HIOLL — Zero Gravity EP Part 1

Hioll returns to Planet Rhythm with Zero Gravity EP Part 1, a five-track 12-inch vinyl release that places the Cuban producer’s distinctive approach to raw, hypnotic and industrial techno inside one of the Netherlands’ most established contemporary techno catalogues. Released in 2026 as PRRUKBLK166P1, the record arrives on colored vinyl with a label sleeve and forms the first half of a two-part Zero Gravity series, with Part 2 issued as PRRUKBLK166P2. The five tracks — “Lord Clouds”, “Anomaly Detected”, “Messiah Of Chaos”, “Plasma Days” and “Digital Serfs” — present a focused body of club material built around Hioll’s long-running interest in dark, hypnotic and experimental techno. Known as Julio César Machado, Hioll is a techno producer from Havana, Cuba, whose work has consistently occupied the more uncompromising side of underground electronic music. Resident Advisor describes him as a techno enthusiast from La Habana and lists Planet Rhythm among the labels associated with his work. His catalogue extends across labels including Soma Records, Mord, Abstraction and Symbolism, while his own Abstraction imprint was established in 2017. Hioll’s musical identity was already clearly established in his earlier productions. His 2018 Memories of a Dead World EP on Manifesto was described as combining acid, industrial and dark techno influences with deep hypnotic patterns, while his Microcelular EP explored dark, Detroit-influenced, atmospheric and hypnotic techno. These earlier releases provide useful context for Zero Gravity EP Part 1: this is an artist whose productions are rooted less in conventional melodic development and more in rhythm, texture, pressure and repetition. “Lord Clouds” opens the record with a title that suggests something expansive, but the musical language remains grounded in the physical mechanics of techno. Rather than relying on a conventional song structure, the track is best understood as a club-oriented construction in which rhythmic momentum and electronic texture are allowed to develop progressively. The combination of a firm rhythmic foundation and shifting synthetic details gives the track the kind of hypnotic quality associated with Hioll’s wider catalogue. The second cut, “Anomaly Detected”, continues the EP’s darker electronic vocabulary. The title itself introduces a sense of disruption and technological unease, fitting naturally within the conceptual territory of contemporary hypnotic techno. Instead of breaking the groove with an obvious melodic statement, the track works through small changes in texture and rhythmic emphasis, creating movement within a controlled framework. This is the kind of approach that rewards extended listening in a DJ set, where subtle changes become more pronounced over several minutes. “Messiah Of Chaos” pushes the conceptual side further. Its title suggests a collision between order and disorder, and that idea is appropriate to the way techno can transform repetition into tension. Hioll’s productions frequently operate in this space between rigid rhythmic control and more unpredictable electronic detail. The result is not chaos in the conventional sense, but a carefully structured form of pressure in which distorted or synthetic elements can create the impression of instability while the underlying groove remains locked. “Plasma Days” continues the EP’s futuristic vocabulary. Across the five-track sequence, Hioll avoids turning the concept of “zero gravity” into something overly cinematic or melodic. Instead, the record maintains its focus on the physical properties of electronic sound: percussion, low-end weight, repetition, modulation and space. “Plasma Days” consequently functions as another component in the overall architecture rather than a stylistic departure from the rest of the record. The closing track, “Digital Serfs”, completes the first part of the series with a title that brings the EP firmly into contemporary technological territory. It is also a particularly fitting conclusion to a record built around machine-like repetition and synthetic environments. The title evokes a relationship between people and technological systems, while the music remains focused on the dancefloor rather than turning the idea into a literal narrative. What makes Zero Gravity EP Part 1 effective as a vinyl release is the consistency of its sonic language. The five tracks belong together, but they are not simply interchangeable variations on the same loop. Each title introduces a slightly different conceptual frame while the production remains connected through Hioll’s preference for hypnotic repetition, dark electronic textures and functional techno structures. The Planet Rhythm connection is equally important. The Rotterdam label has developed a broad catalogue spanning raw, deep and hypnotic techno, with releases from established and emerging producers across the international underground. Hioll’s previous association with the label makes Zero Gravity EP Part 1 a natural continuation rather than an isolated appearance. The label’s current distribution catalogue classifies both parts of the Zero Gravity project as techno, with Part 1 appearing as a colored-vinyl edition and Part 2 as a separate label-sleeve release. For DJs, the five-track format gives the release considerable flexibility. The emphasis on hypnotic rhythm means these tracks can operate effectively within long-form techno sets, particularly where the DJ wants to build tension gradually rather than introduce a large melodic hook. Their textural character also makes them suitable for transitions between harder industrial material and deeper hypnotic selections. The physical presentation reinforces the underground character of the release. PRRUKBLK166P1 is a 12-inch vinyl pressing on colored vinyl with a label sleeve, while the Selected Wax edition is listed as a pre-order for October 30, 2026. The split into Part 1 and Part 2 also gives the project the feeling of a larger body of work without turning the first record into an overcrowded package. For collectors of contemporary techno vinyl, the release represents another significant entry in Hioll’s development from the Cuban underground into a wider international context. His history with Abstraction, Soma, Mord, Symbolism and Planet Rhythm demonstrates an artist who has maintained a recognisable sonic identity across different platforms rather than simply following changing techno trends. Zero Gravity EP Part 1 is therefore best approached as a concentrated piece of modern hypnotic techno: five tracks, one coherent aesthetic and a production style centred on rhythm, atmosphere and controlled tension. From “Lord Clouds” through “Anomaly Detected”, “Messiah Of Chaos”, “Plasma Days” and “Digital Serfs”, Hioll builds a dark electronic environment where the groove remains central and the surrounding textures gradually reshape the space around it. As the first half of a two-part Planet Rhythm release, PRRUKBLK166P1 is both a functional 12-inch for DJs and a strong document of Hioll’s continuing position within the contemporary underground techno landscape.