Back in stock: Electro

Review: One of the genre's funkiest groups, continuing where Cybotron, Model 500 and Drexciya left off and heading to a style all of their own, Aux 88 aka Tom Tom (Tommy Hamilton) and Keith Tucker (DJ name DJ K1) give two tracks from their classic 2009 album Mad Scientist an inaugural outing on vinyl, getting electro fans everywhere dribbling with instant Pavlovian desire in the process, no doubt. 'Voice Modulation' is slower, heavier and steadier, built around a shuddering b-line that anyone with a pulse will find hard to resist. 'Mad Scientist' the track, meanwhile, is faster and, with its vocoder-ed vocal delivery from Tucker, gives a good flavour of what makes the Michigan pair a vital live act as well as a legendary studio prospect.

Review: Detroit duo Aux88 always danced to a different drum than their Motor City peers, developing a ludicrously weighty trademark sound that put massive, mind-mangling analogue bass and gut-punching electro beats at the heart of the action. "Direct Drive", a 1995 release that has long been hard to find (hence this much-needed reissue), is one of the best examples of their distinctive sound. The title track (side A on this edition) is little more than a raw, thrusting bassline, snappy machine beats, spacey pads and occasional Kraftwerk samples, but it's brilliantly floor-friendly and brilliantly executed - Detroit body music for those who like their club cuts sub-heavy. Elsewhere, "Aux Express (DJ K1 Mix)" is a bouncy electro jam and the short "Bytes" tracks are wonky vocal samples for creative DJs.

Review: Dashiell has been road testing these two tunes in his sets for a while, and they have always done a job. They finally arrive on wax courtesy of Foul Play and are sure to get dropped all over the place this summer. 'dfuse all the tension' is the right mix of driving tech but wonky minimal. The bassline is drunk and all over the place while the lead synth has a retro video game feel, and some crisp melodies and refracted vocals finish it well. On the flip, 'da nastiest' is faster and more direct with some turbocharged and bass-driven tech house characterised by another sleazy vocal and phased synth lines that bring a playful twist.

Review: New heat from Datawave is always going to be worth tuning into, and so it proves with this new one on Wave Function. His signature fusion of dreamy synthscapes and kinetic rhythms shines bright from the off with 'Hyperborea' soothing mind and soul while the body shifts its behind. 'Dawnlights' has lazy acid modulations drifting between the slower beats, then 'Drifting' is as hopeful as the dawn of a new day with it arching chords and celestial synth twinkles. 'Aquila' has a more pronounced broken beat pattern and prying bass, but still plenty of deft melodies, and 'Landscapes' is a dubbed-out thinker.

Review: The Belgian label Higher Hopes is run by DC Salas who now returns to it with a new EP with the collaborative Los NiNos Del Parque project alongside Anthony Barbarich aka Mirror Minds. They say it is a release that has been 15 years in the making and has roots in their shared love of 2000s electroclash, plus new wave and new beat. They set out to make something inspired by that and have done so over the last four years with a mix of rugged and mechanical rhythms and angular synth lines. A fine remix by the assured Badaboum and Rinse France resident Belaria rounds out the package.

Review: Re-United nobly unveil their second release, 'Shock', a sharp, stylish repossession of the talents of one Paolo Driver and Alberto Bof. A perfectomundo blend of classic trance tranches and modern jam-house, the release also houses a remix by Niki B on 'The Spring', with profound implications to follow. Said closing remix is especially swarthy and down-under, evoking catlike slinks down alleys in the night with its slower-burning, electrostatic moves.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split at the top but otherwise in excellent condition***


The man best known as Convextion assumes his ERP aka Event Related Potential alias for four more next level cuts that find him pushing his electro electronics ever more into the future. 'V/Eight' opens with a melancholic bassline under busy drum programming to get things going. 'Equiponderance' is more complex with squirming electronics, more hefty bass notes and serene background pads adding a third dimension. 'Engine Vibration' is a more gritty mix of busy analogue machinery and star-gazing chords then 'Enfield' closes with optimistic sonics and propulsive bouncy bass to end this cosmic cruise on a high.

Review: Italian duo Lorenzo Fortino and Brody return with their third collaborative release, further refining a sound that drifts between deep house, electro and moody, politically conscious techno. Their work has always carried a sense of purpose, but here it feels more dialled-iniless ornamental, more direct. Opener 'Our Truth' stretches over seven minutes, layering synth washes and sparse drum work around processed vocals that feel halfway between meditation and manifesto. 'Homemade Mould' is tougher, rooted in chunky house drums and dubbed-out atmospheres, tapping into the rawer side of their shared palette. On 'Deep Freedom', they introduce vocalist Veronica Marini, whose debut here is remarkableiher voice rises with clarity and control through a lyrical call to action that's both elegant and forceful. That same control shapes 'Leave Those Memories', where she softens into something more introspective, folding jazz phrasing into a smoother, bittersweet house groove. Both tracks also appear in instrumental form digitally, but it's Marini's presence that elevates them into something quietly luminous. While rooted in the familiar structures of club music, this release reaches for something deeper and often gets there.

Review: Detroit Parties Rock like This... another repressed Detroit stomper from the Duo Keith Tucker and Blak Tony. Equipped and programmed for the dance floor, K1 and Blak Tony's acapella is sure to start any set off if you bold enough to do it. "Rock Like this" is A electro rap assault into the Detroit parties of the past. This track is a anthem from the city that gave you some of the funkiest electro ever created. This ep never disappoints a favorite of DJ Stingray.

Review: Set your radars to the cosmos and prepare for intergalactic take-off at the hands of this new one from K1 and Marty Bonds on Puzzlebox. It's timeless and cinematic electro from the off, with 'Cosmic Flight' (K-1 Navigational mix) layering up neck-snapping drums and bass and squelchy acid lines for you to ride on. Add in some smart spoken words and you have dance floor fire of the highest order. The track also comes as a bass-paella on the flip, while 'To Fly' (Marty Bonds Interdimensional mix) is a more minimal electro cut with lush digital synthesis and smeared astral melodies.

Review: After the inexorable 'Techno Disco Tool', Mella Dee shot like a shuttle from heartthrob disco-techno editor to all-star producer in his own right. 'Steady Movin' hears the British DJ and producer nod to Warp-era Yorkshire breaks, with his native Sheffield sound-checked through four in-yo-face selections, including 'NRG VIBES' and 'Fiedel Played A Big One'. Emphasising Reese bass movements and chunked up, peak-time thumpage, this one's ready-made for the edgier raver.

Review: Optic Nerve's - or Keith Tucker's if you prefer - Fragments EP is the last of the year from the Puzzlebox label and is a lush and futuristic techno offering that lands on limited white vinyl. 'Linear Motion' is powered by a sleek and propulsive deep techno bassline with solid stabs and majestic arp sequences. 'Echoes' is just as dreamy in its melody but then becomes a hefty techno stomper and 'Metallics' brings rich bell sounds, peak time drums and real class to any DJ set. 'Sequence in Time' is the closer with its hyper speed, icy melodies and twisted synths all making for a scintillating sound.

Review: Hallowed Ground is a six-track compilation that showcases the depth and variety of Detroit Techno, featuring renowned artists and fresh talents alike. Opening with Scan 7's 'Detroit Built The First Techno Museum,' the track sets a sophisticated tone, rooted in the city's rich musical history. Inohs Sivad's 'Sxerendade' follows with a house anthem highlighted by sultry vocals, adding a layer of sensuality. EM-i-Cee's 'Bounce Glxtch' offers a techy groove, providing a perfect transition to the flip side. AUX88's 'This Is What U Want' delivers crunchy electro beats that will resonate with fans of classic Detroit sounds. The compilation continues with Scan 7's 'I Am From Detroit' (Dre Brown remix), a fresh take that keeps the city's spirit alive. Man With No Name's 'Devil His Due' takes listeners on a Drexciyan electro journey, adding an intriguing edge. Scott Avery closes the set with 'Sxerenade' (Low-Key Seduction mix), wrapping up the compilation with a smooth, seductive vibe. Hallowed Ground is a compelling collection for any techno enthusiast.

Review: Philadelphia producer and DJ Sweater makes a blistering debut on New York's BLKMARKET MUSIC with five cuts that blur the lines between breakbeat, tech-house and low-slung electro. It's a sound rooted as much in dusty record bins he works the counter at Impressions Philly as it is in the warehouse circuits that forged this connection back in 2021. 'The Answer' opens with choppy drums and cosmic static, before both versions of 'Twilight Zone' spin the same eerie motif into sleek machine funk ('Space Mix') and woozy stepper ('Broken Mix'). On the flip, 'Better Ask Somebody' dials up the groove with bumping mids and a ghosted vocal chop, while 'Contact In The Zone' sends things into sludgy, broken-rhythm hypnosis. A bold first outing that speaks in riddles but hits with intent.

Review: After putting it on hiatus three years ago, Detroit electro legend Keith Tucker has decided to bring back the Puzzlebox label he launched with Anthony 'Shake' Shakir way back in 1995. He's at the controls for this comeback release, which astonishingly is also the sometime Aux88 member's first solo single since 2015. He kicks things off with "Modular World", a creepy but funk-fuelled slab of intergalactic electro that boasts whispered vocals, spacey sounds and the same up-tempo energy levels as Aux88's 1990s output. Over on the flip it's all about "Schematixs", a bleeping and unearthly affair that sits somewhere between Kraftwerk and Egyptian Lover.

Review: This is a highly sought-after slice of 90s Detroit techno well cherished by those who like machine soul and siren futurism from the Motor City. It is now reissued, so those who consider it a holy grail are sure to rejoice as it has also been smartly remastered and features two remixes that were never officially released, with only a limited number of white label copies originally distributed as promos by 430 West. 'Vocoder' glistens with cosmic synths that twinkle like distant stars over a rubber, bouncy bassline. Remix 1 is more dark and rugged, and remix 2 has a heftier low end and more snap in the drums. It all makes for high class mind and body music.

Review: The concept album is a divisive, err, concept. So often are we overwhelmed at the length of sleeve notes that make such little tangible sense it feels like falling through a wall of ketamine on acid, it almost makes us approach all sleeve notes with trepidation. Then you have records that have a bat shit crazy idea behind them, but convey it quite succinctly. Or at least in terms of the vital information you need to know. A few years before his own spiritual journey led him to Islam, Cat Stevens, later Yusuf, gave us Numbers, which is frankly the best type of concept album. Playing out like a surreal rock opera, of sorts, it's the soundtrack to a planned book, The Pythagorean Theory Tale, which tells of a planet, Polygor, on which there's a castle with a number machine, there to churn out new numbers and distribute these across the galaxy. Does it make sense? No. Do we grasp the fundamentals? Yes. Is it fantastic? Most certainly.