Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Acid Sessions Vol. 3 is another white-knuckle journey into the world of acid with five top talents in the field all pushing their own limits. Acidulant opens with "Serpentacid' featuring hypnotic 303 grooves and relentless energy, then Sarufaromeo & Papaverhof deliver 'Acid Nihonshu' which blends atmospheric depth with chaotic acid vibes. G303 takes you beyond with 'Live Long and Prosper,' an interstellar anthem filled with cosmic acid and resonant grooves. Paul Renard closes with 'SO36' which is all about the fat rhythms and powerful dancefloor drive. Long live acid is what we say.

Review: Burnski's high-quality Constant Black is back with more essential club-ready sounds. Donnie Cosmo and Pascal Benjamin step up for one side of action each. Cosmo's 'Holo Glitch' is first and pairs balmy synth work that is colourful and silky with some punchy tech drums and rolling bass that pulls you in deep. 'Echo Drift' is another lithe and lively one to get you on your toes while the groove flows and 'Airplane Mode' is another stylish mix of lush synth design and great rhythm. Benjamin's trio on the flip is a little more gritty with industrial-space-tech many the most fitting way to describe these curious cosmic cuts.

Review: Floorbound body-occupiers from Papa Nugs and The Trip for Tessellate, blanching wildstyle hip electro and irky rave sounds. With the A-side totally taken up by 'Keep Rocking' in two versions, we've a modish street style version in 'Casa Nova' form and a 'Hip House' breakbeat rendition. Then come the underside dread ones: 'Fearsome' tilts in the direction of ever more raviness with tuned, sandstorming stabs and gated voxes, while 'All Night' takes a dash of speed garage to the mishmash, air-raid sirens sounding through held chords all around.

Review: Cut in Detroit in the late 1960s, 'I'm Gone' and 'Love You Baby' document the best of Eddie Parker's energies, at a time when soul took on a bluish yet backbeat-propulsive hue. Heron-like vocals strike a bold pose, representing an exeunt subject matter, as Parker consummates the experience of heartbreak with a belt-driven goodbye, at the climax of which we hear an incredibly intense pick progression in an eighth note pattern. 'Crying Clown' changes the subject entirely, capturing a subversion of expectations with the line "fame and fortune belong to me, but a happy man i'll never be..." Parker's self-concept as a 'Crying Clown' hears him end up lampooned by his own backing singers, whose high register is mocking, almost infantile in its (self-) depreciation.

Review: Hope & Faith Records returns with fresh new sounds here featuring the "Standing Tall Riddim," a vital production in an early 70s roots style. This release includes two vocal cuts: 'Love Can Be So Sweet' has swaggering drums and guitar plucks with a lo-fi edge and a raw, pained vocal. 'So Sour Dub' n the flip has some whimsical organic chords and plenty of organic percussion over natty rhythm and tons of echo. Lovely.

Review: UK techno punk Perc was making hard techno way before it became as trendy as it is now. His Perc Trax is a great reserve of such sounds and now he adds to that with another eye-wateringly raw and direct new outing with a bunch of high-octane remixes. Ophidian kicks off with brutal drum funk and caustic synths, Vera Grace fires all sorts of synths across the face of a rooted, rolling low end and Acerbic brings video game sound effects and hammering drum funk. There is no let up with Zisko Ceremonial's closer which is fast-paced and urgent.

Review: Hard techno bastion Perc has invited a bunch of peers to remix some of his own tackle for his Perc Trax label and the results are as abrasive and arresting as you might expect. 'Full Goblin (Mac Declos remix)' is a fast-paced cut with industrial decay and growling machines keeping you on edge, Peder Mannerfelt remixes 'Static' into mechanical, electro-tech loops with a jarring but beautiful harp loop up top. 'UK Style' gets a Million remix that takes the drums into overdrive and last of all is the big, brash techno throb of a Bad Boy Pete remix lit up with ravey stabs.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Perro Bueno Edits is back with more muy bueno refixes of some classic disco sounds. This third such volume features two reimagined Afro-funk tracks by the mysterious label head Perro Bueno. The first track 'BOWO' brings a nice driving groove with open hi-hats add some smoothness and funky guitar riffs and punchy horns adding some extra dancefloor bite without sacrificing the vintage roots. The second track 'MSMO' is a heavier beat with vamping chords and guitar riffs really sending it home with clever sampling and modern enhancements. Both nostalgic yet fresh this is another tasteful disco, Afro and funk fusion for discerning dancers.

Review: dO iT nOw Recordings makes its debut in the world of vinyl with a various artists' sampler that shows just what they are all about. First up is Pigsie's wonderful 'Silk' which sets a fine tone with lush jazz-inspired keys, dreamy pads and intricate drum work that make it well suited to those late-night sessions. Wearing Shoes then offers 'Finding Your Words' with buttery Rhodes licks and looped vocals over fat bass, and the B-side begins with Michael Oberling and his deep jazz grooves, trumpet solos and swinging drums. Massive R closes with the lovely, jazzy house of 'This Feeling' complete with snappy drums and a catchy piano hook.

Review: Belgium outfit Premier Regard drop the club-ready house jam 'Tu one' here alongside a versatile array of remixes that mean you are pretty sure to find something that works no matter what spot you found yourself in. The Classic mix has raw analogue drums sounds and wooden hits with a libidinous vocal and warped bass. Audio Soul Project remixes with more heft and urgency, the Coma Du Nord remix is pared-back and allows the elastic groove to hook you in and the Steve Sibra remix is more spaced out and late night, thanks to the tender pads.

Review: The best catalogue naming convention in all of music belongs to the Club U Nite label, and the beats they offer up ain't bad either. This latest blue 12" is the third volume in their Dee Tax series and brings an array of fine artists to the fore. The sounds are house with a traditional bent - Purple Kush's 'It's A Feelin'' is deep but jacking with jazzy motifs, Mellow Man keeps it classy with a garage swing on 'Touch The Sky', Manhattan Project taps into a 90s New York dub house vibe on 'Get It Right' and a second Mellow Man shuts down with seductive smoothness.

Review: Spanish Ethio-jazzers Pyramid Blue return with their latest 45 rpm rotunda on Discos Martos. Another one signalling the best of this rather recherche band's evolving sonics, they here team up with with Habiba Chaouf, a talented Arab singer deeply rooted in Spain's flamenco scene. Habiba's mesmerising vocals bring a rich layer to the A-side, where identifiably Arab melodies intertwine seamlessly with deep Afro-funk rhythms. 'Amal' means "hope" in Arabic, suggesting themes of longing, uncertainty, and soul-search. The B-side's 'La Esperanza', meanwhile, adds a touch of 70s film soundtrack bombast, combined with a whispered mid-record rap.

Review: Seasons Limited made a welcome return in 2024 and now keeps up that good momentum with another big single from French house mainstay Franck Roger with some fine vocals by Paul B. It's a super smooth sound with drum swaying back and forth, molten synth adding late night and tissue soul and the tender vocal adding intimacy and late night romance. Rocco Rodamaal steps up for remixes and first of all he pairs things back to a sedate, seductive deep house roll then fleshes out the drums with some dubby weight to finish.!

Review: This double-disc collection offers a fascinating glimpse into Lee Perry's evolution as a producer during a pivotal year in reggae music. 1970 saw Perry at the top of his game, fresh off the success of Return Of Django, and these recordings capture his adventurous spirit and groundbreaking studio techniques. The compilation features a wealth of instrumental works, showcasing the proto-dub experiments of his backing band, The Hippy Boys. With 14 tracks new to CD and many others unavailable since the 1990s, this release is a treasure trove for dedicated Upsetter fans. From the infectious grooves of 'Yakety Yak' to the dubwise explorations of 'Bush Tea' and the soulful sounds of 'Let It Be', this collection is a must-have for any reggae enthusiast.

Review: Porcine quintet Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs laugh in the face of fate with Death Hilarious, a brutal and energetic offering of sadistically calculated aggression embroiled in knowingly self-destructive lyrics. The band have broken through the immersive approach basked in on 2023's Land Of Sleeper, now shredding any sense of hope for contentment held out for erstwhile. Allegedly inspired by an intense touring schedule, the band felt the need to reflect the superhuman biopower required of them in LP form: and in light of frontman Matt Baty's anxiety, the lyrics exorcise self-doubt, and critique neoliberalism and forced optimism in close step. Enlisting El-P of Run The Jewels on 'Glib Tongued', here's also a diverse mix of doom, noise rock, and post-metal, with surprise gothic synth solos garnishing an otherwise punishing mire of rock sludge.

Review: Celebrating its 50th anniversary, this iconic release - arguably one of if not THE msot famopus rock album of all time - gets an anniversary edition remastering, bringing its revolutionary sound into sharp focus while maintaining the spirit of its original recording. The remaster captures the depth and complexity of the band's vision, from the eerie pulses of 'Speak To Me' that lead into the tranquil yet ominous 'Breathe (In The Air),' to the iconic synth-driven chaos of 'On the Run.' The haunting 'Time' sounds even more immersive, its ticking clocks and swelling synths fully realised in this updated mix. And then there's the unparalleled vocal energy of 'The Great Gig in the Sky,' which now resonates with even greater emotional intensity. On the second side, 'Money' continues to provide that inescapable groove, its jazzy bassline never failing to captivate. 'Us and Them' brings with it a sense of melancholy and philosophical reflection, while 'Any Colour You Like' serves as an entrancing bridge before the chilling introspection of 'Brain Damage' leads into the album's climactic conclusion, 'Eclipse.' For both long-time fans and newcomers, this remaster offers an opportunity to hear the album as it was always meant to be heard, with every nuance and every note given the space it deserves.

Review: French twosome Polo & Pan spent the first part of their career giddily fusing tropical house and synth-pop into attractive new shapes, before exploring the world of chillwave on 2021 sophomore album Cyclorama. Four years later, and now signed to major label Virgin, they've once again upped their game, delivering a set of accessible, attractive and sun-drenched fusions of synth-pop and dance-pop that draw inspiration from a variety of musical cultures around the world. For proof, check highlights including the effortlessly dreamy 'Pareidolies', the immersive nu-disco chug of Beth Ditto collaboration 'Petitle Etoile', steamy, Air-esque Balearic shuffler '22:23' (with Vico and Antonin) and string-drenched, Gainsbourg-influenced closing cut 'La Nuit' (with Arthur Teboul).