Back in stock: Techno (All)

Review: The third release on Secretsundaze's 9FINITY imprint sees Naarm/Melbourne producer DJ Life return to the fold with another batch of psychedelic club tools, balancing UK bass pressure with trippy minimal finesse. 'Utility' jolts things into motion with snaking low-end and warped FX, slipping in and out of jagged tech shapes. The sparring synth jolts of 'Electrolyte' feel more frenetic, its thwacking groove and dubby vocal chops making for a proper headrush. On the flip, 'Breathe' trades upfront energy for depth, layering smoked-out subs beneath lattices of percussion. 'Stay Playful' edges toward tribal house but keeps its sci-fi freakiness intact. Digital bonus 'Love Sensation' eases the tension with clipped garage swings and pearly padsia welcome curveball.

Review: Back on his own Somov Records, Amsterdam native Ignez shares a quartet of tightly wound, emotionally-charged techno lapsers, polarising stripped-back propulsion and moments of spectral calm. Since launching the label in 2019, he's explored a range from full-bodied percussion workouts to spacious ambient drift, and this latest four-track drop continues in that mode, club-focused but spiritually canted. The release trades in memory and atmosphere, evoking the echo of shared moments rather than spelling them out: 'Satindancer' and 'Skies We Share' make literal titular allusions to fabric and atmosphere, evidencing the acuity and sensitivity of the artist to ideas of both materiality and spirituality.

Review: Melbourne's Tim Jackiw brings a retro future vision to this latest sweaty workout on the Physical Education label. 'Manifestation' is a full singlet on, socks up, headband in place, striding forward electro jam with nice cosmic energy and 'Multi Pass' then brings wistful Detroit synth work and sleek grooves designed for heady escape. 'House Wine' keeps the deep and driving dynamic flowing with more dusty drum programming and meaningful synth work and 'Unseen Forces' then gets more raw and percussive. Last but not least, 'Taking Measures' shuts down with some reflective moods and slower tempos.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve significantly torn at the top and along the spine***


Amazing next-gen cyborg dance music from sibling duo Mathame (Amedeo Giovanelli, Matteo Giovanelli) , a self-described "audio project" working in ultra-clean progressive house sounds. 'I Will Find You' sounds like a progressive anthem from an Arcadian alternate timeline; think what might happen if Tiesto performed a DJ set in the Halo universe, to a stadium full of Super Soldiers. Its front cover model - a cyborg girl with an augmented plate face mask - is indicative enough of the sound you might expect, but the brothers Mathame's music touches on more than just futurity, with tautly squeezed vocals and "ouch" synths adding to an already impressive uplifter.