#33 Feat. Staff Picks in Trance (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic)

Dekmantel continues to shape out the return of its UFO series with an EP of mind-massaging techno-trance futurism from Wata Igarashi. Capturing the energy of the UFO stages which indulge Dekmantel Festivals darker, experimental tastes, Igarashi turns out four shapely serotonin injections in his inimitable style. Theres an immediacy to the Kaleidoscopic 12 which rushes into earshot the moment the EP fires up with the insistent acid throb of the title track. The eternal undulation of a 303 provides the bedrock for Igarashis fluttering brushstrokes, while a tough yet supple beat charges underneath. Cascading arps are a core element of the richly melodic sound on this release, reaching measured peaks of ecstasy on The Sailage without ever taking a cheap shortcut. Understated, emotionally-charged eloquence spills out of every sequence. Theres a softer, blurry-eyed sentiment to the synth work on Steaming, while Interweave tempers classic acid techno tropes with gaseous atmospherics. There are plenty of crisp edges in his tracks for the dancers to latch onto, but Igarashi specialises in a fluid motion that encourages less thinking and more feelinga lysergic techno flow to truly melt into.

Wata Igarashi

#38 Feat. Staff Picks in Electronica

Dekmantel UFO Series continues its resurgent form with a new album of bruising, industrial wave and techno from Broken English Club. UK techno mainstay Oliver Ho debuted his dark and brooding alias more than 10 years ago with a release on Jealous God under the guidance of the late, great Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) Songs Of Love And Decay is explicitly dedicated to Mendez, whose influence runs deep in this seductively sinister corner of underground, independent electronic music. Within the overarching aesthetic of the Broken English Club sound, Ho finds the freedom to deliver a full spectrum album as diverse as it is consistent. You can sense the shadow of his roots in 90s tribal techno punching through on Crawling and Death Cult, while England Heretic leans on thick swathes of analogue synthesis indebted to Giallo soundtracks and the ever-compelling lure of 80s synthwave. In its grinding layers of distortion and dubbed out vocals Vessel Of Skin speaks more to the post-punk influences which have set Broken English Club apart since the outset. This isnt a purely retro-fetishist expedition, though Pacific Island Kill and Lost Gods exude stark modernism in their sharply-angled sequences and dramatic sound design, moving beyond the functional demands of 4/4 dance music to reach to more cinematic zones. These are but some of the approaches Ho burrows into as he shapes out the depth and breadth of his muse on Songs Of Love And Decay. Its marked by the undeniable impact of his production, perfected over a decades-deep career at the bleeding edge of machine music. At times the album celebrates the addictive thrust of the dancefloor, while elsewhere it relishes the tension of suspended animation. Throughout, the gritty veneer binds together this accomplished, uncompromising body of work as both a fierce artistic statement and a loving tribute to Mendez an artist who equally embodied the darker side of the dance.

Broken English Club

#63 Feat. Staff Picks in Electronica

Dekmantel return to Marcel Dettmanns celebrated 2022 LP Fear Of Programming for a remix package featuring five of the biggest names in contemporary club music. Dettmanns unmistakably sleek, focused production style is the perfect springboard for all kinds of imaginative interpretations that touch on techno, footwork, electro and ambient. Donning his L.B. Dub Corp alias, Luke Slater kicks off the A side by paring Suffice To Predict down to its fundamentals and rebuilds a taut, punchy version out of the component parts. SHERELLE explores a sweet spot between techno and footwork in her natural 160 BPM zone on her angular, reverb-heavy version of x12. On the B side, Dopplereffekt supplement the cascading arpeggios of album closer Fear Of Programming with their inimitable strain of dystopian electro. Interstellar Funk turns album centrepiece Water into an atmospheric techno voyage shaped out by melancholic pads and fluttering leads. JASSS takes Fear Of Programming further out through billowing clouds of ambience and dislocated vocal impressions, arriving at a bold and pensive closing statement to this heavyweight clutch of remixes.

Marcel Dettmann

#83 Feat. Staff Picks in Bass / Club

After a brief pause, Dekmantel are returning to their UFO series to present a cybernetic rush of non-conformist techno from Italian maverick Piezo. Anyone familiar with Dekmantels flagship festival will know the UFO stages showcase spikier strains of modernist body music, and the label series serves to push these sounds forwards in the hands of consistently visionary producers. Milan-based Piezo is usually found at the helm of his Ansia label, exploring a versatile spectrum of experimental club music grounded in soundsystem presence and non-linear structures. On Ecstatic Nostalgia he edges his sound into a more driving, techno-spirited framework which lends itself to the energy of the UFO series beautifully. From tightly wound, artfully fractured 150 rumble and elegant sci-fi breakbeat on to needlepoint electronica and subtly trance-brushed atmospherics, Piezos broad palette fuels an ear-snagging EP which balances visceral impact with a deft touch.

Piezo

#93 Feat. New Releases in Techno (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic)

Dekmantel UFO Series continues its resurgent form with a new album of bruising, industrial wave and techno from Broken English Club. UK techno mainstay Oliver Ho debuted his dark and brooding alias more than 10 years ago with a release on Jealous God under the guidance of the late, great Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) Songs Of Love And Decay is explicitly dedicated to Mendez, whose influence runs deep in this seductively sinister corner of underground, independent electronic music. Within the overarching aesthetic of the Broken English Club sound, Ho finds the freedom to deliver a full spectrum album as diverse as it is consistent. You can sense the shadow of his roots in 90s tribal techno punching through on Crawling and Death Cult, while England Heretic leans on thick swathes of analogue synthesis indebted to Giallo soundtracks and the ever-compelling lure of 80s synthwave. In its grinding layers of distortion and dubbed out vocals Vessel Of Skin speaks more to the post-punk influences which have set Broken English Club apart since the outset. This isnt a purely retro-fetishist expedition, though Pacific Island Kill and Lost Gods exude stark modernism in their sharply-angled sequences and dramatic sound design, moving beyond the functional demands of 4/4 dance music to reach to more cinematic zones. These are but some of the approaches Ho burrows into as he shapes out the depth and breadth of his muse on Songs Of Love And Decay. Its marked by the undeniable impact of his production, perfected over a decades-deep career at the bleeding edge of machine music. At times the album celebrates the addictive thrust of the dancefloor, while elsewhere it relishes the tension of suspended animation. Throughout, the gritty veneer binds together this accomplished, uncompromising body of work as both a fierce artistic statement and a loving tribute to Mendez an artist who equally embodied the darker side of the dance.

Broken English Club