Juno Recommends Leftfield April 2021

Review: Thanks to their links with the celebrated 4AD label, goth-edged new wave outfit Clan of Xymox were one of the only Dutch bands to record a session for John Peel's influential Radio 1 show. That session took place in 1985, following the release of their cult debut LP, and saw them perform a mixture of familiar favourites and then brand-new cuts. Here that session makes it onto vinyl for the first-time courtesy of Dark Entries (it was previously released on CD by BBC offshoot Strange Fruit in the early 2000s). It offers a neat introduction to the band's distinctive, trademark sound, with highlights including a stellar version of new wave club classic 'Stranger', the more Goth-rock influenced shimmer of 'Seventh Time', the rubbery, drum machine -driven brilliance of 'Agonised By Love' and atmospheric closing cut 'Mesmerised'.

Review: RECOMMENDED
When is dance music not really dance music, but still makes you want to shake everything your were given at birth? PLO Man and C3D E provide a perfect example with 'Public Static V (Part 1-5)', the opening track here. While never committing to labels, the track moves through a number of different arrangements, peaking with a sense of real energy and rhythm despite still being a blissful escape into downtempo heaven.

It's one of the hardest balances to strike, but here it strikes twice, albeit the second side - 'Public Static V (Part 6-10)' becomes a darker and altogether less fluffy beast. Poised on something of a knife edge, 4AM rave vibes are omnipresent as 25-minute composition approaches its conclusion, having started life sounding like dawn breaking over another world.

Review: Since the mid 1990s electronic explorer and sound designer Ryoji Ikeda has amassed a vast catalogue of releases. Some of these, though, are either hard to find or were only released on certain formats - hence this release on Sahko. It gathers together two lengthy compositions from early in his career that were previously only available on CD. Our pick of the pair is gorgeous A-side 'Luxus 1-3', a stunning, 16-minute suite from 1995 debut album 1000 Fragments that fuses deep space ambience with the orchestral musical cycles of American minimalism and plenty of gently mild-altering effects. Flipside 'Space', which first surfaced in 1998, is a ghostly piece of haunting sound design in which distance sub-bass tones struggle to break through a dense fog of creeping chords and digital watch bleeps.

Review: Spike Jonze's Her is, quite frankly, one of the most profoundly moving movies of the last decade. Posing the question we should all be asking - what happens when people, in this case a writer who is paid to pen personal letters from clients to their loved ones, start falling in love with their computer operating systems? The answer is an existential journey through the greatest unanswerable quandaries of all time; what makes us human? At what point do we become conscious? How long until Siri becomes truly useful?

The soundtrack probably didn't stand out to as many people as the plot and the cinematography, but as this hugely accomplished album version proves, Arcade Fire and Owen Pallet did an incredible job with creating an original score of music that lives up to the ambition of the film - through soft piano sonatas, spiralling synthesised crescendos, and achingly beautiful strings you can see the gamut of human emotions.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: This is proving to be a big breakthrough year for Kosh, a producer hailing from Casablanca in Morocco. After making a first appearance last year on Casa Voyager, he's returned to that label a second time before dropping the "Endless Quest" 12" on eudemonia. But now he's made a marked leap forward with this transmission on 20:20 Vision, where his incredibly well-read take on vintage electro sounds right at home. There is quality pouring from every corner of this record, but we recommend you make a beeline for the sumptuous "Vicious Love," an acid-laced burner with soul to match its snarl.

Review: Best let your friends and family know, things are about to get pretty Wicker Man, for want of a better comparison. An expansion of Gazelle Twin's 2018 album, Pastoral (Anti-Ghost Moon Ray), we step into the kind of territory that reminds you Britain wasn't always a nation of shopkeepers and an island full of bankers - a record made for 21st Century solstice lovers and neolithic ceremonies. A synth folk pagan workout that's beautiful but ominous.

"Here lies our ancient future, Deep England: our hope and compassion in the chokehold of power and glory. Hand in hand, here we cry our rage: summoning a lament into the ether, a divine androgynous force, a transcendental purge of the dizzying chaos of post-truth Britain," say the artists involved. Unnerving, eternal, pared back, atmospheric, choral and serene, it's a trip in all senses of the word.

Review: It would be fair to say that Roy Budd's score for 1974 crime thriller The Marseilles Contract (The Destructors) is not one of his most celebrated soundtracks - though those who pay close attention to these things frequently cite it as one of his best. Here it appears on vinyl for the first time, allowing us to savour the composer's incredible arrangements and interesting instrumental choices (including, somewhat surprisingly, some formidably alien early synthesizer sounds) for the first time since it was released on CD back in 1999. There are tons of atmospheric, jazz-tinged funk breaks workouts scattered throughout the set, alongside some surprisingly exotic interludes, suitably cinematic piano laments, suspenseful mood pieces and tabla-fired numbers.

Review: Numero serve up this glorious ode to software generated soundscapes that emerged in the 90s after decades of brown corporate banality. In part helped along by access to the internet, the PC revolution also allowed for these vibrant sounds to emerge. Described as "the soundtrack to the screen saver fever dream we're all trying to climb back into" Numero 95 is a wistful and whimsical ambient collection with pastoral shades, smooth jazz and new age overtones and proto-vapourwave gems.

Review: Techno troubadour Yan Cook has a fine discography on some of the most respected labels out there. Now he heads to Ukraine's Cooked, a young but perfectly formed imprint, and kicks off his EP with 'Blades,' which is all melon twisted synths and driving techno kicks. 'Whistleblower' then slips into a deeply atmospheric groove with gurgling bass and watery effects and 'Grom' is all about the swing in the drums. Gritty textures and insistent claps add to the thrill of it all and 'Skyhigh' is a more frosty dub techno cut that leaves out breathless.

Review: RECOMMENDED
"Fun, hopefully poignant, definitely weird." Not our words, reader, but the words of New York indie rock heroes Pinegrove when describing their short movie, Amperland, NY, which this collection of often pretty, always emotional and expertly written tracks were created for. Definitely the kind of tonic many of us could do with in spring 2021, then.

Surprisingly, considering the brief running time of the film, the soundtrack comprises 21 individual songs, and while some come in at less than one minute long others come close to breaking the five minute mark, making this a genuinely complete album brimming with ideas. From the weeping steel guitars on 'Hairpin', through the emo grunge and pianos of 'Overthrown', fans of Ben Folds, Cymbals Eat Guitars and Gramercy Arms will no doubt be in their element.

Review: Indica Dubs and Kai Dub link up here for their second collaboration, which is the first release of the year for the label. It features the full flavour and futuristic stepper that is 'Elevation Dub', complete with wooden hits and Digital pads, warrior chords and a nice sleek aesthetic. 'Higher Dub' then flip sit into a more heady affair with plenty of mad studio effects and endless reverb, floating toms and sizzled pads. These triumphant tunes are primed and ready for big plays on huge sound systems.

Review: RECOMMENDED
When electronic hero Richard H. Kirk returned in 2020 under the Cabaret Voltaire moniker - changing band to solo project for the first record in 26 years, Shadow of Fear - it couldn't have been more apt. Known for exploring darker and more visceral ends of synthdom, the musical boundary-pusher delivered a record that was alarming, challenging and completely unique, confirming that old habits really do die hard.

12 months or so later and the world is still trapped in the chaotic mess it was when that LP dropped, but Kirk has clearly opted to explore new ideas and break yet more new ground. Dekadrone lives up to its name, offering four lengthy movements that showcase the effectiveness of refrains and the musicality that can be created, or found, in extended notes and ongoing atmospheres. Another work of staggering genius.

Review: 'Holographic Prism' is the final chapter of The Sky Trilogy by Purl - a three chapter volume of works, exploring collective dreams of celestial origin. features mixes from SVLBRD, Lav, Slow Dancing Society, Coppice Halifax, Warmth, Deflektion, Innesti, & Svartholtet.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Christopher Nolan's latest reason to consider psychotherapeutic treatment, Tenet, is probably best known for leaving viewers completely baffled as to exactly what happened. A movie that makes the one of the director's other epics - the time and space melting Inception - feel positively straightforward, the ability to form your own conclusions is what makes his work so memorable.

Thankfully, though, given the role music plays in our lives compared with cinema, Ludwig Goransson's original soundtrack for Tenet probably won't leave you struggling to sleep for nights on end, troubled as to how certain plot lines made any sense. It will, however, leave you in awe at the Swedish composer's vision. A veritable triumph of contemporary electronica-classical-something, it's powerful, evocative and incredibly accomplished from start to finish, and should be filed under E, for Essential.

Review: It's not just a clever name. Zake and City Dawn have come up with a record that genuinely sounds like the reflective moods that so often follow great loss, realised on record. Sweeping synth-strings on 'We Once Believed We Owned The Sky' only serving to reiterate the sense of lamentation that seems to pervade every corner of this album.

Sometimes looking back on what was but will never be again is the only real way of making ourselves feel better - by connecting to intensely emotional memories we can trigger an outpouring that's truly cathartic. As if following that pattern, Frizzell & Duque: A Sorry Unrequited is a strangely uplifting experience by the time we're listening to the closing bars of 'The Sparrow's Flight', even if that's only because of the sense that others have the capacity to feel the same as we do.

Review: Indica Dubs and Kai Dub link up here for their second collaboration, which is the first release of the year for the label. It features the full flavour and futuristic stepper that is 'Elevation Dub', complete with wooden hits and Digital pads, warrior chords and a nice sleek aesthetic. 'Higher Dub' then flip sit into a more heady affair with plenty of mad studio effects and endless reverb, floating toms and sizzled pads. These triumphant tunes are primed and ready for big plays on huge sound systems.

Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from the THESIS label, namely beautifully presented 10" singles featuring fresh collaborations between artists who have never worked together before. The label's latest missive brings together two long-established musicians: neo-classical composer Clem Leek and ambient/krautrock fusionist Mark Peters. The pair begin with the crackling, glacial beauty of 'Overhill', where twinkling piano motifs rise above stately ambient chords, before channelling the long-distance loneliness of the lockdown era on the wonderfully melancholic 'Loyola'. Glistening melodies and reverb-laden chords mingle with Leek's piano on 'Half Day', while 'Cawthorne' is a bubbly ambient treat.

Review: Anyone who needs proof that dance music can permeate the boundaries of nations, cultures and societies wants to check Zuli, if you haven't already. The Cairo-producer, who has found favour with the likes of Wire and Pitchfork, makes music that sounds like a delivery of drum 'n' bass thundering through a weighty dose of techno, topped with the staccato trappings and trap, juke and footwork - not necessarily predominant sounds on the Egyptian club scene, which is often more house and progressive focussed.

His latest EP, All Caps, is basically six calling cards for the music maker's style. Opening on ferociously unforgiving, industrial-leaning hardcore, even the most low-slung here, 'Penicillin Duck', or the more melodic (the choppy waves of synth on 'Keen Demang') feel like someone has hit the Melt button on your mind. Tread carefully, then, but definitely be sure to tread.

Review: Past Inside The Present marks the end of The Sky Trilogy by Purl with Holographic Prism. This triptych of works has sought to explore collective dreams of celestial origin. The ambient sounds are all deeply involving and here come remixed by SVLBRD, Lav, Slow Dancing Society, Coppice Halifax, Warmth, Deflektion, Innesti, & Svartholtet. There is lots to love, with the icy shimmers and late night chill of the opener to the more dark, dank and dubbed out version of 'Merope' by Lav. 'Celestial Entropy' gets two different but equally fascinating versions turned out to close this absorbing EP in style.

Review: You'd be forgiven for not knowing much about Plugpoint Music's sole album, Last Chance. It was recorded by German artist Reiner Ossmann in his home studio way back in 1987 and was subsequently released via a private press run of just 200 copies. It is, then, a genuinely little-known and overlooked gem that has been rescued from obscurity via the mighty Minimal Wave label. If you enjoy the more stripped-back and eccentric end of the new wave and cold wave spectrum, we'd definitely recommend it. Ossmann's synthesizer and drum machine arrangements are expertly minimalistic and alien-sounding, with gurgling melodies and spaced-out chords mingling with his own heavily accented vocals over the sparsest of beats. An ultra-rare gem that's well worth your time and money.

Review: French label Macadam Mambo is always top of the list for lovers of left of centre sounds and now it is the turn of Theo Delaunay aka Panoptique aka Constance Chlore to serve up his first album. He is boss of the Simple Music Experience label which is all about putting out experimental punk tapes and also plays in various other collectives. Here he does what he does best which is mixing up "singing spoken words, gogolitos deliriums, whispers and rough voices" into minimal synth ballads and aqueous electro bangers. The results include ervtyihg from slow and twisted to stark and abstract via hard and groovy.

Review: Despite her off-kilter indie-pop roots, Tentenko's releases have been getting increasingly abstract and experimental over the last decade. An Antworten, her first release of any sort for three years, continues this trend, offering unique blends of wayward IDM rhythms, hypnotic techno grooves, eight-bit electronics and analogue noise. The EP boasts two out-there original tracks - the industrial loop-techno eccentricity of 'Mizu Iro' and the broken Sinclair spectrum flex of 'Ki-Iro' - which are then interpreted by other artists on the flip. Tolouse Low Trax steals the show with a version that wraps Tentenko's odd and intriguing electronics around deep space bass and head-nodding post-hip-hop beats, while Nika Son's interpretation of 'Mizu-Iro' is a loopy, hypnotic ambient treat.

Review: Emotional Response present something intriguing and oh so fresh from Cherrystones, who has most commonly been spotted recently lurking about labels like Bahnsteig 23, but in fact has a legacy reaching back to the late 90s. This new mini-album is reportedly the result of a pointed retreat to Scotland - a period of semi-isolation with minimal distractions from the serious business of analogue synths and reel-to-reel tape. There's a lot going on, from the slinky, boogie-licked groove of 'Amaziac' to the sludgy, wave tinted 'Rave Digger', but throughout the common theme is one of rough, upfront waveforms - maximal sounds with lashings of character, wielded with glee by an artist knee deep in their craft.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Glaxian opts to go deep with this one, donning the moniker Kas to present a 12 track collection of work best described as haunting. The sense of foreboding, ominous possibilities, space, and stepping into the unknown is tangible throughout, with the producer painting complex pictures of machine-driven futures in which only the odd rays of light make it to ground level.

Not so much dancefloor, but not unfamiliar with the idea of a dancefloor, tunes are split between eerie drone work ('Self Aware Field (Part 2)'), breakneck broken rave ('Holographic Matrix of Informational Totality'), and ethereal science fiction wonders ('Last Silence' sounds like we're listening to first contact from off-world). 'Mystery Beyond Mystery' providing perhaps the best example of when all those totems are brought together - something very special indeed.

Review: We are living in the post-Innervisions dance world, long after the dust has settled on the hype and hysteria drummed up both by the label itself, and tastemaking publications on its behalf at the turn of the last decade. But that doesn't mean for a second the imprint's quality control, and ear for exceptional deep, synthy dancefloor stuff has waned - it's just a case of trends moving on.

And when trends move on it usually improves what's left behind, en vogue often leading to an endless stream of great pretenders and tired replicas. Night Versions, the latest EP from Thessaloniki-based Greek producer Echonomist is a great case in point. Packing two tracks of coldwave-infused house, from the broken, trapped energy vibes of 'Our Last Night', to the dark twisted vocals of 'Different Versions of Your Love', it's all fresh enough to make you forget just how much we've heard from this camp before.

Review: Last year, Phil Everum surprisingly relaunched The Microphones, his post-rock vehicle of the late 90s and early-to-mid-2000s, in order to release an album that contained just one 45-minute song. That might sound a bit much, but it was actually rather good all told, with plenty of musical twists and turns and lyrics from Everum that looked back on his life experiences to date. This follow-up is even more surprising. Described as "ambient, but not ambient music", The Foghorn Tape consists entirely of a looped bass tone - created to sound like a classic cliff-top foghorn - drenched in varying amounts of hiss, noise and gritty aural fuzz.

Review: Melodies In The Sand is another vital album from Melody As Truth. It collects together the works of Czech artists Irena and Vojt?ch Havlovi, a husband and wife pair who made music int he 80s as part of experimental collective Capella Antiqua e Moderna. Their style spanned various styles of European classical music and was never less than unorthodox yet beguiling. This record really shines a light on these talented artists and brims with an emotional honesty and vulnerability that will impact anyone who hears it. The delicate keys, the vocal whispers and way they drift in and out, the rippling chords -these are always empty, subtle tracks but they leave an inedible mark.

Review: Dial Recordings co-head Peter Kersten, aka Lawrence, is no stranger to Mule Musiq. Birds On The Playground is in fact his 14th release for the label. Kersten wrote nine arrangements specifically for Toshiya Kawasaki's recently unveiled Studio Mule, an audiophile listening bar in Shibuya, Tokyo where the Hamburg native is said to have been 'slightly drunk' while enjoying the music. He wanted to bring this feeling of being 'tipsy' across in the album itself, composed on both acoustic and electronic instruments with the addition of field recordings captured in Berlin's Tiergarten. The result is a collection of contemplative downbeat journeys incorporating jazz, cosmic, ambient and japanese folk influences to wonderful effect.

Review: Almost two years after the second volume landed in record stores, Oliver Ho AKA Broken English Club has finally delivered the third and final instalment in his White Rats trilogy of albums. In keeping with its predecessors, the album sees Ho exploring a mixture of politically charged ambient compositions, post-apocalyptic electronic soundscapes, mind-altering industrial grooves and gnarled, post-punk influenced workouts. As you'd expect given Ho's track record, the album sounds authentically dystopian, updating the Cold War era paranoia of early industrial music for a new century. Highlights include the acid-flecked industrial-electro number 'Alone In The Hunt', the strobe-lit EBM heaviness of 'The Kill', the creepy ambience of 'The Burned The Villages' and the clandestine, slow-motion stylishness of 'Love Cuts Deeper'.

Review: Richard H Kirk was rightly praised for 2020's Shadow of Fear, his first album since turning Cabaret Voltaire into a solo project back in 2014, and his recently follow-up EP, Shadow of Funk. Both distilled the essence of the Cabs' club-friendly industrial funk sound, re-formatting it for the 21st century. Dekadrone, though, is a different proposition altogether. Focused not on clubs but on immersive home listening, the four-phase, single track set removes Kirk's clanking, often paranoid beats in favour of dystopian aural textures (think dark, droning tones, abstract electronics, apocalyptic ambience and dirt-encrusted samples). Those who prefer the Cabs' more experimental, ambient-leaning works will love it.