Back catalogue: Leftfield

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


It's hard to straddle euphoric and dystopic, but Chilean producer Manuel Ortuzar aka Aural Trace has just about done it. The borders between new wave, electroclash and post-punk are all but shattered on their new EP 'Midnight Thoughts', wherein the artist finds it no great feat to inspire a sense of both tension and wonderment in the listener, through combinations of chuffy clap-whacks, quadruplet bass patterns, and an overall neon-drenched synthy style reminiscent of what might happen if William Friedkin directed a cyberpunk film.

Review: Nocturn I from Abraco De Vapor is a first release for the new LILA label. Accompanying the music is a note that a core belief for this label is that "we are all in this adventure of eternal life together." As such, the imprint pledges to donate a portion of income from all sales to various different charity organizations whose aim it is to improve the living conditions of those who need it. This first album is a life-affirming ambient soundscape with heavenly chords and choral vocals all layered up so beautifully that you will find yourself with an empty mind, dreaming of nothing in particular.

Review: Originally released in the mid 80's on UK cassette label Bite Back!, this nearly lost gem finds new life 30 years later on Cocktail D'Amore Music. Steve has cobbled together a superbly melancholic electronic concept album. Wistful melodies often evoke sentiments of a lost childhood and hazy English mornings. Each song within remains untitled allowing full perceptive freedom as to what they all communicate, a language for the feelings that have no name. Untitled A1 - A6 leads one along intimate soundscapes of pattering drums and tinkering piano, a sense of closeness and trust develops with the introduction of each new idea much like the beginning of a bed time story. Untitled B1 - B3 then begin to breathe more openly awash in angelic colours before abruptly turning downward on B4, a wall of booming drums and atmospheres from the furthest reaches of the galaxy before the last trio of songs settles gently back on Earth.