Deykers is the three-track Fonts For The People 12?, which seems perfectly balanced between the pair's tastes and sounds. The title track is proper rude acid-flecked breakbeat rave primed for the dankest of basements, whilst "Penny's Groove" retains the 90s hardcore vibes but steers proceedings towards housier terrain. Final cut "Tepper" trades in the immediacy in favour of introspection. More of this please Ms Doms and Mr Deykers!

Review: The ever increasing understanding between Apron and Wild Oats and the many artists affiliated with both labels continues to bear fruit for those out there that like their house music raw and rugged. The idea alone of young Detroit talent Jay Daniel getting behind the buttons with suave Stevie Funkineven should set the pulses racing and both "Discipline" and "Abyss" will leave you craving more from this partnership. There's an effortless glide to "Discipline" as Jay and Funk' keep the drums to a minimal yet bugged out line of kicks, leaving it to those killer keys and thick set chords to hit you in the gut and the hips. On the flip, "Abyss" finds the duo opting for a more pared back, abstract production where rhythm is kept to a minimum as the space is filled with tweaked out motifs that sound like a paranoia filled John Carpenter.

Review: Since first surfacing under The Exaltics guise back in 2007, Robert Witschakowski has graced a stellar cast of labels including Bunker, Creme Organization, Panzerkreuz, and Modal Analysis and this year has seen him arise on the Clone West Coast series for a tryptich of Some Other Place releases and remix Marcel 'two tone' Fengler for Ostgut Ton. The addition of Dutch label Shipwrec to his ever bustling discography with this Twelve EP makes perfect sense within the context of the music they've released thus far, and this is a fine addition to anyone that considers themselves to be an Exaltics completist. Lead cut "The New Beginning" sounds like Gesloten Cirkel remixing "Deep Burnt", whilst "Coroded" fully lives up its title, and look at what's hiding on the B Side. A remix of "Downwards" from Bunker royalty Unit Moebius Anonymous. Killer twelve!

Review: The Jealous God label returns and it's a Gallic affair as Lyon-based hardware mangler In Aeternam Vale offers up a trio of productions that demonstrate how under rated a producer Laurent Prot is. You will probably know In Aeternam Vale from the various archival releases issued by Minimal Wave over the past few years, but the music contained on this clear dark blue 12" is of a more recent vintage. It's also superb, with lead track "V8" one of Prot's trademark extended productions that expertly builds up a gripping sense of hissing, brooding atmosphere - the usage of delay as the final third approaches is just immense. On the flip, both "62,54hz" and "808TS" are worthy of Sandwell District in their pomp and be sure to check the accompanying mix CD. Put together by Redlight SF's Kerri Le Bon, it weaves expertly from Whitehouse to Cosey Fanni Tutti via everything from Pulp, The Cabs and Silent Servant.

Review: MOS Deep travel into the uncharted waters of Glasgow on their latest release, securing The Haggis Trap from rising production talent Stephen Lopkin. Some four tracks deep, this 12" is Lopkin's full debut release on vinyl after serving notice of his talent in the digital realm (which included a 2012 LP) and his approach seems perfectly in line with Aroy Dee's label. Take for example "The Haggis Trap" which fluctuates superbly between moments of calm and acid drenched chaos or the superb hi tech jazz stylings of "Catherine's Track". On the flip, the superbly titled "Let's All Talk About Me" shows Lopkin can lay down dusty kicks with the best of them whilst "Mugs Alley" expertly demonstrates his talent for melody.

Review: There's some crafty wonkiness afoot on the second offering from Gauss on their self-titled imprint. While it's not at the expense of ear-snagging melodic licks and decisive propulsion, "Schwarzgerat" maximises on offbeat hat and snare placement to make a head-turning groove that should appeal to all off-kilter techno spinners. "F(X)" has its own curious kink in the drums, taking a slower route peppered with snappy square wave ripples and a mystical ambience draped around the sharp beat, before "Quadratic Forms" finishes the EP off with a broad-sweeping, grain-spattered drone piece with nostalgic 80s orchestrations and expressive filter sweeps to get ambient heads quivering with excitement.

Review: The Sued label is fast approaching the status of labels like Laton and Acido in our collective heart here at Juno, and SW's latest record for the label is a perfect example of just why. While the first part of SW's Reminder offered a euphoric slice of techno that sounded like Shed going all-out with his more '90s ambient tendencies, this second record is a much more nuanced affair. The minimal yet driving percussive sounds of "Track 1" are complemented by the most delicate of synth backdrops, while "Track 2" sounds like the essence of Chicago house distilled down to the atomic level. "Track 3" is a much more straightforward deep house jam, and "Track 4" may call Mr Fingers to mind, but there's enough mathematical oddity in the rhythms to please the fans of more experimental fare as well.

Review: Fans of Bio Rhythm will know the Rotterdam operation are found of working with Jamal Moss, with two dizzying platters from the Mathematics boss under his Sun God alias helping Paul Du Lac to establish the label in it's first year of business. Moss returns here alongside Noleian Reusse as Africans With Mainframes, a project the pair have shared on an intermittent basis over the past 12 years and their first release together in four! It's not clear when these two productions date from, but if the title track and "Tonkolili" are the result of recent times in the studio Moss and Reusse have evidently lost none of their studio chemistry. The B side just shades it here thanks to the thrilling feeling the various elements are constantly on the verge of exploding. One for the fearless selectors!

Review: Given how prolific he's been across multiple aliases these past few years, you can forgive Boris Bunnik for the lack of output that's characterised his year so far, with just the sole Versalife 12" for Clone's Store Only Series issued. A return to his main creative concern Conforce is most welcome then and the Depth Over Distance EP suggests the Dutchman's production powers are fully recharged. Opening with the title track, Conforce's talent for captivating spacious lines and crisp refreshing drum programming is on full display whilst "Plateau" veers off into abstract territory. Powered by supple arpeggios and powerful kicks, "Rendez-vous" feels like Conforce at his most floor focused whilst "Closer" ends proceedings on a haunting, ambient note.

Review: "Aqua" is the second release of Finitude Music, the label operated by long-time Tresor Berlin resident Marcel Heese. The A-Side title is from the same recording session with Spanish producer P.E.A.R.L. like "Entrance" from Finitudes first release. This time the remix comes from Techno legend Karl O'Connor aka Regis who needs no further introduction. With his deep and hypnotic contribution he has truly outdone himself.

Review: There's been a little break for Sean Hernandez's primary musical outlet, but EP Fall Down finds him back on searing form with the abrasive machine beats of "Fall Down", which snarl out a cold and unrelenting exploration of non-standard rhythms. "Ride" is a more subtle affair with trickling melodic lines wrapping themselves around a decidedly stripped down drum set. "Ride3" is more distinctive with its stark clavi line, which has a bright musicality in comparison to the restrained percussive study of "Leaf". "Praying Mantis" makes for a sublime end to the EP with its jagged groove and harmonious pads, showing it's not all about being as ruff as ruff can be.

Review: It's fair to say Lorenz Brunner's profile as Recondite has rocketed in the two years since he last appeared on Hotflush with DRGN / Wist 365 which is largely due to getting scooped up by the Ghostly International label for last year's widely praised Hinterland LP. A lot has happened stylistically with Hotflush in this period too, though recent output suggests the label is swinging back to the sort of techno Recondite is known for. A notion qualified by this new 12". The A-side provides this Caldera 12" with a sparse and broken techno image that may have well found it's way on to Scuba's Sub:stance mix back in the day had it been around then. Meanwhile on the flip, Recondite goes for a heavy and metallic, yet soulful, sound which will appease the rootops of Ibiza revellers to the grey, concrete clubbers of Berlin.

Review: DJ October throws down some dub-tinged deepness for his debut on Skudge, his first release of 2014 and an apparent prelude to a forthcoming debut album for the Swedish label. It's the A-side's "Jaffa" which combines woozy synths of someone like Mr Cloudy with the high powered leads of Legowelt, while the title-track, "Gate 2 Yesterday", is also dubby but there's more of a focus on drums and percussion than textures and riddim. It's nice to have October back and an intriguing hint as to how that upcoming album might sound.

Review: Though perhaps not the most familiar of artists in the ever swelling techno community, Ukrainian techno producer Stanislav Tolkachev has been plying his trade since 2006 and picked up some high profile fans along the way. Everyone from Pangaea and Untold to Call Super and Volte Face have been known to drop some Tolkachev, whilst last year's Simple Is A Miracle 12" for Semantica seemed to open the Ukrainian's production charms to a whole new audience. It's nice then to see Stanislav return to the Spanish techno outpost with Right Angle, a 12" consisting of four tracks that will please fans of both Dozzy's soundscapes and Robert Hood's driving rhythms.

Review: In his three releases so far, Mark Forshaw has debuted on three different labels. For his third release - following 12"s on Tabernacle and Mathematics - his showing on III Rivers inaugurates the label ahead of a second release by Hakim Murphy. Lead cut "Change Request" is a busy production of pumping Italo synths, sweeping pads and frenetic drums fans of John Heckle will love, while "Fantastic Flake" is bassline driven house music gem good enough to soundtrack of a Chicago express circa 1989. "Where Did You Go" introduces some acid and it's the most techno-sounding production on the record, blending 303s and 909s with sprays of reverb and washes of dub.

Review: The Head Front Panel label gets extra twisted on this 6th release, one we have been eagerly awaiting here at Juno HQ . At a first glance the four untitled tracks here fit in perfectly alongside previous releases from the blossoming offshoot of Tabernacle, but spend a bit of time with this record and a turntable and some interesting rhythmic kinks reveal themselves. See the smart little drum edits that break up the Mills-style stomp of the opening track, whilst "A2" doesn't go forwards so much as run around in rhythmic circles. Shorn elements of that track seem to be retained on "B1" cut up and moulded into a searing new production that jitters nervously, almost as if it's about to implode at any moment. If you can pick yourself up after that, the closing track homes in on a nightmarish techno stomp that really demands rotation on a heavyweight soundsystem.

Review: Amid a whole stack of MDR represses of late the label throws in three new cuts of older Dettmann material remixed by arguably the top boy of UK techno. Luke Slater under his all devouring Planetary Assault Systems alias provides two remixes of "Apron" from 2009's MDR06 and another for the track "Rush". The 'PAS Tubed mix 2' of "Apron" is a jittery piece of Luke Slater brilliance that harks back to his earlier, minimal productions as Planetary Assault Systems on Peacefrog, while the 'PAS The Rhythm remix' stays true to the dusty sound Dettmann surfaced with toward the end of last decade. Meanwhile on the flip in the 'Deep Release remix' of "Rush" sees Planetary Assault Systems provides more bona fide booming techno for Berghain that re-popularised the genre several years ago.

Review: Naif steps up with an interesting split disc that spans the new and the old, as L.I.E.S and Argot bright spark Gunnar Haslam takes over the A side with the fulsome bubble of "Overcomplete" while Roman Flugel's long-standing Acid Jesus alias gets a little reissue treatment with the abrasive percussion workout of "Radium". The former is undoubtedly the friendlier, darewesay delineated offering, as a tidy 303 line and steady drum machine sizzle work into a trusty formation for the floor. Flugel's effort is of course a more fringe effort that makes dubby effects processing sound like the devils work, and is all the more distinctive for it.

Review: It's the onset of a brave new era for Ostgut Ton as Panorama Bar 06 signals the label's decision to halt the manufacturing of CDs for their much loved series of mixes. Due for free download via the Ostgut site on August 11, the Berlin operation have not forgone the vinyl format with all the exclusives gathered by mix curator Ryan Elliott pressed up across a pair of 12" samplers. And boy did Elliott call in the favours with this first sampler featuring new and unreleased music from Neworldaquarium, Roman Flugel, Terrence Dixon, Tuff City Kids and Borrowed Identity. It is an overall exquisite selection, running from the ambience of NWAQ's contribution to Flugel's big room stomper and the sweeter, more playful sounds of Tuff City Kids and Borrowed Identity.

Review: Though largely a platform for full artist releases, Mike Parker's Geophone label does dabble in the occasional various artist release and the last one (GPH19) really set the bar high with contributions from Voices From The Lake, Stanislav Tolkachev and that sensational Shifted remix of Parker. For this latest issue, Tolkachev is invited back to the label and he provides a chaotic "The Right Side Of Hell" which sounds like X-101 gone wrong (in a good way), while Eastern Renaissance's "42A 19' 53 N" is like hearing Warp's LFO mixed together with Prologue techno. Echologist, aka Brandon Moeller, provides a beat down and pulsating "Burn Permit" - and as you'd expect, Mike Parker throws down some deep and throbbing modulations on "Night Of 21 Hours".

Review: Founded last year, the Head Front Panel series from Tabernacle has proved to be a more serious counterpart to Creme Organisation's equally anonymous R-Zone offshoot. Where the Dutch label's thirteen plus R Zone 12"s have veered from jungle to new beat via house and techno and delivered them with a knowing wink, the Head Front Panel records have remained resolutely for the sterner floors. It's no different with no 5 (one of two released this week) with four untitled tracks that fairly demand beating down in front of a willing audience. The approach veers from the alien Population One style thump of the opening track to powerful loop techno and full throttle 909 rattlers.

Review: 180g vinyl 4 track EP. Ferox is very proud to welcome a new artist to the roster for this release. Dublin-based Lerosa has a raw style very much his own and is well-known for his releases on Uzuri, Real Soon and Ireland's own D1 Recordings.

Review: Melja is a young artist who makes his vinyl debut on Mister Saturday Night after putting out digital releases on labels like Car Crash Set and Hot N Heavy. For this release the New York label has exhumed from Melja three cuts of bottom-end heavy, lo-fi and distorted techno music that will beef up a house set or nestle into a rhythm section of a long haul techno session. "I Won't Forget" is the heaviest, industrial track on this 12" while "Steady Mobbin" is body rhythmic, but with out the slam and assault you might hear from say, Token.

Review: With the spirit of Miles Davis as their guide and an ever-faithful commitment to futuristic advancements in electronic music, Aybee and Afrikan Sciences present an album that brings together three years worth of improvisational studio jams and it's sure to set alight the minds of all cosmic voyagers out there. The three-part "Deep East Suite" starts in a manic mood before diverging into deep meditative ruminations, while "K-Fetisch 1" takes you on a more snaking and nerve-tingling journey. With many different twists and turns it's not a record for the casual listener, but anyone that digs the breaking down of conventional barriers will find a whole lot of worth in time spent travelling with this pair of astronauts.