Review: Way beyond its New Beat roots, Boccaccio was one of Europe's most influential clubs and known for operating at the cutting edge of house, techno, acid and beyond, and for shaping a distinct sound that defined Sundays in rural Destelbergen. Curated by Olivier Pieters and Stefaan Vandenberghe, Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, released by Belgian label Music Man Records, captures the raw energy of a scene ahead of its time. Four VA Eps from it bring the tracks to wax and this one has four seminal US artists at their most visceral and impactful.
Review: Irish techno legend Sunil Sharpe makes his debut on the Posh End Music label here with a pair of signature gems. 'Cahersiveen' kicks off with buoyant and bouncy broken beats that constantly recoil through a warm, fizzy rush of Detroit-inspired synths. 'The Oasis' is his other contribution, and this one rides a little slower but with some serious low-end heft and the same textured synth craft. In between, two cuts from Fear-E. 'Dalleagles' is a manic one with stark, hard-assed low ends and anxiety-inducing pads and 'Gael Force' keeps up the intensity with loopy madness that twists you inside out.
Review: With Pattern Gardening, London-after-Leeds imprint Wisdom Teeth yank out an extra gnasher we didn't know we had. As has always been the case, label heads Facta and K-Lone could be said to have curated and curetted a new compilation from the joint dentist's chair, exacting a 22-track root canal with periodontal precision, nearly doubling the size of their V/A ambit since 2024's Club Moss. But on this selective six-track sampler for wax, we've only a further sanding down of a much larger minimal, micro and tech house selection; here's gummy textures and maxillary moods by Polygonia, rRoxymore, Lurka, Sub Basics, and newcomer Jichael Mackson. Clarity and sound design are top priorities, as is the ideal of whitened teeth flashed by the poolside. Snappy, Rhodesy, watery.
Review: Relative newcomers Sicion and Kuss combine their skills on this new outing for the Molekul label with two collaborative cuts and one solo outing each. Their opener, 'Dissolve To Evolve' has a dark tribal energy to it and a sense of cinematic tension from the haunting pads and echoing effects, then they double down on the vibe with the equally muscular and chunky 'Ego Death.' Kuss's 'The Ride' is a pent-up and funky bumper with smudged vocals and psychedelic synths, then Sicion's 'Breaking Point' shuts down with all the menace of a late-night runaway train.
Review: Akte is the Cologne-based event series rooted in timeless ambient, minimal and techno sounds and here it launches its own record label with a debut 12" EP by founder Philipp Stoffel. Featuring four original tracks and a signature remix by dub-techno icon VRIL, these sounds are less about cooking up direct dancefloor tools, more about immersive storytelling. The EP channels dub textures and deep sound design that compresses the emotional depth of an LP into a tight, cohesive selection. With mastering by the legendary Stefan Betke aka Pole, it's a top draw package with vision and substance aplenty.
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