Collection: Techno

In the past few years Tom Ferreira has swiftly established his Fasme project as a strident voice in the field of emotionally-charged electro. Following a string of singles for labels like Craigie Knowes, Dream Ticket and Feel My Bicep, he's now delivering his debut album to Analogical Force. Bloom should hugely appeal to those who crave heart-swooning melodic lines in the midst of their snappy machine rhythms, but there's a full spectrum of moods explored as Ferreira glides from the staccato Moroder pulse of 'Pursuit' to the playful acid strut of 'Comete'. Throughout, the feels are placed front and centre of this instantly endearing record from a fast-rising talent.

Electro is fundamentally modern. The coldness of the machine laid bare, a human attempt to express through circuits and wiring. Despite adhering to specific codes and norms, it is a sound that refuses to be pigeonholed. It is with this in mind that Shipwrec has collected a wealth of international talent to showcase their own vision of this bracing style. Serge Geyzel incises from the needle drop, the acid blistered "Still There" is sliced and quartered by scissoring snares. Endfest changes the trajectory with the modular warmth of "La Chouffe" before the lines change and Manasyt delivers the darkened angles and punishing percussion of "Row Hammer." Andrew Red Hand maintains the shadowy synthlines of his predecessor, industrial undertones bubbling to the surface in distortion-soaked aggression. The mood shifts with Alpha Visitor. Crystalline chords are punctured by crisp drum patterns, stabbing keys and broad arcs unveil a world of sci-fi inspirations. The finale comes from Jauzas the Shining. Broad sweeps introduce "Shemale" before dripping drums are countered by samples and icy blasts. Modern machine music from six masters.

Klasse Wrecks has started a new catalogue naming convention for this Boy EP from Mogwaa which suggests it might be the start of a new series. Either way it's defined by an epic, side-long title cut that is a real house and techno fusion. It has the soulful pads of house but the drive of techno drums, with pitched-up hardcore vocals over the top and a bright, screwy acid line tearing up the middle. It's a beautiful collision of party-ready sounds. After that 14-plus minute epic is a half length VIP mix that distils everything into a more potent and direct track.

Best Records get right to the heart of true Italo disco with this body-poppin' killer from 1983. REM were made up of Paolo Alfani and Nicola Serena, both based in Florence and well ahead of the curve with their experimental electronic disco sound. Making fantastic use of the Mattel Speak & Spell for their vocal hooks, this enterprising duo cooked up a veritable club bomb with their fusion of sleek drum machine rhythms, throbbing acid basslines and romantic synth tones that would come to be widely used in Detroit techno some years later. There's a full original take of the track on the A side, while the flip features a tweaked "remix" version to give you even more of that robo-vocoder action.

XY0815 is as electro as it gets, and that's been proven plenty on the string of releases for brokntoys reaching back to 2018. As is common with the prolific label, this is electro to sit up and pay attention to, taking the blueprint of machine funk and giving it a fresh twist which stands out from the glut of soundalikes. Gates Need Inputs arrived in its first iteration last year and we're swiftly treated to this follow-up volume of eight new tracks which edge towards braindance territory in the plaintive synths which shape out the atmosphere of each track. There's analogue warmth and sonic detail edged in everywhere, but equally nothing feels cluttered or necessary. Very classy gear from a trusted stable in the modern electro scene.

It was the Sprungkartellwachs label that first put this out and soon after it became something of a cult classic that has since become much sought after. Mat Carter's own Varial label now has the rights to a proper re-release that will once again have dance floras twisted inside out and back to front. There is a freaky future menace to the paranoid synth and bumping drums of 'Raspmutal' before 'Down Turn' spins out into the cosmos on icy electro rhythms. Slowing things down for some stoned inward reflection is the gorgeous downtempo cut 'Fullow Street' before 80s synths bring retro charm to the cinematic electro of 'Process.'

Passarani

Luke Vibert

Olrando Voorn

Valerio Della Notte

Levon Vincent

Lucretio / Omar Akhrif

Kenny Larkin