From Russia, but without mercy. Recently she debuted on a big V/A vinyl album for the Possession label (@possessiontechno). And now it's time for the December podcast mixed by the relentless Saint-Petersburg based: Varya Karpova (@varyakarpova).

November's podcast is mixed by the radical and new-gen French icon: JKS (@jksmusic). JKS exploded within the French and European techno scene, and it was very early on that the boy co-founded the crucial Molekül label (@molekulpage), which today embodies the revival of a referenced, powerful and solid rave. When it comes time to take action, JKS is uncompromising and never stops making take off more and more big and globalized dancefloors. It is not surprising to see him at major European events such as Boiler Room (@platform) or Possession (@possessiontechno), especially through his live project "Jawbreakers" that he shares with his alter ego Mayeul (@mayeul303). In parallel, he released tracks and vinyl EPs affirming a rave and positive vocal music, placed under the sign of a furious and intoxicating modern dance, with a wide variety of inspirations, which allowed him to build a marked style of his own. After a first solo EP on his label Molekül in 2019, he was recently highlighted by Regal (@regalmusic) on his label "Involve Records" (@involve-records), thus asserting his place within the international scene. Not expecting to slow down any time soon, he especially just created his own label "Smile Sessions" and you can definitely count on him for the decade 2020.

September's podcast is made by Berghain resident and one of the most sharp-cutting Berliners out there: Somewhen (@somewhen). Somewhen is part of Berlin’s new techno generation, which continues to elaborate on the genres’ principal topics by adapting their meanings to a post-modern context. Futurism and nostalgia – two traditional techno themes purposely coming together within the very name of the producer, DJ and label owner: Somewhen describes this uncertain time in the vague future (whenever) as well as the confidence that eventually (sometime) one’s own dreams can be achieved. In 2014, Somewhen not only impressed with the track “Kobalt” featured on his debut EP 9 – his second release (99 EP) on his own label SANA presented a conceptual artist of strong character driven by a sophisticated musical language. It’s not only about the quest to find ornamental or complex melodies that create the distinctive soul of Somewhen’s sound but also about the path he’s been taking thus far. Berlin-born in the mid-80’s, Somewhen initially trained on drums and piano and experimented with hip-hop instrumentals later on. Long before his first record release, he explored the energising potential between beat, groove and melody. Influenced by bands like Depeche Mode and Massive Attack as well as the ubiquitous club culture of Berlin, Somewhen’s sound shifted more decidedly into electronic terrain, especially after training as a sound engineer. From hypnotic repetition to the subtle wealth of detail to his passion for atmospheric soundscapes: Somewhen’s current techno design derives from different sources that all share one common vision through which he’s deliberately positioning himself against one-dimensionality. With his versatile DJ sets, such as his Berghain [@berghain] debut in October 2014, or as a producer (Null EP, Unterton 2016; AFL, Ostgut Ton [@ostgutton-official], 2018), Somewhen has shown that breaking from your own routine can be both: journey and destination at once.

August's podcast is an elaborate one by the Belgian DJ & producer: [KRTM] (@krtm). [KRTM], or Casimir Desmet, is an electronic musician with deep roots in hardcore and techno music. Pushing the envelope of industrial dancefloor music. Playing hybrid DJ sets and distinctive live sets from the underground rave scene to the biggest hardcore festivals. Read about his current attitude towards the impact of the COVID pandemic as an artist, his view on genres and his view on the changes in the electronic music industry caused by the worldwide restrictions at the link below. At the end of the page, you can also find some more words about this mix. INTERCELL INSIGHTS with [KRTM]: intercell.events/intercell-insights-krtm/

July's podcast is a powerful one by the uprising and Dutch-based: CYNKT (@cynkt). CYNKT is a 23 years old Utrecht based Techno DJ and producer. At the age of 17, he got sucked into the techno scene after attending a Soenda Indoor event (@soendafestival). After a while, he went to so many parties that his love for the underground scene increased exponentially. He didn't plan to start making music himself at all. But at the age of 18, he bought his very first DJ gear. For two successive years, he'd been mixing at afterparties and in his small student room with friends (almost daily). Due to all the dancefloors that he had experienced, the crave for a legitimate gig grew. Thanks to all the positive feedback, CYNKT decided to send some mixes to DJ contests. This led to a gig in the community area during the second night of 'REAKTOR New Year Nights' (@reaktorevents) at the Warehouse Elementenstraat in 2017. From this moment on, his musical career began to grow fast. His DJ sets became of better quality by using the musical knowledge he gained at previous events, and he started to produce a lot. After the improvements he made, he played DJ sets at JACK Amsterdam, Verknipt (@verknipt-events) and at BASIS (@terugnaardebasis) during their Nachtcollege Techno Special (@nachtcollege). In the last few years, he started defining his own style. Being inspired by artists like Stranger (@whoisstranger), Kobosil (@kobosil), Paula temple (@paulatemple), Rebekah (@rebekah), Tommy Four Seven (@tommyfourseven), and Remco Beekwilder (@remco-beekwilder), his sets tend to be fast and raw but are intermixed with long melodic breaks and contain lots of vocals. He aims at taking his audience on a musical journey by playing old school Techno tracks from the '90s and 2000s, EBM, Rave, Industrial, Offbeat, Melodic Techno, and even Trance. His sound can best be described as raw, cutting edge techno with euphoric influences.

June's podcast is brought to you by a hard-hitting electro/techno DJ & producer from Germany: LUZ1E (@l-v-z-1-e). Eclecticism is the keyword when it comes to the musical taste of LUZ1E. She brings together everything that has that certain punchy power to it. Born and raised in Frankfurt am Main she started to get into electronic music at age 16 when her brother introduced her to early Chicago and New York House with the likes of Kerri Chandler (@kerri-chandler), Larry Heard (@larryheardofficial) and Co. It didn't take her long to travel a couple of miles west where she discovered the diversity of Detroit's electronic music culture with sonic influences from Drexciya (@drexciya), Aux88 (@aux88), Octave One (@octaveone) and others. She values authenticity and integrity, which translates into her taste in music as well. Knowing where the music comes from and acknowledging its roots is a key approach in discovering and selecting her music. That's why her sets build a bridge between classic tunes and new sounds, combining them into a notion of futuretroism.

Get ready for one of France most promising techno trance DJ's and producers. May's podcast is mixed by: DJ Reiz (@dj_reiz), giving you pure energy from isolation. Coming from the Paris underground scene, it's been 2 years now that DJ Reiz is spoiling our ears and hearts with beautiful techno trance bangers, reinventing old school 90s sounds and combining them with new groovy and thundering elements. Owner of the young and fresh label Union Trance Mission (@uniontrance), he defends a unique vision of rave music, a hybrid - fast - sometimes melodic, but especially effective style. A real playground for several rising heads of the European rave scene, already counting a dozen releases, it is through this label that he fosters creativity and carries loud and clear the banner of a very special sub-genre: Techno Trance. Sailing between old school bangers, frenetic grooves and melancholic synths, DJ Reiz generously deploys a whole range of emotions in all his sets, exporting his vibrations from the French capital to Berlin or Copenhagen.

In these harder times, music with a strong feeling to it is even more critical to us. Therefore, April's podcast is mixed by the intriguing and Romanian: Aleksa Alaska (@aleksaalaska). Even by the standards of 21st-century electronic music culture, Aleksa Alaska's rise to international DJ status has been dizzyingly rapid. After deciding in early 2016 to devote more time to recording mixes, the Bucharest-based artist has quickly become one of the most talked-about radio hosts, selectors and club DJs in Europe. Although a passionate fan of intriguing, alternative and experimental sounds for over a decade, Aleksa (real name Alexa Chirnoaga) had little inclination to take up DJ-ing when she was younger. After growing up in a sleepy part of Northern Romania, she headed to Bucharest to study visual art (with a specialism in photography) and threw herself into the city’s party scene. As the years passed, Aleksa found that her interest in intense, eccentric and otherworldly music from the ‘90s was out of step with the “Rominimal” minimal techno scene, and a desire to do her own thing and share the music she loved grew by the year. Before she’d even set foot in a DJ booth, Aleksa had already built up an online following. Initially, this was thanks to her YouTube channel, where she shared favourite tracks plucked from obscure 1980s electronic music releases on a weekly basis. Soon, online radio stations and websites started requesting mixes. From fast-rising Bristol outlet Noods (@noodsradio; where she hosts the Subterranean Modern show, which is dedicated to showcasing abstract electronica and dark ‘80s industrial tracks plucked from dusty & cassette-only releases) and legendary Amsterdam institution Red Light Radio (@redlightradio), to NTS (@nts_live), Rinse France (@rinse_france), Intergalactic FM (@onderwereld), LYL (@lyl_radio) and Red Bull Radio. Yet for all of her online fame and exploration of mind-altering home listening material, it is in the clubs that Aleksa is really making her mark. Here, she focuses on the more robust, energetic and forthright end of her music collection, performing sets that join the dots between EBM, acid, electro, techno and industrial stompers. This she naturally does with flair and distinction, working dancefloors with sets marked out by inspired selections from the past and present. It’s an approach that has led to a bulging DJ diary and appearances at well-regarded clubs and festivals in Spain, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Study Aleksa’s list of previous and forthcoming dates and you’ll spot appearances at some legendary venues and festivals. There’s a feeling, though, that this is only the beginning for Aleksa and, spurred on by an unquenchable thirst for discovering new and overlooked music, the best is yet to come.