Hyperdub Vinilo y CD

Review: There was much talk ahead of the release of Darkstar's debut album as to whether the London based outfit could live up to the promise of their stunning breakthrough single "Aidy's Girl Is A Computer" on Hyperdub in 2009. The answer, in short, is yes. In the course of the past 12 months Aiden Whalley and James Young have morphed from a production team into a band, adding vocalist James Buttery along the way, and North, the fruits of their labour, is a fragile, delicate and beautiful record. Tracks like "Gold" and ""Dear Heartbeat"" showcase an 80s synth pop sensibility, forming the backbone of an album that is steeped in worry and melancholia. Buttery's vocal talents add an extra layer of depth to the music, particularly on the poignant, piano driven opening and closing track "In The Wings" and "When It's Gone". There is much to explore on North, which will go down as one of 2010's most affecting electronic albums.

Review: Zomby returns to Hyperdub with his first album in three years, trailed in high profile fashion by that Burial collaboration "Sweetz." That particular tune is one of Ultra's headline attractions, alongside eyebrow-raising collaborations with Darkstar, Banshee and Rezzett. What really impresses, though, is the skewed, left-of-centre nature of the mask-wearing producer's heavy, post-grime rhythms, sparse but sparkling synth work, and the breathlessly cut-up R&B vocals dotted throughout the set. Interestingly, there are subtle nods towards new wave synth-pop, ghetto-tech, spacey ambient and alien IDM, making Ultra Zomby's most intriguing and consistently on-point album to date.