Artist: DJ Hell
Title: Neoclash
Label: International Deejay Gigolo Records
Released: 12 December
Sounds like: DJ Hell revisiting a genre he was an architect of, and bringing it up to date
DJ Hell
Dance music publications have been awash with the news of Sankeys' imminent return. Last month, the much-loved Manchester institution announced a new 500-capacity location in the city centre to launch in early 2026. Founder Dave Vincent is confirmed to be behind the project.
Currently, exact details remain deliberately opaque. Depending on your relationship with Sankeys' former incarnations, that has added an air of mystery or raised a red flag. Delete as applicable. For me, it brought back memories of its Ibiza counterpart, which ran here from 2011 to 2018.
One of the last great nights I had there was in July of 2018.
The party in question was the largely forgotten IDOL. A new venture at the time, it had pulled off the unlikely coup of locking in Timo Maas as resident DJ. IDOL also boasted brave bookings (for Ibiza standards), such as Matthew Herbert.
However, on this particular night, it was guest DJ Hell who would steal the show. It was one of those nights which was low on numbers, but high on vibes. Somewhat alien to today's tribalism of committing exclusively to one camp or the other, he played both melodic and thumping, manoeuvring through the tempos and nuances of Techno like all astute DJs should.
Anchored to ultra-competitive Tuesday nights, IDOL itself faded into obscurity and was last seen attempting a revival on sister island Formentera. Sankeys IBZ and its subsequent iterations fell into a spiral of ever-diminishing returns, but that set on that night has stayed with me since.
While the furore about Sankeys' next coming played out in the background online, it felt appropriate, if a little tenuous, that the promo for DJ Hell's next album should drop into my inbox...
Neoclash
A quarter of a century ago, DJ Hell and his label International Deejay Gigolo Records were instrumental in the rise of Electroclash. In 2025, he's revisiting it with Neoclash. But this is not so much a return to source material, as it is reexamining it under current conditions.
All of the original components are here: Post-Punk, New Wave, Italo Disco, Electro, Detroit Techno and Chicago House, though they have been reassembled against the tumultuous backdrop of our time.
Thematically, Hell explores the conflict between technology, the natural world and our grappling of these opposing forces. Compared to the hope and promise offered at the turn of the Millennium, we are living through a less predictable, more volatile socio-political timeline.
Bang The Box is the kind of Acid that a latter-day Josh Wink might write - the type of track that could easily find itself into Sven's record box.
The menacing Medusa introduces a distorted French vocal over a bassline where the torque on highly strung tension is tightened with every bar. It's not the only track with an ominous theme.
There are elements in the foreboding This Is Important which could find their way onto an Adam Curtis mood board. Later on N*1, laboured breathing comes increasingly into focus. The desperate rasp would give James Earl Jones in a gas mask a run for its money.
There are tracks which convey more optimism, too. 303-throwback It's No Way Back, and the Running Back-like Indie Dance number The Rain are much brighter.
This is Electroclash presented in a contemporary manner. It is not intended to be a statement of nostalgia, but rather a reimagining. Who better to undertake such a task than one of the movement's original architects?
Just as he has with all his artistic pursuits, Hell has attached a strong visual aesthetic to Neoclash. Two limited edition LPs will come in transparent red and crystal clear, although fans will have to wait a little longer until the physical format begins shipping.
Since that night at Sankeys IBZ, DJ Hell's Ibiza appearances have been few and far between. Here's hoping that changes in 2026.
As for Sankeys MCR v3.0, I'd be fibbing if I said the news hadn't spiked my curiosity. Judgement will be reserved until I can experience it myself. Though, if I can offer any advice, instead of replicating the old, perhaps Sankeys would benefit more from reinventing itself in a modern light.
Highlights: Bang The Box, Medusa, Purple People, Outline
Neoclash is out now in digital format and is available to stream and purchase on all reputable platforms. Vinyl copies are available from 16 January 2026.
