Vinyl-Jahresrückblick 2021 – Topseller Electronic 12 Items

Just six months after her huge Rave On Time EP, Charlotte de Witte is back on her own Kntxt label with another standout release featuring three thrilling new tracks.

Despite the global pandemic, Charlotte did not let up in 2020. Her label continued to serve up techno from the cutting edge, she held down various high profile streams during lockdown and also got voted as the World's Number 1 DJ by DJ Mag's Alternative Top 100 poll. After picking up the Best Producer title at the Red Bull Elektropedia Awards, her Selected EP picked up the silver medal in the Best EP category and she was awarded bronze in the Artist of the Year category. She ended the year with a spectacular set on the virtual Main Stage of Tomorrowland on New Year’s Eve and now races out of the blocks with yet another vital EP.

Says Charlotte, "I've always been fascinated by the high adrenaline racing world. Rapid movements, living in the moment, racing through life, eyes on the future. As far as concepts go for an EP, this is one of my favourite ones so far."

That plays out across the electrifying tracks, starting with ‘Doppler,' a heavyweight techno weapon with shuffling drums and urgent alarm like synths shooting over the bulky groove. It's one to keep you on edge as the strobes flash on a vast dance floor. 'rpm' ups the ante further with blistering acid lines flashing about the mix. Rooted drums roll on in unrelenting fashion and a lead synth takes you down a deep, dark rabbit hole. 'Formula' then rounds out in urgent fashion with the sound of revving engines, hammering hits and haunting melodic loops all making for a vast and vital wall of techno sound.

With this arresting and powerful new EP, Charlotte de Witte once again remains in techno's pole position.

2022 repress

Viper Diva is back on Saike with a new 3 tracker EP, including the highly anticipated anthem Alice.

Just a continuation of things that have been done before and that will be done in the future. The plan is that there is no plan and the story goes on! 18 tracks about distinct moods, patterns and the pure joy of creation itself. Mastered by the Zenker Brothers & Klaus Arnold. Artwork photos by Lara Köcke.

Charlotte de Witte's mighty Kntxt label rolls on with another big new EP from Italian wonderboy Alignment. The Berlin based techno talent serves up four suitably supersized cuts that follow on from his Time EP, which landed earlier in the year. For the last five years, this artist has been amassing a fine discography of thrilling techno. This has earned him a worldwide reputation amongst the techno cognoscenti, and despite the global pandemic this year, he has still put out plenty of red hot new material that proves he has used his extra free time at home wisely. He can do old school inspired bangers as well as refined futuristic techno rollers with equal style, and proves that once more with this fantastic new EP. He says it, “reflects more the ‘sentimental' moments during these hard times. Nevertheless, you can also expect trippy and hypnotic vibes that will make you dream to dance again until the early hours.“ While Charlotte adds, "Ever since I started playing these tracks, people started asking for track IDs. They stood out and always were one of the highlights of my sets. These tracks are made to destroy any type of dancefloor. A true masterpiece by one of the most exciting artists around.” Opener Nothingness is a hunched over techno power-groove, with high pressure kicks and scraping synths peeling off the drums. It's a big wall of irresistible sound, then Injection brings even bigger and more kick drums that are sure to rattle any club to its foundations, while the rave synths will get hands in the air. Reverberated keeps up the good work with a more all-consuming techno cut thanks to the laser-like synths that light up the track from above. It has superbly dark and unsettling vocals stitched into the groove for extra layers of mental intensity. Last of all is the dark and urgent Sensory Deprivation with its edgy synth motifs and unrelenting energy. These are four more high powered tracks from man of the moment Alignment.

4x12" 180gr Heavy Weight Vinyl, 6-page Gatefold Cover with 4 printed Inner Sleeves, Front cover with Lenticular print. Stephan Bodzin proves once again why he is one of the most innovative techno artists in the world with new album ‘Boavista’. The expressive 17 track full length lands on Herzblut Recordings on October 8th, 2021 and is proceeded by lead single 'Boavista' on the Afterlife label.

New school Italian techno sensation Alignment is back with a third thrilling EP for on Charlotte de Witte’s Kntxt label that once again stands him apart.

Alignment's previous outings on the label - the Time EP in April 2020, then his Nothingness EP in November 2020 - made huge impacts. They are standout techno offerings from a young and exciting artist who has quickly risen to the top. He has remained hugely busy in the last 12 months with a wide-ranging sound that takes in everything from old school bangers to trance-tinged rollers via futuristic workouts.

Says label boss Charlotte de Witte, "Alignment's music has been strongly represented in all my livestreams of 2020 and 2021 and I honestly can't wait to finally bring his music and his latest creations on Power EP to the dancefloor. It's made to make you move and I'm very happy to have him on board once again!“

The artist himself adds, "The vibes we shared pre-pandemic on our beloved dance-floors inspired me a lot to create Power EP. I tried to focus on effective and highly energetic, peak-time techno weapons for Kntx011. Signature synths, big stabs and kicks following only one formula - no compromise and four to the floor.”

First up is Power, a high octane track with hard drums, slamming bass and bright synths that cannot fail to get hands in the air. The excellent 'Disconnection' has laser-like synths shooting across the face of the track while big, edgy trance stabs light up the barreling drums from way up above. 'Frequency' is another trance-influenced track that brings peak time energy to stomping and distorted drums. It is an emotive rollercoaster that never lets up and will make a mark on even the biggest dance floors. Last of all is 'Radioactivity' which has scuffed metal textures, crashing drums and strobe-lit synth lines that will turn every party into a rave.

This is another all-out techno assault of the highest order from one of the best in the game.

We know it. You know it. Alignment is here to stay. Delivering the next round of high quality tracks on vinyl for Vn043, his "Orderly Chaos" EP mirrors our suspicious times like nothing else but techno can.

Amelie Lens' Exhale imprint launches with a myriad of uncompromising techno tracks from the underground's finest established and aspiring artists. Exhale's much anticipated first release continues the legacy of the Exhale event series with a fifteen original track compilation featuring old and new friends from each avenue of the underground. With a shared love of rave culture, the label is a platform for the forward-thinking while simultaneously paying homage to foundations of techno. With this in mind, Amelie gathers familiar faces and upcoming artists to deliver the future sounds of techno. Purveyor of modular techno MRD combines layered atmospherics and euphoric pads in 'Reach My Hand', kicking of the last vinyl of the newborn label, followed by Mehen (aka Hadone) who maintains pace with his rendering 'Broken Whisper', with a disorentiating and melody driven expedition from Francois X next to switch up momentum. Promising upcoming Dutch producer Grace Dahl ensues with the merciless 'Vermilion Empire', while production virtuoso Dyen nods to Exhale's roots in rave culture with 'Fantasy', a medley of spiked vocals and ethereal synths that maintain the energy until the final kick.

Charlotte de Witte continues her fantastic year with brand new EP, Asura, on her Kntxt label. All three of the tracks on this release will be exclusively included in her BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, which is scheduled to be broadcasted on 18th of September.

As well as being back on the road and serving up her high-intensity DJ sets at the world's best clubs and festivals, Charlotte has also been busy in other areas. She has forged a new alliance with Apple Music and is now curating multiple exclusive mix series including a monthly Kntxt Residency Mix and Kntxt Active, which sees the Belgian artist and her label further investigate the connections between high-performance music, sports and BPMs. She has recently remixed the hugely influential trance classic 'The Age Of Love' by Age Of Love' alongside Enrico Sangiuliano and continues to A&R essential new tunes for the label.

Says Charlotte of this EP, "with Asura EP I’m trying to give you a little insight into my musical influences by going back to my roots. We’re speaking about a young Charlotte who, about 12 / 13 years ago, got indulged in the world of electronic music by going to her first underground clubs and raves. From electro and techno to acid core and hardcore to psytrance. This EP flirts with the soundscapes of the latter."

This EP finds Charlotte delve deep into her own past in electronic music with plenty of psychedelic influences. Opener Asura is a brightly lit techno track with big chords that bring the colour. They are sleek and metallic and sure to get hands in the air, with acid sounds and rumbling bass all adding extra weight and depth to this fantastic opener. 'Soma' is another dramatic and psychedelic track with hard-edged drums pounding away beneath celestial chords. They are mysterious and emotive and bring colour to the darkness. Last of all comes another big, psytrance-tinged and emotional roller coaster in 'Stigma' with its all-consuming techno groove and bass that sounds like it's fired from a machine gun. After an acidic breakdown, the drums roll again and even the biggest festival crowd is sure to be swept away.

Charlotte de Witte leads from the front once more with her standout new Asura EP.

World-renowned group GusGus have returned with their 11th studio album, the highly emotive Mobile Home, marking their first album release since 2018. The collective once again prove their commitment to pushing their artistic boundaries as they release one of their most ambitious and powerful albums in decades. For their latest record, GusGus call on VÖK’s lead singer Margrét Rán to help expand their style, keeping the collective’s sound as fresh as ever. The 9-track album features a concoction of electronic rock, ambient, darkwave, downtempo, and synthpop.

After announcing a new album in October 2020, GusGus wowed fans with their first single “Higher,” offering a first taste of how VÖK’s impactful vocals mesh seamlessly with GusGus’ intelligent and powerful electronic production. “Higher” was soon followed up with the darker, downtempo “Stay The Ride” and the bright and energetic synth work on “Our World.” The three captivating singles each received equally remarkable music videos courtesy of founding members Arni & Kinski, the directing team known for working with the likes of Sigur Rós, Kiasmos, Ólafur Arnalds, Of Monsters and Men, and more.

Every track on Mobile Home doubles as a window into a futuristic dystopian world that has been overtaken by machines. A nod to the rise of technology and ever-growing uncertainty surrounding automation, the album explores themes of solitude, rebellion, science fiction, hedonism, pleasure, and anger. Swirling within this world is a disconnected, aching soul who is on the verge of slipping into complete dementia. Forgotten purpose and goals but continues to be driven by the hedonistic default program of material consciousness; sensually self-indulgent and engaged in the pursuit of pleasure alone. In Mobile Home, GusGus challenge themselves like never before, resulting in a wonderfully chaotic reflection of the ongoing war between soul and machine.

With Mobile Home, GusGus show the quality and sonic diversity of the singles pervades throughout the full LP, while preserving the melodramatic themes that tie its 9 tracks together. “Simple Tuesday” showcases the group’s aptitude for blending contemporary electronic production with pop sensibilities while keeping an optimistic tonality at the forefront. Meanwhile, “Love Is Alone” and “Original Heartbreak” offer a slower, more pensive take on synthpop, and evoke feelings of solitude and deep melancholia. “Silence” and “The Rink” boast some of GusGus’s more experimental production, each alternating between radio-ready vocal verses with inventive and exciting synth elements. GusGus closes Mobile Home with “Flush,” an instrumental score that leaves the listener riding high as they finish the LP.

Part 2/3 featuring Sept, Raven, Frazi.er & Trym. Amelie Lens' Exhale Records continues to deliver fiercely dynamic techno from the underground's most promising, rising and established artists with its second VA compilation.