Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: KPM Music might just be one of the most expansive music libraries out there, boasting a whopping 30,000 exclusive music tracks for licensing. Some of their earliest pieces are being reissued by Measured Mile, the latest of which appears here in the form of a split 7" by four of the label's most treasured contributors. 'Viva La Tamla Motown' helms up the A-side with wonky, laboured drumming and an excitable rock n' rolly guitar and harmonica. 'Main Chance' brings up the B with a more loungeified flutey strutter.

Review: One-off masterpiece release of German minimal synthpop from Gutersloh, Germany in 1984. Recorded in a DIY recording studio in a former prison for the mentally ill, located on the outskirts of a forest near the artists' homes, aptly named Prison Studio, in 1984, the release was privately pressed on 7" by the band itself, distributed in limited quantities and has changed hands only a few times on public marketplaces since its original release. Wave Shape's Transmission has always been as rare as it is good, to quote Basso. Now, the release is made available again to collectors and DJs as the first release on Average. Included in this 12" repress are two stunning new remixes by virtuoso producers and friends Alexander Arpeggio and Aradea Barandana, each bringing their own flavour to the table.

Review: A unique slice of classic library music flies off the shelf. These four tracks were lifted from the classic library music series known only as 'Sounds Music Album Volume 18', and were made by the library maestro Klaus Weiss, the former jazz drummer who later turned to the trade after falling in with German music publisher Ring Musik. An eerie uncanniness cuts across these instrumentals, as Weiss' drumming provides steady boppage to serene yet dubious backings of strings and synth.

Review: The work of legendary drummer turned library musician Klaus Weiss continues to be reissued. For this series, Dynamite Cuts are looking back on a mid-1970s series of EPs released by Weiss originally for the famous library Sound Music. Carrying a minimal production that still has appeal for the modern listener (don't Dynamite know it), the four tracks here are curt, squelchy and beat-centric, with highlights including the clavichord-wacky 'Frogs', the sonically obese 'Productive Facilities', and the space-age drum freakout 'Coordinates Meeting'.

Review: This great series from Dynamite Cuts continues to delve deep into the alluring world of library music. It is sound that captures real feelings and evokes all sorts of memories, even those that are imagined, with a single note or seductive groove. This collection is made of tracks from the German Library series Sound Music Albums which sell for over L150 if you can find a copy. There are four tunes in all, three from Klaus Weiss and one from Peter Thomas, all of which add up to another great collection and a must for serious music heads.

Review: Measured Mile, the 7"s label run by Bob Stanley, firms its focus on DJ-friendly 45s that are or were either very rare or previously unavailable in the format. Its run of sharply curated 7"s is replenished with another three-tracker, this time an unusual choice, fencing two classic British sports broadcasting themes, pivoting from midtempo funk to faster breaks. Leading the A are two standouts from Douglas Wood, 'Cranes', known as the punchy, synth-heavy theme from the BDO World Darts Championship - and 'Drag Racer', the atmospheric opener to the BBC's Snooker World Championships coverage, both drawn from the revered Studio G library catalogue. On the flip, John Cameron's 'Sprocket Shuffle' - the lively 1980s ITV Snooker theme - rounds out the package in a flurry of analogue texture and charming nostalgia.

Review: Are Working Men's Club the best band to have emerged from northern England in the past decade? We'd say there's a very, very good chance. Catch them live on stage and Sydney Minsky-Sargeant, Liam Ogburn, Hannah Cobb and Mairead O'Connor are utterly captivating, and their combination of post punk, rock, electronica, and acid house transfers very well onto record too. Their DJ sets, for which 'Syd' leads the charge, are also nothing short of quality. Informed by genre-less masters such as Andrew Weatherall, Ivan Smagghe and Erol Alkan, as this latest Megamix goes to show, the idea is to create these deeply immersive cosmic soundscapes that aim directly for the dance floor, taking phrases and sounds from their songs, reworking, rethinking and rearranging them into something fresh and high energy. Impossible not to make an impact.

Review: Gordon Chapman-Fox's latest album, Your Community Hub, delves into the New Towns movement, particularly focusing on Warrington-Runcorn's community centers and their relevance to modern urban planning discussions like the 15 Minute City concept. The album explores the decline of these centers and the services they once offered, paralleling a broader societal shift away from communal support. Through evocative album artwork featuring architect Peter Garvin's work, notably the Castlefield Community Centre, Chapman-Fox paints a vivid sonic picture of a bygone era of community cohesion. Following the success of 2023's The Nation's Most Central Location, this album is poised to continue Chapman-Fox's critical acclaim and commercial success, offering a poignant reflection on the past and present state of communal life.

Review: 'A Shared Sense Of Purpose' is a fittingly collectively-minded name for a new Gordon Chapman-Fox aka. Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan release. The first glimpse of his latest full-length LP, Your Community Hub, this first sampler hears the artist continue to develop his totally singular vision in eerie modernist electronica, deploying lilty arpeggiations and contradictorily Utopian, yet at the same time, sinister, melodies and ambiences; all with a view to producing an uncanny deja entendu. These are deployed to mourn the slow, increasing privatisation of Chapman-Fox's native Warrington-Runcorn, specifically its singular bespoke town centre - its walkways, its local postal system, its gridded shop lots - which were all designed to make it a five-minute city, long before the concept of fifteen-minute cities had entered town planning discourse. Though, perhaps this lament masks a more sinister sense of enjoyment, as there is indeed a perverse sort of pleasure that arises in the bittersweetly uncanny perfumes that waft from this latest haunted mood piece. Perhaps just like the experience of revisiting Warrington-Runcorn after having known it in childhood, we hear both sadness and euphoria, at the same time, in the face of its ostensible loss.

Review: Kamasi Washington's latest effort is a little different from his previous releases, which delighted in taking spiritual and post-bop jazz in a myriad of thrilling new directions. Befitting its status as a soundtrack - the music on Becoming was written to feature on Nadia Hallgren's Netflix documentary of the same name on Michelle Obama - the compositions unveiled by Washington are breezy, accessible and seeped in musical positivity. There are lots of memorable melodic themes throughout the album, with bold and catchy, up-beat jazz numbers being joined by melancholic, contemplative compositions and even nods towards soul-jazz, Motown style soul and cheery jazz-funk.

Review: Virtuoso contemporary jazz star Kamasi Washington got involved with the hit Netflix documentary Becoming right at the early stages. The film is a four time Emmy-nominated glimpse into the life of Michelle Obama, filled with as many profound moments as tender and vulnerable ones. All of those are perfectly translated into gentle jazz, sweeping symphonies and empowering passages of sound that tell a very real story even without seeing the movie. Fans of the Los Angeles saxophonist will recognise a dialling back in the scale of his usual sound, but that is never to the detriment of the work here, which is maybe his most accessible work yet.

Review: Not to be confused with Klaus WeiB, the East Germany-born handball hero of the Summer Olympics 1972, although born in the same era, this Klaus Weiss is in fact the man who started out as a jazz drummer before expanding his remit to other instruments and genres, winding up pretty prolific in the world of movie and TV scores. As can be heard here.

While not directly linked to, taken from, or inspired by screen work, Open Space underscores (ahem) many of the same totems. It's un-rushed, yet tracks are relatively brief, not much more than interludes. Each feels similar to the next, but they clearly invoke very different emotional responses. Somewhere between synth-laden fantasy soundtracks of yore, and medieval court music, it's like going into the future only to realise civilisation has gone backwards while retaining some of its tech prowess.

Review: Over three decades of musical exploration and innovation have cemented German guitarist and bandleader JJ Whitefield as a stalwart in the realm of authentic, timeless music. As a founding member of the Poets Of Rhythm in the early 90s, Whitefield pioneered a hard-edged take on 70s street funk, setting the stage for the Deep Funk scene to come. His subsequent ventures under various pseudonyms, including Karl Hector, showcased his versatility and eclectic influences, drawing from Ethiopian Jazz, West African funk, Kraut-rock, and ambient sounds. With his latest album, The Infinity Of Nothingness, Whitefield delves into the astral realms of spiritual jazz, paying homage to influences like Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders while forging his own path. The album's mature, delicate orchestrations evoke a trance-like atmosphere, with subtle accents of hip-hop, library and avant garde seamlessly integrated. Tracks like the sparse opener 'Nothingness' and the expansive 'Infinity Suite' demonstrate Whitefield's ability to create music that not only honors his influences but also stands the test of time. The Infinity Of Nothingness represents a culmination of Whitefield's lifelong musical journey, showcasing his unwavering dedication to authenticity and innovation.

Review: German guitarist and bandleader JJ Whitefield, known for his authentic, timeless sound, delves into 'spiritual jazz' on his latest album, The Infinity Of Nothingness. With a career spanning over three decades, Whitefield's journey began in the early 90s with Poets Of Rhythm, pioneers of the Deep Funk scene. Since then, he has explored various musical styles, including funk with Karl Hector and Ethiopian Jazz, West African highlife, Kraut-rock, and ambient music under his Rodinia moniker. The Infinity Of Nothingness is a set of mature, meditative orchestrations, drawing inspiration from Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders without becoming mere tributes. The album weaves subtle elements of hip-hop, library music, and avant-garde into its sound, creating a unified, trance-like feel. From the sparse opener 'Nothingness' to the three-part 'Infinity Suite' - 'Time', 'Space' and 'Energy' - the album reflects Whitefield's exceptional ability to craft music that resonates deeply with its influences while standing the test of time. As with his early work, Whitefield's latest project continues to set a high standard in musical exploration.

Review: The Will Gregory Moog Ensemble's debut album, Heat Ray, is a riveting exploration inspired by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes. Recorded on analogue synthesizers alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the ensemble - led by Goldfrapp co-creator Will Gregory - brings together up to 14 talented players, including Portishead's Adrian Utley and Mute's Daniel Miller. Heat Ray fuses spirals of melody, circular structures, and intricate patterns, drawing inspiration from Archimedes' mathematical principles. The album's genesis during pandemic lockdowns reflects Gregory's deep dive into Archimedes' life, sparked by online lectures. With a lineup boasting instruments like the Minimoog and Prophet 6, the ensemble weaves a stunning superstructure of sounds, guided by Gregory's effervescent spirit of discovery. The result is a splendid blend of ancient history and modern innovation, where musical exploration converges with mathematical curiosity. Heat Ray not only pays homage to Archimedes' legacy but also propels listeners towards an endlessly fascinating future.

Review: The Will Gregory Moog Ensemble's debut album, Heat Ray, is a riveting exploration inspired by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes. Recorded on analogue synthesizers alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the ensemble - led by Goldfrapp co-creator Will Gregory - brings together up to 14 talented players, including Portishead's Adrian Utley and Mute's Daniel Miller. Heat Ray fuses spirals of melody, circular structures, and intricate patterns, drawing inspiration from Archimedes' mathematical principles. The album's genesis during pandemic lockdowns reflects Gregory's deep dive into Archimedes' life, sparked by online lectures. With a lineup boasting instruments like the Minimoog and Prophet 6, the ensemble weaves a stunning superstructure of sounds, guided by Gregory's effervescent spirit of discovery. The result is a splendid blend of ancient history and modern innovation, where musical exploration converges with mathematical curiosity. Heat Ray not only pays homage to Archimedes' legacy but also propels listeners towards an endlessly fascinating future.

Review: Almost 15 years after her tragic death and admission to the ill-fated '27 club', it's impossible not to tear up when thinking about Amy Winehouse. The untimely loss of such an incredible talent is one thing, gradually understanding that nobody caught and held such a vulnerable person in their time of need is what really hits the hardest. Back to Black, Sam Taylor-Johnson's biographical drama about the UK singer-songwriter and musician's rise to stardom, and the fallout, was never going to be an easy watch, then. As if we needed any more proof, the soundtrack really emphasises just how timeless Winehouse was as an artist. Highlights from her own incredible output are here - 'What Is It About Men', 'Stronger Than Me', 'Valerie', '(There Is) No Greater Love', the list could go on - as are some of the most evocative and captivating soul, blues and r&b tracks of the 20th Century. And there's nothing to separate these from each other, sonically, lyrically, or emotionally. We weren't worthy, and maybe never will be