Back catalogue: Classical

Review: Louis Johnstone is known for his mischievous and anti-art approach and here he teams up with Trilogy Tapes for Dracula Completo, an unhinged, chaotic release that defies conventional music. Operating under multiple aliases including Wanda Group and A Large Sheet of Muscle, Johnstone's work blends concrete electronics, warped samples and dark, often distorted spoken-word pieces. Dracula Completo embodies his subversive style and is a mix of absurdity, mutant poetry and rebellious energy. Though Johnstone's work challenges norms and provokes, it remains surprisingly accessible and engaging.

Review: An about-face is a complete and utter change in direction; it's this sonic capriciousness that the producer, whose namesake is drawn from the word, finds solace in, and wishes to welcome. Following a period of exploring theta wave and hemi-sync techniques - don't ask us, we're still not sure - the artist also known as Le Sculpteur d'Esprit (the Mind Sculptor) is said to have touched down in this dimension with the ambition to transport listeners through at least four portals of altered consciousness; each of these are intended as thought-worlds in which interactive sculptures, evoked through sound alone, are revealed in the listeners' collective mind. From opener 'Le Tournesol (The Sunflower)' to closer 'L'il De L'elephant ('The Elephant Eye'), these are thoroughly well-sound-designed sonic lemni-scapes, bringing complex sets of progressive builds and electro-spirituals to an awestruck form; immaculately experimental, the record would sound well at home on an Invisible Inc. or Cascine tape.

Review: After numerous patches, Cyberpunk 2077 has come an astoundingly long way since Keanu Reeves himself announced it at the now-defunct E3 expo. Phantom Liberty is an expansion on the original game set in Dogtown, the ruins of an abandoned luxury development project that was forced to be scrapped when old military complexes, bunkers and labs were uncovered by construction. A tale of espionage and political intrigue ensues, scored by P.T. Adamczyk and Jacek Paciorkowski once again following the duo's Game Award-nominated original score. The highlight is, of course, 'Phantom Liberty', the title and credits track that features Polish X Factor winner and multi-diamond recording artist Dawid Podsiadlo, his voice booming in front of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Pressed on heavyweight 180gm vinyl and includes a double-sided insert with key art of Songbird for fans of the series to enjoy.

Review: Federico Albanese's Blackbirds and the Sun of October is a deeply personal album inspired by his native Monferrato in northern Italy, where it was entirely written and recorded. Returning home in autumn 2022 after years in Berlin, Albanese found creative inspiration in the region's landscapes, history and legends and he describes the album as a reflection on origins, heritage and the freedom that comes with returning home. Unlike his previous works which explored memories and imaginary worlds, this album embraces the tangible beauty of nature and history with a newfound sense of positivity and connection to his surroundings.

Review: A release that honours the centenary of Alessandro Alessandroni's birth with a collection of previously unreleased tracks from the iconic composer and multi-instrumentalist. This album uncovers a hidden chapter of Italian film scores and library music, featuring Alessandroni's lesser-known work between 1969 and 1978 for war documentaries and films. Paesaggio Bellico isn't just a military march through battlefields but a deeply nuanced exploration of war's human and existential facets. Alessandroni expertly balances sweeping, cinematic themes with moments of tension and unease. His compositions juxtapose stark, unsettling imagery with softer, more hopeful tones that has a poignant counterbalance to the brutality of conflict. The maestro's signature whistle floats over gentle 12-string guitar melodies, while his fuzz-laden Fender Stratocaster electrifies more intense passages. The Cantori Moderni, Alessandroni's trusted vocal ensemble, contribute haunting vocals that delve into the psychology of warfare. An elegant string section adds layers of drama and sentiment, enhancing the album's orchestral weight. With 18 tracks in total, the release is visually enriched by Eric Adrien Lee's cover art, which reimagines the bold design of 1970s Italian war-themed records. With a tip-on hard cover and a unique inner sleeve, the vinyl is a fitting tribute to Alessandroni's enduring legacy, blending sonic and visual storytelling into a truly special release.

Review: For the first time, the soundtrack to Giuliano Carnimeo's 1974 erotic comedy film, La Signora Gioca Bene a Scopa? (released under the international title Poker In Bed), gets a vinyl release through BTF Italiy. Set in Parma, Italy, the film follows Michele, a penniless poker player, whose rock-bottom recourse, born of gambling debts, is to become a prostitute. Scored by Italian erotic film greats Gianfranco Plenizio and Alessandro Alessandroni - two virtuosi of great late 60s and early 70s eminence - we hear a teasing, undying vibe of irreverence here, with tempt-estuous vocals and pizzicato string tickles making light of the lurid relational meeting of minds and bodies that drives the film's action.

Review: Black Truffle is celebrating the tenth anniversary of Oren Ambarchi's Quixotism with a special reissue, originally released on Editions Mego in 2014. This remastered edition, with enhancements by Joe Talia, brings back Ambarchi's ambitious workia summation of his past explorations and a precursor to future innovations. Quixotism presents a single, LP-length composition divided into five parts, anchored by Thomas Brinkmann's pulsating electronic rhythms. The album starts with delicate orchestral and piano textures, gradually evolving into a vibrant polyrhythmic shuffle featuring tabla player U-zhaan. Ambarchi's guitar traverses a wide array of acoustic spaces, from crisp, clipped tones to deep, reverberant expanses. The piece's slow, dream-like transitions and the intricate interplay of its elements reflect both a culmination of Ambarchi's previous work and a hint of his future directions. A fresh opportunity to rediscover the charm of Quixotism.

Review: Black Truffle's tenth-anniversary reissue of Oren Ambarchi's Quixotism brings renewed attention to this monumental 2014 release. Originally recorded with collaborators across Europe, Japan, Australia, and the U.S., Quixotism unfolds as a single, long-form piece split into five sections. Anchored by Thomas Brinkmann's steady, double-time electronic percussion, the piece gradually evolves from orchestral depth and subtle piano motifs (courtesy of John Tilbury) to a striking polyrhythmic shuffle, culminating in the final passages with U-zhaan's masterful tabla. Throughout its journey, Ambarchi weaves guitar textures that shift from clipped, sparse tones to lush, reverberated layers, creating an expansive yet cohesive sonic landscape. The interplay of acoustic and electronic elementsiranging from the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra's grandeur to Crys Cole's intimate contact-mic texturesiguides the listener through an otherworldly audio experience. Influenced by Cologne techno, Eliane Radigue's long-form compositions, and the fluidity of improvisation, Quixotism shifts in subtle, dreamlike transitions. Remastered by Joe Talia, this edition offers a clearer perspective on the album's intricate sound design, reaffirming its relevance while pointing forward to Ambarchi's future works like Hubris and Hence.

Review: Oren Ambarchi and Eric Thielemans' latest collaboration emerges from a recorded performance in Poitiers, France, in November 2023, showcasing their extraordinary duo chemistry. The single continuous performance, spanning over 45 minutes, encapsulates their shared language and willingness to push boundaries, blending meditative calm with unexpected melodic and rhythmic moments. 'Kind Regards' (Beginning) opens with Thielemans' entrancing tom patterns, which provide a steady undercurrent for Ambarchi's guitar, transformed into swirling tones by a Leslie speaker. As the music unfolds, it moves between introspective calm and more forceful bursts of energy, with Ambarchi's guitar eventually taking on an electric organ-like quality, echoing the soulful depth of Alice Coltrane. Later, 'Kind Regards' (Conclusion) takes on a more jazz-oriented direction, as Thielemans' delicate rhythmic shifts showcase his mastery of accents and cymbal work. Ambarchi counters this with jittery delayed tones, and a more active use of his fretboard, weaving through dissonant harmonics before concluding with a massive, yet detailed, climax of distorted guitar and crashing cymbals. The performance, free from any flashy tricks or filler, draws power from the deep intuition between the two musicians, and their shared commitment to exploring the limits of their instruments.

Review: Laurie Anderson's latest album, Amelia, marks her first release since the well-received Landfall (2018) and is inspired by the tragic final flight of aviator Amelia Earhart, featuring 22 tracks that delve into her much storied legacy. Collaborating with the Czech orchestra Filharmonie Brno, under Dennis Russell Davies, and a roster of notable musicians including Anohni and Marc Ribot, Anderson crafts a deeply evocative narrative, while the album reflects Anderson's distinct style, blending lyrical introspection with innovative soundscapes. Drawing from Earhart's personal diaries and communications, Amelia explores themes of adventure and disappearance, providing a poignant auditory journey. A renowned avant-garde artist, Anderson's career spans music, visual art, and performance, recognised for her boundary-pushing work and poetic storytelling, and this album continues her tradition of merging the beautiful with the bizarre, as well as offering a fresh perspective on an historic figure.

Review: olafur Arnalds' Broadchurch: The Final Chapter captures the conclusion of the acclaimed British drama with a deeply atmospheric score. This 15-track collection, released by Mercury KX, showcases Arnalds' signature emotive style, blending haunting melodies with subtle, immersive textures. The soundtrack is integral to the series' final season, enhancing its dramatic and emotional impact. From the introspective 'I Could Hear Water' to the poignant 'Take My Leave Of You' featuring Arnor Dan, the music threads through moments of tension and resolution with grace. Each composition, such as 'Ellie's Theme' and 'Going Under,' builds on Arnalds' previous work, reflecting the show's profound narrative and character arcs. Housed in a single-pocket picture sleeve, this LP offers a seamless continuation of Arnalds' collaboration with the series and an exciting and dramatic ending.

Review: olafur Arnalds' re:member originally released by Mercury KX on August 24, 2018, and now available on special marble vinyl, showcases the Icelandic composer's innovative musical journey. The album employs Stratus Pianos alongside a string quartet, synths, electronics, live drums, and a string orchestra recorded at London's Air Studios. This release envelopes listeners into a world of diverse moods and emotions, with Arnalds exploring new musical landscapes throughout. The Stratus technology allows notes played on the main piano to generate corresponding notes on two supplementary pianos, enhancing harmonic exploration. This sophisticated approach reflects Arnalds' commitment to innovative yet restrained use of technology, creating a measured balance between the new sound potential and formal compositional considerations. Tracks like the title piece and 'Unfold' (featuring Sohn) highlight Arnalds' ability to blend keyboards, strings and rhythms seamlessly, avoiding any sense of being overwrought. 'Brot' and 'They Sink' demonstrate his skill in developing complex layers around simple sequences, creating expansive soundscapes from fragile beginnings. Remember demands attentive listening, especially on tracks like 'Undir,' where the interplay between strings and programmed beats drives the piece with subtle vigor. Ultimately, this album shines through Arnalds' masterful craftsmanship, blending technological innovation with deeply human creativity.

Review: After two albums on A Strangely Isolated Place as Comit, James Clements returns under his ASC alias and does so with yet another brilliantly fresh and introspective approach. Original Soundtrack shifts focus to the piano and so invites you to construct your own interpretations within an imaginary cinematic framework. Known for his mastery across genres from autonomic and jungle to ambient, techno and IDM, Clements narrows his focus here with great results. Crafting eight evocative pieces centred on the piano is not something he has done before but it results in another deeply personal and immersive work that adds a new dimension to ASC's artistry.

Review: Emerging from the ether in July 2024, Surfacing is the third collaborative long player from ASC and Sam KDC. Producers known for their ability to create and set moods with comparatively abstract ambient soundscapes, their latest is no exception. A collection of work which opts for an un-rushed approach to creating big feelings and moments from relatively consistent sounds and noises. Not much seems to happen, until you realise how much has been happening. In many ways, it's a maximalist thing - attempting to pick apart tracks like 'Mirage' and 'Shimmer' reveals the density of these sonics. Walls of sound that are acoustically and melodically light enough to float on air, yet actually so thick they swallow the listener hole, with little hope of escape until the final refrains fade.

Review: French artist Felicia Atkinson invites us to a new type of mind space, one in which silence ushers in clarity and allows us to focus on the grand design of existence. Like gazing up at the night sky and realising its vastness and beauty, Space As An Instrument is as mysterious as it is compelling and enlightening. Less conceptually, it's also musically accomplished, with the artist described recording sessions as "meetings" between her and piano, instrument and player communing in these elegant, hypnotic tracks. According to Atkinson, her music sits "on the verge of understanding and not unerstanding," which speaks volumes about how deep the rabbit holes go. In many ways, here listening is an exercise in trust - she has faith in us to have faith in her, and it's this mutual respect that ultimately acts as a guiding light to the soundscapes that emerge.

Review: Berlin trio AUSKLANG are back with Kairos, a second superb album that builds on their last effort, 2020's Chronos, also on Past Inside the Present, 2020. It finds the trio of Fabian Koppri, Benjamin Sohn, and Simon Ansing play with concepts of time and entropy across eight movements that balance melodic post-rock and layered ambient soundscapes. It's a deceptively complex blend of glitching electronics, drums, bass and guitar with classically inspired orchestrations that makes for something as immersive and grand as it is beautiful. As the summer fades and autumn arrives, this richly rewarding album is sure to prove a great companion as we spend more time indoors.

Review: Zake's Drone Recordings label offers up this heartfelt collection in celebration of the label head's wife on a milestone birthday. Next to the man himself, awakened souls and Benoît Pioulard also feature with the former offering 'Valleys and Peaks' from Julia's poem which blends Cynthia's ethereal vocals and James Bernard's bass with swirling synths and guitar. Benoît Pioulard's lo-fi folk-pop 'A Heart Mirrored' and dreamy 'Our Era' reflect his signature style while Zake's cinematic pieces, including 'I Saw An Angel,' pay tribute to the inspiration of his wife. A lovely listen with a great concept

Review: Loren Connors and Alan Licht's performance on The Blue Hour is a rare and stunning exploration of sound and emotion. Celebrating thirty years of collaboration, the duo's first-ever set with Connors on piano is captured in this live recordings from May 5-6, 2023. The album surprises with its spacious warmth, showcasing the duo's dedicated expressionism and vast spectrum of emotion. The opening notes shimmer, leading into a stunning exchange of melodies and chords. As Connors transitions to guitar, the music deepens, creating sharp, glassy edges and a dramatic, organ-like feedback. The duo's chemistry is palpable as they lock into refrains, creating a melodic and harmonious sound reminiscent of their early days. Licht's ability to delicately place fractures of a Jackson C Frank song among Connors' blues is remarkable.

Review: A groundbreaking document of avant-garde music from Romania, originally released in 1981 under Ceaucescu's oppressive regime, that's grown in reputation enough over the years to now necessitate a reissue. This compilation, featuring Dumitrescu and three other visionary composersiOctavian Nemescu, Stefan Niculescu and Corneliu Cezaridefies both the political climate and conventional musical boundaries. Opening with Dumitrescu's 'Movemur Et Sumus', the album immediately plunges into uncharted sonic territory. Strings are transformed through radical processing, oscillating between shimmering abstraction and visceral intensity. Nemescu's 'Combinatii In Cercuri' marries intricate ensemble writing with electronic textures added in 1980, creating a circular, evolving soundscape. Niculescu's 'Sincronie' combines composed and improvisational elements, culminating in a hauntingly dramatic exploration of stasis and movement, with Dumitrescu contributing both piano and conducting. Finally, Cezar's 'Rota' blends Balkan and Romanian folk influences with startling electronic effects and prepared instruments, evoking natural sounds like wind and waves alongside experimental timbres. Recorded in a Bucharest radio studio against all odds, this album showcases the revolutionary potential of Dumitrescu's Ansamblul Hyperion, a daring chamber group he founded in 1976. Newly remastered from the original tapes, the reissue preserves the original cover art and reintroduces these boundary-pushing works to a global audience. With its fusion of spectralism, acousmatic exploration and Eastern traditions, this release remains as daring and relevant as ever.

Review: Originally conceived to accompany an installation at the 2022 Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Selkie Reflections is very much a thing of beauty, and a work in two parts. On the A-side, you have Alliyah Enyo re-working the original tape loops used at the show into a strange, enchanting, and immersive series of hypnotic and occasionally haunting vocal calls. Flip to side B, and Florian T M Zeisig, under the alias Angel R, takes all that and turns it inside out, onto its head, and down into the depths of the selkie's world - a mythical creature capable of shapeshifting between seal and human form which features heavily in Scottish folklore. Beguiling and enchanting, prepare to be submerged in a place of beauty, bliss and mystery.

Review: Alice Sara Ott is a German-Japanese pianist and her new album finds her sinking herself down deep into the world of John Field, the creator of the beloved 'Nocturne' sound. The Nocturne is a widely cherished musical form yet its creator remains largely unknown today. An Irish composer who lived during Beethoven's time, Field's work profoundly influenced Chopin and generations of musicians since and with this album, Ott highlights Field's historical significance as well as offering up a standing album full of merit. It is a great way to get into the origins of the Nocturne."

Review: On March 30th last year, Joe Hisaishi made a triumphant debut at the sold-out Vienna Musikverein when he conducted a program of his own compositions. Now, Deutsche Grammophon has put together the release of Joe Hisaishi in Vienna, the renowned Japanese composer, conductor, and pianist's second album for the label. This recording follows his successful debut, A Symphonic Celebration - Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki, which was one of 2023's best-selling classical albums. The follow-up features two world premiere recordings in the form of 'Symphony No. 2,' performed with the Wiener Symphoniker, and 'Viola Saga,' featuring soloist Antoine Tamestit.

Review: Some 37 haiku poems are given an avant-garde, 64-minute musical backing with translations from poet Harry Gilonis, on this unique project by composer and multi-instrumentalist Tim Hodgkinson (Henry Cow) and vocalist Atsuko Kamura. We hear a vignetting lingual interplay, with lines in English by Hodgkinson sung in Japanese by Kamura, as a wide instrumental span covers percussions, violin, viola, harp, clarinets, guitars and electronics result. Recorded between Tokyo and London, the album offers a startlingly satisfying sonic renga (a Japanese poetic form encompassing a succession of haikus), lending the brevity of classic haiku an expansive, stretched-out prosthesis. From the 17th through to the 20th-century, this is a subduing but still irregular experience, as it formally demonstrates the laconic and aphoristic essence of the haiku.

Review: Moviegoers have been obsessed with man v beast since the first cameras were rolling on the earliest motion pictures. Der Golem, a 1915 German silent film buy Paul Wegener, is often cited as the first example of an on-screen creature, and since then they have come thick, fast, and usually pretty scary. At least at first. Of all the monsters out there, though, none come close to the scale of King Kong. Well, OK, maybe Godzilla. The pair certainly give each other a run for their money in the size stakes, and they've been pitted against each other several times before. Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is the latest incarnation of that premise, Adam Wingard's 2024 flick. Here's the soundtrack, which is as bombastic and thrilling as you would hope from a major blockbuster like this.

Review: Dive into the stunning world of Saint Seiya with the first-ever vinyl issue of Volume 3 of the anime's cult soundtrack. Composed and arranged by Seiji Yokoyama, known for his work on Gatchaman, this album features the best music and songs from the beloved series. Saint Seiya, also known as Knights of the Zodiac, follows the heroic Knights of Bronze as they protect the goddess Athena. The series has become a massive franchise since its debut in 1986, inspiring TV series, films, video games, and more. This limited edition, pressed on stunning blue marbled vinyl, offers fans a deeper exploration of Yokoyama's iconic score. With its beautiful packaging, this release is ideal for collectors and enthusiasts.

Review: Wind Rust is the debut collaboration between zake (Zach Frizzell) and Almost Silent (Guy Teixeira). True to their signature sounds, it's a melange of ambient drone with elements of weather, erosion and decay. Teixeira used the Lyra-8 synth to generate natural, living sound textures while Frizzell deconstructed his stems through random selection creating a unique, evolving soundscape. The four tracks feature tactile, organic elements, like 'Thence' with its powerful string and field recording interplay and 'Dross' where synth harmonies build and vanish. Closing track 'Quell' crescendos with chaotic intensity. In capturing the essence of nature's unpredictable forces, Wind Rust makes for an arresting listen.