Ricardo Villalobos
Heike EP (Reissue)

Writing about techno is quite difficult without falling into cliché: there are only so many ways that you can saysomething about a music whose core elements are forged on deliberate repetition; where real talent is attributedto those who can find the perfect groove where nothing needs added or subtracted to hold the listener’s attention for upwards of five minutes.Such tracks are the hallmark of Tresor’s catalogue, and this joy in repetition can be found in works from Detroit,Berlin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and more. And it is through this lens that Parisian artist, UFO95, focuses hisoutput, resulting in Backward Improvement, an EP that sits perfectly in the spectrum of techno found in theTresor chronology.The title itself makes an abstract reference to the influence of the classics of the genre, inspiring him to take adistinct less-is-more approach to production for this collection of stripped-down yet unrelenting techno chiselledfrom the live set which has fixed UFO95 as one of the next holdfasts for the future of the scene.Perhaps it is the fact the UFO95 only performs live that had led to such crisp and focussed studio productions.;each of the tracks showcase the artist’s burgeoning talent for creating the essential foundations of techno;perfect, looping, instinctual grooves that are counterbalanced by an apprehensive tension from off-key tones.Backward Improvement marks the addition of a new name in the list of techno’s best producers and proves thatwhile the genre may now be in its 40th year there are yet sonic explorations to be made and variations that areworth unearthing.

After Denzel’s debut EP ‘Techniques 4 Life’ last year, the quest for finding those approaches continues. The Helsinki night owl draws from a range of influences here on his sophmore EP ‘Glorified Intake’, taking things into a murkier territory than his previous, made during a transitional period of his life between two cities, H & B.The first track HKI 13 is an ode to roots. The track is held together by a swerving astral arpeggio combined with chants from a village dance off and stabs that liken to that one Balearic house anthem… The Sun is well on its way below.Nightrun reduces things to a darker core, howling into the night, embodying a state rather than telling a story. Time goes by, how is it already tomorrow? An after hours tune with a bassline for a hook. Doesn’t get much sleazier than that. Getting down, getting low.On the flipside, we’ve made it to the beginning of the end, phased out the doubts and gathered up the strength to go on — things are looking brighter. A voice inside your head — trust only yourself.Finally on the last stretch, light has subsided and darkness has landed once again. We’ve thrown out any notion of what, where and who. Those things don’t matter anymore: we’ve perfected “the state”. It’s go time.

2trckrs drops its second wax on da streetz.

For the fifth release, Clut Communication presents the first solo debut of an Uruguayan artist, Molen, with his "Subterranean Practice" EP. Five energetic tracks perfect for the dancefloor, combining elements of punchy electro and psychedelic ambient techno, influenced from 90's sounds.

ER gladly welcomes Juan Barraco aka Bunda to our catalog. Bunda is an Uruguayan producer/live performer who’s been linked to music since a young age through a classical approach with a later interest into electronic music production.Origen EP is his debut vinyl release delivering a solid four-tracks record: dancefloor-oriented pieces on each side’s first half and two downtempo tracks as second choices.A1 ‘No hay salida’ is a proper dancefloor piece featuring a stomper and sticky kick drum along with a non-stop bassline hypnotic pulse. A2 ‘9º Mandamiento’ features a different sound landscape with a hint of Arabic melodies in synths and basslines programming.On the flip side B1 ‘Stardust’ crafts a more sci-fi-bleepy grooving Techno sound while keeping an hypnotical atmosphere all along. Bunda shows a different facet in B2 with ‘Xep Nuit’, where he shows his skills and creativity in musical composition and sound picking.

Norbak is back on HAYES with Passo Lento, five sparse, Orwellian exercises with concrete percussion and a soul-stirring, atonal approach to melody.