Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Anywayawanna - The Best Of is a vibrant snapshot of The Beatmasters' trailblazing journey through late 80s/early 90s dance music. Known for their innovative fusion of house, hip-hop, and pop, this compilation encapsulates their most infectious hits with a who's-who of guest vocalists. Standout tracks like 'Rok Da House' with The Cookie Crew and 'Hey DJ/I Can't Dance' featuring Betty Boo showcase their knack for high-energy, floor-filling anthems. 'Burn It Up', with PP Arnold, and 'Who's in the House?' with Merlin MC, further cement their place in club culture history. The glossy orange vinyl edition adds a nostalgic touch, making this a great package of the era's UK dance scene.

Review: Don Blackman's self-titled debut album, released in 1982, stands as a testament to his versatility as a musician, blending jazz-fusion, funk, and r&b with a distinct creative vision. Though it may not have made waves on the charts, its legacy has only grown with time, cementing it as a cult classic in the 80s jazz-funk landscape. Blackman, a skilled keyboardist and vocalist, had already built a name through collaborations with heavyweights like Parliament-Funkadelic and Roy Ayers, but his debut marked a bold foray into the spotlight. The album itself feels like a rich, meticulously crafted groove machine, where Blackman's keyboard wizardry is matched by his soulful vocal delivery. Tracks like 'Heart's Desire' and 'Holding You, Loving You' highlight his knack for catchy melodies, while 'Yabba Dabba Doo' leans into playful funk, embodying the joyous experimentation that permeates the record. Each song brims with tight, polished arrangements, grounded by smooth basslines and Blackman's ability to switch between genres effortlessly. What makes this album so significant is its impact on future generations. While not an immediate commercial hit, it's become a goldmine for hip-hop producers, with many of its tracks being sampled by major artists, pulling it from obscurity into a cherished underground classic. In an era when funk and jazz were evolving, Blackman's debut was - and remains - an unsung yet influential piece of music history, offering a snapshot of an artist at the peak of his creative powers, melding diverse sounds with a rare sophistication.

Review: Blue Oyster Cult's Spectres, reissued on vinyl, shows the band at a pivotal point in their career. Known for blending hard rock with dark, atmospheric elements, this 1977 album contains some of their most memorable tracks. The iconic opener 'Godzilla' sets the tone, with its powerful riffs and cinematic imagery. Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser's guitar work shines throughout, particularly on tracks like 'Golden Age of Leather' and 'R.U. Ready to Rock'? What sets Spectres apart is its haunting mood, especially evident in songs like 'I Love the Night' and the eerie closer, 'Nosferatu'. These tracks sees the band's talent for creating chilling atmospheres with both vocals and instrumentation. The balladry of 'I Love the Night' is particularly striking, a standout even in a discography filled with dark gems. Spectres remains an excellent record that perfectly blends Blue Oyster Cult's signature sound with a more accessible, yet still shadowy, rock approach.

Review: Much like the Sex Pistols, Bow Wow Wow were as much a product of Malcolm McLaren's commercial nous and love of provocation as they were a band, but with the passage of time you can hear their music in a different light. Made up of former Adam & The Ants members and teenage singer Annabella Lwin, they whipped up a powerful twist on the new wave template in which Burundi-style drumming, twanging Americana and post-punk scratchiness collided with pop hooks. If you can't get enough of that era of music, you will surely love discovering or re-discovering this breakthrough album from one of popular music's true curios.

Review: This recording of the Philadelphia Orchestra performing Sergei Prokofiev's 1936 story and orchestral score Peter and the Wolf was recorded in 1977 and was originally released in 1978. The role of the narrator on the recording was initially offered to both Peter Ustinov and Alec Guinness who both turned it down, before David Bowie agreed to take on the role, supposedly as a Christmas present to his son. On the B-side is another equally as charming piece of recent classical history, Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra as narrated by Hugh Downs.

Review: Donald Byrd's Street Lady was released originally in 1973, and at that point the American great had already penned some 20 odd albums. But the 70s marked his move into the funkier side of things and to this day, this album remains one of his most widely loved and important. It's a rich source of samples for a wide range of artists and the opening tune was used smartly by Detroit great Theo Parrish, while tunes like 'Miss Kane' and 'Sister Love' are still huge. Street Lady is as iconic now as it was back first time around with the same going for the experimental sounds of 'Witch Hunt, while 'Woman Of The World' ends on a gentle, euphoric stride.

Review: Reissued after its 1997 debut, Crustation's Bloom emerges from the shadows of trip-hop giants like Portishead and Massive Attack as a legendary gem of the genre. Comprised of Ian Dark, Stig Manley, and Mark Tayler, the Bristol-based band crafted a fantastic sonic universe with their singular LP, featuring the enchanting vocals of Bronagh Slevin, ethereal atmospheres, and hypnotic beats. The album, adorned with artwork co-designed by Stanley Donwood of Radiohead fame, immerses listeners in a dreamy landscape from the opening instrumental 'Hey' to the sublime 'Purple.' Slevin's velvety voice guides us through a nocturnal journey, evoking a sense of safety in darkness. Tracks like 'Close My Eyes' and 'Face The Waves' transport listeners to ethereal realms, while 'Reverie' shows the beauty of orchestral strings intertwined with melancholic lyrics. Yet, it's 'Flame' that stands as the album's pinnacle, a transcendent hymn to beauty and serenity. Beginning with ambient dreaminess, Slevin's whispering vocals crescendo into a breathtaking refrain, accompanied by strings that evoke a phantasmagorical atmosphere. Overall, Bloom remains a hidden masterpiece of trip hop, its nocturnal, spacey, and velvet textures embodying the genre's essence.