Review: UK ensemble Abstract Orchestra is led by producer Rob Mitchell and has built its name through jazz-infused hip-hop tributes to legends like J Dilla and MADVILLAIN. Their latest cut, 'Big Bad Wolf,' features Detroit MC Guilty Simpson, whose booming baritone drives the track's cinematic narrative. Originally shelved and not put out, Mitchell revived the collaboration by rewriting the entire instrumental. The result is a two-part journey: from eerie, dreamlike strings to hard-hitting live drums, textured synths and reverb-heavy vocals. With lines like 'when a good guy becomes a villain' Simpson's in raw vengeance mode and jay lyrical grit meets with tight musicianship for modern hip-hop orchestration at its boldest.
Review: Hotly-tipped South London newcomers Ain't release a limited edition 7" featuring two singles produced by Theo Verney, who is one of Brighton's most celebrated guitar music producers, having worked on records by the likes of Traams, Blood Wizard and Lime Garden. As a group, Ain't cleverly weave shoegaze guitars with emo vocal cadences to create a sound that's likely to do just as well within the burgeoning new wave of American shoegaze scene as it is on the London indie scene, where they are currently among the most talked about new bands.
Review: Back by popular demand, this reissue from one of techno's true originators reminds us just how vital these tracks still sound. First released in 1992 and briefly reissued in 2000, these four cuts showcase a unique hybrid of Detroit precision and early European rave energy that continues to inspire. 'The Warning' leads the charge with classic machine-driven Detroit funk. Its rhythm is relentless yet controlled, mechanical yet human. The track feels like a transmission from a future imagined decades ago. 'Ghost' follows with a harder edge. It channels the energy of early Belgium rave with sharp chord stabs and that unmistakable Hoover-style synth. It hits fast and leaves a heavy impression. On Side-B, 'Ex-' is the most cinematic cut. Sci-fi textures, punchy drums and an off-world sense of atmosphere blend the sharpness of UK rave with Detroit's emotional weight. 'Dark Basse' is the banger of the EP with a stripped-back approach. Its minimal but moody framework makes it an instant attention grabber, offering something both haunting and dancefloor effective. These tracks remain timeless and prove once again that true underground techno never goes out of style.
Review: Take It Easy! We need more taglines like these in such trying and self-recriminatory times, where the stresses of a part-imagined urgency prevent us from decompressing in the way our social lives really should allow for. But is dance music, whose traditional motto is to "jack", compatible with such a mantra? DJLMP shatters these apparent antinomies of relaxation and danceability with three new edited heaters here, designed for triumphant joie de vives of the kind that do not poke, prod or demand too much from us. A later Diana Ross sample is put on heavy opening rotation on 'Diana's Loop', while similarly echoic verboffs are exchanged on 'Spring Touch', where dub delays haze the mix into something a little more convulsive. Space for wonky downtime is reserved on the B's 'Reggatronic', in a rare case of hip, lo-fi breathing room reserved for a dance record.
Review: After a quiet return via Neroli, Domu comes full circle to 2000black with a final statement after 25 years of sonic highs, lows and plenty of reinvention. Haunted by the echoes of jungle's past, Domu steps away for good, he says, with this final outing, which leaves behind three deeply personal tracks. 'A Madness' brims with urgent, sample-heavy energy and signature keys. 'Not Him Again' is a jam with longtime collaborator Robert Marin that plays with tempo and hip-hop norms. 'Them Things' then seeks to capture an elusive feeling and closes an EP that is Domu at his most reflective and raw. The end of an era. Don't let it pass you by.
Review: Fashion Flesh aka John Talaga debuts on ESP Institute with two mind-bending tracks crafted from homemade electronics, circuit-bent gear and tape manipulations. Side A's 'Atoms Revolt' explores the secret lives of machines while channelling chaotic energy into controlled sonic accidents, layered distortion and surreal textures. Side B's 'New Freedom' evokes a dystopian adventure into Detroit's decaying industrial sprawl while fusing Geiger-like pulses and eerie oscillations with fragmented voices into a dark rhythmic storm. Talaga's ability to extract soul from machines is remarkable here in what is a visceral and cerebral EP.
What You Came Here For (feat Kayenne - Kai Alce NDATL mix) (6:58)
Undertones (5:42)
Don't Stop (6:12)
Review: Reagan Grey is a Toronto-based producer who impresses with this cultured new outing on Selections. 'What You Came Here For' is pure vibes - a house cut with old-school organ stabs and hints of US garage drum shuffle, all topped with a nice hooky vocal cry from Kayenne. Kai Alce's NDATL mix layers in some jazzy keys that take things to the next level and 'Undertones' then keeps the soul quotient high with some molten chord work and dusty drum loops that are warm and heartfelt. 'Don't Stop' shuts down with a heavier basement house vibe and more smart synth work.
Review: Detroit's Robert Hood returns to vinyl with a techno triptych that distils his vision into something sharp, agile and impossibly refined. Though long synonymous with minimalism, he hasn't sounded this raw in yearsi'Art Form' arrives like a jolt, all jacking 909s and acidic flickers that feel urgent and alive. It's his first straight techno release since 2024, and it pulses with a kind of stripped-down euphoria, framed by Hood's ear for clean lines and stark rhythmic discipline. 'Art Class' deepens the tone, winding through heavier acid modulations that buzz beneath a more spacious arrangement, less confrontational but just as potent. On the B-side, 'Art School' leans into the cinematic mode, pairing sci-fi synth washes with grinding low-end pressure, rolling somewhere between introspection and propulsion. Though the tracks first landed digitally earlier this year, hearing them sequenced here offers a deeper read into Hood's blueprintiacid as method, groove as design. In his own words, M-Plant is about "only what is essential", and these three cuts prove just how much feeling can be encoded in that minimal frame. It's a statement of intent, executed with absolute clarity from one of techno's true architects.
Touch The Sky (Funky Soul 45 Breaks instrumental edit) (4:00)
Review: Toronto's Icons Of Hip Hop follow up their inaugural 7" with a heavy second B-boy drop, pairing a titan of rap over an unmistakable funky 70s soul loop. The A-side delivers a vocal-led version that marries sharp bars with dusty horn chops and a butter-smooth rhythm section, channelling the crate-digging spirit of golden era production with modern flair. Flip it for the 'Touch The Sky' Funky Soul Instrumental Edit, where the sample's full groove comes into focusigritty drums, warm basslines and shimmering soul textures that nod to the track's roots while inviting DJs to get playful. Limited stickered dinked 45, this is essential heat for anyone still chasing that raw, loop-driven magic.
J Blue - "I Can't Keep Crying Sometimes" (part 1) (3:25)
Original Gravity Allstars - "I Can't Keep Crying Sometimes" (part 2) (4:02)
Review: London imprint Original Gravity keeps the 7" heat coming with a two-part reimagining of the blues standard 'I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes'. J Blue takes the A-side, laying down a smoky, melancholic vocal over a stripped-back hip-hop groove, bringing 60s soul pathos into sharp modern focus. It's the kind of cut that creeps up on you-restrained, ghostly, all mood. On the flip, the Original Gravity Allstars stretch things out dub-style with a Pt. 2 version, turning the track inside out into something moodier, heavier, and bass-led. Another strong entry in the label's ongoing campaign to bridge vintage sonics and contemporary pulse-perfect for deep selectors and collectors alike.
Junior Dell & The D-Lites - "Watch That Girl (Little Fatty Boom Boom)" (3:30)
Woodfield Rd Allstars - "Sharpen Up!" (3:11)
Review: Junior Dell & The D Lites so often and so brilliantly work together and this is another fin example of it. Red hot vibes and sunny soul flow freely throughout the airy and breezy 'Watch That Girl (Little Fatty Boom Boom)', which muses on a passing beauty with a lovely behind. It's a single bursting with catchy hooks and tight rhythms topped by Junior Dell's charismatic vocals and all coated in nice authentic lo-fi fuzz and analogue warmth. The Woodfield Rd Allstars provide a Hammond organ-laced groove with brighter melodies and still lush, dynamic instrumental backdrops that elevate the song's lively edge.
Review: Brazilian hip-hop star Laiz follows her breakthorugh Ela Partiu album from last year with a multilingual, percussion-heavy tribute to Jorge Ben Jor & Quarteto Em Cy, threading Brazilian hip-hop through Latin groove, Afrobeat and free jazz. Recorded at Nima Studio in Hildesheim with her 20-strong band dubbed the New Love Experience, the album sits between languages and borders, echoing Laiz's own migration from Jundiai to Europe in 2019. Shaped as much by cultural dissonance as it is by Babylonian joy, the record is sung in seven languages, leaning on lyrical mysticism and transitive instrumental interplay, telling particular stories of heritage, upheaval and diasporic unity.
Review: Big up to northern powerhouse Burnski for steering his Constant Sound label to the not-so-insignificant feat of release number 50. More importantly, the sounds remain as vital as ever and always evolve into subtle new sound worlds. The mantle for this one is taken by Locklead who brings some fine drum patterns to 'Backup' and pairs them with sliding hi-hats and bubbly synth motifs. It's garage-infused but utterly fresh. 'Wizzord' is a darker tech house with searching lead synths and plenty of pent-up energy, and 'Motherland' brings nice jazzy chord work and atmospheric samples. 'Pink Skies' is a bright closer with contrasting synths - some farting, some smooth - and more high-speed, catchy drums that span house and tech.
Review: Pilot is one of the many labels in the orbit of the irrepressible James 'Burnski' Burnham. Its next outing is from M High who perfectly slots into the label's classy minimal and tech sound world. Things open up with 'Same Routine' which is a turbocharged sound with frazzled bass and thumping kicks. 'On My Own Supply' has a touch of the old school to it with the unbridled joy of the dancing piano chords and big, bulky beats. 'Same Routine' then gets a space-tech rework from Wodda and Hatori's live Bass remix brings some lush cosmic synth swirls and bumping drums.
Review: US artist M Squared brings his inimitable style to the latest Purveyor Underground release. As soon as you drop the needle on 'Vibrations' you're in a fresh world of jazzy samples, swinging drums and smeared melodies with spoken words adding extra layers to what is a full flavour jam. 'Self Taught' is another filter-style jam that harks back to the 90s French touch scene and 'Love Technics' brings jacked-up drum funk and insistent loops that never let up. There is more room to breadth with the deeper, smoky sounds of 'In The Shadows' while label boss Demuir's Playboi edit jacks it up with more funky bass.
Review: This sizzling Hammond B-3 laced two-sider from Tommy Sims is a funk-infused gem that would make legends like Jimmy Smith and Brother Jack McDuff do a double-take. Bursting with soulful groove and rich, swirling organ tones, each side delivers brilliant vintage jazz-funk. The lead track lays down deep, bluesy riffs over tight drums and nimble bass, while the flip brings a more playful, upbeat vibe with sunny and infectious swing and crisp solos. Classic organ-driven soul-jazz never sounded better and this is proof that the mighty B-3 still reigns supreme when placed in the right hands.
Review: Madrid-based Sinouj blends Mediterranean roots with contemporary jazz, funk, rock and West African rhythms on this wonderful new 7". Their inclusive approach brings together influences from flamenco, Iranian classical, soul and modern jazz, all of which can be heard here in music that feels both global and uniquely theirs. Their latest release reimagines 'Hak Dellali,' a North African classic popularised in the 80s by Tunisian and Emirati artists. Sinouj transforms the song with Moroccan chaabi beats and Tuareg blues-rock energy, and it has become a staple and standout of their live shows. A psychedelic remix by Berlin's Voodoocuts adds a club-ready angle.
Review: We're told that this EP is an archive of encoded human memories made to "survive the AI's purge." Anyone listening back to this years from now will be sure we had a good old time, because it's slick and charming, minimal and tech with real soul. Sweater's 'Front Street Strut' is a kaleidoscope of colours, Reyer's- 'Martian Law' brings some stripped-back but bubbly and rubbery funk and Poten's 'Coming Or Going' layers up whirring machines and pixelated synth sequences into something zoned out and warm. Lukey shuts down with the snappy broken beat tech of 'Spectrum' with its bright, singing leads.
Review: Some cynics say there's no romance *without* finance, but the one hit wondrous German funk and soulers Thirty Two Soul Band begged to differ. A formerly unreleased lowrider soul beauty from 1975, 'Finance Or Romance' was shelved for nearly half a century, but now it finally steps out of the vault and chooses love. Woozy horns collide with a plaintive groove that could've easily lit up any Eastside cruise: "what's it gonna be, what's it gonna be?". On the flip, 'Body Wave' also resurfaces for the first time since its scarce 7" run, a sultry midtempo cut, dusty fidelity intact.
Review: End Of Perception welcomes Italian label head and Acquario resident Viels for a first solo outing that is all about peak time techno with a meditative energy and strong mental imagery. These sounds sit well with those from country peers like Nuel and Donato Dozzy in that they are linear, loopy and full of spectacular sound design. 'Sospiri' is a swampy and dubby sound that is always shapeshifting, 'Movimenti Tellurici' is more intense and sounds like being trapped in a factory during peak production hours and 'Incompleti' has a deep space pulse. 'Destino' pairs thudding hits with synths that encircle you and lock you in the here and now.
Review: Having celebrated his 50th birthday late last year, Ryan Adams has naturally been in an introspective mood. It makes sense, then, that the long-serving rock/country fusionist should offer up an album made up entirely of covers of songs by other artists that have in some way inspired him over the years. Generally gentle, with string-laden, largely acoustic arrangements, Changes features some genuinely brilliant interpretations - as well as some surprise ones. For proof, check his piano-and-strings wander through 'Panic' by the Smiths, a wonderfully heartfelt rendition of 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds, a country-folk take on the Rolling Stones 'Sympathy For The Devil' and a lilting, poignant Prince cover ('When Doves Cry', which comes complete with extended harmonica solos and some genuinely lilting strings).
Review: Just three months after its predecessor was released, the second and final part of Joe Armon-Jones' epic All The Quiet album series lands in stores. Entirely written, produced and mixed by the man himself - with a few friends and high-profile guests popping up to add instruments or take to the mic - the set offers atmospheric, immersive and perfectly-pitched musical fusions rooted in his various sonic influences (think jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop and dub). Highlights are plentiful, from the deep and dreamy jazz-soul shuffle of 'Another Place' (featuring significant contributions from vocalists Greentea Peng and Wu-Lu), to the warming, dubbed-out soul of top-tier Yazmin Lacey collaboration 'One Way Traffic'.
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