Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Pierre Bastien has a strong team record of interesting collaborations. He's done stuff with fashion designer and scent mogul Issey Miyake, legendary singer and composer Robert Wyatt, and the enigmatic electronic producer and reality-shifter Aphex Twin, releasing no less than three full length records on the latter's landmark label, Rephlex. "A mad musical scientist", the Guardian once quipped, and C(or)N(e)T doesn't break from that tradition. Instead, it offers some of the most abstract and strange, beguiling and fascinating sounds we've heard in a while. At least a few of which have been made on self-made, bespoke pieces of equipment. At a push, you might label this jazz, for the simple fact it's so free-form and avant-garde. Realistically, though, it sounds like the noises that might happen if someone attempted to tame a pack of rogue electronic hubbub-chatting things in a vaguely structured way. "Thank fuck for Pierre Bastien", the Quietus once said. We happily concur.

Review: Lil Yachty and James Blake's Bad Cameo showcases their fearless creativity, blending Yachty's dynamic vocals with Blake's signature production. Tracks like 'Missing Man' and 'Transport Me' shine with captivating depth, while 'Red Carpet' offers a soulful, gospel-infused highlight. The album's experimental nature, especially on tracks like 'Save the Savior' and 'Midnight', reflects the duo's bold approach, pushing boundaries with each song. Even in its unexpected turns, Bad Cameo remains an exciting exploration of sound. Available on limited magenta vinyl, this release is a fresh, innovative take from two artists unafraid to try something new.

Review: Den Helder is the northernmost city in Holland, is surrounded by water and borders the North Sea. With a military history dating back to the 16th century, it is also the most bombed city in the Netherlands and was nearly destroyed during World War II. The Third of May was written and recorded in 2020 over six days in an old pumping station located in the dunes of Huisduinen near Den Helder. The story behind the album is set in this historic city, weaving its tumultuous past into a vivid, imagined narrative inspired by the area's rich and tragic history. It's as much of an emotional rollercoaster as you would expect given the concept.

Review: New York artist Aaron Landsman and former Swans guitarist Norman Westberg kept vigilant watch with Night Keeper, a full nocturne named after Landsman's play of the same name. First performed in Spring 2023 at The Chocolate Factory Theater in Queens, with performer Jehan O. Young serving as narrative steward, the original piece filled the space with spoken word, projections, choreography, and music, moving between dim light and darkness. Now the recorded version posterises the performance, as Westberg's original texture-scapes come raggedly coiled around sombre loops and samples, as Young's laryngeal monologues course across the record's rough 44 minutes worth of gloaming. Inspired by sleepless nights and the wandering of the mind, Night Keeper lifts the lid on the wee small hours as would a well camouflaged nightjar, inviting listeners to embrace the subdued chaos of the dark.

Review: .Oh wow. Brussels-based Maloca label boss Le Motel has created something really beautiful here. Utilising musique concrete principles, and a renowned ear for pianos and contemporary classical, experimental electronica, ambient and the like, Odd Numbers / S? L? is an odyssey in all senses of the word. Made from time on roads less traveled and the people and places encountered en route, it also feels like an aural adventure in its own right. Catalysed by time spent in Vietnam, arriving into the sprawling colonial districts of Hanoi, then venturing out to Hmong communities in mountainous areas close to the Chinese border, those he met and engaged with have been directly involved in the final album here - making this a vast exercise in collaboration. Noisy kitchens, quiet fields, personal conversations, the laughter of a village square on a weekend morning, meet beats, bass, heavy future cuts, serenity, and bliss. 1000% yes.

Review: Klara Lewis' latest release is a poignant tribute to her late friend, mentor, and former label head, Peter Rehberg. The EP opens with 'Thankful,' a track that directly acknowledges Rehberg's influential work under his PITA moniker, specifically the iconic 'Track 3'. This original piece has profoundly shaped the experimental electronic landscape, its influence still resonating across contemporary electronic music. Lewis' rendition offers a heartfelt homage with a cascading melody that transitions into an immersive digital landscape, evoking both reverence and a sense of finality. The track's abrupt ending mirrors the suddenness of Rehberg's passing, enhancing its emotional depth. Having first emerged with Ett on Editions Mego at 21, Lewis, now 31, presents Thankful as a mature and emotional milestone in her career. 'Ukulele 1' stands as another intimate tribute, featuring the titular instrument looping gently and capturing the essence of its recording environment. This track emphasises the human touch amidst an era increasingly dominated by mechanical precision. 'Top,' named after one of Rehberg's favourite expressions, offers a brief but intense burst of mutant acid techno, capturing the essence of Rehberg's eclectic taste. Following this is '4U,' a track that forgoes words for pure sonic expression, reflecting Rehberg's influence in its profound simplicity. The EP concludes with 'Ukulele 2,' which revisits the themes of 'Thankful,' reinterpreting the earlier melody with digital flourishes. Thankful stands as a meticulously crafted tribute, embodying the spirit and innovation of Peter Rehberg and the original MEGO label.

Review: Edvard Graham Lewis and Mark Spybey's collaboration fuses electronic rhythms, layered field recordings and ambient soundscapes into an album with striking depth and cohesion. Both artists bring decades of experienceiLewis from Wire, Dome, He Said and Spybey from Zoviet France and Dead Voices on Air. This project, however, ventures into fresh territory, blending experimental sounds with surprising grooves and sly hooks. Crafted remotely, each track unfolds a textured sonic landscape, offering listeners a unique glimpse into the creative synergy between two pioneers of boundary-pushing music.

Review: Sound collage is a genre where ideas and sounds can get a blank canvas to express those ideas and not have any pressures to create full songs. The Gesua Plateau: Enslavement Of The Species pushes the boundaries of experimental and electronic music to an exciting place. This multi-sided album dives into ambient textures, unusual sonic landscapes and evocative soundscapes that feel alien and oddly familiar. Side-1 serves as an entry point, with five shorter tracks showcasing ambient and experimental ingenuity. Highlights include 'Track 2', where a blend of saxophone, electronics and effects evokes a chamber-like resonance and 'Track 4', featuring a dark, sequenced rhythm that feels futuristic and thrilling. 'Track 3' introduces nature sounds, adding an organic touch to the experimental palette, while 'Track 5' leans into spacey electronics that expand the album's ethereal tone. Side-2 delivers 'Track 6', a cavernous exploration of dissonance and sound processing that feels otherworldly. Side-3 offers 'Track 7', an industrial, mechanical piece that's haunting and deeply atmospheric. Finally, Side-4 ventures even further into the unknown, presenting soundscapes that feel unmoored from terrestrial reality. A profound journey into sonic experimentation. If you're interested in the avant garde, musique concrete or experimental sounds, this ambient album has all that and then some.

Review: Annea Lockwood is a pioneering New Zealand-born experimental composer who returns to Black Truffle with her third release for the label. Although she is now the handsome age of 85, Lockwood continues to explore new sound sources and collaborate with a range of performers and 'On Fractured Ground' features recordings made with Pedro Rebelo and Georgios Varoutsos while using Belfast's "peace lines" as resonant instruments that deeply evoke the dark history of the Troubles. 'Skin Resonance' is a collaboration with Vanessa Tomlinson that explores the bass drum's sonic properties while infusing them with elemental textures. Both pieces showcase Lockwood's reflective, meditative approach and make for another significant entry into her creative story.

Review: For over 20 years, Clay Emerson and Ian Pullman aka Loess have quietly built a reputation for crafting intricate, deeply atmospheric electronica and Battens, their fifth album on Califonrian label n5MD, sees them refining their signature aestheticistill grayscale and shadowy, but now imbued with a subtle warmth. The Opener 'Strake' features layered static hums and a slow, hypnotic beat that cycles like waves against a submerged structure. 'Halyard' introduces brittle textures and crisp rhythms, evoking wind-swept landscapes. 'Crowhurst' builds tension with submerged chords and fractured percussion. The haunting 'Koepcke' carries a sense of disorientation and search for stability, while 'Endoctamb' recalls Chain Reaction's most introspective moments, yet with a looser, more organic quality. Closing with 'Rime', Battens embraces silence, with glacial melodies fading into the ether. Throughout, the duo masterfully manipulates sound and space, allowing moments of stillness to breathe between pulsing rhythms and submerged harmonies. There's an undeniable human element in how these tracks moveilike the slow, inevitable shift of nature itself. More than just an exercise in sound design, Battens is a transportive experience, cold yet comforting, stark yet alive recording.

Review: Midway through the last decade, Bureau B reissued a kosmiche curiosity from cult synthesiser composer Rudiger Lorenz, Southland - a set inspired by idle daydreaming about the island nations of the southern pacific and the south Atlantic. Here, they return to the late artist's catalogue, presenting their pick of the music featured on the DIY tapes and records he self-released (usually in very small quantities) between 1981 and '83 - IE the period before Southland was recorded. Larger darker and moodier than that set, Lorenz delivers a synthesizer-heavy musical blend of contemporaneous influences that consistently delivers the goods. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the sparse and warped 'Chabomilla Sabinae', the Tangerine Dream-esque beauty of 'Dreaming of Saba', the electronic ambience of 'Independence' and the star-gazing drift of 'Anigre'.