Back in stock: Trance

Review: Mikkel Rev presents UTE 013, a captivating sonic journey through the realms of trance music. This four-track EP on the Norwegian label UTE. REC showcases the artist's versatility and mastery of the genre. 'Zygo' pulsates with a frenetic energy, its psychedelic trance rhythms evoking an otherworldly sci-fi ambiance. 'Tone Control' leans towards Goa trance, its alien basslines and science fiction aesthetics creating a gripping narrative. For the second side, 'Whorl' offers a more uplifting and ethereal experience, transporting listeners to vast cosmic spaces. The piece of wax concludes with 'Tension', a 90s-style German techno track that showcases Rev's ability to fuse classic elements with modern innovation. Overall, a very strong window into a current artist's views of the history of the genre.

Review: Rapidfire techno-trance from Berlin's Changer, in the form of four rogue planetary collisions which, we must admit, we weren't ready for. In fact, it's pretty much statistically impossible for a human body to survive exoplanetary impact; all Changer promises with this EP is to help guide us through the emotional tumult that might ensue, and to perhaps convert said worry to excitement. While opener 'The Carrier' impresses somewhat with its furtive fast-trackings of bass and low-slung yet lightfooted kicks, it's the ensuing 'Undiscovered Expeditions' and jackhammering 'Type 2' that really capture our imaginations, with their relentless cosmic swirls and flustered synths caressing the top edges of things.