Hello Friends,
2025 sets and 2026 dawns (or looms!).
So it's time to look a bit back, and especially at the releases of this year.
And I must say, 2025 had some of the best output for techno and electronic music - ever!
But no more words - let's get right into it!
Note: No AI has been used when writing this feature (or the reviews).
Second note: This list is neither meant to be "objective" nor complete. I am sure a lot of good releases are still missing.
#1. Various Artists - Happy Gabber Sounds #3 (Mokum 326)
The early hardcore and techno sounds of the 90s are making a comeback.
But what about the happy sounds?
Well, they are here too - finally!
Mokum, of course, was at the center of the "happy hardcore" and rave/dance shockwave in the 90s. with their smash hits like "i wanna be a hippy" or "have you ever been mellow" (by technohead / the party animals, respectively).
so it seems right that they should ride the new wave of retro sounds - the wave that they originally started, many years ago.
especially if the sounds are so sweet and spicey like on this release.
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok326-happy-gabber-sounds-3
#2. Bloody Mary & Human Rebellion x HR101 - Acid Avengers 034
Tripalium has become one of the best labels for underground techno music, even though I'm sure these sounds entertain massive amounts of people in the club at the same time.
This is a new volume in the Acid Avengers sub-series.
And it's marvelous. it's a wide ranging construction of sound. oldschool, newschool, acid, breaks, core...
this is what you want - this is what you get!
https://tripalium.bandcamp.com/album/aar034-bloody-mary-human-rebellion-x-hr101-acid-avengers-034
#3. Technohead - Acid Head [Mokum 332]
Some artists mellow as they got older, but no no, not the Technohead! (And have you ever been... mellow?)
His hardcore actually pre-dates the proper advent of Techno (and Hardcore) and this one is food for the party animals and ravers as well.
The title is "Acid Head" and, yeah, that's the theme, but it's more like... totally zany, crazy gabba-mayhem.
Just like in the 90s! Weird / strange sounds, lunatic vocals... the bass that goes boom!
But it's even more distorted now, and the sampled voices scream louder then before.
And finally, a drop of acid can be found in all of these tracks, too!
https://mokumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mok332-technohead-acid-head
#4. Pastis, Ninu Brt & Censored Corp - Exoplanet E.P. (Braintrance)
Braintrance is steadily becoming my favorite label for newer Ravecore/Hardtrance releases...
Well, is there any other label really, for this sound?
This EP is like the 90s never ended. All of them are still here: the stuttering, angelic "ahs", the mokum/ruffneck type ultra-frantic 303-soundalikes... the highspeed drums... arpeggios and sawtooth-riffing that would make any 80s rock star solo guitarist turn grey and to stone.
But, and that is a nice touch: each of these hit much harder and mental than in the past!
https://braintrance.bandcamp.com/album/pastis-ninu-brt-censored-corp-exoplanet-e-p
#5. Nekra Damage - Négation de L'Être (Culture of Violence 013)
Culture of Violence is a small but sweet label from France. How should I describe its sound?
Imagine Black Metal were a Techno genre. But not that ultra-aggressive, "loud" type of Black Metal, its more quiet, more dark kind.
It's like that. Slow, passive-aggressive tracks, dark, lurching, limping, haunting.
It has two tracks by Nekra Damage, who also runs the label. (The b-side track is called "This side", shouldn't it be the other way round?)
And a remix by The Man Unknown, who goes way, way back, in the world of techno, and in the world of darkness.
I love this release!
(And no, it isn't a Black Metal release. I was just making a comparison!)
https://cultureofviolence.bandcamp.com/album/n-gation-de-l-tre
#6. Tannoizer / No Name - The Icon of Sin E.P. (Rotten 02)
No Name! What can you say about her? One half of the Michelson sisters. French legends. Producers of the *smartest* Hardcore in the 90s.
And No Name still gets going. One of the few veterans of the underground that's not Missing-in-Action... (or got killed in action!)
Now, most other former legends, who still churn out releases, either turned to Mainstream Hits'n'Shits, or keep calculating on their old formula.
No Name on the other hand, is amongst the only ones who *advanced* the sound and dare to do something different, something creative.
So it's nice to see a return to vinyl once more.
Now to Tannoizer's side.
Another veteran, this time of the dangerous Italian underground - remember Exitus?
And if the german 90s hc scene was made up of intellectual punks, and the french scene was hippies-turned-dark, then Italy was about unleashing the brutality.
Don't believe me? Look up some "number one" videos on the 'net.
And that's what his tracks are. Remember when someone 20 years ago rammed his elbow into your teeth during gabber pogo and you started to spit blood in the discotheque? This is the sonic equivalent.
Straight HC into your face!
https://aneurysmrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/tannoizer-no-name-the-icon-of-sin-e-p
#7. Various Artists - Steel Collapse EP
"Umbrella" by Somatic Responses so far was only available on *the* legendary 11/98 demotape - and a short while later, on their Hymen release called "Circumflex".
But not on vinyl, and that's a shame.
An issue that has been fixed now, because the tracks are on the "Steel Collapse EP" on the good old label Traumahead society records.
What can I say about Umbrella? It's a dream... or poisoned nightmare... synths wash over you... that sound more like sirens... and then the drums demolish everything, raze whole cities to the ground... and you wake up in a sweat.
Even if you are only tangentially into dark, sick electronic music... listen to this track, please!
Now to the others.
The Untitled is skillfully at it again; he proves he is one of the best at doing "contemporary oldschool" Acid and Acidcore... makes you feel as if Senical or Cellblock X has somewhat come back... lovely!
Ics Xar is menacing terror.
DJ Raf is on the acid trip too... good food for your local squat!
And Rotello has the 2nd most interesting track on here (after Somatics). No insane speedcore, but almost like harder Techno... groovy and very destructive.
a highly recommended EP!
https://hotrebor.bandcamp.com/album/various-steel-collapse-ep
#8. Umwelt - Echoes of a Broken Future (New Flesh Records 33)
Umwelt is an enigmatic musician... as far as I am aware of his discography, he started as an electro and turn-of-the-millenium techno producer.
He picked up a lot of other styles along the way: Cinematic Soundtracks, Hardcore, Oldschool Rave, even some house and funky-business.
It's all combined on this release, and that is a good thing, and, if you think of it, a remarkable achievement.
Tracks that sound like they could make Ravers go into gabbering. But that also could be used as the backdrop to a movie where man-eating aliens just arrived from mars. *And* that still have the funk, and got soul.
This is it. The dark blend of the future. Rave or Die, you know?
https://newfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-a-broken-future-ep-nf33-just-out
#9. Miro - Unforgotten Seasons S3 (Self-Released)
Miro's been busy to get his analogue Hardcore / Doomcore catalogue onto digital for a while now.
This so far is my favorite of these anthology editions.
Of course the others were ten out of tens as well - how could it be elsewise with zombie rave mega smashers like "xtc express" or "purple moon"?
But this one has the hard to find, "lesser known" nuggets and, wow, there is some good and heavy stuff there.
Most importantly, for me, "Time Machine", a b-side he did is his Reign disguise - a long time ago.
And when I say "b-side" I mean it, yes, this "track" *is* the entire b-side, and no, it's a single track.
The b-side consists of three micro-tracks that are seamlessly mixed into a whole, already on the vinyl (read more about that here). A genius idea.
So it's nice non-vinyl-ears get to hear this thing too, now!
In other notes, "Face Down *** Up" get's its first "official" release with this one.
The Blue sun sees the light of day again - this track is kinda like a precursor to "Purple Moon" (in my opinion), just as brilliant. "Understand" is the flip side to Purple Moon - still gives me the chills.
And then... the final track... "Destination - Nowhere"...
A pure, beatless track, just doom-synths... the ost for nightmares... or dreams?
Just perfect!
https://mi-ro.bandcamp.com/album/unforgotten-seasons-s3
#10. Gabber Industries Berlin - VA 03 [GiB011]
I don't know much about this organization, but it seems to be quite big, and they are not just doing sounds and releases, but also parties etc.
There is not much information that can be gathered on the bandcamp page, but I assume it is already the 3rd entry in a series of compilation releases they do?
Either way, on to the review, and, yeah, this compilation is a dream, and it is a great thing to "end" the year with.
There is not just Hardcore on it, it's a vector, a spectral ray... there is oldschool, newschool, rave/hardtrance stuff... ambient, cinematic sounds... speed up / pitched up happy hardcore sounds...
even some stuff of more "mainstream" hardcore genres like uptempo or frenchcore.. and this time, surprisingly, they do not annoy but add nicely to it.
all these ingredients are blent together, but they do not clash or add a sour taste at all.
there are also some quite well known names amongst the artists list, and plenty of new ones.
good stuff - kicks hard. is industrial and claustrophobic like berlin hardcore always was.
but brings up a smile to the face.
so let's end the year with this banger!
https://gabberindustriesberlin.bandcamp.com/album/va-03-gib011
#11. Minimum Syndicat - Magnetic Streets 01 (Self-Released)
I totally adore the concept of this release. The promo text promises us a return to the days of miami bass, pure fun and funk electro days.
And yeah, I could totally see an 80s TV show, or 80s revival show, playing these tracks, and the audience goes wild.
But hey, it's the syndicate. It's still very heady and intellectual techno. At the same time.
And that they pulled this merger is quite the feat.
Plus there is also a third layer here: an outer space, interstellar colony feel. As if aliens produced these tracks, instead of humans.
Love it!
https://minimumsyndicat.bandcamp.com/album/magnetic-streets-01
Do you know more releases like this, or have some recommendations? Let me know in the comments.
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