DJs: Most Charted - Techno - Most Charted In February 2012

Review: Previously given away as a free digital release, Legowelt's The TEAC Life gets a richly deserved vinyl pressing, comprised of four twelve inches. On his website, he describes the 14-track opus as "deep, tape saturated forest-techno", as adroit a summation of his sound as any scribe has ever managed. The title is an obvious nod to the equipment made to construct the album, an admission which, rather than spoiling the mystique, only adds to it. The 14 tracks paint incredibly vivid images, from the audible tape hiss and raw drums on opener "The Night Wind", which leads to the windswept landscape of "Half Moon 106? and the slightly more polished Chicagoan jack of "The Soul of a City". The Virgo-esque string led romanticism of "Metro Airport" is one of many high points on what was one of 2011's best albums.

Review: It is ironic that just as Marcel Dettmann appears to be branching out from the Ostgut stable, through his mix for Music Man and now this EP for 50 Weapons, he comes out his purest, most refined techno record yet. No one is suggesting that the Berghain resident has split with Ostgut or is neglecting his own MDR label, but it is an undeniable fact that no matter what he releases on, classic 90s techno influences form a key part of his musical DNA. This is audible on "Duel"; functional yet subtle, it owes a debt to the loopy techno of the 90s, caught somewhere between Mills's Purposemaker releases and the UK variant it spawned, as a dense, filtered groove rolls to a backdrop of tight claps and insistent riffing. This being a 2011 release, the tempo is slower than the records it is influenced by, with the drop in bpms lending "Duel" a mushier, groggier feeling. "Deluge" on the other hand, is far closer to its source material. A wiry, squelchy serving of minimal techno, it recalls Dan Bell in pared back, 7th City mode, while its jarring, jack-knifing central riff is every bit as visceral as Robert Hood. Irrespective of where he's putting out music, the purest sounds are at the core of each Dettmann track.

Review: Taking influence from the mutant Berlin techno scene of today, Mr. Dettmann eschews his typical monstrous 4/4 thump for a positively swung and submerged jaunt in the shape of "Landscape". The groove is 100 per cent garage, although the sounds themselves hiss and echo like the finest Basic Channel audio debris. It's a pleasing reminder of the Berghain resident's diversity when he's not behind the decks maintaining marathon levels of techno endurance. Answer Code Request step up for a remix that sounds markedly tougher, although still withholding that relentless kick drum that once typified this corner of electronic music, rounding off a thoroughly satisfying package of floor ready brutes.

Review: Pacific Blue's Industry was one of those records that proved that some techno can have enough swing to appeal to a wide spectrum of DJs, and this remix 12" expands on the producer's sound in new and interesting ways. Silent Servant's remix takes the rigid stab of the original and floats it in space, keeping its delay wound like a rubber band, and while it's rhythm may feel more rigid than the original it loses none of the original's welcome rhythmic swing. Rrose's revision meanwhile is a more measured affair, taking its time to build itself up, but when the pulsating synth string arrives it has the curious effect of pulling the track back in on itself, creating a powerful gravity well which seems to pull the rhythms in before spitting them out again with added ferocity. Special mention must also got to the beautiful blue marbled vinyl and screenprinted insert.

Review: The consistently excellent Dekmantel imprint ushers in a new year with the release of two superlative productions from the mysterious Vedomir. Sounding very much like a character from a Tolkien novel, this Untitled EP presents two sides to Vedomir's obvious yet previously unheralded talent for production. The untitled A Side unfurls constantly fluctuating analogue rhythms arranged in a manner that positively encourages wilful hypnosis - deft percussive touches abound throughout as the track descends into the thick analogue ether with delicious results. Complementing this is the stunningly delicate strains of "Orthodox Ambient" which maintains a heavenly fashion throughout as fluttering female harmonies dance flirtatiously with a warm arpeggio atop a subtle backdrop of pads. Worthy of your full attention!

Review: Belgian imprint Mowar chalk up an impressive way to toast reaching their tenth release, unveiling a new talent in the shape of Searle, as well as securing a remix from Modern Love icon and recent Delsin addition Claro Intelecto! From the opening strains of lead track "Mind Transfer", it's clear the mysterious Searle prefers to occupy the darker, more claustrophobic recesses of the techno spectrum, sounding like Jamal Moss in one of his more concise moments, all intricately nuanced drum programming, alien vocal intonations and subterranean acid glitches. It's this track that Claro Intelecto tackles, spreading the original's acidic elements into an expansive bed of submerged sound upon which rhythmic elements are slowly built - first the metallic textures, then the throbbing kick drums and eventually more percussive elements. The accompanying tracks on the flip are just as impressive, with "Succubus" swiftly establishing itself as a burrowing 4am trip through Something In The Sky style techno and "Unauthorized" revealing itself to be a paranoia inducing production characterised by patterns of alien percussion.

Review: With stellar EPs this year on Luke Slater's Mote Evolver, Avian, and Snare already this year, the anonymous Shifted moves to Our Circula Sound for another 12" of impeccably produced techno. On the A-Side, "Telic" delivers a particularly Millsian cut which combines a light brushing of dust with interstellar bleeps coming from the ether. On the B-Side meanwhile, "Solus" utilises a booming kick which is offset by some slightly more swinging percussive tics and a lead which adds some digital chatter before careering into a massive wall of screaming white noise. The EP is closed off with the dub laden atmospherics of "Image/Channel", taking abrasive industrial textures and marrying them with a lurching bass which slows everything down to a sticky crawl.

Review: Archive 01 presents an collection of finely crafted techno works from Developer, aka Adrian Sandoval of esteemed American label Modularz, and they walk an enjoyably murky line between dubbed out sounds and razor sharp percussion. The A-Side contains "Archivo 1" and "Archivo 2", which feel very much like two sides of the same coin, the former being a relentless warehouse thumper, with the latter sharing melodic themes but made considerably lighter in its step with some slightly more swung percussion and tense strings. On the B-Side, "Themes" builds with pulsing synths to an urgent synth horn climax, whilst "Throb" is accented with its murky vocal samples that emerge from the sludgy kicks. Finally, the brilliant "Human Condition" utilises undulating toms to hypnotic effect, building to a searing climax.

Review: Some strictly limited edition white label heat here, as James Ruskin and Karl O'Connor deliver two sides of recordings from a recent London live show. The A-Side, featuring James Ruskin's "Live Rhythm Separate" is a combination Ruskin's classic track 'Work' alongside the blunted rhythms of Kalon's 'Man Is The Superior Animal', offering all enveloping bass and metallic machine persussion. The B-Side features a live version of Karl O'Connor's "Live Tonal Separate", an ambient track whose moody pads and bubbling samples make an excellent beatless intro/outro tool, as well as an immersive listening experience. And if there's any worry about the quality of the tracks being compromised given these are live recordings, then don't; the tracks are as crisp as any of their studio work.

Review: The brains behind the Semantica label, Svreca rounds off his Obscur series with a superb package of tracks and remixes. Regis certainly gets into the home-listening spirit of the label with his 'Invisible Mix' of "Utero", composing a serene symphony of moody strings and pads, with only faint whispers of industrial percussion echoing in the distance. Orphx do wonders with precision reverb decays on their reworking of "Jade", creating a devastating broken techno breakdown. Hold on for Svreca's closing track "Post Madrid", which incapacitates a live drum break into a paranoid slice of droney techno to die for.

Review: ** Repress for the Tang fans ** Obsolete Music Technology aka Steven Tang has had another great year, nurturing his personal take on Chicago-filtered house music. "Mmmmmusic" is just sublime, taking us on a journey through rugged, drum machine terrains, swaying pads and crafty vocals; whilst the reprise version unearths those synths to create a majestic soundscape which develops into a semi-groove thanks to its smart melodies. Over to the B-side, "Distance" is as deep as one can go, aligning sharp slabs of percussion to more tranquil pads and woozy synth chimes. We even get a boisterous Chicago Skyway refix of the title track, rendering almost unrecognisable thanks to a truly mesmerising bundle of hi-hats and toms. Beautiful.

Review: This been a tingle of anticipation at Juno towers ever since whispers first surfaced about a techno-leaning collaboration between R&S 2.0 alumni Blawan and Pariah. Save for a remix of West Norwood Cassette Library and an appearance on Ben UFO's excellent Rinse FM mix, this 12", the debut release on their newly minted Work The Long Nights imprint, constitutes the first serious glimpse into the Karenn sound. Title track "Chaste Down" is, for lack of a better word, enormous. It positively bristles with the kind of techno-funk groove that brings to mind the work of the Fachwerk crew at their finest, all twisted metallics, piercing synths and the beefiest of kick drums underpinning the whole thing. "Auflen Whip" and "Limewash (Barrelled)" make up the flipside, with the former's hollow, industrial slaps proving a boisterous accompaniment to the latter's pervading sense of rattling menace. How far will this duo take their sound down the rabbit hole? This may be one of 2012's most exciting questions.