New releases last two weeks:

Review: In a dimly lit room in Dalston, the crowd is entranced as Finnish jazzman Jimi Tenor commands the space by blending smoky sax, wild Moog lines and a hypnotic electronic groove. When the track ends, he muses aloud, unsure what to name it. A voice from the crowd calls out, 'Release Me!', and so it began. That spontaneous moment sparked a very special release on Fluid Ounce, celebrating 25 years of the label with a limited edition vinyl from the iconic multi-instrumentalist. Chris Vogado (zero dB), under his new alias Special Guest, delivers a bruk-meets-house remix plus a dub B-side. A lovely 12".

Review: Back in 2018, artist Omar "El Oms" Juarez introduced the world to Marie and Necalli, then known as Thee Lakesiders. Sensing something special, he linked them with Big Crown's Leon Michels and The Shacks and together, they recorded 'Parachute,' a soulful gem that became a cult classic and sparked a new wave of modern soul. The original 7" sold nearly 10,000 copies and its music video racked up over 15 million views. To celebrate its seven-year anniversary, the label has now assembled this special edition of 'Parachute' and its instrumental version on transparent green vinyl, complete with El Oms' artwork and guaranteed no represses. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Review: After declaring his retirement in 1996 with Gettin' It, it turned out that Too $hort couldn't really stay away from the game. In 1999, he returned with Can't Stay Away, his 11th studio album and one recorded in Atlanta with Southern influences folded into his signature West Coast Bay Area sound. Produced by Jazze Pha, Jermaine Dupri and Erick Sermon and with features from 8Ball & MJG, Scarface, E-40 and others, it's another example of Too $hort's versatility. It also introduces his Nation Riders, a collective of up-and-coming rappers signed to his new label, in a record full of pimp tales and classic $hort storytelling.

Review: Since the release of their Grammy-nominated third full-length Glow On in 2021, Baltimore hardcore experimentalists Turnstile have legitimately ballooned to one of the biggest acts in modern rock music. Returning four years on with their longest gap between albums yet due to their immensely expanded touring schedule, Never Enough seeks to maintain the momentum whilst building upon their unique vision for what was once an admittedly niche subgenre. With the opening title-track's anthemic stadium-punk vibes complete with ethereal synths and bombastic, purposefully simplistic riffage, to the jangling disco-dream-pop banger 'Seein' Stars' to the blistering yet positive chaos of 'Birds', all signs point to the band nailing their mission statement for the scene, with yet another intriguing opus brimming at the seams with creativity, energy and incomparable proficiency. Their first work to mark the arrival of former Chubby & The Gang guitarist and Yorkshire-born Meg Mills following the departure of Brady Ebert, the album will also be complimented by a musical film, essentially offering music videos to all 14 tracks in a style reminiscent of The Who's iconic album-film Tommy. Due to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, Turnstile continue to decimate the boundaries and limitations of what a hardcore punk band can accomplish.

Review: In the four years since the unprecedented success of 2021's Grammy-nominated third album Glow On, Baltimore experimental hardcore heroes Turnstile have become legitimately one of the biggest bands in modern rock. Following their longest gap between full-lengths yet, likely due to their majorly expanded hectic touring schedule, Never Enough appears poised to maintain the intense momentum whilst continuing to build upon their uniquely singular vision for what was once regarded as a niche subgenre. From the opening title-track's anthemic, simplistic-by-design stadium-punk riffage elevated by bubbling, euphoric synths to the jangling disco-pop dance-punk grooves of 'Seein' Stars' to the chaotic yet positive abrasion of 'Birds', all signs point to yet another intriguing, incomparable opus bursting at the seams with levels of creativity, ability and energy beyond the confines of any genre or band working today. Officially enlisting longtime touring member and former Chubby & The Gang guitarist and Yorkshire-born Meg Mills following the departure of Brady Ebert, the record will also expand upon the four-track musical film Turnstile Love Connection which announced their previous effort with a fully realised version this time around, offering up music videos to all 14 tracks in a style reminiscent of The Who's iconic album-film Tommy, entirely directed by frontman/mastermind Brendan Yates, who also serves for his first time as the record's producer. With the album/film release set to coincide and premiere at New York City's Tribeca Film Festival, Turnstile continue to shatter the boundaries and limitations of what a hardcore punk band were once thought capable of accomplishing.

Review: The Eyes Wide Shut soundtrack was released in 1999 and weaves together haunting classical pieces, jazz standards and eerie original compositions by Jocelyn Pook. Her track 'Masked Ball' stands out as a chilling centrepiece that add to the film's surreal and unsettling mood. The inclusion of Chris Isaak's sultry 'Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing' and Shostakovich's haunting 'Waltz 2' deepens the psychological tension. The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media so was essential to the film's mysterious atmosphere. Pook's work, paired with Ligeti, Liszt and jazz legends still stands up as a great mix of seduction and suspense.

Review: There's a crippling truth behind this expansive and musically accomplished compilation which few of us really want to acknowledge. Created to shore up funds for a City of Angeles devastated by yet another series of wildfires in January 2025, the sad fact is that we are going to see more and more records like this because more and more records like this will be needed. Still, at least we can be incinerated, drowned by flooding, or die from starvation or thirst while listening to some decent tunes. And these tunes are very decent. From space age jazz of Celia Hollander and Photay, to Julia Holta's pin-drop piano-vocal theatrical stunner, Baths & Rachika Nayer's very Bibio-sounding guitar-electronic dub, and the retro lounge style 'Making The Beat Scene' by Daedalus. We could go on.

Review: Marking 20 years of fresh dub experimentation, Jahtarian Dubbers's latest volume revives the Jahtari compilation series after a decade-long pause. This latest entry features a fresh wave of outsider dub, circuit-bent dancehall and cosmic low-end adventures with heavyweight jams coming thick and fast. Highlights include KingLMan's gritty opener 'The Loop Jerk,' Kiki Hitomi's sultry 'Red Mustang' and Kris Kemist's retro gem 'Casio HipHop.' El Fata brings vibes on 'Boom Sound' while Jura Soundsystem channels Sly & Robbie. Side B flows from Pupajim's extended 'Tidal Wave' to Legowelt and Mystica Tribe's tape-warped 'Cabal of Puppeteers' before finishing with Tiiu Helina's haunting 'Muuri' dub. This is a rich, twisted celebration of dub's outer limits.

Review: There are immersive experiences that inspire artists to do great things. Then there's Aboutface heading to the Wampis Territory, in the Peruvian Amazon, to live with the local community, learn a little of how they live and their relationship with the Lungs of the Planet, capturing field recordings collaboratively with those people, and trying to articulate their world through an electronic-organic deep dive album. After you've got over the jealousy about how life-changing that trip was, let's focus on the fundamentals. This is seriously escapist stuff that seems to have been made using every root, branch, and animal encountered during those weeks. The synthesised elements are audible, but take a backseat to what was and is actually there. Or here. Quite unlike anything we've heard this year, it's a stunning way to raise awareness and support for Indigenous-led conservation and initiatives trying to stop illegal deforestation and ecocide.

Review: Plucking themselves and their strings out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Watchhouse has its foundations in Mandolin Orange, and the duo - songwriter Andrew Marlin (vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo) and Emily Frantz (vocals, violin, guitar) - haven't necessarily changed since the name switch. A married couple, there's always been this beautiful intimacy in their music, which is often tender, if not strictly quiet. Eight studio albums in and most of the reasons we fell for this Americana-folk-country outfit remain front and centre. The musicianship, at times, is nothing short of spectacular. Check the chord work on 'In The Sun'. The lyrics are capable of stopping you dead, forcing contemplation and reflection. And the overall atmosphere is like the feeling you have after stepping off a train back home. Slow down, re-familiarise, and pay some attention to the subtle things.

Review: Released way back in October 2001, the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone soundtrack became an instant classic. It was composed and conducted by the legendary John Williams and features iconic themes like 'Hedwig's Theme' and introduces multiple character and setting motifs that shaped the musical identity of the series. Many of these leitmotifs returned in Chamber of Secrets and beyond, with 'Hedwig's Theme' becoming the franchise's signature melody and appearing in all eight films plus the Fantastic Beasts spinoff. The score earned Williams an Academy Award nomination and was certified gold in both Canada and Japan. It's a magical, enduring piece of cinematic music history.

Review: Aside from his many seminal soul sounds, Bill Withers will always be a favourite of ours for the way he simply quit the music industry once he felt he had said all he had to say. And he never changed his mind, never got lured back for money, instead enjoying quiet retirement. What a set of tunes he left behind though, many of them on this album, Still Bill, including the dark paranoia of 'Who Is He (& What Is He To You?)' the funky licks of 'Another Day To Run' and anguished leads and menacing drums of 'Use Me'. Singles aside, this also plays out as all great albums should, as a coherent and absorbing story from front to back.

Review: Adam Winchester and Laurie Osborne (probably still best known as Appleblim) are Wrecked Lightship and they have an inventive approach to dub, breaks and bass. Their work creates an immersive world full of rich, atmospheric textures and the latest example of that is Drained Strands, a new album for Peak Oil full of fragmented, genre-blurring sounds. The six-tracker is full of experimentation and new ideas from the off. 'Delinquent Spirits' for example is a jumble of jungle breaks and vast basslines with minimal percussion, 'Reeling Mist' is warm, blissed out dub and 'Somnium Sands' is an eerie and evocative world of synth designs and industrial decay.

Review: The third volume in the Insense Music compilation series, Insense Music for Dining Room, deepens its exploration of ambient, jazz, chill-out and Balearic sounds, all of which are perfect for serene dining moments. Curated by Tohru Hashimoto with artwork by Jiro Fujita and mastering by Calm, who a key figure in Japan's music scene as well as a renowned Balearic boss, this 7" release shines from the off: side A features Yakenohara's subtle, exclusive take on Bill Evans's 'Peace Piece' which blends his genre-fluid skills as rapper, DJ and producer. Side B offers Noa Noa's warm tribute to Bobby Hutcherson's 'Montara,' a hip-hop sampling favourite. The release precedes a full compilation dropping this May.

Review: Originally released in 1982, Upstairs At Eric's marked the arrival of a duo as timeless as they were era defining, capable of capturing the very essence of an emerging, tech-driven music scene while also writing tracks that still sound incredible today. Many of which have been repurposed, sampled and remixed to the ends of the Earth and we're still not bored. Produced by the two band members, Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke, alongside Daniel Miller, boss of Mute Records, the legendary British label that first carried this, we shouldn't need to namedrop tracks here - Upstairs At Eric's is, frankly, the landmark synth-pop record. Just in case, though, think 'Don't Go', 'Goodbye 70s', and 'Only You'. And that's before we get into the lesser radio-played gems.

Review: Following the success of their standout single 'Feel The Rush,' Zaimie returns with Black Velvet, a lush new long player that blends jazz, funk, soul and global rhythms that all expand on the group's signature sound while remaining rooted in groove and emotion. Each track showcases Zaimie's refined musicianship and evolving songwriting, from silky basslines to soaring melodies on 'New Life' to more horn-led celebrations like 'Weekender Breeze' and sunny vocal charmers like 'Can't Do Without It'. Black Velvet feels timeless and contemporary and makes for a confident step forward for Zaimie, who are ever more polished and full of soul.