Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Granada's Cosmic Tribe know the definition of "electro" in its broadest sense; their new Xtrictly Electro comp keeps the dystopian sound endemic to the genre's most present incarnation, but refuses to restrict itself to one tempo: the standard 130-ish that has sadly infected the otherwise genius genre as a necessity. An international splinter cell of spec-ops and mercenaries are recalled from retirement here, as we hear Calagad 13, Nachtwald, EC13 and many more mechanoid ilk lay down all manner of slick utilities, making up a morbid multi-tool. 5zyl brings further lasery Lithuanian steeze on 'Vilnius Bass', whilst Spectrums Data Forces betrays the existence of a sinister corporate entity, whose business model works towards the object of instilling 'Darkness In My Head' through giant, killer mozzy basses.

Review: Urgent electro from adept producer and DJ Munir Nadir. His third outing for a new favourite label, the Italian outfit Odd One Tape, this sawtooth croaker is an especially squelchy dance record, drawing on tail ends of minimal techno and noughts electro house, and with perhaps a tad of skweee thrown in too. 'Give Me A Second' and 'Paratoxical' use conspicuous reverb tails and flex-gurgled vocals to spoken and spelt-out effect, while the B-side's 'Sniper' is as wilfully minimal and baleful as it gets, working in a monster of a ghostly vocal underbeat. Finally, 'Flying Ladder' rounds off on a matchingly minimal euphorizer in the 4x4 vein.

Review: Owen Ni invites us on a sonic exploration with this ten-track release, a journey through the realms of ambient electronica and deep listening techno music. 'Beyond Flyhigh' sets the tone, its expansive soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms drawing the listener into a world of introspection and wonder. The Raytek remix injects a pulsating energy, transforming the original into a dancefloor-ready odyssey. Elsewhere, tracks like 'Mover' and 'Arqs2600' delve deeper into hypnotic textures and intricate sound design, creating a sonic experience that's both arrestting and thought-provoking. 'We Are Here' and 'S7lverbox' offer moments of quiet contemplation, their delicate melodies and atmospheric soundscapes inviting a sense of peace and reflection. The release closes with 'Epilog', a fitting conclusion to this immersive journey through sound and emotion, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of wonder and possibility.

Review: A second joining of forces from two celebrated Chicago acts, blending deep, organic rhythms with a minimalistic electronic pulse. With the novel but logical addition of Jason Stein on bass clarinet, the collaboration stretches even further, pulling together the spiritual fluidity of Natural Information Society and the electronic minimalism of Bitchin Bajas. The first single, 'Clock no Clock,' is a deep dive into hypnotic rhythms, with guimbri grooves intertwining seamlessly with electronic bursts, flutes and organs. The other three tracks are equally compelling, the music unfolding like a living organism, constantly shifting but always grounded. Expansive, intricately woven sonic delights.

Review: Nazar, the nom-de-guerre of an anonymous Manchester-based producer, presents their sophomore album Demilitarize, following his acclaimed 2020 debut Guerrilla, released amid the pandemic. Nazar's first album securely firmed the artist's name within and beyond the Hyperdub diaspora, thanks to its unique melding of Angolan kuduro music with rough textures, field recordings, and media clips, retelling the story of his family's exile from the Angolan Civil War. Nazar is the son of Jonas Savimbi, a former general of the Angolan independence movement; after Angola's emancipation from Portuguese colonial rule, Nazar relocated to suburban Brussels. More recently, he fell seriously ill with tuberculosis contracted in Angola; battling mortality, the new album reflects a mix of introspection and blossoming love, which contrasts the warring rawness of his debut. Demilitarize is dreamier, with Nazar's submerged, mantra-like vocals at the forefront, evoking artists far-removed from the crumby, unedifyingly rough kuduro that characterised his first EP 'Enclave'. Nazar explains, "I wanted to create something almost metaphysical, inspired by the cyberpunk anime Ghost In The Shell." The sound is delicate, with relatively sculpted rhythms enveloping his own recorded voice throughout.

Review: Bradford rockers New Model Army recorded this double album at Berlin’s legendary SO36 venue, a major venue for punk and alternative music, up there with CBGB’s. Leaning into their heaviest streak, the album captures the band at their energetic best. Perhaps it was the relief of having done one of the most challenging recording int heir history the day before – playing with Sinfonia Leipzig Orchestra for the Sinfonia album – but there’s a visceral, heightened feeling to it. And hearing the crowd give it back to them with wild abandon adds to the sense of occasion on this epic career-spanning 19 song set.

Review: In 1984, Gary Numan launched Numa Records and started a new phase in his career with the release of Berserker. This album introduced a harder-edged digital sound into his canon while maintaining the analogue textures of his earlier work. It's a testament to the fact that Numan's creative evolution never stopped and blends both personal and fictional narratives into haunting tracks like 'My Dying Machine,' 'This Is New Love' and 'Berserker.' The remastered double vinyl edition includes the original album with bonus tracks that add extra perspective to this pivotal period in his career.

Review: Huffin' Rag Blues by Nurse With Wound is a highly unique the Steven Stapleton discography, and that really is saying something since it really can be quite hard to stand out if you're an album shaped by his hand. Originally released as a three-sided LP, this expanded edition now features all four audio sides for the first time; a chaotic fusion of exotica, lounge, blues, jazz, and more, created by Stapleton with collaborator Andrew Liles, this one verges on the lighter side of eerie, confusing elements of Dadaism and narrative waltz, and echoing variety entertainments of the 40s and 50s. Longtime friends Colin Potter and Matt Waldron add to the surreality, resulting in a delightful mess of surreal, dynamic tension full of humorous asides and suggestive epithets. Setting itself apart with more live instrumentation and vocals than typical NWW releases, Huffin' Rag Blues is a world of comparative eccentricity; it might happily alienate those avant-garde purists who prefer things dimmed a little more dark ambient.