THIS IS NOT A TOP 10 – ELECTRO 

Many of you were looking forward to this day… WELL IT HAS COME! This time we bring you the best recommendations of Electro, but not the definitive ones… because there are many, if not infinite, great songs. Here we go with the second edition of THIS IS NOT A TOP10. 

To learn more about each album, click on the images and you will be redirected to Discogs. 

1. The Ghost That Walks – Angry Angels EP

After more than three years of inactivity, New York label Satamile is back to continue spreading the gospel of good electronic music with a six-track EP from The Ghost That Walks. The melody of “The Angriest Angel” recalls the Detroit duo (Drexciya) at their most playful, but with an undercurrent of simmering tension that is very much the producer’s style. Also great are the searing analog synth hum of “Seven Deadly Sons,” the tribal 303 of “Urban Jungle,” and the 808 clatter and rave tones of “Resident Evil.”

Label: Satamile Records NYC

Launch: 2012

Country: USA

2. Jeku – Cycling In The Future

Avoidance Records is certainly a contradictory name for a label that releases such compelling music, especially such fascinating EPs as Jeku's 'Cycling In The Future'. Who knows if cycling in the future will be more like hoverbiking…what we do know is that this inevitable future technology is akin to the atmospheres evoked by Acid Techno, which are sweetly explored here. Neo-trance nuances ('Falafel Nights') and breaks ('Breaking Even') abound.

Label: Avoidance

Launch: 2023

Country: Finland

3. Morphology – Lakeland Dubs EP

Kontakt label welcomes Morphology with a new collection of wicked and elegant dub electro cuts designed to melt your mind. “Needleleaf” kicks off with snaking, crunchy electro beats submerged in plenty of echo and reverb for a lush cosmic trip. “Understory” slows things down with a thorny groove and piercing bass, cutting synths and a moody atmosphere. Last up is the icy “Lakeland,” a minimalist track with rich sound designs and heavy bass drops. This is a tasteful trio of fresh fusion sounds.

Label: Kontakt Records

Launch: 2023

Country: Denmark

4. Sir Real – Apocalyptica EP

Satamile turns 40 and does so in style with Sir Real’s impressive “Apocalyptica EP”. It’s three top-notch tracks that combine early breakbeat electro with Kraftwerk’s sonic qualities, all drenched in nitroglycerin to create a massive electro club record. “Scorched Earth” is a club track with deep melodic touches, choppy bass and an energetic breakbeat, along with a very uplifting sound design that characterizes this grunting track. It’s not a record for the faint of heart, but at the same time it’s not dark.

“Ascension” picks up where Side A left off. It’s a subtle, funky track. It’s a subtle, funky acid breakbeat cut with nu-wave-esque chord progressions. “Landscapes” rounds out the EP, and the best may have been saved for last. It has a bass break with great sound design, heavily treated ghostly vocal fragments, and mysterious and unique backing melodies that provide weird and impressive new soundscapes. This could be the 4am sci-fi voyeur track – deep and mysterious, but with plenty of oomph and dancefloor energy.

Label: Satamile Records NYC

Launch: 2007

Country: USA

5. Elias Sternin / GNMR / Luca Piermattei / Troy / Kurilo – [ETAT001] VA #001

ETAT imprint kicks things off in fine style with this VA release to get the tech house crew into trance mode as well. Elias Sternin comes through first with “Nothing Really Dies,” a dark-tinged groover that builds on his other recent outings, and then GNMR lands with the filthy crunch of “Alligator.” Luca Piermattei has some fun with some oddball leads on the track “Matrixcian,” while Troy keeps things snappy and cheeky on “Upfornight.” Kurilo rounds out the record with the bubbling acid and trancey pads of “How.”

Label: ETAT Records

Launch: 2023

Country: Ukraine

6. VA – TRUST XY.2

Trust is a veteran Viennese electro label run by DJ Glow. Their latest release is an intense four-track record featuring a number of artists. On the first side of Trust XY2 we have a real force to be reckoned with in the form of Microthol X Ultradyne with the sinister Detroit funk of 'Hostile Invasion' (Land Of Injustice mix) followed by Peder Mannerfeldt's inimitable industrial reconstruction of Clatterbox's 'Semi-Automatic'. On the second side, UK artist Second Storey covers another track from Microthol's catalogue on 'Dissonanz' and finally, producer Alex Cortex offers a minimalist electro reworking of DL-MS' 'Last Smoke'.

Label: TRUST

Launch: 2023

Country: Austria

7. Obergman – Center of Mass

A limited edition 12″ vinyl featuring two extended cuts from Obergman’s new album. Vinyl only, no repress. Dreamy synths wash over the listener, analogue bubbles floating to the surface. Ultimately, it oozes techno class with sonic nuances of electro.

Label: Give birth

Launch: 2022

Country: Germany

8. Obergman – Mirror Counterpart

This is the third full-length album from Swedish producer Ola Obergman, who has been producing on labels including Skam, Borft and Futhur Electronix. Mirror Counterpart is a massive collection of 808-based fusion in the classic Pariter style. It features some impressive productions, from the proto-house sound of the title track, to the Detroit-influenced hi-tech soul cuts of second disc 'Indeterminacy' and 'Stellar Triangulation', through to the 4x4 robotic funk of second disc 'Alice Matter' and 'Uncertiny Principle' as standout tracks.

Label: Give birth

Launch: 2022

Country: Germany

9. N-Gynn – 2000 & Something

Part of EYA Records' Lonewolf series, the EP 2000 & Something is a mix of acid sounds with a playful yet dark edge aimed especially at psychedelic party-goers. Keep an eye out for the electro style of 'Ritmos Obscuros', which closes the 12″ in explosive fashion.

Label: EYA Records

Launch: 2022

Country: United Kingdom

10. Boris Divider – Generative Operations 3

Spanish label Drivecom has been on a long seven-year hiatus. Boris Divider continues his comeback with the third and final installment of the Generative Operation series. It envelops you in cinematic scenes of suspense and tension. There are supple and subtle minimalist beats, tones, bleeps and 303 basslines that are raw and cold. Spaced-out electronic music can’t be better.

Label: Drivecom

Launch: 2021

Country: Spain