Native of Dijon like Vitalic, Cyril Thevenard aka John Lord Fonda, became famous with the French Touch wave that touched him with full force and sailed him to the activity of producer. His first release was the maxi "Vulcan" on a local label, Choice Records, in 1997. John Lord Fonda then tries with the Vitalic's Citizen Records. “Voltage” (2004) attracted the great French DJ that released it. In 2005, he produced "Erase My Anger", a dark house track that gets some success on the dancefloors. It was followed by the album "Debaser", that contained an amazing version of the song "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.

Whether through his productions, radio shows, compilations, tour dates in clubs or sets, D'Julz was a French pioneer of electronic music, with a career beginning in 1992. His ability to transcend genres and trends then allowed him to successfully remain as one the top producer and DJ in France and abroad. With his move to New York in 1993 and the creation of parties at the Rex Club called “Bass Culture”, Julien has quickly become one of the leading figures of the electronic scene in France but also abroad with numerous dates in Europe like Belgium, Holland or the UK.

On March 1st, 1993, Kompakt opened the blue doors on Gladbacher Straße 36 for the very first time and thus, a new record store was born. Two moves, a name change, almost exactly 500 publications and a staggering 20 years later, Kompakt is still here and stronger than ever. That’s why throughout 2013, they will celebrate “20 YEARS OF KOMPAKT” in all shapes and colors, including this exciting jubilee 2-CD release jam-packed with floor favorites, towering chart-toppers and secret weapons from the rich history of one of Germany’s most-loved labels! A must have for all electronic music lovers.

You don’t need to be in the same studio or club, or even the same continent to experience a musical connection; regardless of distance, you recognize the click instantaneously. Some 7000 kilometers divide techno master craftsmen Marc Romboy and Ken Ishii, but that didn’t prevent them uniting to produce Taiyo (Japanese for ‘sun’, the origin of everything), an album that is as much about the duo’s shared musical vision, as the inevitable flicker of creative conflict that marks collaborations of this nature. Indeed, to Romboy and Ishii, the challenge of balancing these subtle differences lies at the core of album and where the most interesting and unexpected sonic ideas are spawned.

Pulse Locker refers to the analog method of synching analog modular instruments and drum machines, a method of working John Tejada and Josh Humphrey have embraced to generate their trademark sounds and grooves. Preferring to work away from the computer as much as possible, John and Josh have adapted a more old school approach to their work, syncing analog gear together, not from a computer, but the way it was synced back in the day. The results are a tight, organic analog sound that seems very natural, showcased particularly by the 2nd track “Bifur Gates”. The EP has been released on vinyl the 3rd of December and will be only released as digital at the beginning of April 2013.

The name Paul Ritch echoes around the world. His productions and live sets, charged with pure adrenaline and characterized by his powerful, harmonic, and deep techno, have made him the holder of a unique mark of sounds in which his passion and power transmit numerous memorable music moments. This review is about his dark but lovely live set on the Green Floor of Cocoon Recordings's Green & Blue Open Air – one of the most prestigious electronic dance music open air events in Germany. It has been recorded and released on a single CD mid October, in contrast to the previous Green & Blue CDs, which were double CDs with DJ mixes.

Germany‘s very own taste-maker, trend-setter, mover-shaker-extraordinaire Steve Bug is a multi-faceted artist who refuses to back down from the limelight. A dedicated, energetic and constantly surprising talent, Steve is nothing less than an electronic music ambassador, a much-loved spokesman to the people, and for good reason. Growing Up in Germany’s techno and acid-house heyday, Steve Bug’s love for a perfect groove is as apparent now as it was back then. From the very early days DJjing in Bremen and Hamburg it was clear there was a strong talent waiting to be nurtured.