Back in stock: Techno (All)

Review: Tom Carruthers returns with a fresh drop on Syncrophone Records, comprising the fresh analogue jams 'From Within', 'Zone', 'No Frequency' and 'Malfunction'. All hitting hard with an old-school, sequencer-happy flavour, one which requires no second-guessing, our faves here have to be the basal FM roller 'Zone' and the brash, trashyard B-fronter 'No Frequency', both of which make deft use of the same bassline, yet each to drastically different effec.

Review: Funk Assault is the duo of Chlar and Alarico and they make their debut here at the same time as inaugurating the brand new Primal Instinct Rec label with music that they say perfectly embodies its sonic vision going forwards. Their take on techno is a synth-heavy one with dynamic designs and slamming drums overlaid with some quirky hooks. The pace is irresistibly high on opener 'Signing Your Own Post' while 'Screenshots Of Compliments' is a more textured and elastic techno groove. 'I Am A DJ Too' is another one in a hurry with linear drums and twitchy synth details. 'Pre-Gig Selfie' closes down an EP full of superb track titles with some excellent drum funk.

Review: Features the original Maurizio mix plus the classic Carl Craig remix. Berlin and Detroit combine with some amazing results. Timeless stuff.

Review: When it comes to jackin' Chicago style acid house revivalism, few can hold a candle to Paranoid London. As this long-awaited second album proves, the duo is the undisputed masters of sweaty, TB-303 driven jack-tracks and - as recent single "(Vi-Vi) Vicious Games" and LP opener "Starting Fights" prove - classic-sounding vocal cuts that recall the glory years of Fingers, Inc in the mid-to-late 1980s. Interestingly, "PL" boasts far more collaborations than we've seen from Paranoid London before, including a string of ragged club cuts blessed with evocative spoken word vocals, a thrusting acid throb-job with lead vocals by Simon Topping and a suitably twisted, machine-driven hook up with Arthur Baker and Alan Vega (the raw and weighty "Angel Of Hell").

Review: Unknown artistic exigencies from Planet Rhythm, on a new techno EP sunny-side-down flip of Groove Armada's 'Superstylin''. On the word-playing 'Super Groovin'', MC M.A.D.'s unmistakable vocals are lent an extra filling-out, as tranches of dub-technical motifs outpour from the centre mix. 'Just Won't Do It' eases up on the productive accoutrements, reducing the mix to a sustenant piping of 4x4 kick and organic pulsation, though the track makes ironic reuse of the acapella from Tim Liken's 'It Just Won't Do' in the breakdown.

Review: It's the return of 'Phunk'! Nearly twenty years after its original release on her own Intacto Records, Shinedoe brings back the track under her Innersphere alias, this time remastering, revitalising, and reissuing it on her own label, MTM (Music That Moves). Shinedoe has done a lot since, having gone mostly independent after an electrocuting Bpitch Control release in 2013. Yet this throwback dropped earlier in 2005 and came bolstered by rustproof remixes from Steve Angello, Ricardo Villalobos, and Mark Broom; 'Phunk' quickly gained cult status for its fluttery, stimulant stab lead, reminiscent of janky direct current. The 2025 edition retains its infectious, hard-edged drive but lands with even greater clarity and punch, a hypnotic, groove-led recut subliminally sculpted for maximal ear-brain-body hijacking.

Review: There's a real sense of purpose running through these three tracks, like they were made for a distant world's warehouse party lit by strobe lights and swirling dust. With over ten years releasing music and up to more than 15 EP's, this producer is collecting an impressive catalogue of quality techno music. Here, the A-side opens with 'Undisclosed', a tightly wound piece of sci-fi techno that gleams with a polished edge. It flirts with trance without fully giving in, layering crisp percussion and sleek synth work. 'Serotonin Level' dives deeper into that interplanetary mood. Rooted in techno but smeared with a touch of psychedelic color, the track floats like a spacecraft sliding through static. On the 2nd side, 'Find Yourself' brings the most physical energy. The low-end rolls forward with serious weight while the top end keeps things agile. It's a catchy conclusion to this futuristic, slick and exciting EP.

Review: Dan Piu and Grant's Theory of Movement project has served up gold for lovers of heady tech and minimal. After something of a hiatus, it is now back on When The Morning Comes with more of the sort of tuneage that is going to quickly sell out and soon become the ID request du jour at your favourite underground parties. These are of course sophisticated sounds from the silky house bumps of 'Now & Then' with its seductive vocal allure to the throwback 90s sounds of 'Over Time' (Acid Mix). 'Basis' (Foundation mix) is another immediately classic house sound with analogue and dusty drums and zippy melodies next to more smooth chords. 'Motion Of Objects' shuts down with a more zoned-out vibe and widescreen melodic architecture for late nights.

Review: Colombian producer JP Lopez aka Verraco delivers full-throttle techno gritted up with grime influences on his new 'Basic Maneuvers' EP for Tra Tra Trax, the label he co-founded. His offbeat, chrome-plated and heavy style has been heard on Blawan's Voam and Batu's Tiemdance before now and here Verraco blends Latin club energy with signature rhythmic invention. The title track drives with mind-melting techno and ragga-infused bass, while 'Total' fuses gqom and dubstep with holographic vocals inspired by Arca. The grime-tinged 'Sobe Sobe' features Ugandan MC Yallah over Orbital-like pads and gritty, Coki-style midrange. Verraco's genre-blurring mastery knows no bounds.