New Electronics

New Electronic Vinyl Releases: Albums, 12-Inches and Reissues

What's new in electronic music on vinyl

New electronic vinyl releases cover far more than club techno. You'll find listening albums, DJ-friendly 12-inches and reissues of pioneers. Recent names across the catalog, from Orbital, Actress and Space Afrika to Telefon Tel Aviv, Boy Harsher, Vitalic and Petit Biscuit, show how wide the field runs, from dark ambient to melodic house. Older acts are part of it too, with Soft Cell and the German krautrock band Faust back on new pressings. Vinyl has always been electronic music's home format, for DJs and collectors alike.

LP, 12-inch or white label: reading an electronic release

In electronic music the format tells you how a record is meant to be used. An artist album fits on one or two LPs. A 12-inch single, often cut at 45 rpm, carries only a few tracks but with more headroom and bass, which is what DJs want. Runs are often short, especially on small labels, and a repress is never guaranteed.

• 12-inch or EP: two to four tracks, made for mixing
• White label: plain jacket and center label, usually a small run
• Double LP: long albums sound better spread over more sides
• Repress: a new run of a sold-out title, sometimes with new artwork

Electronic labels to follow

New electronic records come out on Fridays, yet many 12-inches sell out within days. The most reliable approach is to follow labels whose sound you like: Warp, long-time home of Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada; Ninja Tune; Kompakt for Cologne techno and ambient; Hessle Audio for left-field bass music; Ed Banger for French touch. Anniversary reissues of classic albums and Record Store Day exclusives round out the calendar.

Label webshops are worth watching too, as they often carry a color variant you won't find elsewhere, while some specialist record stores land exclusives of their own. Comparing offers shows you which version is still available and at what price without jumping from site to site. For the most anticipated releases, a pre-order remains the safest way to secure a copy.

Comparing prices on electronic records

For the same new electronic release, price depends on the store, the version (black, color, double LP) and sometimes whether it's an import. This page lets you compare offers from several partner stores before you click through. With a small-run 12-inch, don't wait too long: once it's gone, it tends to cost more on the used market. For an established artist's album, standard black vinyl is usually the most affordable option.