Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Two years on from their last outing, Tara Clerkin Trio return to World Of Echo for a new EP of distinctive leftfield meanderings somewhere between downtempo, folk, jazz and classic balladry. The Bristol band have been hotly tipped over the past couple of years as they've toured relentlessly and generally moved according to their own logic, and they remain wonderfully unique and hard to pigeon-hole. 'Marble Walls' is a gorgeous slice of sentimental balladry shot through with synth bass, while 'The Turning Ground' finds their delicate guitar lines soaring over buoyant breakbeat and dub siren splashes which call to mind the indie-rave-folk crossover charms of Ultramarine's Every Man And Woman Is A Star.

Review: Wilson Tanner steps on solid ground with Legends, a pastoral odyssey steeped in the rhythms of South Australia's Manon Farm. Swapping coastal breezes for the dusty toil of the vineyard, the duo channel the grit of farm life: dirt-crusted boots, crackling radios, and the far-off hum of summer crickets. Their previous works basked in suburban lethargy and nautical drift, but here, the focus is on the raw textures of agricultural labor, where ducks and dogs roam, tractors rumble past, and stainless steel tanks glint in the sun. Made entirely off-grid, the Manon sessions repurpose wind, brass, balalaika, and synth, rigged together with wire and tape. Legends distills the essence of natural winemaking into sound: feral, unfiltered, and alive with imperfections. Overflowing with rustic charm and irreverent humour, it's a heady swirl of folklore and fermentation, bottled straight from the land.

Review: British conspiracy thriller Utopia follows a group of young adults who, after discovering a mysterious comic book - The Utopia Experiments - embark on a manic quest for corporate restitution and prophetic fulfilment. As a shadowy government organisation detects their plans and resolves to track their every move, we watch an empathic but deadly game of cat-and-mouse; and Cristobal Tapia de Veer's acclaimed score only heightens the tension. This new 2xLP edition includes such instantly recognisable motifs as 'Brainwave Playground', 'Satan's Waltz' and 'The Monarch's Pyramid', capturing the series' eerie and intense atmosphere. The score continues to resonate to this day, following Tapia de Veer's success with The White Lotus and Babygirl.

Review: When members of mega-bands work with relatively obscurer artists, we're always intrigued. But a potential trapping factor is in thinking Jarak Qaribak, for example, is more of a Jonny Greenwood album than a Dudu Tassa one, when in fact the exact opposite is the case. Tassa, an Israeli singer-guitarist who fuses Middle Eastern stylings with contemporary rock, lends a challenging structural terrain to the Radiohead member's electric guitar licks, with the former's Arabic and Hebrew lyrics moving atmospherically against them. A star cast of fellow Israeli artists accompany the pair, as serene vocal beat-driven movements plod and swell away in an appealingly nu-proggy fashion.

Review: Tidiane Thiam's Africa Yontii speaks volumes beyond its melodic notes, conveying a powerful message of change and empowerment for Africa. Thiam's expressive guitar work serves as his voice, articulating the need for African agency and self-determination. Born in the Senegalese town of Podor, Thiam's compositions draw from his deep roots in Pulaar folk music, enriched by collaborations with hip-hop producer Ndiaye Moctar. In this album, Thiam addresses pressing issues facing Africa's youth and reflects on the challenges of leaving loved ones behind in pursuit of a brighter future. Despite grappling with heavy themes, his music radiates with love for his homeland and heritage. Africa Yontii boldly reclaims the narrative of "world music," placing African voices and perspectives at the forefront. Through soulful melodies and poignant lyrics, Thiam beckons Africa to seize its destiny and usher in a new era of change and progress.

Review: Club scene doyen, dance music veteran, and rave culture hero Johannes Auvinen opts to depart from the dance floor, at least for the time being, and deliver Arles - an ode to the other side of the electronic-acid scene, those sounds that make most sense after the chaos and carnage of a party have subsided and you're safely home on the couch with you and yours and all dearest.
And it works as well as it should, with the experience both of living in that world and making anthems for it clearly evident in the overall production quality and ideas. Arles is a warm blanket, that friendly therapist, an album that understands where you've been because it was there too. Remarkably, despite what that may suggest, this is not ambient or particularly leftfield stuff. Instead, it's rhythmic, pop-infused electronica goodness, for want of a more succinct, less awkward turn of phrase.

Review: The resurgence of interest in vinyl has brought with it plenty of spotlight for niche acts like Tinariwen. The Mali-based desert blues specialists are now frequently found on the playlist of eclectic Das and NTS radio hosts, and so they should be. This new album is actually an old one - Kel Tinariwen is an early cassette tape recorded in the 90s that has not been released before. It hones in on the political issues of the time and is a raw sound compared to how Tinariwen went on to sound, but still has all the hypnotic guitar lines and call-and-response vocals that make it distinctly them. Add in raw drum machine rhythms and keyboard melodies and you have an alluring and Arab-tinged take on synth-pop that really gets you where it hurts.

Review: Malian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ali Farka Toure's self-titled album is a cornerstone of African music. It's a perfect example of his unique fusion of traditional Malian sounds with blues influences and is one of many albums of his that remain favourites with collectors. Released in 1984, this iconic long player captures Toure's intricate guitar work and ability to blend hypnotic rhythms and soulful melodies that reflect the rich heritage of the Sahel. His deep, resonant voice conveys a sense of spiritual depth, with lyrics often rooted in Malian culture and folklore and the whole thing is a masterclass in understated artistry, where each track is a meditative journey.

Review: Originally released in 1986, this album showcases The Triffids' exceptional blend of folk, rock, and post-punk. Featuring David McComb's haunting vocals and lush instrumentals, In The Pines takes you on a journey through atmospheric soundscapes. This album, recorded in the Australian outback on a modest budget, highlights the band's raw talent and creativity. Tracks like 'Love and Affection' and the cover of Bill Anderson's 'Once a Day' exhibit their range, from sharp electric guitar riffs to country influences. In the Pines seemed an eccentric career move for The Triffids, who were poised for major success. Retreating to the outback, the band created an album of modest majesty. Haunted by desolation, tracks like the gothic folk waltz of the title track and the intense 'Kathy Knows' stand out. Yet, the album is also filled with camaraderie. Often compared to Bob Dylan and The Band's The Basement Tapes, In the Pines captures The Triffids' infectious joy in making music, solidifying its place as a timeless piece of artistry. In The Pines is perfect for lovers of sweeping, melancholic sounds.

Review: There's something transportive about Odd Balade. The real question is, where does it take us to? Potentially very different places from the next listener, with much of what's here opaque enough to produce varying interpretations from a variety of ears. Even if we were all thinking and experience it in the same way, the sheer breadth of the tracks themselves would still invoke changeable responses. 1980s goth-wave, leftfield pop, haunting ethereality, medieval-hued folk tones, and that's really just off the top of our heads. Tiphaine Belin, AKA Trypheme, is certainly capable of conjuring a multitude of feelings, but Odd Balade makes more big statements than that - it reaffirms the artist as an esteemed producer and songwriter, not just an incredible vocalist. A record deserving of serious attention, to say the least.

Review: By Scott Hansen's previously prolific standards, we've had to wait a fair old while for a new album. Infinite Health, the third Tycho album for Ninja Tune after years signed to Ghostly International, is by design something of a reset: a self-proclaimed meditation on "hope for the future" mixed with a "requiem for the past". Stylistically, that also means a return to his electronic roots, with colourful, melody-rich and sun-splashed synth sounds combined with unfussy beats and breaks, toasty basslines and glistening, AM radio-friendly guitar licks. It is then, regardless of the inspirations behind it, a classic-sounding Tycho album - as highlights 'Phantom', the instrumental deep synth-pop dreaminess of 'Devices' and the lo-fi, trip-hop influenced shuffle of 'Green' emphatically prove.