Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: Parisian label InFine presents Collection, a stunning anthology of Kaito's ambient works, the project of Hiroshi Watanabe, a techno veteran with nearly three decades of experience. This album compiles remastered and re-edited tracks originally released between 2020 and 2022 on Watanabe's Cosmic Signatures imprint, offering a serene sonic journey for introspection and reflection. Collection shows off Kaito's ethereal soundscapes, blending layered drones, emotive synthetic strings, and analogue harmonies that ascend to euphoric heights. Pieces like 'Summer Mood' evoke a nostalgic beauty, blending piano-led melodies with a bittersweet sense of reminiscence. The track 'Birds of Passage' features delicate, treated textures, while 'Summer Sketch' nods to the warmth of Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain with its humanistic horns. The album's beat-driven tracks stand out, with 'Silent Cloud' echoing the vibes of Mo Wax and Massive Attack, and 'Silent Sky' delivering deep basslines and subtle details reminiscent of classic downtempo electronica. Masterfully remastered by Rashad Becker, Collection is a testament to Kaito's mastery of ambient music, blending minimalism with emotional depth. Hats off to InFine, for further solidifying his place among Japan's ambient music luminaries.

Review: 'Mordechai is another blissed-out record from Texan party-chill-psyche trio Khruangbin. It's also among the outfit's most defined and driven, a smooth, sticky hot funk odyssey made for hazy afternoon soirees. Leader Laura Lee is, as ever, unfathomably siren-like on vocals, her bass grooves aiding the process of seduction no end. Even at the most upbeat and anthemic, 'Time (You and I)', it's hard not to feel woozy and intoxicated by the pared-back breaks and guitar lick combination. Dance floor ammo for sure, as is Pelota. Overall, though, it's an album best savoured slowly, allowing you to fully appreciate every lackadaisical moment of opiate goodness, with tracks such as 'Father Bird, Mother Bird', 'One To Remember' and 'Shida' summoning stunning sticky, heavy, deep atmospheres.

Review: Inspired by the slightly unlikely collision of the Thai music of the '70s and The Shadows, Khruangbin - the name means 'aeroplane' in Thailand - are purveyors of a deliriously mellow and beguiling form of jammed-out power-trio guitar music - far removed from standard notions of psych and dreampop, partly owing to its pan-global influences, its nonetheless both psychedelic and dreamy, not to mention possessed of an unhurried, reflective and spacious lilt that renders this Texan-London outfit a rare treat in an information-saturated age, taking on delicate soul and funk with exotic atmospheres and making the journey feel both blissful and effortless.

Review: As of now, Kiasmos - the duo of Olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen - are superstars on the international progressive electronica circuit. It crept up on us that they've only released one other album to date, with the bulk of their output having been limited so far to EPs and singles. II is the follow-up to its apt nominal counterpart, Kiasmos (I), and yet this time hears the pair strike out against the stark piano and electropop influences for which they were initially celebrated. Another key difference is that while the first Kiasmos record was made in the space of two weeks - getting at the sense of effortlessness that might accompany the initial burst of inspiration felt by artists when they start a new alias - II was made over the course of ten years and charts a remarkably different approach to music production.

Review: For the 25th anniversary of Kruder & Dorfmeister's iconic Sessions, this CD box set is the best version yet for fans and collectors. The set includes previously unreleased music and remixes from artists like Madonna, Lewis Taylor, and Count Basic. Originally released in 1999, Sessions compiled Kruder & Dorfmeister's masterful remixes and original tracks, defining the "mood music" genre with its rich blend of dubby downtempo, drum & bass and Brazilian sampladelia. The compilation's subtle complexity and cinematic allure remain as influential as ever, capturing the essence of its era with a smoky, introspective vibe that continues to resonate. This edition includes a 40 page booklet plus a poster as an added bonus.

Review: After a 10-year hiatus, Balearic Mike and Kelvin Andrews return to continue the journey of the Balearic Beat with another edition of their distinguished Down To The Sea And Back compilation series, presenting a formidable new set of rare and obscure records. Once more sifting from the formidable crock of late 80s to intra-90s Balearic music, this eight-track LP begins on a serene note with the expertly layered guitars from Dagobert Bohm on their re-arrangement of Josete Ordonez, before moving into increasingly complex but still no less sunny waters from the likes of Vidderna, Lee Ryda, and Pressure Drop. A veritable three years' worth of digging, finally condensed into a single selection.