Collection: Techno / Electronic

In the endless quest for the deepest, trippiest cuts, the Italian progressive house scene is a steadfast provider. Fingerprints was a one-off project from Gianni Drigo and Maurizio Merli, which resulted in the After The Moon 12" on Mammut Records in 1996. Now Berlin-based label Evasione Digitale is bringing the incredible, immersive beat down of the title track back into the wider public consciousness for a trip like no other. It's incredibly restrained and subtle for a prog house track of the time, perfect for teasing the tension on the dancefloor. The other tracks are equally thrilling, from the dubby acid flex of 'Prints 3000' to the spiky, slower onset of 'Kabara'.

Techno duo Jail Break live up to their name with the release of 'Feeling Wild' via Sound Migration, conjuring feelings of lawless mischief in the mode of snappy, minimal electro-techno. The title track, as well as B-side 'Mentality', come as a pair of simple, unfussy cuts. Designed for cheekier and more relaxed dancefloors, the tracks are snippy analogue-esque jams; sonic steamed hams.

The Sound Migration label takes another trip back in to the CATT articles to explore the proto-trance and early bleep techno sound they were pushing from 1988-1991. Another five essential gems from the modestly sized catalogue get an airing here, kicking off with Confidential's haunting 'Amphibious Carbine' followed by the boxy pressure of Exocet's 'Nitrogen'. This is astounding stuff throughout, not least the freak-zone trip of Holy Ghost's 'Walking On Air', which sounds like the common denominator between Ibiza and Goa in their nascent days as party destinations. Don't sleep on the clattering funk of Exocet's 'Overdose' either, a seriously snappy groover with all kinds of oddball sampling going on.

Minimal Detroit Audio is one of the newer Motor City labels but is already just as good as you would hope for a late from that long-running techno hotbed. This third transmission comes from the tried and tested Population One who lays down thumping drums and coarse snares on 'Edge Of The Visible Universe' and runs them through with haunting synth sequences. 'The Uphill Battle' brings more metallic texture and uneasy late-night energy to a mid-tempo groove and 'Suddenly' brings many layers of edgy synthesis to steely techno loops. 'On Location' flips the script with a unique fusion of eerie intergalactic synths and a bassline that rides up and down the face next to paired back deep house drums. It's pure Detroit and it's brilliant.

Byron The Aquarius (Byron Blaylock), from Birmingham, Alabama, debuts his latest EP for French Synchrophone sublabel Phonogramme, 'Dey Know Vol. 1'. Topping up an already hugely impressive backlog of releases on the label recently - from the likes of Abacus, Steeve O'Sullivan and Vitess - the producer and water carrier adds to their catalogue for a varied scrubdown of the more militant ends of techno's sonic politic. An impressove sense of variation is achieved on the expositionally minimal 'Black Is Black', which contrasts greatly to the ensuing space-quagmires of 'Dr Devil' and then the crude, bleepy and frank analog sonics of 'Real MF From The Avenue'. Dreamy narrations of local life abound, precluding the closing 'Rock That 808!!!', a track that is far more sophisticated and well-developed in sound than its wilfully blase title might suggest.

Mallorca-based artist Todd Gartland made a sizeable impression with his first 12" Move Electronic, which launched the Planetary Instinct label back in 2021. Since then he's graced Eterno and CABARET and now he's bringing his artful blend of tech house, breaks and psychedelia back for another sizzling bout of ear-candy. 'Dubby Doingz' is a funked up roller with bewildering layers of sonic trickery sneaking around the spooky synth lines and chunky beat. 'Eek-A-Freak (Sub Mix)' brings some pointed, crusty reggae samples into the mix for a lean and mean soundsystem workout, while 'Hope For Humanity' strikes a melancholic tone in its own cultivation of samples, synths and drums. B2 joint 'Space Dub Extract' is a stand-out curveball that slips down to hip-hop tempo and piles on some delightfully trippy modular synth licks that should go down well with the bean bag cognoscenti

Following a couple of impressive appearances on R.A.N.D. Muzik, Jay Gadian is back in action with this new drop for US label Space Dust. This is quintessential electro business dealing in icy, dystopian tones peppered with crafty sonic detailing. If 'Sensory' is something of a pensive opener, 'Green Dimension' soon shakes up the program with its hyphy leads and dirty, twisting bassline. 'East' is an airy affair which has a little more 80s flavour referencing back to the likes of Jonzun Crew, and '20 Or More' plays around with the rhythm for a more fractured framework around the darting shards of synths and sampling.

The Lonewolf label strikes again with another intriguing new 12" that mixes up synth, wave and electro. E Bony is behind it and we know nothing of who they are but they clearly know how to coax some magic out of their machines. 'Hello & Goodbye' opens with rasping electro bass and rugged analogue drums while 'Half Man' takes off on a more arresting and peak time trip to the stars. 'No One Is Here' has silky arps and classic electro bleeps driving it along while the B-side begins with a La Mverte remix that brings plenty of metallic dark disco chug to the floor. The original is another bright, twitchy electro workout.