Hjalmar Larusson & Jonbjorn Gislason - "Jomsvíkingarimur - Yta Eigi Feldi Ror"
Julianna Barwick - "Forever"
Koreless - "Last Remnants"
Odesza - "How Did I Get Here" (instrumental)
Anois - "A Noise"
Samaris - "Gooa Tungl"
Olafur Arnalds - "RGB"
Rival Consoles - "Pre"
Four Tet - "Lion" (Jamie Xx remix)
Jai Paul - "Jasmine" (demo)
James Blake - "Our Love Comes Back"
Spooky Black - "Pull"
Olafur Arnalds - "Say My Name" (feat Arnor Dan)
Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld - "And Still They Move"
Kiasmos - "Orgoned"
Olafur Arnalds - "Kinesthesia I"
Hjaltalin - "Ethereal"
David Tennant - "Undone"
Review: Icelandic classical, experimental and soundtrack composer Olafur Arnalds steps away from the loops and Broadchurch OSTs to conjure yet another sublime LNT saga. Carefully balancing between contemporary odysseys ("Jomsvikingarimur"), dense futuristic electronic weaves ("Last Remnants"), fuzzy 22nd century pop ("A Noise") sludgy cosmic funk ("Jasmine") and introspective soul ("Our Love Comes Back"), Olafur blows wave after woozy wave of soft sonic conjurations in a way that's broad, detailed and cleverly considered. Good night.
Review: After 15 years of live space-rock improvisations and jam sessions around Europe, Bambi Davidson finally got round to delivering their second LP last month. Warmly received by old fans and new, here we find the title track repurposed as an extensive 13 minute exercise in spatial expressionism. Dreamy, deep and full of endless twists and turns, this is the epitome of modern cosmicity. Claremont never cease to surge forward.
Review: It's been a long time between drinks for German combo Bambi Davidson, whose last full-length - the lo-fi rock oddity El Faco - dropped some 15 years ago. After a decade and a half of improvisational live performances, they return with an expanded line-up and a really rather good sophomore set for Mudd's Claremont 56 imprint. Whereas their early work was stripped-back and to the point, Brunswick is packed with undulating, expansive grooves, gentle, sun-kissed melodies, lilting pedal steel and woozy, dub-influenced production. Tracks don't so much come and go, but meander attractively, offering Balearic mood pieces that doff a cap to krautrock and dub disco. It's an impressive set, all told, and one that will appeal to Claremont 56's growing fan base.
Review: We get it - there's a lot of music released everyday and it can feel overwhelming to sort the wheat from the chaff. There's no doubt, however, that Ride guitarist Andy Bell has delivered the goods here. His latest solo effort is helped by some influential collaborators. Proto-shoegaze cut 'I'm In Love...' features none other than One Dove's Dot Allison and Neu!'s Michael Rother. It's a beautiful reworking of The Passions' 1981 hit, certain to strike a chord with those who love the dreamier side of shoegaze. Bell has mixed and produced this record himself and proves himself to be a tireless conduit for beautiful ideas and sounds. Long may he keep producing music this good.
Review: Andy Bell is a blessed man: he had none other than Neu!'s Michael Rother supply guitar parts to the opening cut 'I'm In Love' (a cover of The Passions' post-punk classic). Moreover, One Love's Dot Allison is guest vocalist and supplies ethereal tones to the breathtaking song. It opens the gate beautifully for the heady collection of entirely new material that follows. It's an album that navigates Stone Roses grooves and Arthur Russell style experimental textures and works just as well for close listening as it does moodily-lit dancefloors. The Ride guitarist is on the form of his life here and you could do far worse than letting this wash all over you.
Review: Given that Paul "Mudd" Murphy, Ben Smith, Ursula Major and krautrock legend Holgar Czukay debuted their Bison project back in 2010, this debut album has been a long time coming. Happily, it was worth the wait. Recorded at Czukay's legendary Cologne studio and featuring mix-downs from Conrad Idjut, Travellers is a particularly dubwise trawl through hazy, krautrock-influenced disco and horizontal Balearica. By anyone's standards, it's a deliciously intergalactic concoction; a fearlessly atmospheric blend of low-slung grooves, delay-laden horns, quirky percussion, stargazing electronics and mesmerizing, eyes-wide-shut vocals. Pleasingly, this CD version also includes a pair of fine extended versions of former single "Mandy" by Mudd, of which the intoxicating Dub is particularly potent.
The Blaxploited Orchestra - "The Pursuit" (Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt remix)
The Gino Fontaine - "Revnorev"
Salsoul Invention - "Soul Machine"
Neurotic Drum Band - "NEurotic Erotic Adventure"
Day Outside - "Faraway Sensation"
Mugwump - "Boutade" (Miseridub)
Hubbabubbaklubb - "Mopedbart"
As One - "Music Is An Open Sky"
Crowdpleaser - "Not Yet Not Yet"
Paqua - "Late Train" (Emperor Machine Special extended version)
The Grid & Robert Fripp - "A Cabala Sky"
Asadinho - "Haiku"
Justus Kohncke - "Tell Me"
Daniele Patucchi - "People Come In" (Mang Dynsaty edit)
Mang Dynasty - "After Dark" (dub)
Detachments - "The Flowers That Feel" (Fernando remix)
General Lee - "Magic"
Review: The first installment of Late Night Tales' After Dark was that rarest of things: a DJ mix that retained a smoky sense of early morning, home listening atmosphere while retaining an open-minded focus on the dancefloor. This follow-up - once again compiled and mixed by Bill Brewster - offers more of the same. Musically it's pleasingly varied, moving from the string-drenched downtempo beauty of Typesun's "Last One Home", to the heady Balearic rock of General Lee, via Justus Kohnke, the soulful post-bruk smoothness of As One, and the sprightly analogue electronics of Emperor Machine's remix of Paqua's "Late Train". There's also a bunch of previously unreleased tunes to enjoy, including killer contributions from the Mang Dynasty (AKA Ray Mang), The Gino Fontaine (Chicken Lips man Andrew Meecham) and - most surprising of all - The Grid and Robert Fripp.
Review: The first installment of Late Night Tales' After Dark was that rarest of things: a DJ mix that retained a smoky sense of early morning, home listening atmosphere while retaining an open-minded focus on the dancefloor. This follow-up - once again compiled and mixed by Bill Brewster - offers more of the same. Musically it's pleasingly varied, moving from the string-drenched downtempo beauty of Typesun's "Last One Home", to the heady Balearic rock of General Lee, via Justus Kohnke, the soulful post-bruk smoothness of As One, and the sprightly analogue electronics of Emperor Machine's remix of Paqua's "Late Train". There's also a bunch of previously unreleased tunes to enjoy, including killer contributions from the Mang Dynasty (AKA Ray Mang), The Gino Fontaine (Chicken Lips man Andrew Meecham) and - most surprising of all - The Grid and Robert Fripp.
Review: Released in 1994, Deee-Lite's follow-up to their colossal hit 'Groove Is In The Heart' and the World Clique album that contained it finds the trio taking a more adventurous route of funky rhythms, electronic experimentation and blissful psychedelic vibes. Tracks like 'River of Freedom' tap into a carefree dancefloor energy, while 'Picnic In The Summertime' evokes sun-soaked nostalgia, its bouncy beat an effortless backdrop to the dreamy, carefree lyrics. Deee-Lite's willingness to explore genres and sounds is evident throughout, with samples from The Orb and Carl Craig, among others, meshing seamlessly with live instrumentation and infectious grooves. One of the album's defining features is its ability to balance quirk with cool. The smooth transition in 'Somebody,' where the track slows down into a human beatbox rhythm, exemplifies the experimental nature of the band. And then there's the entrancing 'Party Happening People,' a track full of playful vibes, layered synths, and an unmistakable 90s energy. This isn't just for fans of the groupiit's a record that captures the essence of the 90s club scene. A perfect soundtrack to the era's fashion and carefree spirit, its sounds still hit fresh today, reminding us of the euphoric, experimental days of early electronic music. For anyone who has ever found themselves lost in the vibe of house, techno, or the club, this collection is essential listening.
Single Cell Orchestra - "Transmit Liberation" (9:39)
DJ Prince Ice - "Freestyle" (5:22)
Trip Ta Funk - "Ruby's Flute" (Fresh Mex mix) (7:36)
Triple M - "Prisoner Of Passion" (Funky dub mix) (4:33)
MC 900 - "Killer Inside Me (Meat Beat Manifestation #2)" (feat Jesus) (4:05)
Unkown Artist - "B1" (8:25)
DJ Emma - "Based" (Not So Free mix) (8:00)
Seven - "Ease" (Seven 1 mix) (5:20)
ETI & Graeme - "Blue Dreamers" (edit) (5:11)
Spins Inc - "The New Frontier" (club mix) (5:18)
Review: Given that he cut his teeth as a DJ and producer in San Francisco during the early 90s, DJ Spun is in a perfect position to educate us on the city's breakbeat-driven 'rave' sound - a hybrid and hyper-local affair that blended the Bay Area's psychedelic sounds and loved-up ethos with elements of acid, hip-hop, hip-house, deep house and British breakbeat hardcore. The Beat By DJ Spun Volume 1 does a great job of highlighting largely lesser-known, breakbeat-powered cuts produced in the city between 1988 and '94. For proof, check out the dreamy, mid-tempo wonder of Single Cell Orchestra's 'Transmit Liberation', the funk-fuelled hedonism of Triple M's 'Prisoner of Passion (Funky Dub Mix)', the deep and dubby breaks of 'Based (Not So Free Mix)' by DJ Emma, and the sparse-and-squelchy post hip-house shuffle of Spins Inc's 'The New Frontier'.
Review: After an initial collaborative album released in 2019, French instrumentalist-producers JB Dunckel and Jonathan Fitoussi have reunited for a twin rumination on memory, and its necessary dialogue with the present moment. Namechecking such musical memories as the motorik beats and kosmische builds of the 70s, all the way through to Detroit house's signature 4x4 march, the pair offer a starkly minimal, Parisian, post-punky dance record here, mixed in with layered, industrial atmospherics. Active recalls of marimba minimal ('Marimbaloum') and Moogish doom liturgy ('Atlantica') also lay among the memory traces here, just waiting to be rediscovered by both listener and interpreter.
B-STOCK: Slight surface marks, record slightly warped
When I’m Homeward Bound
When I’m Homeward Bound (Nathan Dawidowicz remix)
When I’m Homeward Bound (Secret Soul Society remix)
Chasing Horses
Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks, record slightly warped***
Max Essa is a bonafide Balearic boss man and one of the regulars of the Is It Balearic? label. It is there that he returns now with 'I'm Homeward Bound' which is a textbook sound from the producer, with a hint of Tears For Fears. The pads are delightfully gooey and subtly uplifting over gently percussive and stuttering beats and the whole thing is rich in lazy poolside energy. Nathan Dawidowicz remixes into a percolating bit of deep and tribal disco, Secret Soul Society brings out the early evening house grooves ready for sunset sessions and the closing cut 'Chasing Horses' is a super sweet late night groove with heartfelt chords
Review: Slow Life has always nudged at the edges of typical genres, be that deep house, tech or minimal. Here comes another case in point - a remix EP that finds key associates rework originals by Ethereal Logic. S Moreira get first with a psyched-out sound dripping in colour and percussion. Paolo Mosca's remix is a glistening one with airy breaks and twinkling melodies and the Primary Perception remix then slows things down to a vibey downtempo and boogie delight. Mosh Project's remix closes with a slow motion and snaking sound that would work well as a backing track to a DMT trip.
Review: Here we go then. Listening to the first two track on Soft Power, Ezra Feinberg's intoxicating third album is quite simply exhilarating. We begin with the gentle and playful, inquisitive electronic balladry of 'Future Sound', which seems to be the very noise of stargazing itself, captured through keyboards and synths set to 'weird'. The title number is equally beguiling, strange and otherworldly. So by the time we're at 'Pose Beams', the track's more solid structure feels like we've finally grounded ourselves, ready for blast-off. That comes with the appropriately-titled 'Flutter Intensity' - which gathers its rhythm like rocket fuel before launching into the stratosphere once again. And it's here we stay, floating on planetary rings and gravity-free air, for the remainder. A record that lead you feeling very fuzzy inside.
Review: Former Silver City man Fernando Pulichino seems to be mellowing with age. Having previously explored punk-funk, nu-disco and deep house on his solo releases, he's now switched his focus to dub-influenced, slo-mo Balearic synth-rock. Many of the old trademarks are still present - think rubbery live bass, fluorescent, vintage-sounding synths and unfussy beats - but are here joined by fuzzy guitar solos and an evocative vocal from guest star Fiorucci. It's a potent blend, reminiscent of early '80s cosmic rock with a little more nu-disco nous. The original vocal version is joined by a delicious Extended Dub, which impressively stretches out the infectious, head-nodding groove.
Review: Italian producer Vinz Giaimis crafts an intricate homage to the kosmische traditions of Krautrock, weaving a sonic tapestry that feels as much about exploration as it does about reverence. Across the EP's four tracks, Giaimis deftly balances vintage analogue textures with a modern electronic sensibility. The opener sets the tone with a motorik groove underpinned by shimmering synths, evoking both the vastness of space and the hypnotic rhythms of a train journey. Elsewhere, there's a palpable warmth as swirling pads and layered percussion come together in a way that suggests the meditative qualities of early Tangerine Dream.
Review: Gilroy Mere is one of many alter egos of Oliver Cherer, and when working under this moniker there's a predisposition for transport-themed things to happen. The last album, beautiful and beguiling The Green Line, had a rich, dark green vintage British train on the cover just in case the title wasn't enough. In the past, he's done things themed on bus routes. This time, the locomotive on the sleeve is red.
More so, Adlestrop is a reference to one of many UK railway stations axed in the brutal Beeching Act of the 1960s - a cull of small stations deemed unviable, cutting off many communities. The opener, a strange, almost medieval slice of birdsong, chant, and twinkling chimes, even reels off a list of others that were closed. From there, we go deeper into sounds and words that are as inspired by the idea of rural England and travel as they are the country's eccentricity, which is so commonly founding its leftfield electronic output.
Review: Grey October Sound, known for their standout lo-fi hip-hop compilations like Timeless and The Cave, has gained traction in Japan and beyond. Their popular series like Lo-Fi Ghibli and Lo-fi City Popicovering iconic Studio Ghibli tracks and beloved city pop hitsihas cemented their place in the lo-fi scene. Now, they team up with Salad Days, Europe's top lo-fi/chill pop label, for a highly anticipated collaboration. This new compilation features digital lo-fi favourites from artists such as ENRA, Lenny Loops, Slowheal, and Eugenio Izzi. The visual aesthetic, including cover art, comes from celebrated illustrator Rika Nagatani, the creative force behind Lo-Fi Ghibli, adding another layer of charm to the release.
Review: Experimental pop, electronic minimalism and global sonic influences from the former YMO member who crafts an intricate soundscape that blends coldwave, proto-techno and ambient textures on this set of reissued LPs, at least one ear always attuned to the avant-garde. Haruomi Hosono's 'Omni Sight Seeing', originally released in 1989 is an adventurous album evident from the start. 'Orgone Box' channels Kraftwerk's electro-pop precision while incorporating Steve Reich-like repetitions and Miharu Koshi's surreal vocal interjections. 'Retort' is a meditative fusion of celeste, organ and orchestration, evoking the dreamlike beauty of a sunlit European promenade. Meanwhile, 'Laugh-Gas' stands as a hypnotic acid house excursion, its squelching 808 patterns and entrancing filter work recalling both Chris & Cosey and early rave minimalism. Hosono's fascination with world music and cosmic exploration is at the core of the album. 'Esashi' transforms a traditional Japanese folk piece into an intoxicating, requiem-like reverie, while 'Andadura' merges balearic textures with Arabic vocals and tropical percussion. The album's ethereal closer, 'Pleocene', glides on downtempo rhythms, featuring hypnotic harmonisations that encapsulate the album's ability to transcend genre and cultural barriers. Omni Sight Seeing remains an example of Hosono's boundless creativity.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts mix)
Leave Your Life (dance mix)
Spirit Of Eden
Spirit Of Eden (Bill Laswell dub)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Berlin-based musician, producer, and DJ Alex Kassian is well known for his solo works but also his work as Opal Sunn. Here he leaves behind the gritty and sweaty dance floor and heads out into the sun. 'Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts Mix)' pairs live sounding drums and nice Balearic riffs with care-free feels that lift your spirits. The dance mix is more weight and propulsive and then 'Spirit Of Eden' again sets off through a clear blue sky, with twinkling chords and soft, pillowy drums. The Bill Laswell dub layers in the reverb and slows things down to a nice lazy tempo.
Review: Long serving Anglo-Dutch masters of psychedelic and experimental soundscapes - formed in London in 1980 but who relocated, we couldn't possibly think why, to Amsterdam four years - Legendary Pink Dots return with an album that explores the anxieties and complexities of our increasingly digital world. Tracks like 'So Lonely In Heaven' and 'The Sound of the Bell' set the tone with their haunting melodies and atmospheric textures, while 'Dr. Bliss '25' and 'Sleight of Hand' delve into darker, more experimental territories. The album's lyrical themes explore the seductive nature of technology and the potential for isolation and alienation in a hyper-connected world. 'Choose Premium : First Prize' and 'Darkest Knight' offer a glimpse into the seductive promises of the digital realm, while 'Cold Comfort' and 'Wired High : Too Far To Fall' explore the darker side of technological dependence. Psychedelic soundscapes, introspective lyrics and experimental arrangements - that'll be acid-tinged business very much as usual, then.
Review: With a career spanning almost four decades, Luca Travesi aka LTJ Xperience is no stranger to legendary Italian label IRMA, on which he brings the funk once again on his latest effort 'Feeling Better', a slo-mo and seriously lo-slung dancefloor heater featuring powerful vocals underpinned by dope beats and psyched-out motifs. Elsewhere, there's the soulful downbeat journey 'Before You Know It' featuring some killer horns, and some top class acid jazz arriving in the form of B-side cut 'Let's Dance'.
Review: Some six years into his career, Neil "Mano Le Tough" Mannion is showing distinct signs of artistic development. While Trails, his sophomore set, follows a similar formula to its' 2013 predecessor, Changing Days, it's a much more intricate, experimental and effervescent affair that makes great use of live instrumentation and his own impassioned vocals. So, while there are nods towards smoky, eyes-closed deep house - see "Half Closed Eyes", "I See Myself In You" and the sparkling "Sometimes Lost" - the album is dominated by downtempo electronica compositions. These variously draw on the drowsy bliss of James Blake, post-dubstep melancholia, post-rock/electronica fusion, and the hazy world of Balearica, suggesting that Mannion is making the best of his growing confidence.
Review: Moshe Fisher-Rozenberg returns to Altin Village & Mine with Cosmic-Astral, his second album as Memory Pearl. Inspired by a 1970s psychotherapeutic music program used alongside LSD, he reimagines its classical compositions through electronic manipulation and using MIDI transformations of works by Strauss and Scriabi. He crafts new landscapes enriched by improvisations from Sam Prekop, Joseph Shabason and others and, as a psychotherapist and musician, he blends that expertise with musical creativity to shape a delicate trip across nine tracks that form a pathway to sonic healing.
Review: Brilliantly described as a label outfit specialising in "N/Ambient", A Strangely Isolated Place welcome the very next LP from equally brilliant music production singularity Monoparts. Trip hop, dubstep and ambient collide on the Polish duo's spiffing debut, which suffered a brief period of production hell and remained accursedly unreleased for years. With Olga Wojciechowska (Scanner, Infinite Distances) on vocals and Tomasz Walkiewicz on production, the pair make an earthbound, rustic statement here, likening the record to the process of "becoming one with the earth itself - feeling the rawness of the wood, tasting the earth in your mouth, and sensing the presence of ancient spirits." As of a manic vision, forest eidola and erl-kings do indeed seem to appear as we play back the opener 'Abandoned Woods', with its fantasy birdsong and lullabying bell sounds scored over pinball drums. 'Invisible Body' murkifies the vibe with filtered snares and breathwork vocals, while latter-record treats such as 'My Reality' and 'Scattered Parts' hark back to an organic era in ambient dubstep, where producers like Jan Amit and Asa ruled the roost as foregrounders of foley sounds for use as drums.
Review: Any new album from deep house pioneer and all-round legend Larry Heard is good news, but especially so when it's credited to his best-known and best-loved alias, Mr Fingers. Around The Sun Pt 1 is Heard's first album under the alias for four years and, unsurprisingly, it's as musically expansive, evocative, and atmospheric as they come. Naturally, it's rooted in the warming, dreamy, subtly jazz-flecked deep house style he's been tweaking and improving over decades, with occasional forays into sun-kissed downtempo grooves ('Touch The Sky'), angular acid tracks, Heard's take on dub house (the deliciously deep, micro-house influenced 'Marrakesh') and summery Balearic house ('Shimmer'). All in all, it's another masterpiece from deep house's most significant pioneer.
Slow Light On A Feather (Haruka Nakamura remix) (3:43)
Slow Light On A Feather (2:31)
Review: Nitsua's new 7" featuring 'Slow Light on a Feather' was originally on their album Soul of the Sky, alongside a remix by Haruka Nakamura. The original is a dreamy, mellow track centred around a gentle piano that effortlessly embodies Nitsua's fantastical worldview with flute and piano performed by the artist also. Haruka Nakamura's remix complements the song's atmosphere in its own way, Starting with a guitar phrase and layering synths, guitar and piano it creates a more dramatic, beautifully crafted version. The remix perfectly merges the visions of both artists and makes for a fine different perspective.
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