Back catalogue: Techno (All)

Review: Back by popular demand, this reissue from one of techno's true originators reminds us just how vital these tracks still sound. First released in 1992 and briefly reissued in 2000, these four cuts showcase a unique hybrid of Detroit precision and early European rave energy that continues to inspire. 'The Warning' leads the charge with classic machine-driven Detroit funk. Its rhythm is relentless yet controlled, mechanical yet human. The track feels like a transmission from a future imagined decades ago. 'Ghost' follows with a harder edge. It channels the energy of early Belgium rave with sharp chord stabs and that unmistakable Hoover-style synth. It hits fast and leaves a heavy impression. On Side-B, 'Ex-' is the most cinematic cut. Sci-fi textures, punchy drums and an off-world sense of atmosphere blend the sharpness of UK rave with Detroit's emotional weight. 'Dark Basse' is the banger of the EP with a stripped-back approach. Its minimal but moody framework makes it an instant attention grabber, offering something both haunting and dancefloor effective. These tracks remain timeless and prove once again that true underground techno never goes out of style.

Review: Fashion Flesh aka John Talaga debuts on ESP Institute with two mind-bending tracks crafted from homemade electronics, circuit-bent gear and tape manipulations. Side A's 'Atoms Revolt' explores the secret lives of machines while channelling chaotic energy into controlled sonic accidents, layered distortion and surreal textures. Side B's 'New Freedom' evokes a dystopian adventure into Detroit's decaying industrial sprawl while fusing Geiger-like pulses and eerie oscillations with fragmented voices into a dark rhythmic storm. Talaga's ability to extract soul from machines is remarkable here in what is a visceral and cerebral EP.

Review: Detroit's Robert Hood returns to vinyl with a techno triptych that distils his vision into something sharp, agile and impossibly refined. Though long synonymous with minimalism, he hasn't sounded this raw in yearsi'Art Form' arrives like a jolt, all jacking 909s and acidic flickers that feel urgent and alive. It's his first straight techno release since 2024, and it pulses with a kind of stripped-down euphoria, framed by Hood's ear for clean lines and stark rhythmic discipline. 'Art Class' deepens the tone, winding through heavier acid modulations that buzz beneath a more spacious arrangement, less confrontational but just as potent. On the B-side, 'Art School' leans into the cinematic mode, pairing sci-fi synth washes with grinding low-end pressure, rolling somewhere between introspection and propulsion. Though the tracks first landed digitally earlier this year, hearing them sequenced here offers a deeper read into Hood's blueprintiacid as method, groove as design. In his own words, M-Plant is about "only what is essential", and these three cuts prove just how much feeling can be encoded in that minimal frame. It's a statement of intent, executed with absolute clarity from one of techno's true architects.

Review: End Of Perception welcomes Italian label head and Acquario resident Viels for a first solo outing that is all about peak time techno with a meditative energy and strong mental imagery. These sounds sit well with those from country peers like Nuel and Donato Dozzy in that they are linear, loopy and full of spectacular sound design. 'Sospiri' is a swampy and dubby sound that is always shapeshifting, 'Movimenti Tellurici' is more intense and sounds like being trapped in a factory during peak production hours and 'Incompleti' has a deep space pulse. 'Destino' pairs thudding hits with synths that encircle you and lock you in the here and now.