“Mauersegler,” the first track, sets the tone with a beat that quickly explodes into a complex soundscape of harsh grooves and dark synth sounds oozing with a self-assurance that demands the listener’s attention. Things rarely slow down throughout the rest of the LP’s four tracks, with each piece delivering new surprises thanks to Ferdinger’s unique ability to combine numerous sounds into something truly special. The entire package delivers a versatile, high-energy listening experience.

Palette by Ferdinger

More About Ferdinger

Originally from the south of Germany, Ferdinger has been producing techno in Paris, France since 2018. He founded his own record label, Life In Patterns, in 2017. The label focuses on cultivating dance floor-oriented techno tracks that walk the line between minimalism and dynamic versatility.

Life In Patterns currently has four releases under its belt, consisting of work created by Ferdinger himself. He has also released work on records labels such as ARTS and Ismus. Key elements of his works include variety and repetition while focusing on unique timbres, structural forms, and diverse sound textures.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

ORBE‘s latest on Manuel Anós‘ Non Series record label, a four-track EP titled Binary Function, is a compelling techno release from start to finish.

Beginning with “Prisma,” the EP starts things off simply with a stripped-down beat accompanied by faint samples and the occasional burst of energy before evolving into a light, minimalistic soundscape. Its title track fleshes things out by building on the faint samples and crackles of energy boiling underneath the surface to deliver a more complex sound. He closes things out with “Repetitions,” a track that sees him discard a lot of the previous themes to explore a more primal, almost tribal sound that ebbs and flows with confidence.

More About Orbe

Spanish producer Fernando Sanz has been making music since the age of 14 in the city of Algeciras. He founded his own record imprint, Orbe Records, in 2014. Known for his conceptual, surreal sound, his EP Music of the Spheres gained him a following in the international techno community.

With this newfound recognition, Sanz performing as a DJ in countries such as Germany, Holland, and Lithuania. In 2016, he released his first LP, Kepler 438, on Shlomi Aber‘s record label, Be As One.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

Based out of Chiba, Japan, DJ Nobu‘s record label Bitta is home to a wide variety of techno artists. Its recent release, Torn Relics by producer Refracted, is an EP that Nobu calls an “open-air techno masterpiece.”

Refracted’s penchant for deeply exploring the depths of techno is evident in Torn Relics, as each of the four tracks deliver a unique permutation of his sound. Beginning with the title track, listeners are treated to an atmospheric sound that gradually crackles to life with tinges of trance. Things take a turn with the sharper, more industrial hum of “Grind You Under” before sailing along to a more hypnotic techno sound in ‘The View From Cal Companyó.” Refracted ends the journey with “Down Under,” a moody, tribal-tinged exploration clocking in at around seven minutes.

About Refracted

Spanish producer Refracted has been actively producing techno since his 2012 EP, Quantum State. He’s worked with numerous record labels to release experimental techno, including five albums through his own Mind Express imprint, which he founded in 2015.

DJ Nobu has been a supporter of Refracted’s work, supporting his tracks at various times. “Refracted is a unique techno producer whose work I have been playing in my sets for a long time,” he’s said of the artist.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

Max Gardner and Cory Simpson have inaugurated a new label called Peer with Gardner’s techno EP, This Is A Test. Three original singles are supported with remixes by Drumcell and Insolate. The EP was released on Bandcamp in February 2022 in digital format.

Thunderous bass beats kick off the EP’s first track, “Clamor” before quickly unfolding into a War of The Worlds-style alarm call. Bell tones round out the sound for a multi-dimensional experience. The resulting impact is huge, and the rest of the EP measures up similarly.

Next, “For Realness” takes Gardner deeper into dark territory with pulsing discord as off-kilter sounds morph and twist through the track. The Insolate remix supports the gravity of the original with an even stronger emphasis on hard dissonance.

Then, evoking a soundtrack to a deep hypnosis session, swirling loops and glitches meet more driving beats on the EP’s title track. Drumcell’s remix pares it down without losing traction, boosting the bass further.

Max Gardner is the founder of the Direct To Earth event series in San Francisco. Cory Simpson is cofounder of the DEPTH Seattle collective.

Purchase This is a Test in digital format via Peer Bandcamp.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

Berlin-based DJ and producer Adam X has released a double vinyl LP titled Rüdersdorf Acid Tracks. Named after an abandoned chemical factory outside of Berlin, the nine-track collection arrived on February 4th through his techno and industrial label, Sonic Groove.

“Deep within the forests of Rüdersdorf, Germany, 1.5 miles outside Berlin, exists a forgotten realm, a dark and dystopian place,” reads an album description. Its first track, “88 Tram,” backs up this ominous prose with a moody, brisk walk through the void thanks to a gritty bass line and ethereal beats. The entire LP takes on a life of its own as each track pulses, vibrates, and confidently spreads an air of mystery and trepidation. Crisp 303 synthesizer sounds collide and coalesce with each other in the aptly titled “Meteors Galore,” a breakneck acid techno sound seemingly tailor made to fill every square inch of Rüdersdorf itself.

About Adam X

Starting around 1990 in the underground dance music scene of Brooklyn, New York, Adam X has remained one of techno’s most prolific artists. He and his brother, influential techno producer Frankie Bones, founded Groove Records, which later rebranded to Sonic Groove. The label offered one of America’s first real outlets underground techno. The two are often credited credited with kickstarting the underground rave scene Stateside, including NYC’s Storm Rave party series.

Purchase or download Rüdersdorf Acid Tracks in digital and double 12-inch vinyl format via Sonic Groove Bandcamp.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

Uun (real name Ryan Malony) is a Detroit-based techno producer and DJ whose tracks aren’t for the faint of heart. His latest EP, Infernal Measure, premiered in January 2022 on legendary techno label Mord, which is run by Bas Mooy out of Rotterdam.

Each track has a consistent vibe of a ball bouncing down a dark alley towards the underground. Then, atmospheric sounds seem to bridge time and space. Standout tracks from Infernal Measure include “Lethe” and “Circadian Forest.”  Both have a spacey feel while grounding your perception in dark subtleties of the night.

Akin to Malony’s ambient project Araceae, this heavier collection welcomes you to lose yourself on a dark dance floor. Syncopated breaks flow effortlessly across the EP.

The Bandcamp digital release includes three bonus tracks. There are only nine vinyl copies left at the time of writing, and 69 artists have supported the Uun release to date.

Lead track “Reach a Climax” does just that. It features a dark, syncopated beat with an atmospheric backdrop and humming alarm call to the dance floor. “Weak Spots” pulses forward, squishing the rhythm through the peak-time soundscape. Coming from the depths of the underground is “Cleverest Demon,” evoking a damp, cave-like vibe.

Album artwork from Reeko borders on the semi-creepy. Crystal Clear features a peeled-open eyeball superimposed with crystalline shapes obscuring deep scratches. It’s an appropriate visual that complements the track collection.

Operated by techno artist Leiras, the Berlin-based techno imprint Ownlife gave Reeko the spotlight for its 23rd release. Label mates include Joey Beltram and Tensal.

The EP continues Kashpitzsky’s aggressive, fast-paced sound with four tracks offering up smooth, exploratory techno as well as anxiety-inducing soundscapes. Beginning with the track “Defensive Approach,” Reckless starts with a pulsating, minimalist beat that gradually crescendos into more nuance with haunting vocals and an unrelenting bass line throughout. It continues exploring fast paced, moody, and pensive sounds until the last track, aptly titled “Devil’s Bath,” which erupts in a cacophony of syncopated polyrhythms.

About Kashpitzsky

Before turning in his guitar for a drum machine, Kashpitzsky carved out a name for himself in Tel-Aviv’s music scene as the guitarist in a metalcore band. Since then, he’s been at the heart of the city’s rave scene since 2016. Before landing a three-year residency at Tel-Aviv venue Bootleg Club, he and Israeli techno collective V-DOOY ran underground raves throughout the city. His main bodies of work have so far been released through Israeli DJ and producer Shlomi Aber‘s Be As One record imprint.

Purchase Reckless in digital and limited white label vinyl record format via Be As One Bandcamp.

Bounce, claps and a driving pace permeate the EP’s sound. It could easily be mixed all the way through to adoring peak-time crowds worldwide. Tracks “Crestfall,” “Call” and “Advanced” trend toward harder, faster sounds. the Wrong Assessment and Franz Jäger remixes of “Advanced” and “Crestfall” respectively round out a fresh take on techno that bridges cultural and geographic landscapes.

Debuting in 2021, Cratan has released three EPs including Crestfall that maintain his consistent minimally melodic style throughout.

Observant is an electronic music label founded by DJ and producer duo Audio Units (real names Ashwin and Ashrith Baburao). Indian techno thrived pre-pandemic with international support by heavy-hitter DJs and festivals like Awakenings and DGTL. Where Goa and psytrance have historically dominated that scene, techno is now a secured mainstay at clubs and festivals.

Bunnik’s take on electro is a perfect fit for Delsin Records, as he combines rugged, mechanical grooves with soulful, warm atmospheres. “Phosphorescence” opens the EP on a more subtle tip with a fuzzy acid bass line and sparkling synth stabs, while “Cone Of Silence” cleverly oscillates between foreboding and uplifting. The energy picks up with “Hybrid Form,” a grinding, robotic cut with a playful, melodic edge. Rounding out the EP is “Instinct,” a sinister, stripped-down ride through growling low end, sci-fi sequences, and snappy percussion.

A Bit About Bunnik

Active for over a decade now, Bunnik has released 10 full-length albums and more than 20 EPs on legendary labels such as Delsin Records, Soma Records, and Rush Hour across numerous aliases, while also running his own label Transcendent since 2014. Whether he’s creating spacious, ethereal techno as Conforce, pure, crisp electro as Versalife, or leftfield, ambient soundscapes as Hexagon, Bunnik explores the interaction between analogue and digital, old and new, and human and machine. He also regularly releases presets and sample packs via his website, allowing fellow producers to engage with his creative process and find their own interpretations of his aesthetic.

Shape Shifter 2 is available now on limited edition colored vinyl and digital via Bandcamp.