October: 17 Techno releases you need to hear this month

Shifted 'Appropriation Stories' (Hospital Productions)

Shifted steals us away from reality and takes us into his darkened cavern, where all manner of clandestine activity takes place. His previous two albums have showcased his ability to inject darkside tropes into his musical structures. ‘Appropriation Stories’ continues this experimentation, giving us 10 tracks that represent a firm and confident approach to techno, which uses subtlety to truly flourish. There’s an elegance about tracks such as ‘Life Backwards’, which has a reversed beat playing at its foundation. Or ‘For Closure’, a moody cut with barely-there percussion and a deathly, ominous atmosphere. The gloom is present across every track, but it matters for a cohesive listen. It makes for a sublime LP that’s also eerie, full of menace and as dark as one could imagine.

8/10

Vaal 'Wander To Hell' (Locked Groove remix) (Afterlife)

Tale Of Us prove their A&R mettle with this track on their new label Afterlife. Vaal and Locked Groove are both skilled studio hounds and this track is full of stirring atmospherics, with a vocal that will send shivers to your core. It’s got all the ingredients to make it a winner, from its melancholy, infectious rhythms to the big-room feel that takes it beyond the confines of a club space and out into the open fields of a festival.

9/10

Gardens Of God 'Ghost' (Sodai)

Even though you know what you’re in for with Gardens Of God, it’s a comforting kind of familiarity – like your favourite pair of slippers or the barman at your local serving up your ‘usual’. And GOG’s penchant for big-room melancholy techno makes him one of our favourites. On his new label Sodai he shows off his flair for moody rhythms with ‘Ghost’, a supernatural stomper with a sturdy foundation, stirring synths and harmonious vocals. Strap yourself in for an almighty breakdown, too, which is sure to cause many a dancefloor eruption.

8/10

Abstraxion 'Spazieren' (Conforce remix) (Biologic)

Frenchman Abstraxion has previously released with HAKT and Nico Jaar’s Other People, among others, so he’s clearly not too bad at the old techno producing. With this new release on Biologic he drops a slow-moving, 11-minute chunk of freshness. Conforce obviously had a lot to play with when he got the parts for his remix job, and he utilises them well. It’s grainy and moody, as grey as the skies during a violent thunderstorm. Minimal in its composition, Conforce is sparing in his application of the various elements that make this so good.

8/10

Nautiluss 'Alphaville' (Spectral Sound)

As soon as those chirpy cricket effects, swirly pads and the truncated kick get this track going, you know it’s going to be an enjoyable little outing. Nautiluss lands on Spectral Sound with a acid-licked bang on ‘Alphaville’, and he does it with panache. Never overly fussy or complicated, ‘Alphaville’ rolls out with that acid line keeping things locked-in tight throughout. The energy is consistent, but not overpowering – this is one of those easy-going acid tracks that works its hypnotic magic without overpowering the dancefloor.

7/10

Michael Mayer & Barnt 'Und Da Stehen Fremde Menschen' (Kowton remix) (!K7)

Here’s a three-way that should have all you techno fiends salivating: Kompakt boss Michael Mayer teams up with one of his label’s key artists, Barnt, with Kowton then jumping in on the remix. Mayer and Barnt’s original goes for melodrama, like a Telenovela, while Kowton’s rework is a bit more understated, with simmering muted bass lurking beneath bright chimes and odd, spliced-up snippets of the original vocal.

7/10

Bryan Kessler '10,000 Suns' (Numbers)

This percussion-heavy bouncer will almost certainly give you a much-needed bit of pep during a marathon party session. The energy that pumps out from every layer of this track is contagious and guaranteed to get those feet stomping and hips swinging. Just past the two-and-a-half minute mark, there’s a show-stopping breakdown, which leads into the main part of the track and the drumming continues with aplomb – big and bashy all the way. It’s one of those big guns you can just imagine Numbers bossman Jackmaster dropping during one of his sets to a sea of fist pumps. Towards the end, Bryan introduces a buzzsaw-esque layer to add depth to this banger.

8/10

Call Super 'Puppet Scene' (Houndstooth)

The relationship between Houndstooth and Call Super is like that of a power couple. With Call’s prowess as a producer and Houndstooth’s reputation and guidance, there’s a dynamic that leads to some top-class releases. Once again they’ve pulled off a dazzling couple of tracks: ‘New Life Repercussions’ on the flip is the housier of the two cuts, while ‘Puppet Scene’ is a floaty techno ditty with cute flutes and animal chatter gliding over a weighty low-end. The first half feels hesitant, but soon gets into a more rhythmic pace with a moody bassline.

9/10

Roberto 'Tiziani' (Sterac remix) (Fossil Archive)

When Steve Rachmad is involved in a track, you know there’s going to be some funk and soul. Here, on Roberto’s Fossil Archive label, he channels the funk through a techno filter, as per usual. Once that groovy bassline starts bubbling away there’s no going back: ultra crisp hats give the track more oomph, and Steve keeps things interesting by dropping claps or increasing the intensity of the drums, throwing in a new effect here or there. Midway through, a glorious breakdown ushers in the second half, which continues on its unstoppable mission to Planet Funk.

8/10

Dany Rodriguez 'Galaxies Compared' (Alexander Kowalski remix) (RMR)

Here’s a slice of techno with a clear narrative. Starting out relatively simple, with dainty whirrs and bleeps under a layer of propulsive bass, it quickly becomes more alert, dancing along with glee as a myriad of high-pitched sounds are introduced with more percussion to further quicken the pace. We’re soon engulfed by the sweet sounds, all underpinned by that sullen bass. Just after the three-minute mark we get some respite, but then the temperature rises again until we reach boiling point and all hell breaks loose.

8/10

Cardopusher '1989 Warehouse' (Classicsounds)

Barcelona’s Cardopusher gets busy on his own Classicsounds imprint with this new release. If you’re a fan of retro, analogue naughtiness then this is one for you. There’s a large slice of 303 badness on ‘Mouthwash Acid’, while ‘Police Are Coming (Emergency Mixx)’ has a bit of electro flavour to it, like a chase soundtrack from an old 80s movie. Elsewhere, ‘1989 Warehouse’ goes for that sleazy basement flex; the bassline continues to modulate against a tough kick and a vocal that repeats “warehouse, warehouse” over and over again. It has to be said that this was a close contender for Tune Of The Month, again relying on simplicity for maximum impact and devastation. Can’t wait to hear this one on a powerful sound system, absolutely rude.

8/10

Zeta Reticula 'Euphonious' (Electrix)

A welcome slice of breaky electronica which takes us back to the early tech-house days. Slovenian producer Zeta Reticula demonstrates his dexterity with a track that’s moving ever-forward, acquiring new layers every few phrases and growing into a mesmerising piece of music. ‘Euphonious’ is bright, optimistic and enjoyable.
A good, solid track that isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but still does the trick.

7/10

Steaward 'Track 10' (Steaward)

Time to get raw with this track from the sixth volume of Steaward’s self-titled collection of releases. All four tracks verge from tough house into techno with ‘Track 10’ our particular favourite due to its whirling pads, which arpeggiate up and down to create a trippy atmosphere. The beats are hard, rumbling along as those pads continue to work their magic. Not a huge amount of deviation from the central theme, but it’s not really necessary. It’s one of those beasts you can pull out to bring everyone on the dancefloor into a woozy state of being.

8/10

Christopher Rau 'Unclear Joint' (Klang Club)

Bit of a 90s feel to this analogue marcher, as Rau tucks away soulful vocal snippets deep in the background while the kick drum and woozy melody provide the meat and bones of the first half of the track. Muted voices remain throughout as the track pushes forward with definite purpose, taking us into warped disco territory.

7/10

Lapien 'As It Is' (Rekids)

Fresh from taking the Tune Of The Month title, Lapien lands on Rekids with another selection of techno with soulful influences. ‘As It Is’ has a catchy galloping rhythm as tribal beats undulate beneath a looped female vocal clip, while he stirs around a series of mysterious pads. The track feels like more of a tool than a full-on workout from Lapien, but it’s still entertaining and will serve any DJ well when thrown into the mix.

7/10

OAKE 'Paysage Dépaysé' (Stroboscopic Artefacts)

OAKE are German duo Eric Goldstein and Konstanze Bathseba Zippora, and their remit is techno that stretches out beyond the dancefloor to explore a more experimental side to the music. ‘Paysage Dépaysé’ is a potent mix of scintillating atmospherics that will send shivers down your spine alongside typically tough beats and a haunting vocal. The voice alone is bound to stay with you for a while afterwards; you may even end up hearing it in your sleep. This is an impressive piece that epitomises what OAKE are all about: the juxtaposition between humanity and technology, cold yet soulful.

8/10

Appleblim 'Twist It Down' (Tempa)

Mr Apple Pips himself gives us a shimmering slice of techno on the always trusty Tempa Recordings with ‘Twist It Down’. Set to a slightly drone-esque bassline, the track is an electrifying trip into a distant analogue dreamland, hazy yet offering some kind of clarity as it beckons you into its world. We like this a lot: good vibes, well-produced and instantly captivating.

8/10