Back in stock: Techno

Review: B12's 1993 debut album, Electro-Soma, has long been regarded as one of intelligent dance music's "must-have releases". Offering a decidedly intergalactic blend of otherworldly techno, ambient and deep space electronica, it remains a brilliant piece of work. Here, Warp Records give it the reissue treatment, packaging the peerless original album with a second disc of early B12 rarities and hard-to-find cuts recorded during the same period. There's naturally plenty to admire on this bonus disc, from the shimmering electro bustle of "Transient Pathways" and Motor City futurism of "Debris", to the intoxicating ambient brilliance of "Go With The Hiss". That this material is every bit as good as the tracks included on Electro-Soma is testament to the (then) duo's rarely matched brilliance.

Review: Prolific Lithuanian dub techno explorer Grad_U is back with a new album which further develops his explorations in realms well beyond the limitations of the dancefloor. Spectral Decay examines all manner of spatial processing, not to mention celebrating the power of the space between the pulses. There are still some steadfast technoid rhythms to latch onto, but the beats are always secondary to the atmospherics in Aleksandr Martinkevic's immersive productions. With a couple of remixes from kindred spirits such as Dominique Jacquinet and Ohrwert Alter folded in for good measure, this is another essential trip into the echo chamber from a master of the craft.