Back catalogue: Classical

Review: Joe Hisaishi's latest release offers a compelling fusion of classical and cinematic music. The compositions, originally crafted for film soundtracks, are reimagined with orchestral arrangements that breathe new life into the pieces. The album showcases Hisaishi's signature style, blending emotive melodies with intricate orchestration. Listeners are treated to a rich auditory experience that highlights the depth and versatility of Hisaishi's work.

Review: In 2018, three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn returned to classical label-behemoth Deutsche Grammophon (her usual) for an official album of interpretations of J.S. Bach's violin concertos, in collaboration with Jeffery Kahane and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. The much-celebrated fiddler laid down a stunning, full rendition of the concertos, all recorded at the Colburn School Of Performing Arts and which added to her huge repertoire. This stealth reissue from the classical music giant bolsters Hahn's rep once more.

Review: Denovali presents the second cooperation album by Italian composer, arranger, producer and guitarist Eraldo Bernocchi, in collaboration with Berlin-based Japanese violinist, composer, electronic producer and Tangerine Dream member Hoshiko Yamane. Bernocchi and Yamane have come together here for the second time after finding inspiration in the Japanese concept of "sabi" - an aesthetic that celebrates the beauty of impermanence and decay. It is often associated with the simplicity, austerity, and solitude found in nature, and is said to evoke a sense of melancholy, nostalgia, and reverence for the passage of time. The record, to match, is a unique blend of electronic and acoustic music, with Bernocchi's pulsating textures and Yamane's haunting treated violin melodies weaving together to create a captivating and emotional sonic landscape.

Review: Now here's a rarity for you. Not even many of the most committed megafans know that Brian Eno, Holger Czukay and J.Peter Schwalm, accompanied by Raoul Walton and Jern Atai, performed a secret live music show, outside the esteemed Kunst-und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, situated in the city of Bonn, in August 1998. Forming a part of the opening party of Eno's Future Light-Lounge Proposal multimedia installation, this furtively-recorded album hears an exclusive slice of incidental "high-altitude food music", of course made during Brian Eno's airborne ambient era. Now reissued via Gronland, this five-piece cut of sophisti-ambi-krauttronica makes for a welcome surprise.

Review: Violinist Augustin Hadelich's American Road Trip is an attempt to explore the musical landscape of his adoptive homeland with pianist Orion Weiss. The duo performs works by American composers spanning the 19th to 21st centuries and in doing so blends diverse influences such as European Romanticism, revivalist hymns, blues, jazz, and bluegrass. The album features pieces by Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Ives, John Adams, Amy Beach, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and others, all of whom highlight the rich tapestry of American music. Hadelich, who moved to the U.S. at 19 and became a citizen in 2014, combines American passion with European nuance in his acclaimed performances.

Review: The fourth ever solo studio album from the acclaimed electronic artist and composer Laurel Halo, Atlas is intended to guide the listener through their own subconscious mind, coming as an intense sequence of soaring ambiences and beatless jazz montages. Finding its footing in instrumental improvisation by Halo herself, plus featuring artists Coby Sey, James Underwood and Lucy Railton - and then blowing any assumptive connotation with jazz out of the park with its subtly effected vocal processing and electronic tinkerings and washes thereafter - fans can be sure that this is not going to be your stock experimental affair.

Review: Big emotions often come in small, intimate packages. Initially at least. Judith Hamann opens her stunning contemporary classical-ambient meditation with the kind of hush that means music and sound creep over you without making themselves instantly known. Before we know it, the transformation - or, perhaps more accurately, transportation - is complete. Using field recording techniques, Hamman augments the electronic harmonies and refrains with au naturel noises, from the hubbub of distant conversation to an asthmatic's whistle, all of which places the plugged-in and synthesised in a very human place. The result is something that feels timeless, as crystalline and clear as it is water-weathered and sepia-hued. The overall affect is mysterious and adventurous, like walking down a serene empty beach only to realise you can't remember which direction you came from.

Review: The 2023 film Wonka has delighted audiences with its fantastic original soundtrack featuring performances by lead actor Timothee Chalamet and an exceptional ensemble cast including Hugh Grant, Calah Lane, and Keegan-Michael Key. Composed by Joby Talbot and penned by songwriter Neil Hannon, the score captures the essence of the golden age of Hollywood musicals while paying homage to the beloved classics of the past. Director Paul King's vision of a prequel to the iconic 1971 film comes to life with enchanting melodies and vibrant arrangements, inviting listeners on a whimsical journey through the fantastical world of Willy Wonka.

Review: Don Harriss had a superb run of seven albums from 1987 to 2000 and then stopped work. Thankfully his legacy lives on with this reissue of his debut long player from 1987. It is a majestic work of new age bliss that now makes its first-ever appearance on vinyl. It is something of a low key ambient masterpiece with transportative sounds that bring real depth of emotion. If you listen closely you might be able to join the dots between this and the soundtracks of some cult 80s and 90s video games but if not simply sit back and sink into the lush layers of soothing sound.

Review: The Jon Hassell retrospective series from Ndeya Records continues with 'Further Fictions', one of the recent three to explore the visionary composer and performer's ideas centring around the idea of the Fourth World. Further Fictions is a double CD anthology of the music on the vinyl editions, with a disc devoted to each album in hardbound book style packaging and an extensive booklet containing sleevenotes and archival images.

Review: The Jon Hassell retrospective series from Ndeya Records continues with 'The Living City', which captures the late composer at his creative peak, performing live at the renowned Winter Garden concert hall in New York in the 1980s. Forming something of an escape from his jazz-influenced ambient works, this performance instead shows off Hassell's interest in the popularity of sampling hip-hop at the time. With influences from Public Enemy to Teo Macero, this is a whirlwind of sampled noise and snippets, which all continually loop and circle back on each other in a mood of mild yet evocative madness.

Review: Over his 25-year career, this veteran composer has crafted transcendent soundscapes that resonate with cinematic depth, making his music a perfect fit for storytelling on screen. Shards, a seven-track album released via Kranky, compiles selections from scoring projects like Infinity Pool, The North Water, Luzifer and La Tour. Tim Hecker's journey into film and television scoring feels like a natural evolution of his artistic vision. The haunting 'Sunset Key Melt' features celestial tones and layered textures, creating a spacey ambiance that is sure to impress. In contrast, 'Morning' begins as a serene piano melody, disrupted by unsettling feedback that blurs the line between beauty and unease. Each track balances traditional composition with experimental sound design, resulting in a collection that is both eerie and enchanting. This album reveals how seamlessly Hecker's soundscapes translate to visual narratives and the warm, tactile vinyl experience just seems to underline that even further.

Review: Noted as a "beacon of unease against the deluge of false positive corporate ambient currently in vogue" (we're looking at you, Spotify) Tim Hecker's No Highs is a righteous paean for what ambient music should be. And that certainly isn't mindful background music for turning you, the listener, into the best and most productive capitalist you can possibly be. Instead, Hecker's latest invites considered and focused listening; an alternative to the mediated, telescreeny musical SSRIs that impose on us today. A world turned upside down, the album presents highlights such as 'Lotus Light', 'Pulse Depression' ad 'Winter Cop', which suggest anarchic themes, while also fastening a sense of jaggedness and tumult, in a style of music that is so incorrectly expected to be neither of those things.

Review: Dylan Henner (AD 93, Phantom Limb) returns to Dauw with Performs Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds for Baby, an album reinterpreting selections from Scott's iconic 1962 work. Available on limited edition vinyl, featuring artwork by Skrew Studio that references the original releases. Raymond Scott's contributions to music are immeasurable and pioneering, with his records remaining uniquely interesting. Viewed through the lens of modern "ambient" music, the meaning of his compositions has evolved. Once revolutionary, they now serve as archival pieces, preserving an era of early electronic music and its technological constraints. In homage to Scott's foresight and genius, Henner recontextualises these ideas within a 2024 musician's mindset and studio, creating a version that aligns with his perception of Scott's music's purpose: soothing babies. Henner revisited the original records briefly, transcribing melodies and noting timbres, before embarking on his own creative journey. This album honors Scott's legacy while infusing it with contemporary sensibilities.

Review: Labyrinthe! stands as a singular achievement in Pierre Henry's illustrious career, showcasing his ability to craft music even when deprived of his usual sonic resources. The sounds for this piece were supplied by GRM collaborators, each bringing their own unique qualities and textures. Despite not being his own material, Henry's distinct voice and musical vision quickly come to the forefront. Through this intricate soundscape, Henry constructs a maze of audio, focusing intently on the development and manipulation of the sounds provided. His clarity of purpose and deliberate approach is evident throughout, as he shapes the contributions of others into something unmistakably his own. The piece is built upon the interplay of disparate elements, all meticulously woven together into a cohesive sonic journey. Henry described Labyrinthe! as a collaborative venture, a fusion of 58 sound fragments from seven different composers, forming a work that feels both expansive and tightly intertwined. His harmonic sensitivity ensures that the diverse sources never clash but instead create a complex, interlocking sound world. Labyrinthe! is a brilliant testament to Henry's mastery of electroacoustic composition and his remarkable ability to turn limitations into creative triumphs.

Review: The 20th Anniversary Edition of the Beyond Good & Evil official soundtrack offers a revitalised take on the game's original music. The soundtrack features a full orchestra which manages to preserve the intimate, improvised feel of the original compositions while adding new tracks recorded with unconventional instruments. Christophe Heral, the composer, speaks of the balance between modern orchestration and the quirky, spontaneous creativity that defined the 2003 release in the accompanying notes. With additions like a broken guitar and unique tuning, this anniversary edition celebrates the artistic spirit of the franchise and offers a fresh yet faithful homage to the original music.

Review: Matthew Herbert's score for Starve Acre is an atmospheric blend of tension and subtlety, perfectly complementing the film's eerie rural setting. Known for his innovative soundtracks - as well as his innovative house productions - Herbert delivers a composition that merges traditional orchestral elements with unsettling electronic soundscapes. The result is a haunting mix that mirrors the film's themes of grief, folklore, and the supernatural. Throughout the score, Herbert balances delicate, pastoral melodies with darker, more ominous tones. Tracks swell gently before giving way to deeper, more unsettling layers, capturing the oppressive sense of dread that permeates the film. The inclusion of two renditions of 'Let Me In' i one performed by actor Matt Smith and another by folk-electronic duo Crewdson & Cevanne i adds a folkish, melancholic edge to the soundtrack. Each version offers a distinct interpretation, with Smith's stripped-down approach contrasting with Crewdson & Cevanne's more textured take. Overall, Herbert's minimalist yet powerful score elevates the haunting atmosphere of Starve Acre, turning it into an unsettling sonic experience. Fans of atmospheric soundtracks and experimental compositions will appreciate the subtle craftsmanship on display.

Review: We all know that Matthew Herbert is a far out sonic experimenter who will look to make music with and from anything. But this project might be his most outlandish and extraordinary to date. It starts with him looking for the largest possible animal skeleton to explore though music. He settled on a full size horse and from that made flutes from its thigh bones and bows from ribs and hair. Gut strings stretched over the pelvis feature in the mid-section and even more bizarre than that is the fact he travelled to ancient cave paintings of horses in Northern Spain to record reverb at their door. Brilliantly bonkers as ever.

Review: While awaiting the release of her album Pripyat, Catalan composer and producer Marina Herlop found herself feeling emotionally unmoored and uncertain about her music career. During this period, she visualised herself as a gardener tending to her inner landscape by expelling negative emotions through purple weeds. This imagery became the foundation of this record which is filled with her warmest, most positive sentiments. With experimental touches still present, Herlop's voice shines with hope and energy while weaving intricate acoustic instrumentation and electronic elements. Nekkuja is a celebration of perseverance and creativity that blends abstract sounds with themes of growth, light and renewal.

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: Pirates have always had a pretty rough time in the land of video games. On the face of it, there's so much about bandits-on-the-waves that should work perfectly for a playable adventure. And yet so few have managed to really crack the formula, save for the likes of Assassin's Creed Black Flag and Sid Meier's standard-bearing Pirates. Enter Skull & Bones, a high spec 2024 release which - having reportedly spent the best part of a decade in development hell - really wants to change the sketchy track record. Sadly, it only partly manages it, with reviews pointing to a title that's "almost great", but not really. Nevertheless, the aesthetics and effects have been praised, as has the music. Created by Tom Holkenborg, AKA Junkie XL, while much of it is relatively bombastic classical stuff, there's more than a garnish of experimentalism, ambient and avant garde here, too.

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: A popular and controversial new TV series, This England, documents the recent history of England's most contemptible prime minister, Boris Johnson, and his Conservative government's reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding the surreality of so quickly dramatizing a very real and bad collective experience (there are theories out there that say turning real traumatic world events into TV spectacles has the useful effect of placating a public that would otherwise grow revolutionarily angry), we still commend the OST by David Holmes here, which matches the urgency and quick-action of the pandemic as it spread across the country. Holmes' orchestral score aims for three disparate themes ('creeping', 'urgency', and 'careful'), which cause the music to rise in tactful intensity, contrasting to not-so-tactful 'traffic light' system to which the public was subject - but which the government somehow weren't.

Review: Trevor Horn is a towering presence over much contemporary music. He is a super producer who has worked with anyone who is anyone and is often credited with having invented the sound of the 80s thanks to his distinctive style and prolific rate of output. Somehow though he has never before released a solo album. This long overdue album is that and is packed with a star-studded selection of guest features from legends of the music world like Tori Amos, Rick Astley, Toyah Willcox & Robert Fripp, Iggy Pop & Phoebe Lunny and more. It features 11 pieces of orchestral music that are based around iconic cuts and is a sublime listen.

Review: .Hollywood heavyweight James Newton Howard has turned his hand to a wide variety of movie soundtrack styles in his tenure as one of the go-to names for Hollywood scores. Allow us a moment to reel off the names, or a few of them at least: Pretty Woman, The Fugitive, Space Jam, The Sixth Sense - a list that could go on, and on, but you get the point. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sits at the more pomp and ceremony-filled end of things, epic classical overtures that invoke a sense of adventure, overcoming adversity, mild peril and inner strength. Even when heard without the visual accompaniment of the film itself you can't get away from those feelings, making for a rousing and compelling listening experience.

Review: From what we understand about this record, Hualun band member MK had a hand in finishing what was clearly already a beautiful collection of instrumentals. Rubey Hu was polishing off the collection as China finally started emerging from what, from the outside at least, looked like a particularly brutal and unashamedly authoritarian response to the Covid-19 pandemic. A set of serene and incredibly relaxing, playful-leaning piano pieces, MK helped apply various effects and textures, which genuinely elevate what's here. Regardless, though, Rubey's musicianship is inescapable throughout. Eight tracks that feel as though heart and soul have been spilled across the ivories, with additional contributions from another Hualun head, Ding Mao. Really special stuff that will make you want to start exploring Chinese alternative music, if you weren't already.