Back catalogue: Classical

Review: With an artist name like Dali Muru & The Polyphonic Swarm, and an EP title of Murmer of The Bath Spirits, the fact at least part of this record features a narrative about spiritual awakenings in bath houses, set to an eerie, atmospheric ambient soundscape, will surprise very few people. A 15-minute trip into the ether, noises and tones are as wet as they are warm, and the experience like heading out to uncover a faery land mystery.
Things get a little less specific on the appropriately christened 'Track 2', which moves us on from the dreamy quiet into a place that's more forceful, purposeful, harsh, perhaps even darker. Hypnotic loops set above staccato beats, grabbing hi hats and other elements as the track grows in ear worm qualities with each second.

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: Before he passed in 2018, the late, great Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson made a series of field recordings at Iceland's Ellidaar power plant which were inspired by the writings of Henry Adams. Those pieces inspired this new suite of music from Daniel Bjarnason and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra which also includes some of Johannsson's scores to Sicario and The Theory of Everything. It is a sublime work that joins the dots between all of Johannsson's work with soft drones, brass tones and chiming harpsichord all coming and going to make for emotional and dramatic tension. A fine reminder of one of the greats who sadly left us too soon.

Review: In early 2023, zake and dotlights, long-time admirers of each other's work, connected over their mutual appreciation for, Stay With Me, the album released in summer 2022 by zake and T.R. Jordan. Inspired by that, dotlights - a Dutch guitarist and beatmaker known for his work with Chillhop Records and Memoir Music - began reworking the original stems with his signature lo-fi beatmaking and Balearic guitar touches. zake then collaborated on the project to incorporate new synths, field recordings, and tape manipulations. The result is a gorgeously escapist album with subtly uplifting melodies and plenty of laidback and blissed-out beats.