But with the 12” for now: 'Temporary Suspension' is the sort of one-minded tension-filled techno that melts dancefloors, while the distorted tom and ride cymbal action of 'Mark Me' are reminiscent of Joey Beltram in his 90s prime, making a forthcoming album an obvious highlight of this year. It's unclear whether or not the “delicious talents of Hulal” - a co-creditor on some of the earlier releases - are still present on PAS, but either way it still carries that distinctive sound that's a perfect example of how futuristic and otherworldly the techno genre can sound. Anyone who has seen all of Slater's live set up knows what vast amount of gear he has in his artillery – and it seems like he is putting it to very good use again.

It wasn't too long ago that Super Collider were famed for being Cristian Vogel's musical side project, a project he worked on alongside some other guy called Jamie Liddell. A number of years on, and that guy Liddell shares the same bill with people like Elton John, and is probably more likely to be found on a couch chatting to Trevor Nelson, than accompanying Vogel in the sort of mad mischief they used to get up to onstage. So, where has Vogel's career gone and how has it developed in parallel to his now more famous soulboy sidekick?

Well, for a start, he wound down Mosquito – a great shame as one of their last releases, by Tim Exile, was one of the best records of this decade - but not before putting out the excellent but massively underrated 'Station 55' on Novamute. Seeing the merits in revisiting a dusty flavour of Chicago techno, Sleep Debt was soon born, from which his new project Black E (with Ben Pest) leapfrogged into action. It's a collaboration which sounded great on record but truly explosive live.

Vogel's last album 'The Never Engine' had its moments but often seemed like an exercise in method over interesting musical ideas – becoming a longplayer that seemed hampered by this fact, and maybe one of the first offerings by the Brighton man that lacked his trademark weirdness. A little while on and he has given us 'Crust Cloud Chunks EP' on German label Snork: the result are two loose, tracky house groves sprinkled with background glitches for that grainy, digital effect. They may not be exactly what the techno heads are after, but repeated listens will definitely bring out the intricacies. Occasional EPs like this from Vogel are welcomed, but it would be good to see him a little bit more off the leash next time.

Like the term or not, 'wonky' techno and the scene that it is, is very much spearheaded by Jerome Hill. One of the most skilful and eclectic DJs you're ever likely to see, he's a man that developed his tastes not from scouring other people's top 10s on Beatport, but by years of discovering and collecting music the best way - in record shops. His DJing used to overshadow his productions, but he has been on a roll over the last few years; unafraid to pinch from the past when necessary, Jerome's tracks are neither serious nor dark or anything like that – they are fun and they rock! For his current release on Don't (a co-operative release with Lucinda's Victim label), he has teamed up with the mysterious Grimjaw, with two tracks apiece. The first standout here is the sample-tastic wobbly techno of ‘Cometodaddy' by Jerome, with the arcade game sounds and rumbling bass of Grimjaw's breaks/techno hybrid 'Harsh Reality' being the other winner. Very few labels manage to put a smile on your face, but Don't is definitely one of them.

Italy is not famed for techno or electro in the same way that the UK, Germany or America is. Dig a bit deeper though, and you'll come across people like Marco Passarani, Lory D and Max Durante. And then there's D.Zandry, who had previously produced one killer track in 'Just Programs', the pick on a various EP on Durante's label Truckstop 76 label a few years ago, and as a reward he has now come back with a six-track EP called ‘Removal Device’ – a fusion of acid-based electro and techno, with some awesome vox work. You can’t not be into this one, it’s impossible!

Electro wise, DMX Krew has made one of his best releases in a while on Breakin' in 'Bongard Problems', with the sinister intentions of the title track being of notable quality. Espion’s 'Petrol Bomb The Fuckers' on Bass4bots rivals a lot of the Satamile catalogue for dark and uplifting electro, and may well have given us one of the last electro anthems of the decade; the record also features a remix and separate track from Point B. Also worth locating is the new Bass Junkie record 'Comply EP1', which brings the bass and vocoders in typical Battle Trax fashion.

Finally, make sure to check Pacou's new one on Cache for driving Detroit-inspired techno of supreme quality, and you might as well check the Dettmann and Regis edits of 'Variance' on Sandwell District, which like most material on that label, are strong mixing material. Nax_Acid's 'Synthetic Perception' displays a ghoulish atmosphere that puts a nice twist on acidic techno, while a debut various EP on new Italian label Zooloft, spearheaded by Synewave recording artist Obtane, goes a darker minimal route, comfortably avoiding the scarves and haircuts in the process.

One good bit of news to leave you on - the return of Monolake with his advanced take on dancefloor electronics. ‘Atlas’ and ‘Titan’ make up the 23rd release on his label, and once again it is another must have release, which now pretty much goes without saying about Robert Henke’s work.