Back catalogue: All genres

Review: For over 20 years, Clay Emerson and Ian Pullman aka Loess have quietly built a reputation for crafting intricate, deeply atmospheric electronica and Battens, their fifth album on Califonrian label n5MD, sees them refining their signature aestheticistill grayscale and shadowy, but now imbued with a subtle warmth. The Opener 'Strake' features layered static hums and a slow, hypnotic beat that cycles like waves against a submerged structure. 'Halyard' introduces brittle textures and crisp rhythms, evoking wind-swept landscapes. 'Crowhurst' builds tension with submerged chords and fractured percussion. The haunting 'Koepcke' carries a sense of disorientation and search for stability, while 'Endoctamb' recalls Chain Reaction's most introspective moments, yet with a looser, more organic quality. Closing with 'Rime', Battens embraces silence, with glacial melodies fading into the ether. Throughout, the duo masterfully manipulates sound and space, allowing moments of stillness to breathe between pulsing rhythms and submerged harmonies. There's an undeniable human element in how these tracks moveilike the slow, inevitable shift of nature itself. More than just an exercise in sound design, Battens is a transportive experience, cold yet comforting, stark yet alive recording.

Review: Berlin-based Sydneysider LOGIC1000 (real name Samantha Poulter) enjoyed a prolific and productive 2024, becoming something of an in-demand DJ, producer and remixer on the back of her acclaimed debut album Mother, a typically distinctive affair that pulled deep house in a variety of woozy, melodious and inventive new directions. Her inclusion in K7's long-running DJ Kicks series is therefore well-earned. It offers a home listening-ready distillation of her sound that's notably 'calmer' (in the label's words) than her club sets. But that's no bad thing, as it allows greater exploration of experimental, downtempo and hyper-pop, alongside a string of exclusives (including the obligatory track created for the series) and some heady, mid-tempo dancefloor grooves.

Review: The music of this unique quartet explores the roots of African music while embracing its newest possibilities. Featuring Malian singer Rokia Traore and griot Mamah Diabate, alongside Stefano Pilia (Afterhours, Massimo Volume), their collaboration merges with Gambian griot Jabel Kanuteh, a kora virtuoso, and percussionist Marco Zanotti. The fusion of Malian and Gambian rhythms with Italian influences creates a fresh new sound that blends the ancient and the modern. The music weaves jazz, rock and folk with a number of experimental digressions but never at the expense of an underlying groove and high-fidelity sense of musicianship that connects diverse cultural identities.

Review: On her debut full-length, Istanbul-born, Amsterdam-based Loradeniz channels heartbreak into radiant ambient soundscapes. By layering up shimmering synth arpeggios, soft percussion and beautifully delicate and ethereal vocals, the album glides between a sense of emotional fragility and rousing sonic strength. Written, performed and produced entirely by Deniz Omeroglu, the artist's classical training and sound design expertise shines through on tracks like 'Cloud Sofa' and 'Sea Serpent' which balance intimacy with IDM-inspired textures, while closer 'Aftersun' glows with that quiet sense of sunrise euphoria. Sun Shone is a deeply personal and emotionally rich journey with plenty of reference points for us all amongst the melancholy and subsequent notes of catharsis.

Review: It's hard, if not impossible, to separate Lord Huron from the deeply heartrending Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why. 'The Night We Met', which closes this, the band's second studio album, features prominently in the series about teenage suicide. It also defines many of the emotions characters are left with, and universal feelings many of us experience at some point or another. That deep regret at not having done more, having done too much, got too deep, or stayed in the shallows and missed what could have been. It's a sad, sad song, make no mistake, twangy guitars and timeless Americana lyrics calling to mind a century or so of forlorn guitar balladry. Is it the best thing on here? Maybe. Maybe not. As a record, Strange Trails more than lives up to its title, taking us by the hand, leading us out into some Pacific Northwest wilderness and inviting us to stay in the patient quiet of deep personal reflection.

Review: Los Jaivas' Alturas de Macchu Picchu arrives newly remastered and reissued by state51 on heavyweight wax, and it remains a landmark of South American music. Its blurring of psychedelic rock, Andean folk and Pablo Neruda's poetic power makes the album, which was recorded in exile during Chile's Pinochet era, an evocation of both the spirit and struggle of Latin America. Tracks like 'La Poderosa Muerte' and 'Sube a Nacer Conmigo Hermano' swirl with emotion and complexity to deliver a cinematic spiritual experience. Inspired by Incan ruins and resistance, Alturas is more than music-it's a cultural beacon that invites you into a timeless soundscape.

Review: Icelandic experiment Low Roar heard Ryan Karazija, Leifur Bjornsson and Logi Gudmundsson indulge a transoceanic collaboration, extending many a riotous yet sensual sludgeoff between indie pop and post-rock until Karazija's death in 2022. Since this sad event, subsequent records have heard the band reuse loose elements recorded by Karazija in a posthumous fashion, and House In The Woods is a brilliant new example. Pressed to vinyl quickly after an initial digital release, the album blends typical Icelandic ambient-string work with sensuous background vocals and harmonium layers, and deals in a range of subjects from decrepitude to endless love, marked by a sense of sublimity throughout.

Review: German-Filipino singer, songwriter and producer Ray Lozano's new album perfectly captures life's contradictions. If finds her diving into the tension between connection and detachment while offering a sonic embrace for those navigating the chaos of modern emotions. It is rooted in classic loved-up r&b with a particularly breezy edge and seductively smooth vocal style. The title says it all:' Silk' offers warmth while 'Sorrow' delivers an emotional punch. This album isn't polished or trendy-it's raw and real, perfectly fits in with Neo-soul greats of days gone by and really hits where hurts, but also offers healing as a soundtrack to late-night introspection and survival guide for life's beautifully messy moments.

Review: Scruscru recently launched a new label called Tunes Delivery and it's back with another banger here in the former of LTF's Fine Tuning album. It comes hot on the heels of some sublime Soviet jazz-funk sample madness on previous works and it's again, it's a proper masterclass in production. These are deep-cut funk sounds with cooling organ chords, hints of Money Mark vibes and psyched-out synths, wah-wah guitars and plenty of rawness to keep things authentic and timeless. The jazzy flutes of 'Bokeh' make it one of our favourites here but there isn't a single bad jam, truth be told.

Review: German-Spanish duo Lisa Michele Lietz and Jordi Arnau Rubio unite as Luna Soul, making a swashbuckling Ruy Lopez with their debut album First Move. Lietz, a musicologist with roots in Schwerin and a musical education under Ernst Ulrich Deuker of Ideal, brings a thoughtful lyrical sensibility, while Rubio - originally a dancer from Barcelona - compositionally channels a lifetime love of blues, jazz, soul and funk. Already having toured widely across Germany, Spain and France since 2019, the duo rewires that same live energy into the recorded unit, producing a modern Med soul nostalgia record whose temporality we'd find difficult to place on first listen. Such moments are anchored by cuts like '1979', 'Hold On', and 'City Lights', where reflections on grief, resilience and fleeting connection find vivid expression.

Review: Galcher Lustwerk, the Cleveland-raised, NYC-based producer, has carved a unique lane in deep, low-key post-hip-house since his 2013 debut 100% Galcher. Through smoky, stream-of-consciousness vocals evincing an ability to both produce and locute, his work blends funk, rap and r&b into hypnotic club and after-hours four-scapes. On Information, his Ghostly International debut, Lustwerk refined his tech-noir house corner. Live drums and jazz sax added fresh texture, while Lust's trademark narrative cryptologes evoked dimly lit dives, fleeting encounters, and an all-round shadowiness. 'Cig Angel' and 'Another Story' pulse with the sonic linguals of mumble-core film and salivatory softened production, while 'I See A Dime' races forward with syncopated lyrics and daring bongos. True to an enciphered ethos, Lustwerk plays with perception: "Information doesn't equal knowledge."

Review: .Six years after their acclaimed Ten Thousand Lions, roots artist Ras Teo and Spanish producer Roberto Sanchez reunite for Soul Rebel, a bold new project blending Teo's conscious lyrics with vintage rocksteady riddims. Originally sparked in 2018 during sessions at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio, the album grew from two standout tracks into a full-length record which is unexpected yet seamless. Between them, the pair evoke classic Jamaican duos with buttery smooth harmonies and persuade drums and guitars that mesh perfectly with the bass. It's a case of all killer and no filler here wherever you listen.

Notes: Lettuce with the Colorado Symphony is a genre-defying, electrifying performance that captures the powerhouse fusion of funk, jazz, and orchestral grandeur. Recorded live with the Colorado Symphony in 2018, this album features Lettuce's signature groove-driven sound paired with the rich, sweeping power of a full orchestra. It's a unique and breathtaking experience that showcases the band's improvisational brilliance alongside orchestral precision.

Available on digital, vinyl, CD and Blu-ray, this release is a must-have for fans of both Lettuce and orchestral music, offering a fresh, exciting take on the live performance experience. Get ready to groove to the rhythm of symphonic funk like never before!

Region code: A

Notes: The official authorised full-length documentary "Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll" explores the extraordinary journey of music icon, Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter.

Wienerworld is delighted to present iconic American musician Lead Belly's captivating story, brought to life in the aweinspiring documentary DVD, "Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll." This full-length documentary pays homage to the remarkable career, perseverance, and lasting impact of the musical genius.

Through intimate interviews with Lead Belly's niece, Tiny Robinson and a star-studded lineup including Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, Joan Baez, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney and Alan Lomax, this masterful documentary unfolds the life of an iconic artist.

From the depths of playing in Jim Crow nightclubs to his tumultuous time on notorious prison farms, Lead Belly's indomitable spirit shines through every triumph and tribulation. The flm echoes his relentless pursuit of self- determination and his unwavering love for music, ultimately leading him to international stages such as Carnegie Hall, and captivating audiences across Europe.

Exploring Lead Belly's musical legacy is more relevant now than ever before. The documentary elegantly showcases the profound infuence this phenomenal artist had on some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. From Bob Dylan to B.B. King, Nirvana to countless others, Lead Belly's raw talent paved the way for future generations. His music transcends boundaries and continues to resonate with audiences across all genres and borders.

"Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll" offers a vibrant and uplifting journey through the life of a true musical pioneer. It celebrates his achievements, sheds light on his signifcant contribution to music history and emphasizes the importance of his story in today's current affairs. As we navigate complex social issues and seek inspiration, Lead Belly's unwavering spirit and enduring legacy remind us of the power of resilience, unity, and the ability of music to bring people together.

Directed by Curt Hahn, this compelling documentary is a must- watch for music enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone who appreciates the transformative power of art.

Region code: Universal