Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Iceland's Olafur Arnalds (Kiasmos) and German multi-instrumentalist Nils Frahm team up again for some breathtaking excursions in classical/ambient crossover bliss. Frahm's sombre piano passages gently dance over Arnalds' serene soundscapes and eerie field recordings on this bittersweet and emotive journey. What was meant to be a one hour video recording of the duo in action turned out to be an eight hour long improvisation session and these are some of the segments of the wonderful marathon recording. We particularly enjoyed the gorgeously haunting electronic soul captured on "23:52" where those analogue synth strings just rise and rise to an epic climax.

Review: Miami duo Coral Morphologic has linked up with Nick Leon for a debut collaboration here, Projections of a Coral City, which lands on the cultured Barcelona-based label Balmat. It's a lush listen that very much soothes mind, body and soul with its widescreen ambient synth scopes, suspensory pads and painterly strikes of sound. The mood is carefree and dreamy, occasionally rueful and introspective and always realised in a beautiful fashion. Here's hoping this might be the first of many collabs if this is the sort of work these artists can cook up together.

Review: "In 1987, a Japan-only Laserdisc was published by intermission. It showcased one our of works created by renowned German environmental artist NILS-UDO with specially commissioned music by Japanese Kankyo-Ongaku group Interior... Soon after, the world vanished." As a label, WRWTFWW Records have done a stellar job at setting the scene and establishing the perfect atmosphere for Sculpture of Time: Apocalypse. Released on vinyl for the very first time since it was made, almost 40 years ago, it's a lush, tranquil, and reflective slice of earthly ambient that sounds as though someone has just walked out of the jungle and picked up a synthesiser. You can almost reach out and touch the blue and green spaces the soundtrack evokes. Transportive in the truest sense.

Review: Ben Kaczor and Niculin Barandun's debut album, Pointed Frequencies come on the tasteful German outlet Dial Records and explores the healing potential of sound through six immersive tracks. Their collaboration began in 2022 for an audiovisual show at Digital Art Festival Zurich and has developed masterfully since and as Kaczor studied sound therapy, Barandun became intrigued by its possibilities, and it is that which has inspired the album's direction. It incorporates therapeutic elements like binaural beats and solfeggio frequencies into a seamless blend of ambient and experimental music. Through free improvisation, the pair have cooked up some brilliantly contemplative pieces here.

Review: Russian avant-garde sculptor namesakes Naum Gabo, AKA Jonnie Wilkes of Optimo and mastering engineer James Savage, drop their inaugural album, 'F. Lux.' The pair delve deep over eight tracks of cavernous ambiance, pummeling industrial techno and barren, windswept synthscapes, which are perfectly alluded to by Scottish painter Andrew Cranston's surreal artwork. In turns introspective and oppressive, the pair ditch their usual stylistic sensibilities for something altogether more longform and enveloping, allowing for full immersion in the cavernous soundworld. Highlights include opening wormhole 'Aora' and the deeply tense grindhouse resonances of the aptly named 'Hebust Cometh'. Wicked and bad.

Review: Rachika Nayar's album 'Fragments' is a collection of sonic miniatures constructed from guitar loops and in the familiar comforts of her own bedroom. First released as a limited edition cassette by RVNG Intl's Commend THERE imprint, it now comes to the main label in full vinyl LP glory, thanks to its sublime working of cyclical, processed, meditative guitar loops into a distinct oeuvre. Nayar is no less than a sonic alchemist, transmuting tactile guitar loops into repeating textures, in a style that seems to continue in the tradition of The Field or Fennesz.

Review: Horror of the Hexham Heads by The Night Monitor is a haunting and immersive journey into the realms of the unexplained. Inspired by the eerie electronic experimentation of the 1970s and the enigmatic lore of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, The Night Monitor skillfully weaves layers of analog synthesis and spectral ambience to create a spine-tingling sonic landscape. Listeners are invited to explore the murky depths of the paranormal saga surrounding the Hexham Heads, a pair of stone heads that mysteriously appeared in the town in 1971, with dissonant whispers and pulsating rhythms guiding them through the unknown. The result is a genuinely chilling experience that resonates with mystery and intrigue, capturing the essence of one of the weirdest supernatural news stories of the 1970s. Bob Fischer of Fortean Times aptly describes it as a "glorious celebration" of the unexplained.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' Placenta represents a deeply conceptual and collaborative effort and serves as their fourth album release under International Anthem. Inspired by NiNo's recent experience of fatherhood, the album reveres the essence of family, birth, and the marvel of new life. Each track embarks on a sonic voyage, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's eclectic approach traverses various sounds and textures, echoing his belief in the influential force of friendships in fostering creative endeavours. With an impressive lineup of collaborators, Placenta epitomises the resilience of community and the boundless scope of musical innovation.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' album Placenta is available in several formats including CD, translucent purple barbed double vinyl and plain black wax, which is what we have here. The record is their fourth release on International Anthem and was inspired by NiNo's recent journey into fatherhood. It pays homage to family, birth, and the wonder of new life as each track embarks on a sonic odyssey, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's diverse approach traverses a spectrum of sounds and textures, reflecting his belief in the influential power of friendships to nurture creative ventures.

Review: Johnstown, Pennsylvania isn't the first town on everyone's lips when it comes to deep dive electronics. But then, sadly, most people still don't seem to have encountered Nondi. Better known to some of those who have as Tatiana Triplin, the US producer and head of the 'net label HRR has developed a cult following for her experimental takes on some already quite leftfield electronic genres: breakcore and footwork, alongside Detroit-hued techno. What's remarkable about all this is the fact she confesses to only really having direct experiences of these genres online, as oppose to amid the sweat and frenzy of the situations they were first intended for. While this might lead some to assuming her work lacks authenticity, nothing could be further from the truth - it's all so authentic because the interpretations are entirely hers.

Review: Richard Norris is still best known for his 1980s output - whether that's as one half of The Grid with former-Soft Cell man David Ball, or as producer and engineer for the likes of Joe Strummer, Bryan Ferry and the Pet Shop Boys, to name but a quick handful of the who's who in his portfolio. However, in psychedelic, ambient and more experimental circles, his name invokes a huge body of contemporary work that includes studio productions and regular DJ sets at events like Glastonbury and Green Man Festival. Among the most treasured of his contributions to this more adventurous and - dare it be said - niche end of his oeuvre, the Music For Healing records are a trove of excellent sounds and tones, movements and arrangements. Here for the first time on vinyl, the Colours collection, which form just one part of the wider series, is both a perfect entry point into this universe and a wonderful standalone for fans of ambient, drone and mood tunes.

Review: There has been a steady stream of Nurse With Wound material released and reissued recently, with the fathomless creaks of Salt Marie Celeste still looming in our lower registers. Now Dirter are digging right back to the start to present a definitive version of the very first Nurse With Wound venture, originally recorded back in 1980 with a line-up of Steven Stapleton, Jim Thirlwell and William Bennett. Although it wasn't released until 10 years later, this amalgam of tape cut ups, sludge and noise make for a compelling time capsule on the various extremes of sonic exploration that were to come from all three. As you might well expect, there are additional tracks included here you would never have heard before, making this one for long time fans as well as those just beginning their NWW journey.

Review: Joseph Shabason, Matthew Sage, and Nicholas Krgovich form a harmonious triangle, both musically and geographically. Hailing from Toronto, Colorado, and Vancouver respectively, they converged at Sage's barn studio nestled at the foot of the Rockies to explore their shared talent for finding beauty in life's mundane moments. Shabason, known for blending late 80s adult-contemporary and smooth jazz aesthetics into ethereal soundscapes, joins forces with Sage, who combines instrumental prowess with synthesis and field recordings to evoke the natural world's whimsy and profundity. Completing the trio is Krgovich, whose observational poetics add a relatable touch to their calm expressionism. Their collaborative album, warmly Shabason, Krgovich, Sage extends the wry and melancholic micro-miracles established in their previous works.