Back in stock: Classical

Review: Storied German ambient, microsound and electronica musician Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai) shares the fifth volume of his intentionally indefinite Xerrox series, Xerrox Vol. 5. First begun in 2007, after envisaging a series of albums released in chronic sequence, the Xerrox series expressly aims to prove that the continued copying and replication of recorded sound will produce an indefinite variation, each copy infinitely more interesting than the last. With every edition of Xerrox using the same album cover, the sonic contents of the Xerrox albums similarly mimic each other's movements, through a process of making minuscule changes that go onto produce cascading, domino-effecting results. The palette is expansive and cinematic as ever, though it is striking to know that these suites were achieved solely through the manipulation of recordings made and subsequently timestretched from scratch.

Review: Allan Gilbert Balon's debut full-length album, The Magnesia Suite, released by Recital, is a mesmerising and enigmatic work that fuses avant-garde jazz, experimental sound collage and intimate vocal experiments. A Guadeloupe-born composer and visual artist, Balon brings a deeply personal and cryptic narrative to this album, weaving together disparate sonic elements into a beguiling and surreal journey. Opening with 'Stella Maris', the album immediately wrongfoots the listener, blending organ drones and twisted chorals that evoke a subversive take on sacred music. Tracks like 'Lustras' introduce grotty tape recordings, shortwave transmissions, and Balon's slow-motion piano playing, creating a bizarre yet haunting sense of prayer. This patchwork approach, full of field recordings and mysterious sounds, captures a feeling of coastal tranquility and exploratory reverence. The standout track, 'Pleuro Delez Waltz', which initially caught Recital's attention, blends Balon's idiosyncratic piano style with disorienting wails and unconventional percussion. The album concludes with 'Ogadia', where ragtime-influenced piano meets distant saxophone, resolving the outsider-jazz soundscape. The Magnesia Suite is an album of surprising juxtapositions and textures.

Review: Chocolate Hills is a duo made up of Paul Conboy and Alex Paterson, Orb founder and Orbscure Records boss. Their excellent Yarns From The Chocolate Triangle is one of those albums that is tailored made for listening to on good quality headphones, a lush and world class ambient soundscape with vivid designs and bright colours all in high definition. It draws on library music, exotica, kitsch, Balearic, downtempo, folk, spaced out pop and even d&b, all loosely based on an imagined nautical journey to the Bermuda triangle and back. All is calm at sea as you bob and drift on these roomy and magnificently realised sounds, mixing organic and electronic sources and taking a more gorgeosuly idiosyncratic route than the latest Orb album.

Review: Maurizio Pollini's new release marks his 70th birthday with a collection of Chopin's works, including the 24 Preludes Op. 28, the two Op. 27 Nocturnes, and the Second Scherzo. Notably, the inclusion of the four Op. 30 Mazurkas, previously absent from Pollini's discography, unveils an unexpected affinity for this genre. The Mazurkas are particularly revealing: Pollini's interpretation of the D-flat No. 3 exhibits dynamic accents and rhythmic vitality, while his voicings in No. 4's left-hand chords reflect a keen imaginative touch. Such elements suggest a promising future for a more extensive Mazurka exploration in Pollini's future recordings. The decision to revisit the Op. 27 Nocturnes, previously recorded in 2005, may seem puzzling. The earlier rendition of the D-flat major Nocturne offers a more fluid right-hand melody compared to the newer, stiffer version. Conversely, the C-sharp minor Nocturne benefits from a more defined presentation of its left-hand ostinatos in the new recording. The Second Scherzo, now nearly a minute shorter than its 1990 counterpart, is more compact and precise, with pronounced dynamic contrasts enhancing the outer sections. However, the Trio's leggiero passagework, once vibrant, now appears more generalised, possibly due to the recording's resonant ambience at the Herkulessaal in Munich. Pollini's latest Preludes suggest a more austere interpretation than his acclaimed 1974 recording. While the earlier Preludes feature varied textures and nuanced articulations, the new versions reveal a less flexible approach, with notable differences in the handling of arpeggios and rhythmic accents. Nevertheless, the new Nos. 13 and 15 stand out for their robust left-hand presence and vibrant tempos. The final Prelude's resonant D-naturals, sustained with pedal, contrast with the earlier version's clarity, highlighting Pollini's willingness to explore different interpretative avenues. Although this recording presents compelling elements, Pollini's 1974 Chopin Preludes remain a more consistent experience overall. Yet, this release demonstrates Pollini's commitment to continual artistic evolution, refusing to rest on past achievements as he enters his eighth decade

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The summer blockbuster of 1984 is back! To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic film The Karate Kid, the motion picture score album by the legendary Bill Conti (Rocky, The Right Stuff, The Thomas Crown Affair) is now on vinyl. For the first time ever, with all 20 tracks and featuring stunning new cover art by renowned artist Astor Alexander. This deluxe double LP package also includes stills from the classic film and a heartfelt note from Bill Conti himself. Additionally, the album offers seven bonus tracks, making this a must-buy. The Karate Kid, released on June 22, 1984, garnered acclaim for its action scenes, writing, themes, performances and music, ultimately becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Experience the nostalgic magic of The Karate Kid through Bill Conti's timeless score, beautifully remastered for this special anniversary release. Don't miss out on owning a piece of cinematic history!

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


It's no real shock that a Tim Burton Netflix modern revitalisation of The Addams Family, and particularly the central character Wednesday, would become a global success seemingly overnight. Jenna Ortega's performance was also key to retaining the character's essential components while imbuing new nuances and eccentricities, but the project wouldn't have felt complete without the almost essential soundtrack from Burton's go-to composer Danny Elfman, who is also currently experiencing quite the career resurgence thanks to his excellent Big Mess album from 2021. Linking up with the younger yet equally impressive Chris Bacon, the Wednesday score is equal parts whimsical, macabre, gloomy and horrific, yet endlessly playful, which almost describes all of the Burton/Elfman scores. Thanks to Bacon, there's a notable increase in glitching synths spells and modern tweaks to elevate the usual whimsy to a reimagined standard of orchestral dramatics.

Review: Christian Fennesz returns with Mosaic, an intricate album that lives up to its name, crafted meticulously layer by layer. Recorded throughout 2023 and completed in 2024, the project marks Fennesz's most reflective work yet. After setting up a new studio, his third in four years, Fennesz followed a disciplined daily routine, building the album from scratch without breaks. This structured approach allowed him to experiment freely, collecting and improvising ideas before developing them into fully composed pieces.The Touch label is natural home for this release. Some of his most important work has found its way to the label over the past 25 years like 2004's Venice and 2001's Endless Summer. Mosaic s has a delicate assembly of sonic fragments, creating a soundscape both complex and organic. The opener, 'Heliconia', introduces shimmering tones that float effortlessly, establishing a meditative atmosphere. Fennesz's unique approach to rhythm shines through on tracks like 'Love and the Framed Insects', which features an unconventional 7/4 time signature. Meanwhile, 'Personare' draws subtle inspiration from 1980s West African pop, a surprising influence that adds depth to the album's palette. One of the album's most intriguing pieces, 'Goniorizon', began with layers of hard rock guitar riffs but eventually evolved into something cinematic, showcasing Fennesz's ability to transform raw elements into magnificent landscapes. While guitar textures remain present, they feel more integrated into the overall fabric of the sound, lending the album a cohesive, filmic quality. Mosaic is both methodical and emotional, blending experimentation with an underlying sense of nostalgia. Another excellent album from one of the best.

Review: Cocteau Twins' musical mastermind Robin Guthrie has produced some terrific solo records over the course of his career, frequently delivering material that joins the dots between ambient, ethereal soundscapes, shoegaze and the more immersive end of the soundtrack spectrum. 'Astoria' is the latest volume in the Scottish multi-instrumentalist and producer's ongoing EP series (its predecessor, 'Mountain', dropped in September). It's another typically gorgeous and enveloping affair in which effects-laden guitar motifs, gaseous ambient chords, gentle rhythms, ghostly aural textures and slowly shifting melodies combine to create instrumental sound worlds of rare beauty (if not sonic clarity - Guthrie's use of reverb and delay is liberal, which adds to its atmospheric nature but adds extra layers of attractively wide-eyed haziness).

Review: The iconic bounty hunter returns with a soundtrack as unforgettable as the character himself. This edition combines the original eight-cue program, originally released by RCA Records alongside music from the series' first film, with the complete film score in mono, all meticulously remastered by Claudio Fuiano and Daniel Winkler. The vibrant packaging includes front cover art by Renato Casaro and a portrait of Morricone by Fuiano. The vinyl version is pressed on transparent white and orange wax, housed in a striking gatefold sleeve. Often overshadowed by its predecessor and successor, this film features a compelling narrative combined with Morricone's masterful composition. The score has pre-written themes, including a haunting motif tied to a musical pocket watch, seamlessly woven into the storyline. Popular in its era, the music inspired covers by Hugo Montenegro and Billy Strange, further cementing its place in cinematic history.

Review: The mysterious London-based music collective Sault are in the process of reissuing their first five albums on vinyl, in full, after they were released as a free digital download in late 2022. AIIR is among the lesser-cited of the quintuplet bunch, being a five track EP and sequel to their sixth album AIR. Providing a rapturous counterpoint to that album while building on its choral themes, this LP could consist of anything from outtakes from the making of AIR to true reprises; it's hard to tell. What we do know is that the music here would have been as equally suited to the high-flung parabolae of grandiose mid-century American filmmaking as it now is for the modern music lover. Pieces like 'Still Waters' and 'God's Will' - with their divine harp flourishes, choirs of angels, and complex string and timpani movements - are evocative enough to recall sublime pastoral classics like Watership Down or A Matter Of Life And Death - not just UK music royalty.

Review: Jimmy Lacy's first missive as Sip, a highly limited cassette put out by Chicagoan "small press" specialists Eye Vybe Records, captured him performing synthesiser soundscapes live on a local radio station. Since then, he has put out a debut studio album - the synth-wave, new-age and Radiophonic Workshop-influenced Leos Naturals - and a collaborative cassette. Here he makes his vinyl bow with another distinctive collection of synth-rooted recordings, Leos Ultras. Like much of his previous work, it seems to exist at the intersection between Stereolab, 1970s new age synthesiser recordings, lo-fi Balearica, experimental movie soundtracks and the vintage synth-powered cheeriness of Plone. It's an enticing, entertaining and pleasingly pure proposition whose occasional nods to jazz surprise and delight in equal measure.

Review: Kompakt's Pop Ambient 2025 marks 25 years of their signature deep ambient series, embodying a refined sense of tranquility and atmospheric depth. This vinyl release gathers new gems from longtime contributors like Leandro Fresco, Pass Into Silence and Wurden & Schafe, who each bring lush soundscapes that feel like meditative journeys. Triola's inclusion reinforces the continuity of the series, while new compositions like 'Artifacts of Synthese' by Segensklang add fresh, delicate textures. Hendrik Meyer's 'Grun War Die Klamm' stands out with its natural, serene tones, beautifully complementing the collection. For ambient listeners, this anniversary edition presents a thoughtfully curated blend of Kompakt's ambient vision over the years, celebrating a legacy of introspective, lush sound and marking a milestone in the genre.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Pretty much does what it says on the tin, this one, as the VSQ performs some of their favourite songs from pop behemoth Taylor Swift's vast catalogue. Known for her endless reinventions and classic albums, Swift has proven herself a creative force and massive talent whose immense skill for crafting catchy melodies is undeniable. These twelve-string quartet renditions of VSQ's top Taylor tracks bring all-new aesthetics to the originals. From 'Red' to 'Reputation' to 'Folklore' and everything in between, this comprehensive tribute captures the essence of this one-of-a-kind artist.

Review: Mutant has hooked up with Hollywood Records and 20th Century Studios to offer up the first ever physical release of Benjamin Wallfisch's score for Alien: Romulus. Wallfisch's masterful score successfully revives the chilling atmosphere of the original Alien films with the dissonant, atonal soundscapes of Jerry Goldsmith and melodies from later sequels creating a uniquely immersive listen. This limited edition release captures Wallfisch's remarkable craft and is a fine tribute to the franchise's legacy while adding his own distinct voice. It includes liner notes by director Fede Alvarez for an ever fuller experience.