As with previous Monobox releases, the EP affords Hood the opportunity to explore a more cinematic style than the loopy techno encapsulated in Minimal Nation (which he rereleased in August). Included is a remix of the title track by London producer Ø [Phase] with more traditionally repetitive elements, however. Rounding out the effort is a “Robert Hood Re-Plant” of said single as well as a more serene soundscape titled “Homestead.”

Black Box

Robert Hood followed up the 1996 release of Realm with Monobox EPs like Downtown in 1997 and Population in 2001. 2003 marked the project’s debut studio-length album Molecule – also its first release on Logistic Records as opposed to M-Plant. After several remix packs via Logistic, Hood brought Monobox back to M-Plant with the 2014 two-tracker Film / Rectangle.

Hood, whose indelible work in Detroit techno extends back to his history as a co-founder of Underground Resistance, spoke about Monobox in a Red Bull Music Academy interview coinciding with the latter release. “Monobox was an alien project,” he said. “I read this book when I was probably around 13 or 14.  It was this ominous black box that came from some other universe, and it was just sort of hovering over the planet, over a cornfield somewhere.”

“After maybe a few weeks it began to open up and objects and these creatures from another world began to emerge from this box,” he continued. “The whole thing about Monobox was that it was an alien life form. To approach minimalism from an alien futuristic perspective.”

The Forwardbase Kodai EP and Regenerate follow Mirror Man, a full-length album Robert Hood released via Rekids in November 2020.

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U.K. techno veterans Ø [Phase] and Luke Slater have released their second record together as RoogUnit. The Nu Rebels Club E.P sees them meld their time-tested styles to great effect. It came out on the latter’s Mote-Evolver imprint on April 7th.

Each title on the Nu Rebels Club E.P tracklist follows a uniform style. “Edge 1” ushers in the effort with fast-paced, frenetic percussion and stimulating synth work. “Edge 2,” meanwhile, is built around glitch sound effects, followed by “Edge 3,” the most conventional and organic-sounding song on the effort. As a whole, the record leaves one hopeful for more to come from RoogUnit in the near future.

Who are RoogUnit?

Luke Slater is among the most tenured techno artists in the U.K. with a recording career extending back to 1992’s Maiden Voyage EP on Tim Jeffery and JC Reid‘s Loaded Records. Ø [Phase] (real name Ashley Burchett) debuted as a producer later – with the album Module Overload via Steve Bicknell‘s Cosmic Records in 2000, to be exact – but his prior experience mastering records has translated to a dynamic and evolving signature sound.

Slater and Burchett inaugurated RoogUnit with the Mesh E.P in 2017. When held side by side with the Nu Club Rebels E.P, it paints a clear picture of the two artists’ trajectory – even after a combined half century in electronic music.

The Nu Club Rebels E.P has sold out in 12-inch vinyl format. It is available for purchase in digital format via Mote-Evolver Bandcamp.

With over 20 years’ worth of releases under his belt, Ø [Phase] is starting his own record label. Modwerks, as it’s called, will debut with a 12-track minimal techno album by the South West London producer and engineer himself. Before This releases on March 12th in digital and vinyl formats.

Ahead of the album drop, Ø [Phase] (real name Ashley Burchett) has shared two of its tracklist entries. “All I Could Think About” sees Burchett thoroughly explore the dynamic range with slow-burning, psychedelic sound design. “Liquid Form” offers slightly more tension while keeping the nuanced balance between high and low end frequencies unique to the producer’s signature style.

Two Decades of Ø Phase

Parallel to mastering records for mainstream acts while working at Sony Music‘s London studios in the late ’90s, Ashley Burchett began working on his own techno tracks. He inaugurated the Ø [Phase] project in 2000 with a 12-inch record titled Module Overload via Steve Bicknell‘s Cosmic Records.

In addition to dozens of EPs – most of which arrived by way of Kr!z‘ Token Records – Burchett has released two albums: Frames Of Reference in 2013 and Alone In Time? in 2015. He has not publicly shared whether Modwerks will serve as an artist imprint or give a home to music by other artists.

The limited edition double vinyl record for Before This is sold out at the time of writing. Pre-order the digital album via Ø [Phase]/Modwerks Bandcamp.