Techno Reviews: February 2025
Back once again with the renegade master!
This month’s reviews page features a few heavyweights, along with some lesser known artists who’ve served up some absolute stormers - all released in February and available to buy now. As always, the styles vary and there’s a mix of all the tunes below so you can hear them in some kind of context. I’ve always believed that dance music can (sometimes) lose its impact when you hear it outside the club environment, or when it’s isolated. In the mix, at the right moment on a big system, with a DJ who knows what they’re doing, a relatively mediocre tune can sound amazing. So, for me, putting the tunes into a mix, can help them make a little more sense…
TUNE OF THE MONTH
Cousin
No King
[Moonshoe]
Wow, this is seriously deep. From the first few seconds, it’s trance-inducing production captures the inner landscape of your mind. A very steady, patient build up guides us into the belly of this beast. Cousin starts to ramp things up after 2 minutes and, by 3 minutes, it’s lift off. Masterfully done, never overcooked, yet dynamic in its own way.
Geck-o
Soul Train (OGUZ Remix)
[TC Classics]
Never imagined that I would hear Loleatta Holloway’s vocals utilised in such a hefty piece of music, but somehow it works and OGUZ reinterprets Geck-o’s original with aplomb. The stark contrast between the brutalist beats and the jovial trance-esque melody in the second half adds to the character of this one. Eyes closed, hands pumping in the air… all is well, life is great.
Charlotte de Witte & Amelie Lens
Where Do We Go
[B2B]
“When the night fades, where do we go?”, asks this pumper from two of Belgium’s techno Queens. The galloping low end supports mesmerising layers of squelching synth and ominous atmospherics. Exquisite production on this one, and the arrangement is expertly composed with just the right amount of subtle shifts in energy to keep it highly engaging. In answer to the question, I usually go to bed…
Kop-Z
Revision
[Second Born]
This quirky cut is one of my favourites this month. You can tell Kop-Z was having fun making this one, just from the whimsical sounds and effects. Yeah, the main architecture is pretty tough, but around that potent core is quite a playful composition. By the latter part of the tune, Kop-Z has got you captivated with wonderfully soft pads floating above the morose drums.
DUELLIST
Stains of Time
[OMEN Recordings]
What a name for a tune. It really fits as well! DUELLIST gets rough, rugged and raw with this cut. Gravely, industrial vibes… Uncompromising, just how I like it. There’s almost no let up in the pounding rhythms, until around the three-minute mark, when DUELLIST gives us some respite. Then it’s back to being jackhammered. Brace yourself!
Death In Vegas
Acid Rejects Vol 1
[Drone]
This is a beautifully crafted excursion with the legends Death In Vegas creating a wistful first half. While the beats pump continuously, we drift into the main body of the track on a soft digital breeze. This cut is almost nine minutes long, so they have plenty of space to weave a compelling narrative. When the serenity is complemented by an acidic melody, this track really comes into its own.
Atomic Moog
Landing Point
[Delsin]
This so lush you can almost touch the vibrations. A tune thick with atmosphere, the low end is dense and rubbery with scattered effects reverberating around in the cavernous soundscape. Images of an alien rainforest come to mind when I listen to this. The whole EP is stunning.
EMIT
Mother Runner
[Jujuka]
Loves the way this one unfolds. I would love to have been in the studio watching this come together. EMIT ushers this cut in with almost three minutes of build up. Once it gets going, the drum programming adopts more of a DnB kinda step, which I’m really digging. By four minutes it has evolved into something else, with cosmic atmospherics dancing around the percussive elements. Salute EMIT, so so fresh!
Luciano Esse
Game Off
[Beard Man]
Feeling the nineties rave stabs on this one. Luciano gets things pumping from the off, the vintage sounding riff creeping in and then holding centre stage for the majority of the track. Around it he builds the drum patterns and a solid amount of bassweight to create a dance floor whopper. Extra large!
Dirty Youth
Infinitisemale
[Influenced Records]
This London-based label came recommended by my pal Morgan Elder (big up!). I’ve followed their progress for about a year now, and grabbed this one off their Bandcamp recently. Dirty Youth keep it tight and rolling with ‘Infinitisemale’. I’m feeling the subtle layering of sounds, with considered of tension release. It’s got a real heads down kinda vibe that transports you straight to a dark dance floor pulsating with liberated energy.
Michal Wolski
Moonless Night
[Southern Lights]
Such a potent, haunting atmosphere on this one. Michal Wolski’s production is seriously on point. I almost shuddered at the ominous tones. A tune so abundant with atmosphere, your imagination will be whisked away to distant lands shrouded in dank, grey mist. I would love to play this as my intro tune on a huge rig… the sound design is incredible.
Refracted
Beneath The Surface
[Titrate]
This beatless cut is a brooding, drone-fueled affair. Refracted takes us deep into a digital womb of frequency, with unnerving sounds accompanying the main endless drone. Its minimal yet gives a feeling of fullness. The longer it goes on, the more you’ll be absorbed into its depths. At almost eight minutes long, this is a surefire way to get yourself submerged in sonics.
Gary Holldman
Anniversary
[International Day Off]
Ahhhhh, this one washes over you like a soothing electronic ocean of vibration. The beats are pretty punchy though, keeping you locked into a groove. Meanwhile layers of pads and shimmering synth build and build, until you’re immersed deep in its abyss. By the end you’ll be feeling as though you want to submerge yourself again. Serious tune.
Grace Dahl
Camille Fatale
[South Signatures Records]
I’ve been following Grace Dahl for a while now and I absolutely LOVE her style. Her sets are impeccable, those live sets from her “spaceship” looking music room and the tunes she plays…. banging! ‘Camille Fatale’ has all the elements I associate with Grace’s signature sound - taut, dense and utterly compelling. The bass is especially potent, which will always get a big YES from me.
Niclas Erlandsson
Pang i Bygget (D.A.V.E. The Drummer Remix)
[Antimodus Records]
Swedish energy aplenty here with Niclas Erlandsson, a live performer and producer from the Scandi nation. I Googled the name of this tune and a load of pitcures of John Cleese popped up because, it’s used as the title for TV show Fawlty Towers, which really tickled me. However, Niclas reached out to let me know the actual translation: “If someone drops something on the floor, one could say "ops, pang i bygget", literally it would translate to "boom in the building””. Thanks! Throw D.A.V.E. The Drummer in the mix for a rework and you’ve got yourself a winner. This one is a surefire club smash. One for the peak time roll out.
Birgan
Beats Of The Congo Cosmos
[Danza Nativa]
This label is always putting out electronic music that steps away from traditional styles. A perfect platform for Birgan to unleash this excellent EP. ‘Beats Of The Congo Cosmos’ is pretty sparse, but everything that’s there works together to create a powerful cut. When you listen closely, there’s a lot more going on than its minimal composition suggests. One that will suck you into its hypnotic rhythmic structure…
Thanks for this one!