New releases last eight weeks: Psy/Goa Trance

Review: The latest EP from the Lonely Planets label co-founder Caim plunges you into an innovative soundworld of ancient myth and futuristic techno brilliance. The title cut 'Medusa Hunter' weaves hypnotic rhythms with smouldering, Goa-inspired melodies that are driven by venomous basslines that evoke suspense and intrigue. 'Hypno Gravity' is a weightless cut with balmy neon pads and silky beats that lure you into a trance where time fades and consciousness drifts. 'Adonis From Space' is another supple and stylish sound with ambient pads adding scale to skeletal rhythms. 'Desert Planet06' shuts down with a masterful blend of dubby undercurrents and aquatic sounds.

Review: Two techno knights in shining armour, Joseph Capriati and Indira Paganotto, rise to a collaborative challenge on their latest split vinyl single. Brought to their resident Artcore Records, 'Ananda' and 'Mantra' are spiritually intoned yet no less hard psy-tech towerers. Paganotto is said to have laid down the exotic vocal chops on 'Ananda' directly and the final product hears these laced through a blossoming, emu-synth rising action and a stuttering pre-drop. Perfect fits for the larger club or festival stage, these twin tracks work the careful balance of grave and utopian sound.

Review: In 1997, the Spanish CD compilation Calambre Techno featured a track called Utopia, created by the electronic duo INTRO, which was brothers Francisco and Nacho Sotomayor. Originally released in 1994 as part of an EP, the track is a simple yet perfect techno-trance anthem that is retro-psychedelic but ahead of its time. Now, UFC reissues this classic on vinyl accompanied by new remixes. The MFA's '94 On The Floor Remix' blends IDM and experimentalism while Promising/Youngster's 'Electric Shock Remix' fuses powerful electro with IDM. Brassica's 'Psytalo Remix' mixes techno, breaks and psychedelia, and R.I.P. Bestia's 'FutureCosmicalAscension Mix' leads to euphoric heights.

Review: Nina Kraviz has approached her latest single 'Tarde' with cogent flair, issuing several vinyl remix sets to divvy up and complement a full ten-track digital compilation, made up of a star cast of remixes by major artists. On another 12", Kraviz shortens the full ten tracks to a short selection. The tense, and hummingly fun, original track 'Tarde', released earlier this year, is heard in full effect on this record's B-side, coming complemented by Melchior Productions' phattened 'Late Mix' in the vein of flickering tech house. The A-side is taken up meanwhile by veteran endurance DJ Ricardo Villalobos, whose version of 'Tarde' doesn't care a hoot about tardiness less than it does bask in it, slowly unveiling a clockwork mechanism of spitting schematic beats and tastefully placed vocal shouts from Nina's original acapella.

Review: By now already a cult favourite label, Banoffee Pies Originals is back with new beats from Planet Euphorique label boss D. Tiffany and multidisciplinary artist and Rinse FM resident Ciel working together as Psychedelic Budz. The Canadian duo delivers two off-kilter club tracks here with a guest appearance by Adam Pits under his Lil Mushroom alias. That's on the title cut 'Wonk Donk' and it features a supple and hyper-speed rhythm with dubby undercurrent and deft vocal smears next to acidic squiggles. The other cut 'Vokal Fry' is a percussive jumble with broken beats, watery effects, chopped-up vocals and a generally beguiling vibe.

Review: DC Salas' second album To The Places I Call(ed) Home is a personal journey through memories, loss, and the idea of home, blending house, progressive, new beat, acid, Goa and trance. Created over two years in Brussels and on tour, it became a form of healing after personal tragedies and reconnects Salas with his Peruvian heritage. Featuring collaborations with Curses and Moroccan artist Zaatar, each track captures significant moments in his life while honoring his past. Despite its themes of grief, the album remains uplifting, offering bright dancefloor energy and a sense of renewal.