STL - Secret Weapons (2014)

It would be fair to say that Stephan "STL" Laubner rarely disappoints. This latest outing, original released as a vinyl doublepack, is another must-have. As the title suggests, Secret Weapons gathers together a bunch of tried-and-tested - but previously unreleased - tracks, plus a quartet of minute-long loop tracks for DJs who like to get locked into the groove. For the most part, the full-length tracks sit somewhere between alien wonkiness, heads-down minimal and thumping, full-throttle techno. Amongst the straightforward techno tracks you'll find a few curious curveballs, including the jazz-inspired oddity "Back Up", a trippy downtempo excursion ("Global Village Madness") and "Freytagsches Dramenschema", a 15-minute workout that's somehow simultaneously creepy and calming.