Back catalogue: All genres

Review: A supremely intriguing slice of musique concrete from new avant-gardist Eiko Ishibashi, dedicated to the much-loved Law And Order character Jack McCoy. Across only two tracks in three parts, Ishibashi lends a close, microtonal ear to only the most dubious of ambient sounds and voice, leading to an airy, stretched-out, and acousmatic feel nailed masterfully by Ishibashi and her circle of friends and collaborators. Watch out for the sudden jazz plot twist 'Ask Me How I Sleep At Night'; we're sure the fictional McCoy would be proud at being quoted so affectionately!

Review: Ken Ishii's 1994 album, Reference to Difference, is a crucial, yet often overlooked, masterpiece in the world of techno, ambient and electronic music from Japan. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Musicmine Records, this album is now reissued and remastered, available on vinyl with its original track-list for the first time. Born in 1970 in Sapporo, Ishii's journey into electronic music began with arcade games and pioneers like Yellow Magic Orchestra and Kraftwerk. The discovery of Detroit techno in the late 80s shaped his artistic vision, blending with influences from British and American IDM and ambient techno. Reference To Difference is a futuristic blend of ambient atmospheres, techno rhythms, and minimalist compositions. It transports listeners back to the mid-1990s, a golden era for Japan's unique techno culture. This era saw Tokyo's clubs like Maniac Love becoming essential hubs for the underground scene, where Ishii and peers like Susumu Yokota thrived. Ishii and Yokota set benchmarks for Japanese techno with their early works. Ishii's Reference to Difference and Yokota's Acid Mt. Fuji, released simultaneously on June 29, 1994, were pivotal in putting Japan on the global techno map. Martyn Pepperell's new liner notes accompany this reissue, shedding light on Ishii's influence and the album's significance. Rediscover this gem and experience a landmark moment in electronic music history.

Review: Uganda: Dawn Of Rock is a great collision of creative talents from Akira Ishikawa and Count Buffaloes who combine to deliver a captivating exploration of rock music's emergence in Uganda. A classic since it was first issued, the album showcases Ishikawa's masterful drumming and Count Buffaloes' dynamic instrumentation. It overflows with infectious rhythms and soulful melodies and each track immerses listeners in the vibrant music scene of Uganda where rock and local African sounds are fused into something new. As such this is a record that offers a perfect glimpse into a pivotal moment in Uganda's musical history.

Review: Ishmael Ensemble's third album, Rituals, marks a major evolution for the Bristol-based group. While often associated with the 'new UK jazz' scene, their fusion of live instrumentation and electronic elements extends far beyond that label in truth and now this release pushes their sound further than ever. It blends spiritual jazz, dub, experimental, and electronic styles into powerful, swirling soundscapes that work as well on the head as they do heel. The tracks are more notably song-focused and accessible but still deal in a psychedelic mix of textures, colours, and moods. Rituals is a truly boundary-pushing work of great ambition and is this vital group's best work to date.

Review: Craft Latino celebrates Fania Records' 60th anniversary with a reissue of Ismael Rivera's fifth solo album, Traigo de Todo, which was originally released in 1974 on Tico Records. It is an album that showcases Rivera at his best and features iconic tracks like the lively 'El Nazareno' and the rather more sultry 'Que te pasa a ti.' Rivera's smooth, smoky voice is the heart of each track but contrasts perfectly with lively clave rhythms. He often delivers potent messages with his lyrics that touch on empowerment of the social as well as personal kind, always with great immediacy. This special reissue includes 180-gram black vinyl, with lacquers cut from the original tapes by the revered Kevin Gray.

Review: Israel Vibrations' Strength of My Life marks a triumphant return for the trio, following a hiatus that saw them regroup and rediscover their musical strengths. Produced in collaboration with Doctor Dread and backed by the formidable Roots Radics, the album showcases a newfound voice and power. From the uplifting 'Cool and Calm' to the introspective 'Live and Give,' each track is imbued with its own distinct style, complemented by the Radics' masterful instrumentation. The Vibes' vocal performances are stellar, conveying heartfelt religious devotion, social commentary, and personal reflections with conviction. With contributions from reggae luminaries like Augustus Pablo and Dwight Pinkney, Strength of My Life exudes quality. Against all odds, Strength of My Life turned out to be a triumph, the beginning of the group's partnership with the Roots Radics.

Review: A roots reggae vocal trio, Israel Vibration was modeled after the tradition of Culture, whom they recall in both their harmonies and their politically-charged Rasta concerns. On Praises, the group is backed by the crack reggae rhythm unit the Roots Radics as well as the RAS Brass, while lead vocals and songwriting duties are spread out among the core unit. The subject matter is a laundry list of Rasta issues, including social injustice, Jah, the threat of war and positive vibrations. Sage, nourishing itals of sound spring from our speakers like delectable dub treats, as the trio talents of Apple, Skelly and Wiss (Lascelle Bulgin, Cecil Spence and Albert Craig) effuse from this fervent ninth reggae album by the band, first released on Real Authentic Sound.

Review: Tim Paris and Ivan Smagghe first joined forces as It's A Fine Line way back in 2008, delivering a sneaky re-edit 12" for the lauded History Clock series. They released their first EP of original productions a year later, but have been barely heard of since. This eponymous debut album has been long-mooted and it's really rather good with the experienced production duo gleefully drawing together elements of new wave synth-pop, post-punk disco, low-slung rockabilly, spacey electro, dub disco, and leftfield boogie. The results are uniformly excellent, with Smagghe and Paris backing up their stylish, period-centric production with a string of genuinely memorable tracks.

Review: Wewantsounds press ahead with their hotly-awaited reissue of Japanese piano jazz master Fumio Itabashi's acclaimed album from 1981, Watarase. A seminal document of the history of jazz recorded at the rough moment that the pianist reached his career apogee - the eighties saw him perform several international tours - Watarase is exemplary of Itabashi's unorthodox piano playing for the time. Virtuosic, yet not indulgent of sustained notes or boilerplate consonance, Watarase is keen to wring out the purity of each composition, seeming less interested in style or ornamentation over pure composition. The result is an album which we're not surprised was raised to the heights of jazz standard exalt, with the title track being of most note in this regard; although the less obvious cuts here are also particularly enchanting, such as the rollicking two-chord improvs of 'Miss Cann'.

Review: The second album from Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith on ECM is a meditation on resilience, sorrow and the human condition. Across four expansive tracks on Defiant Life, Iyer's piano and Fender Rhodes intertwine with Smith's haunting trumpet to create a soundscape that's both urgent and serene. From the solemn depth of 'Sumud' to the shimmering melancholy of 'Floating River Requiem' and the radiant close of 'Procession: Defiant Life' notions of suffering, resistance and hope are explored. The record was recorded in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher. It's a deeply reflective work of emotional and spiritual resonance.

Review: Japanese-British avant-jazz greatness notably graced the singular hall of London's Cafe OTO in September 2019; drummer Takeo Moriyama and pianist Masahiko Satoh performed for the first time at the esteemed experimental music venue as part of Peter Brotzmann's four-day festival at the venue, and saw their peers, bassist Leon Brichard and tenor saxophonist Idris Rahman, join them for several pieces. While Satoh and Moriyama both formed part of the blistering Yosuke Yamashita Trio - whose output helped spur a critical period in the development of free and modern jazz in Japan - Rahman and Brichard functioned, for a moment, as their contemporary British doppelgangers as splinter members of one of the UK's most notable experimental jazz groups, Ill Considered. The result is a blisteringly free, metrically rule-flouting live performance born of a real confluence of greats.

Review: A Day of the Sun is a spiritual jazz masterpiece full of poetry by two geniuses of the Japanese musical scene. Masahiko Togashi and Isao Suzuki: pivotal figures in jazz, with a unique talent and sensitivity that transcends conventional jazz forms and styles. In addition to being skilled performers they demonstrate extraordinary compositional talent that transcends their sensibilities and wisdom of more conventional jazz. A Day Of The Sun is based on Togashi's drums and percussion and Suzuki's bass, with occasional changes to cello and piano/synths, and is skillfully performed by just the two of them, creating a unique worldview; a performance that far exceeds expectations. The mystical melodies of the East, earthy percussion and the sensibilities of the two intertwine to create a unique groove, resulting in a universal masterpiece that will never fade away and connects with today's sound makers and DJs. Top sound quality from original master tapes. Includes four-sided insert with a very interesting interview at the time with the two musicians regarding the record.

Review: A record unlike any other, 'Is That What You Want' is a fascinating slice of what some might call 'outsider soul', but even that label can't do full justice to the music here. Part of a wholly unrecognised community of DIY musicians living in East Philadelphia in the 1980s, Lee Tracy and Isaac Manning were a vocal, instrumental and production duo whose efforts flew sorely under the radar at the time that they laid these slick slices of experimental joy to tape. Bleeding a shocking transfusion of gospel, electro, lo-fi, funk and soul, this is a worthy slice of Afrofuturism existing outside the jazz connotation. "We never went to no studio," retorts Manning, showing off the pair's homespun ingenuity. Bolstered by a slew of DIY videos shot in Lee's front garden, this has everything from black Southern IDM to machine-glitched proto-raps. It deserves all the recognition it can get.