The growth of the dance/techno scene has consistently outstripped the ability of the major labels to keep abreast. With CD pressing becoming more affordable every day, independent labels are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Barry Fry is one lover of industrial techno who was inspired by the huge amount of quality music which wasn't filtering down, and so started a magazine and mail order service called The Empty Quarter, to spread the word (and the product).

One thing led to another, and The Empty Quarter now has an enviable compendium of their own signings to sit alongside their huge master catalogue of obscure gems. As Barry says, "I became disillusioned with my own efforts at making music, but inspired by the amount of good stuff other people were making. A lot of it either wasn't getting released, or if it was, it wasn't getting through to their audience. That's why we decided to start releasing our own stuff."

Industrial and experimental techno is an undeveloped field here in Britain. It has been left to continental labels to identify and develop UK acts. TEQ Music? have just released a compilation of early recordings from one such group, Solar Enemy, who have an excellent new album in Proceed to Beyond... The Rape of Europa. As Portion Control in the 80s, everyone from Front 242 to Nine Inch Nails cite them as influences, yet they failed to enjoy commercial success to match their critical acclaim.

That success seems to be coming their way now, thanks to TEQ, hence the reissue of the best of Portion Control's singles and album cuts as 'The Man Who Did Backward Somersaults'.

MFTEQ, The Empty Quarter magazine is up to issue 10 with number 11 set to feature a covermount CD, courtesy of Audioglobe/Submission/Musica Maxima Magnetica in Italy. It will feature tracks from the likes of The Swamp Terrorists and The Anti Group. At £2.50 it's almost as good value as THE MIX, and with a huge mail order listing of rare and unusual releases from over here and over there, it may just fill that empty quarter in your CD collection.

The Empty Quarter, TEQ Music? and MFTEQ may be contacted at (Contact Details)

Solar Enemy may have just re-released their old stuff as Portion Control, but they've also got a new album out. Titled Proceed to Beyond, The Rape of Europa, the album is a dark brooding piece of intelligent industrial music reflecting on the current state of this corner of the planet. TEQ Music? persuaded them to give readers of THE MIX a treat, a special remix of 'Chrome Eternal'.