Electro 12 Items

Right for the 30th anniversary of his Electro project Electro Nation, Thomas P. Heckmann returns with a brand new album on his mates label Activities Records from Brussels with a stunning album artwork by Elzo Durt ! Slave To The Machine is a full story throughout the album about an ordinary life that is down to all things being controlled by machines, internet and digits, just to escape and meet the machine at he end... And the end is obviously open."

One of the most consistent new labels around, Cyphon Recordings, marks double figures with another standout release that gleans from the past, but faces the future. This time they look to the talents of Emotive Technology, a new alias from Chilean Massiande who provides a five-track EP of machine-wielding, soul-rousing techno from across the spectrum.

Although this may be the first release under his new moniker, Massiande has spent the last decade putting out productions with labels such as Housewax, Phonica, Freerange and Groovin. Firing on all cylinders from the get-go, ‘Rise’ kicks off the Walk Into The Light EP. A hyperspace melding of new beat, Italo and arp-operating techno that opens out into a slice of peak-time revelry.

The swirling textures of ‘It’s On’ follow, pushing you into the next dimension. A hypnotic, entrancing and arresting heads-down powerhouse. Crunchy and considered it's the kind of strobe-stuttering basement jam that turns heads inside out.

Two Detroit-leaning tracks ‘Your Zone’ and ‘Walk IntoThe Light’ are up next. The former is a heavyweight machine workout. Layered synth lines and crisp drum programming transfix, as that grooving low-end powers bodies into bedlam. The latter, a Motor-City-influenced tour de force. One that sees Massiande recode the circuitry to hit with a piano-laden stunner, balancing power and presence, with emotion and nuance.

Closing out proceedings, ‘The Swing’ sucks you in deeper. A resonating world of synth stabs, pulsating basslines and atmospheric electronics.

Doing the Emotive Technology namesake proud, Walk Into The Light is machine music hardwired with a heavy sense of soul.

Return To Disorder welcomes Evighet Records label head Marco Bruno for some brilliantly controlled sonic chaos on this new electro exploration. His Sharp Focus EP brings together ambient, breaks and techno to snappy electro rhythms of the sort that he has already showcased in style on labels such as Blueprint Records and Machine. This one opens with the sleek, future-facing and speedy sounds of 'Storyteller' before 'Values Over Ego' gets more textured and raw with knick-snapping hits and prying synth lines making for real turbulence. 'Twist Of Fate' is a jungle workout that ducks and dives on warped bass and 'Karmic Pattern' is a slow but textural and intense closer with rueful chords.

SamOne seamlessly picks up where his

I am happy to present our first tape release by The Jaffa Kid as part of the brand new Digital Artefacts series.

The series is an ode to the sound of the 90s, from Electro, IDM and Jungle to further different experimental stuff and sounds. The choice of tape as format seemed fitting for the aesthetic of the series.

The first EP comes from UK based The Jaffa Kid (previously on 030303, Dischi Nottetempo, Gated Recordings and more) and is a solid mixture of Electro, Techno and beyond.

‘Unknown Fate’ is the debut release from UF - the collaborative live project between German experimental techno artist Oake and British producer and live performer Samuel Kerridge. Self-described as the ‘power metal techno’ duo, the project was initially born from an Atonal commission. Now, Oake & Kerridge present two EPs ‘Unknown’ and ‘Fate’, culminating in 9 tracks of unadulterated sonic warfare for their LP release. Of the project UF say "Forged through friendship, addiction, and debauchery, UF is the sum of our parts. It’s taken over a decade to formulate these ideas and the noise is palpable. Pack your end of world survival bags and prepare yourselves for the ensuing riot.” Samuel Kerridge and Oake started creating music together when they shared a studio in Berlin and have been making music together for a decade. This is the first time that they have released music as a duo and it’s been a long time in the making.

Dark Vektor draws us into his own rendition of Crew Balance's hit, "The moderns like electro," in a vibrant old-school urban key. With powerful rhythms, enveloping melodies, and voices that seem to emerge from the same machine, he transports us to a golden era of electronic music.

White Solar Dog captivates us with his electro acid pop rowdy, where an irresistible melody becomes the lure that traps us and takes us to a state of musical ecstasy from which we don't want to return.

Robot City plunges us into a techno bass sonic universe Detroit-style, where each note is an exploration of the limits of electro. With exceptional elegance and mastery, he creates soundscapes that make us lose track of time and space.

Sentex surprises us with a track designed to make the ground vibrate beneath our feet. His strong, arpeggiated basslines, along with rhythms that hit forcefully, irresistibly drag us towards the frenzy of the dance floor.

Cyberdom takes us on a journey of mental electro, where each note is a step towards the most refined elegance and groove. With voices that flow like ghosts across the dance floor, he creates a hypnotic atmosphere that invites us to move our bodies to the rhythm of his music.

Split DJ transports us to a dystopian future with his uncompromising retro-futuristic electro. With echoes of the most iconic productions of the 2000s, he plunges us into a whirlwind of sounds that make us feel as if we're in the heart of a science fiction film.

"Something Scary" is probably one of the most representative examples of Belgian New Beat as the genre shifted to Hard Beat, by one of the key figures in the explosion of the early Belgian rave scene Rembert De Smet. Starting with the first few seconds of the track, the listener is presented with what could arguably be one of the most unforgettable New Beat acid bass lines to attack the human ear. Very much in your face, characteristic of a genre that emerges from studio experimentation during a time when Chicago Acid was establishing itself and already contaminating the UK. Although relatively simple in terms of production, the way De Smert employs all the elements at play is ingeniously effective, from the simple vocal sample placement to the bassline, propelling it timelessly throughout decades to follow as an iconic example of the Acid sound in Europe. Re-released with two new remixes by the masterful Anatolian Weapons. Remastered at Manmade Mastering in Berlin.

A much needed release essential to any respectable New Beat record collection. The second and last single for the Zsa Zsa Laboum project, originally released in 1989, shortly after the prolific impact of "Something Scary", although a different formula, "Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas?" is deep in tune with the Belgian Acid aesthetic, but with a more industrial edge to it. Simplistic but effective use of vocals, streamlined to the basics of maximum club efficiency, dark and not trying to make friends - De Smet is here to sell records, and with much success at the time with his honed production experience from years in the studio. Own a very relevant piece of club history from a special time in rave culture. Topped off with a new remix by Anatolian Weapons. Original artwork, new remastered sound by Manmade Mastering in Berlin