Techno News

For more than twelve years, Morphology have been re-writing the rules of electronics. Michael Diekmann and Matti Turunen have melted electro, IDM and techno into their own unique sound. To celebrate their achievements, FireScope has sifted through the impressive discography of this Finnish pairing to bring long out of print tracks to a life.

Twelve 1 collects music released between 2009 and 2016, a dozen works that span labels like Abstract Forms, AC Records, Cultivated Electronics, diametric., Semantica, Stilleben and Vortex Traks. Opening with the cold love affair of “Manmade Woman,” this collection brings together frosted floor funk, cerebral armchair electronics and a quality of composition that only Morphology can provide. Embedded in the album are outposts of electro menace, tracks with that extra bit of bite such as “Dementia” and “Dalek Invasion. Deep and thought-provoking pieces abound, such as the otherworldly dreamscapes of “Magellan Probe” and “Moebius Strip” which were first heard on Arne Weinberg’s diametric. An understated balance permeates the record, broad concepts are interwoven with subtle shifts to bring a timeless quality to pieces like “Spacetime Interval”, “Europa” and “Plankton.” A perfect expression of over a decade of work.

Not only does this double LP gather rare tracks never before heard together, but also each piece has been lovingly remastered to breath new life into these wonderful works. Twelve 1 celebrates the music of Morphology in all its glory, two masters of modern electronic music who continue to re-define and re-design genres.

Class double pack of eight twisty techno tracks by Tammo Hesselink on Nous'klaer Audio. Comes in a special duo tone pantone printed jacket by Rotterdam based artist Tim Mastik.

Mixtus Orbis is a split album between Rennes' wizard Le Matin and the Danish astrocosmonauts Parallel Planet (Grammar of Movement & Ecxo).

It’s the 18th release of the label Maturre.

Mixtus Orbis is a place where the bad and the evil are meeting. Strange forms for strange minds, and big bangers for big dancers.

(12" 180g vinyl Limited 300) Support from Barker, Andrew Weatherall,… Specimen Records enters a new era for 2020, featuring brand new projects from some of most seasoned and some of the best electro producers around the globe. The label as certainly step up a notch, but retains its elements of cosmic drive.

2023 Repress

For Danish native and much-revered producer/performer Rune Reilly KÖLSCH, Kompakt has proven the perfect home curating his music: with two critically acclaimed albums and a now classic run of solo instalments in our Speicher 12' series, he took his techno craftsmanship to new levels, setting it on a melodic, emotive and even autobiographical course - without loosing any of its punch and quirkiness. With new full-length 1989, Kölsch presents the final chapter of an elegant, anthemic album trilogy that started with an exploration of early childhood memories and influences on '1977' (KOM 276 CD 107) - the year of his birth - and continued on '1983' KOM 329 CD 122), a vibrant and picturesque journey sound tracking the year he travelled through Europe aged six.

'With 1989, we have arrived in my early teens', Kölsch explains, 'a difficult time in my life, where I mostly just remember the greyness of it all - grey feelings, grey weather and my own grey face.' Coinciding with the already challenging need to squeeze past the bottleneck of puberty, it was a time of seething family crisis - his parents were divorcing: 'I would escape that grey world on my skateboard, listen to my Walkman as I explored the city around me. Music became my savior - the only way to overcome my family's hard times. I found a soundtrack to my grey life, and suddenly there was color.' It's why you'll find several tracks on the album being named 'grey' in different languages, and they all share this distinctly 'Kölsch-esque' moment of epic melodies breaking through propulsive techno beats like the sun through stormy clouds - a musical twist that's particularly impressive on album hit single PUSH, first heard on 'Speicher 97' (KOM EX 97).

Second in a series of 7" vinyl releases on Posthuman’s Balkan Vinyl imprint - the "Kanlab series" - focused on celebrating underground artists from the label roster, are Acidulant and Panda Xpress.

Maltese producer, DJ, label owner and promoter Acidulant and has a long catalogue of acid releases to his name, not just on Balkan but also Flatlife, Acid Avengers, Jack Trax, Zodiak Commune and more. He brings the 303 electro on the A side here. On the flip, high tempo Braindance acid breaks from a mystery artist using the pseudonym Panda Xpress. All artwork for the Kanlab series is by non-binary designer Leo Soph Welton of I Am Human Design.

Hypallage Project (Ilum) and Potomac launch their new label Avant-Propos Records with four intricate cuts entitled ‘Avant-Propos 01’. Hypallage Project and Potomac are a pair of producers and DJs with a residency at Spazio Tempo in Paris where they are known for
delivering six-hour long ambient and experimental sets playing alongside the likes of Acronym, Milton Bradley, Dasha Rush and Marco Shuttle to name a few. Hypallage Project has one previous release on SUB Records whereas Potomac has a release on Arts
And a single track on SUB. This inaugural release displays the pairs ability to provide a deep and transcendental musical experience through ambient and
downtempo soundscapes. Hypallage Project’s ‘Adage’ begins with murky atmospheres through enticing pad work, raw drums and ethereal elements before ‘You’ delivers dark modulations, captivating synth murmurs and resonating kicks. On the flip, Potomac’s
‘Phosphore’ offers up blissful melodies balanced over crisp textures and rhythmic drums until ‘Eloa’ finishes things off with true experimentalism fusing emphatic soundscapes, machine-like tones and undulating euphoria.

French techno titan Madben unveils his much anticipated ‘Troisième Sens’ LP on Maceo Plex’s Ellum Audio.

Madben started absorbing the techno of Jeff Mills, Dave Clarke and Speedy J in the 90s, growing up in Lille in northern France. He retains a passion for DIY culture and warehouse parties thanks to youthful raving at Brussels' Fuse, Gent's Kozzmozz or in abandoned factories in Courtrai. All this has shone through in his music, including a debut album on Astropolis in 2018 that featured a collaboration with Laurent Garnier and a recent EP for Garnier and Scan X’s label.

Over the last decade, he has become a European club and festival favourite playing places like Berghain and Awakenings. His studio boasts a fine array of machines utilised to full effect on this latest opus. ‘Troisième Sens’ perfectly reflects what the artist has always loved, listened to and played, keeping one eye on the dance floor but never at the expense of musical narrative. It’s a genuinely progressive, multi-genre body of work that allows listeners to fully immerse themselves in the seemingly limitless depths of the Frenchman’s sonic capabilities.

He says, “Over the years, I learned to have more fun with the gear in my studio, and this has been the result. The album took three years to finish; I started in an underground basement studio in Paris before moving to Nantes. Therefore, it may surprise listeners with such a diverse selection of moods. It's dark in places but happy in others.”

'Departure' kicks off with uplifting synth work and broken techno beats that have a celebratory feel. 'Addicted' is a lithe cut with steamy vocals and a more fulsome combo of drums and bass, while 'Circuit Breaker' cuts loose in the cosmos. Acid wobbles, smeared synths and metallic percussion all make for a bouncy cut before 'Fade In Fade Out' continues the cosmic trip with vastly oversized synth patterns that will light up a dark space with overwhelming euphoria.

The brilliant 'It's 1 am In A Rave' is a dark, heads-down banger with 'Lost Memories' then layering up melancholic synths and Plastikman-style drum loops into something full of deep thought. There is no let up with the superb acid techno gymnastics of 'No fear', and 'The March' is a turbulent mix of sheet metal synths that whip about over steel-plated drums. 'You Dance Like A Robot' is end-of-the-world electro with a menacing robot vocal, and the electro tip continues with expert drum programming and menacing leads on 'Deep In The Jungle'. 'Meta' is a flailing rhythmic workout that sounds like the machines are in meltdown, and 'I Made A Dream During This Nightmare' is a serene techno soundscape for ruminating about the future of the human race.

Intelligent yet immediate, impactful but emotional, ‘Troisième Sens’ is another standout techno record from Madben.

A culmination of paranoia emerges as we lose the human dimension of the city. Glittering canals shape the light in our eyes as we pass by, guiding our spirits safely home as the sounds slowly fade away into night sky. It’s not our time to go although the balancing act slowly becomes more extravagant and abstract until we find another way to stand on one toe. Piecing together all the perplexations, realization that all the shit that you have chatted float down the ether stream to Timbuktu never to be seen again, and the lion at the end dribbles and spits, waiting for words of shite to come walking his way so him and his lioness can slowly butcher every last note, until just dust is left.

Four more lively, lovely electro offerings from Plant 43, the second in a limited edition series of EPs focussed on tracks written over the course of the winter of 2022/23. Opener 'Submolecular Shifting' is bright and bubbly, joining the dots between Kraftwerk and Model 500, while 'Eccentric Elliptical Orbit' follows on slower and more grandiose, echoing early New Order's icy cool synth sounds. 'Encased' has a more otherworldly Aphex-like feel, although the juddering, on-off bass keeps it plugged into the dancefloor. 'The Forgotten Storm' closes proceedings, more low key again and graced with ethereal, adding angelic choirs. Energised enough and streamlined enough to be good dancefloor gear, but expertly executed and, as ever, brimming with enough personality to be a decent home listen as well.

Clear Marbled Vinyl

The new vinyl from the creative label Rotation Mecanique has been handed by the experienced French musician and producer Arnaud Rebotini. "Outlaw" EP contains 3 original compositions and a crushing remix from the heavy - sounding mastodon Terence Fixmer.
The A - side title track "Outlaw" plunges the listener into a hot synth storm with a leather - whip - biting snare drum, powerful rhythmic base and non - trivial lyrics. The second composition "Widow Jane" sounds crystal clear and attractive to all the fans of Synth Wave, EBM, Techno and New Beat.
B - side opens up the powerful Industrial Techno Body remix by Terence Fixmer,, which indicates the roughness,,
discipline and well - defined riffs of analog synthesizers, skillfully mixed with the dub vocals of "Outlaw" and the punching kick drum. "Honeymoon In Red" lays an icy layer between all the paths of the EP, summing it up chronologically towards the end of the record.
All tracks are made with love to DJ art and start with naked drum sections (except the lunar renegade B2).
The regular release version contains a special designer hard crystal clear "PVC bag" with a wrap and a ""Smoke Marble Transparent" vinyl inside. The real find in the hands of a record collector and a true fan of modern art aesthetics. Deep cut at 33 1/3 RPM. Mastered by Dark Crusader Studio (DCSM).

BYTES, das dritte Album der Artificial Intelligence-Serie, wurde ursprünglich 1993 veröffentlicht und feiert mit dieser Reissue sein 30-jähriges Jubiläum. Black Dog Productions waren Ed Handley, Andy Turner und Ken Downie, die für dieses Album unter verschiedenen Namen auftraten: Atypic, Balil, I.A.O, Close Up Over, Xeper, Discordian Popes und Plaid. Die Reissue besteht aus exakten Repliken der Originalausgaben, das Album wurde von Beau Thomas @ Ten Eight Seven Mastering für klassisch-schwarzes Vinyl neu geschnitten.

We, Florklang Records based in Japan are happy to present you EP of Cool and Frank! Cool and Frank's debut
is Golden Wall" which sounds IDM for 90's music lover releasing from Sleepers Records.
This time of Cool and Frank's EP includes four tracks with radiated edgy sequences inspired by IDM and also with dynamic Acid sound base lines are intensely revolving.
We recommend wide range of music funs who Techno lovers for sure, Acid, Electro, IDM lovers and more...

It has only been four catalogue numbers in the past since.....

Generali Minerali (Tbisili/Georgia) cooperated with RNBWS and made a fuzz. This time he’s on a solo path, or - according to the title - maybe alongside Kim Jong-un?

“Batteries aren’t low” gets to the heart of Generali’s sense for sounds: Softly billowing Electro, a vocal sample which kinda sounds like P. Diddy and harmonies that could well have been on “Selected Ambient Works II”. Come on, let’s go!
Point before line calculation or cryptic code? We don’t know for sure, but “5-5-6:5-6-5“ remains true to the ambient focus of the a-side. Retro 90s vibe, cosmic, prancing and floating - like stumbling into the chill out area for the first time on a muzzy Sunday morning.

“I got it” comes in significantly more abstract. Harmonies give way to industrial sounds, without vanishing entirely. Electric boogie with litte acid nuances - beautiful prelude to the b-side!
In terms of acid, „Smooth D“ puts a few blotters on top. A combination of psych sounds, dirty raw drums and trippy sequences. Two tickets for the 90s time capsule, please.

Following the success of the first Planet Love compilation, Safe Trip has delved even deeper into the roots and formative years of trance music. The result is a vivid snapshot of heady, trance-inducing music released between 1990 and ’95.

Like its predecessor, Planet Love 2 does not deliver a straightforward chronological run-down of influential ‘proto-trance’ cuts and key early anthems. Instead, it casts its’ net far wider for inspiration, joining the dots between trance-inducing tracks in a disparate mixture of interconnected styles.

Before trance became rigidly defined in the late 1990s, the term was more loosely used as a descriptor, with the tag variously being attached to tracks that combined elements of techno, ambient, breakbeat, deep house, electronica, progressive house, acid, tribal and new beat. What unified these disparate musical strands was an emphasis on groove, melody, atmosphere and – more often than not – psychedelic intent.

You’ll find all this and more amongst the 12 colourful and emotive tracks from around the world that make up Planet Love 2. The hard-to-pigeonhole, early ‘90s New York rave scene is represented by the immersive ambient of Lazer Worshippers’ ‘Free Flight’, Revelation’s trippy gem ‘First Power (Domination Dub)’ and the delay-laden drums, held-note new wave chords and psychedelic electronics of ‘Time Warp’ by Moodswings.

The UK’s rarely discussed role in the development of early trance – often via tracks that touched on ambient techno and progressive house – is represented by the Obsession Project’s prototype melodic trance obscurity ‘Untitled Part 3’, the Arc’s fast-then-slow rework of The Moody Boyz ‘The Pygmy Song (Nocturnal Version)’ and ‘X O Surf’ from The Deep, a breakbeat-driven workout that defies easy categorization.

Naturally, the popularity of early trance in Europe is reflected in the track listing, too. Check the formative progressive trance of French producer Innertales’ ‘Odysee’, two tracks from Italy (T.E.W’s ‘Doubt Int’ and Alien Signal’s melodic ‘Deep Sky Delights’), and a trio of often overlooked cuts by German artists (early Svan Vath number ‘L’Esperanza’, the Jam El Mar co-produced ‘We Come in Piece (Desert Mix)’ by Dance 2 Trance, and ‘A Source’, the opening track from Tobias Beldermann’s first EP as Redeye.

Offering a deeper and more diverse definition of early trance than volume one and packed to the rafters with sought-after and overlooked gems, Planet Love 2 is a fitting follow-up to Safe Trip’s first collection of formative trance treats.

There's not much info out there about My Own Jupiter's latest addition to the roster, though we do know that he's a Spanish producer and that "Morning For Loss" is his debut album. It's a rather impressive set, with the publicity-shy artist offering up a poignant, spacey and quietly picturesque mix of slo-mo melodic electro, intergalactic dancefloor workouts, early '90s style IDM, bleeping ambient techno and shimmering purist electro jams that sound like they've been sat idle on a dusty cassette since 1989. Throughout, Depressor strikes a near perfect balance between bottom end grunt, atmospheric aural textures and tuneful, ear-catching synthesizer motifs.

Deeply ingrained into the fabric of the British electronic music landscape, Luke Vibert shows no sign of slowing down, after an illustrious career spanning three decades (to date!). Vibert returns to Hypercolour after 2020’s hugely successful trilogy series (Amen Andrews/Modern Rave/Rave Hop) with his 18th album (not counting albums released under his other monikers Kerrier District, Plug, Wagon Christ et al).

‘GRIT.’ finds Vibert in playful mode (and, let’s face it, whenever isn’t he!), as twelve tracks of acidic and squelching drum machine tracks come rolling out to play. Bouncy and hypnotising 303 jams of the highest order are served up here, with rhythms pulled from the electro, garage and house pools, all delivered in Vibert’s inimitable style.

Mike Paradinas first album of new material since 2013, written in some rare downtime in the Gower (Wales) during the summer 2020 lockdown. There's a strange sense of the old and new in Scurlage, the sentimental and utopia. Dive into Paradinas world, yesterday, today and forever.

AAA997 keeps things moving with 4 tracks from the OG’s ….. Think RAW, late night techno into early morning electro with zero regrets.