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#1 Rostøm - Carne: Let’s start things off locally right away. My old studio buddy Robin, aka Rostøm, has released a new EP on the brand-new Dortmund-based label Anothr World, run by my friend Basti. The artwork is also done in-house and was created by Matthias Spiewok from Dortmund. And honestly, the artwork couldn’t fit the sound any better. While A1 delivers playful rhythms, an incredibly powerful and brutal bass, and a beautiful atmosphere, “Traum Nr. 2” brings a certain warmth and depth thanks to its dub chords. The A-side is rounded off with darker, colder synths and a great sub, which reminds me a bit of JUDAΣ. The B-side features remixes of two tracks from the A-side, with contributions from Tauceti and Kaiser. To be honest, I find the original tracks far superior. In the overall context, however, the remixes round out the record perfectly. Must-have, and great work by Basti, Mattusz, and Robin!

#2 Ackermann - The Feeling That Brought Me Here EP: Huh? I really can’t describe it at all, but when I listened to this EP, starting with A1, something just triggered me. Probably the incredibly clear and beautiful vocal on “The Feeling That Brought You Here”. It’s actually not my sound at all, but these warm synths, this dry and clean voice, and the way everything interacts in the original just pushes me in a way I still can’t fully understand, even now while continuing to listen and write this. Just like with the previous EP, I feel that the remixes do fit in the overall context, but somehow they don’t even come close to the original tracks. I had never heard of Ackermann before, but somehow this hits me in a completely different way. While writing this, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Ackermann is apparently from Stuttgart. I really hope there’s a lot more to come. Check!

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#3 Augusto Taito - Antihero EP: So far my absolute favorite record of this still young year. What on earth is Augusto Taito doing here? I already heard the record last Thursday at Black Plastic while I was buying new music for the shop, and that’s where I stumbled upon it. At the same time, the label added me on Instagram. That can’t be a coincidence, hahaha! From what I’ve gathered, the label is based in Rotterdam. Of course, where else would some of the best techno productions come from? Rotterdam can definitely do more than just gabber, and the fact that Mitchel with Revenge Techniques and Thanos with TH Tar Hallow aren’t the only ones was more than foreseeable. Everything about this is brutally good. A1 is an absolute weapon, just like Loop 1 and 2. Actually, what am I even saying? Every track is killer. I need a copy immediately. An absolutely timeless record. First thing I’ll do is check if the promo is already in my inbox, hahaha. Thanks to the Triple Vision promo pool! It’s going to be very hard to knock this record off the throne. Insanely good. Keep it coming, and if you ever do a various artists release, please hit me up!

#4 DJ Savage - Tribal Dub Loops 2000-2002: Speaking of TH Tar Hallow, hahaha. There’s not much more to say. Rotterdam is one of the key cities for high-quality techno. But you rarely read the word “tribal” anymore; it’s usually called “hardgroove”. A fashion trend, maybe, but for us over-30 guys will always be tribal, hahaha. Killer release by DJ Savage, and one of the best sellers at Black Plastic. Big tip!

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#5 Ben Sims - Snapshot 99 (Annē Remixes): Alright folks, I may not be a journalist, but after 30 editions I’ve slowly learned how to do transitions. Because hardgroove isn’t a genre, it’s a label. And it was founded by none other than Ben Sims. And he had one of his tracks remixed by the Greek producer Annē. Dreamy, playful, hypnotic, and extremely emotional.

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#1 D.J. Deeon Presents DJ Puff - Lime Green: Let’s start with DJ Puff, presented by DJ Deeon. I honestly have no idea who DJ Puff is, and there are only two releases under that name. I assume DJ Puff was simply another alias of DJ Deeon, because the record states “all tracks produced by DJ DEEON”. So it must be Deeon, right? Five incredibly catchy tracks, all funky, banging, and just pure fun. I bought this record back in the day for five euros because it was fairly graded. I have to say, my copy looks great now after washing it on the record cleaning machine at Black Plastic. The sleeve is a bit worn, but who cares? On Discogs, the record starts at around ten euros and then quickly goes up to thirty, which, for Dance Mania standards, is still relatively cheap for such a strong release.

#2 Gant-Man - The Youngest Professional D.J.: Next up is Gant-Man, who produced this record together with Paul Johnson. I honestly don’t even know which track is my favorite on this one. While “Atraxion” is very melodic and beautiful, I think “Jungle Zoo” pushes me the hardest. It’s so amazing to hear how much creativity people had back in the 1990s. That pitched vocal at the beginning is so funny, completely non-linear, and totally out of line in the best possible way. I’m genuinely proud that such a legend follows Recycling Wax on Instagram. Killer release, and it’s priced between 20 and 30 euros, which I really don’t consider expensive for this record.

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#3 Traxman Presents Mark Bernard - Loop Point: Let’s move on to Robert Armani, who produced the next record. This time, the “ghetto” tag is missing from the genre because this Dance Mania release somehow falls a bit outside the usual framework. I find “Load” incredibly interesting; it has this kind of shuffle feel to it that I really like. “Soi” is also great and sounds a bit like a remix of “Load”. No wonder Dave Underground uploaded this track. That channel simply stands for quality. And the best part: the record currently costs just six euros in the Netherlands, and only nine euros in Germany. A real bargain.

#4 Traxman & D.J. Lil’Tal - Flava In Ya Ear: Added two years ago. This record is a typical Dance Mania release. Why? It definitely doesn’t sound like it was recorded with high-end equipment. There’s clearly a lot of dust in the mixer, and everything sounds very “broken”. I don’t know, but “I Don’t Give A Damn F’ck” is just insanely good. I love it so much. I can listen to over-polished tracks on the radio or in some cheesy holiday club. Lo-fi is a huge part of Dance Mania culture in my opinion, and that’s how I would describe the label, because it presents such a unique and unmistakable style. My favorite track? “Don’t Bite It”. The record is currently around twelve euros and can still be found for under twenty.

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#5 Two Men On Wax - Get You Some More: Last but not least, a record I initially bought just because of “Men’s Gift 2 A Woman”. The female vocal is incredibly groovy and funky, that track is so much fun and gave me extreme goosebumps for years. Unfortunately, it’s very short. Oh yeah, added five years ago. I should really pull this record out again. And look at that: eight euros from France, seventeen from Belgium, twenty-five from Germany. Totally reasonable. And who produced it? Paul Johnson, R.I.P., for sure. Louis Bell was also involved. Killer record, one I never want to miss!

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#1 Rosati - Divina Nostalgia: Ah, my friend Francesco from Amsterdam. He’s simply got it, no matter which EP he releases. In my opinion, one of the best techno producers of our current time. I once asked him over a beer in Amsterdam how he developed such a deep understanding of music. His answer was simple: his studies consisted of music, hehehe. Back to the EP. I honestly can’t even say which track is my favorite. Somehow they’re all great. Out on February 13, 2026. Clear buying recommendation!

#2 Der Zyklus - Truth Matrix: Man, I can hardly write anything here either. The Cyklus is pure electro, exactly the way I love it. Dark, minimalistic, and sounding straight out of a computer. Aliases? Of course. Dopplereffekt, who doesn’t know them? Two of the original five members are still involved: Elena Sizova and Gerald Donald, and they are still working their magic. And they’ve been doing so since the 1990s. Must have. Available at the end of February, more precisely on February 23, 2026!

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#3 Talismann - Kliniek 3: Uncompromising, perfectly constructed, banging techno? Straight to Talismann. Four new weapons on his own label. Pure 90s flair and nothing but great vibes.

#4 Acidulant - Systematically Connected: Last but not least, Acidulant. Electro as well, but with acid. And somehow very ornate and detailed. I absolutely love it. “Salvation Of The Acid Kingdom”, for example, totally reminds me of Kraftwerk. A very beautiful, atmospheric, melodic electro EP, with a strong futuristic feel. Tip! Hitting the stores right at the beginning of February, on February 2, 2026.

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#1 Mike Dearborn - No Communication

#2 Julian Liberator - Defective Sampler E.P.

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#3 Jel Ford - But Wait … There’s More

#4 Robert Hood - The Greatest Dancer

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