After a strong showing in 2012 that included acclaimed releases from 1991, Wanda Group and Huerco S., Stephen Bishop’s Opal Tapes has unveiled its first batch of releases for the new year.

Top of the pops is Confused In Reality, a work of throbbing, degraded electronics by the mysterious Traag, with “sound engineering” by Wolf Eyes’ Nate Young. Leeds’ DJ Ford Foster offloads a winningly impertinent set of jacking hard techno, Function Trax Vol.2, Portgual’s IVVVO explores grainy electronica and unheimlich techno on All Shades Of White, and Barcelona-hailing Ex-Con comes over like a lo-fi Alva-Noto or Byetone on the fine Manual Di Força I Tactica.

You can stream tracks from all four releases, and buy the tapes (including bonus downloads) or just the downloads, from Opal Tapes’ Bandcamp page here. Opal Tapes was one of FACT’s 18 Labels To Watch In 2013.