Review: Mute began reissuing some classic albums from Recoil last year and already they have vanished so this is another pressing of one of their best - from former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. 2000's Liquid is thought to be one of his best works as he delves into dark and involving electronic worlds with its hypnotic and deeply charged charm. Its moods - desire, fury, and violence - are paired with self-reflection that encourages you to go deep inside yourself while listening. There are haunting and ghoulish moments of intensity like 'Strange Hours' next to more soothing trip-hop cuts like 'Breath Control'.
Review: It is always a joy to hear from the Music For Dreams label. Not only is it a musically interesting outlet but also one that digs deep into plenty of fascinating different scenes. And this is one such case as the project is centered around 99-year-old Iboja Wandall-Holm who sings about memories from her childhood growing up in Eastern Europe. The record plays out like a musical encounter where the songs are worked into magical forms by Danish musician Mikkel Hess and other members of his Hess Is More band with extra collaborative input from label head and producer Kenneth Bager.
Review: While the appeal of Minecraft may be lost on some, there's no doubting the cultural significance of the immersive, user-built game. One of the title's most attractive features has always been its' music, which was composed, played and produced by a hitherto unknown German producer called Daniel Rosenfeld, under the C418 alias. Here, in the first of two volumes, Ghostly International showcases the best of Rosenfeld's work for the series. Sitting somewhere between the spacious ambience of Pete Namlook and Brian Eno, the heart-aching piano motifs of Eric Satie, and the sweeping orchestral pulse of a movie soundtrack, the 24 pieces here stand up with anything released by seasoned ambient producers in recent times.
Review: Hot on the hells of the epic work Stasis Sounds For Long Distance Space Travel Part 1 comes the second instalment, seeing 36 and Zake "continue their journey through the outer reaches of space in hypersleep" as they have it. There's a healthy 18 track selection to lose yourself in, as these experts of the sublimely chilled ambient get to work - in a typically gentle fashion, obviously.
Review: In 2003, the kind of profound minimalism Colin Potter and Steven Stapleton presented on Salt Marie Celeste came with a disclaimer for those who preferred the maximalist side of Nurse With Wound. In these ambient abundant times, it feels like everyone's ready for the deep listen and attendant calm an album such as this demands. Revolving around two low, tumultuous chords undulating like waves and the barest of flotsam and jetsam on top, this is an intense hour exploring the haunting power of repetition and sparseness. It's also incredible, but then there's no surprise there, given the stature of the Nurse With Wound canon. If you were already a believer, then herald the bonus disc of additional droning magnificence and the gorgeous new artwork from Babs Santini.
Review: Talk about a time capsule. While the obvious nostalgists out there scour and share their cassette eight packs, desperately converting the mixes they contain to digital files before the inevitable unspooling renders the original recordings obsolete, here comes Death Is Not The End - a record label that lends its name to (well, hosts) a show on NTS Radio - with the ultimate trip back to a time many weren't lucky enough to live through.
As the name suggests, this is literally a collection of no less than 40 radio adverts that appeared at some point or other on London's once-plentiful pirate radio stations between 1984 and 1993. Many are poor quality in terms of production, a good number use samples from some of the biggest dance tracks of the day, loads namecheck some legends of the UK rave scene, and every single one would be loads of fun to drop into a mix or use as a sample for productions. Not that we're recommending doing anything without license.
Review: Heavyweight heroes Kode9 and Burial are no stranger to working together having done so to great success on FABRICLIVE 100 back in 2018. They don't actually collaborate on this one, though, instead serving up one side each of a new 12" for Fabric. As experimental artists with a penchant for drawn from the UK hardcore continuum you roughly know what to expect - fresh rhythms, emotive sounds designs, compelling rhythms. The 140g 12" comes in both limited edition and standard black vinyl versions, and both have bespoke 3D design with the fabric logo printed on reverse board heavyweight card.
Review: Le Motel, le hotel, les Holiday Inns. Wherever you choose to stay after your raving trip, be sure to pack this wonderful collection from the innovative Belgian craftsman Le Motel. Delivered by the ever-impressive Yuku collective, the whole EP flexes the spectrum in terms of tempos and influences. From the deep ploughman techno swing of 'Raving Crew' to the electroid funk and percussive fire of 'Helix' via the cumbia-inspired and turns of the minimal head-bender '429 Too Many Requests', this is an exceptional journey into the more esoteric side of breaks and club music. Essential.
Review: Modern Talking is the German pair consisting of Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen who were rather prolific back in the 80s and beyond. There has been a revived interest in their music of late and for that reason much of it is being reissued, including this new, limited edition and nice heavyweight 12" edition of 'Give Me Peace On Earth.' It's a three track disco odyssey that starts with the sentimental and syrupy sweet vocals of the title track, which is doused in loved up 80s chords. 'Stranded In The Middle Of Nowhere' is just as devastatingly heart broken with its slow, crashing drums and yearning vocals then bonus cut 'Sweet Little Sheila' picks up the pace for a lively dance floor disco workout.
Review: There are some names that genuinely fill you with excitement the moment you even catch wind they've been back in the studio. Dorian Concept is one of them. Revisiting his collaborative project with the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments for a second outing on the OUS label he runs, the rather logically-titled Music From A Room Full of Synths was inspired by a ten day period in which the artist basically immersed himself in different noise-making machines. Coming out the other end determined to continue down the unplanned, unrehearsed, loose and spontaneous path, his collection was made off-the cuff, as it were, completely live and without sequencing or programming. As you would hope, then it's almost like nothing you've really heard before - jazz, electronica, downtempo, brass-stabbed, freeform, strange and stunning.
Review: San Francisco's Dark Entries label does a good line in reissuing obscure, long-forgotten, left-of-centre gems (their excellent collection of Patrick Cowley's little-known soundtrack work for gay porn films, School Daze, was arguably one of the compilations of 2013). Here, they've unearthed another overlooked gem - Art Fine's previously rare-as-hen's-teeth dark Italo-disco gem 'Dark Silence'. It's pretty much a straight copy of the New Wave-inclined original, with the sparser, looser 'Long Version' joining the dense 'Art Fine Version'.
Review: Reissued by Before I Die after being singled out as a choice cut from a recent Swedish library music compilation, 'UFO' is a cosmic funk jam by one lesser-cited duo known as Falk & Klou. This being their only collaboration, the fused efforts of Carl Johan Fogelklou and Fredrik Segerfalk make for an otherworldly experience, with lasery sound FX and a strange narration complementing this toothy electro-funk oddball. The remix by Andi Henley (Ruf Kutz) on the A-side cements the track's importance.
Review: A fascinating new slice of neue Deutsche welle from the artist Eine Welt. The track romanticizes the traditional Middle Eastern dish, Knafeh, through the lens of post-punkish electronics, German rawism, and myriad layering and production. The fact that an artist would go to such great pains to record, master, press and distribute a song with such a niche subject matter truly shows the power of Turkish cuisine. Clearly, even in back the '80s, there was mutual cultural appreciation between the Germans and the Turkish.
Review: Dynamite Cuts brings the heat once more with a second volume of their Sound Music 45s series. Siegfried Schwab takes care of the A-side with 'Getting High', a scorching funk workout with hard-worked guitar chords and precise percussion over lots of wah-wah effects. 'Feel It; flip the script with a superbly stripped-down jazz-funk lounge sound. Klaus Weiss then steps up on 'Time For Rhythm' with some loose, percussive funk beats that are raw and organic, then Peter Thomas closes down with 'Documentation', a more richly instrumental and multi-layered jazz-funk sound that conveys real grandeur.
Review: Quinoa Cuts's fourth release combines some smart nostalgia with plenty of modern innovation. Side A opens with two analogue-driven tracks reminiscent of the 80s synth-wave era, so rich with electro-inspired nuances that evoke a bittersweet and rather romantic atmosphere. It transports you to a dreamlike, neon-lit past then Side B takes a darker, more introspective turn by exploring shadowy, progressive sounds. These haunting tracks come with deep, emotional layers and show Marvin to be quite the producer.
Review: Say a big hello to the new Modez label here while getting lost in the hard hitting first release from Modelle. It's a bold barrage of bass, Baille funk and dubstep across six sizzling cuts. 'Pursuit' opens up with lithe broken beats wired up with electricity and percussive hits. 'Dum Dumb' is built on a distorted low end with hard-ass raps and brutal drum breaks, 'Razor Rex' arrests the attention with its pulsing bass and bleeping modular synth sequences while 'Petrie's Rage' is a hyper-speed cosmic banger. 'Jeff On God' (feat Parkinson White) shuts down with more low end energy and this time jungle breaks provide the power source.
Review: Few artists in electronic music have the serious musical chops of Mathew Jonson. The man has formally studied jazz and always brought famous invention to his synth-heavy sounds under whatever guise he has been working with. Here he is back under his own name on Deset and opens up with some delightful and mellifluous synth ripples on 'Dawn' and then soundtracks a cosmic voyage on scattered percussive sounds and alien effects on 'Artificial Intelligence'. 'SOS' is a broken beat jazz work out and with The Mole he crafts a deep, seductive groove marbled with more great melody on 'Feels So Good.' 'Got Bass' is playful cosmic electro to close.
Review: The brilliant Death Is Not The End has always done a great job of digging into niche scenes and serving up great albums that document them. Here the label presents a mixtape-style collection featuring live recordings from London's Notting Hill Carnival, spanning 1984 to 1988. Originally aired on NTS Radio in August 2018, this release marks a milestone in their 10th-anniversary series and it now comes on cassette. Highlights include sounds from renowned systems like Jamdown Rockers, Saxon, Java Nuclear Power, Killerwatt Turbotronic, Stereograph, Sir Coxsone, and Volcano Express. The audio, meticulously curated by the Who Cork The Dance crew, features contributions from Jayman, Ruff House, Keimo, Omar, Gee Wizz and Jah Humble.
Review: QUAL is the solo project of William Maybelline from Lebanon Hanover, and one known for its "meaner, darker, and nastier" persona. The name qual means pain in German and since the 2015 debut Sable, the moniker has delved into dark, minimal synth, old-school EBM, and industrial electronics using analogue equipment. Following the 2021 LP Tenebris in Lux and the 2022 remix album Re-Animate, he now returns with Techsick featuring three new tracks and a Sarin remix. Highlights include the metal-influenced 'Dancing in Hell,' the familiar minimalist 'Techsick,' and the dual-sided 'Funeral Fashion,' blending classic EBM with a techno remix. The first 12" vinyl edition is limited to 500 copies so move fast.
Review: Rosetta Stone, one of the most enduring bands from the influential second wave of gothic rock, returns with a brand-new studio album called Under the Weather. Known for their dark romance and chiming guitars, the new album stays true to form with lush keyboards and an undercurrent of sinister nostalgia, thanks to bandleader Karl North. Fans can look forward to pre-release singles and a significant media blitz to accompany this album, their first in 4 years. Formed in the 1980s by Porl King and Karl North, Rosetta Stone initially captured the jangly-guitar sounds of gothic rock. Their big break came after supporting The Mission on tour. The band later transitioned to a more electronic sound before disbanding in 1998. Now, gothic mastermind Porl King is back with an album that promises to transport fans back to goth's heyday. Like their namesake, British goth legends Rosetta Stone were pivotal in bridging the gap between the first wave of gothic rock and the emerging underground scene. Their music brought a romantic element to a dynamic era of black fashion and experimental freak culture.
Review: A repress of Innershades & Betonkust's 2018 new beat sensation 'Forever In Boccaccio!' has long been requested by hardcore record collectors. And now it has become available and has been fully remastered and housed in a new sleeve design, limited to just 300 copies. It was first made, according to the two being it, in January 2017 "under grey Belgian skies," when they had been consuming lots of acid and new beat, which of course shows. The title cut is brilliantly dark and gothic but is backlit by haunting vocal harmonies and underpinned by a menacing bassline. The three other cuts explore similar moods and grooves with great authenticity.
Review: Berlin-based Dina Summer - a synth-loving trio fronted by the suitably sassy and no-holds barred singer Dina P - impressed with their Italo-disco and turn-of-the-millennium electroclash inspired debut album, Rimini. Three years in, they return with an arguably even stronger set - the notably darker, more stylish and more new wave-influenced Girl's Gang. Many of their trademark elements remain to the fore - Dina P's dead-eyed spoken word vocals, the use of vintage drum machine rhythms and sequenced basslines - but this time round come accompanied by black mascara-clad nods to post-punk, New Romantic, goth-rock and Depeche Mode style synth-pop sounds. As previously stated, it is genuinely stylish and impeccably observed stylistically, but what makes it stand out is the substance behind the sheen.
Review: Nick Ingram is a criminally lesser-spotted artist whose credits stretch back to 1998, among which include his various instrumental and production contributions to the band The New Electrics, as well as single contributions to compilations by NME and Melody Maker. But Dynamite Cuts here call 'Trip Wire' and 'Throng' two tracks expressly made for TV soundtracking - never heard before, they reveal Ingram's repertoire in library scoring; the former track is a feverish trip-funker, packed with twang guitar and yodelling flutes, while the latter is a chromatic instrumental soul-jazz number starring a deeply haunting counterpoint, shared equally between synth and voice.
Review: At first an obscure library music curio made by Keith Papworth under the aegis of Music De Wolfe - the brainchild of Dutch composer and oboist Meyer De Wolfe - Hard Hitter long flew under the radar as Papworth's unsung instrumental funk magnum opus, that is, until it was reissued in 2022 by Fat Beats, and again now by Dynamite Cuts. We'd wager that it was the Fat Beats reissue that really cemented the legacy of this gem, which placed its intensely sampleable funk breaks in the context of NYC hip-hop culture, cementing its legacy as a favourite sample source for beatmakers, not just a simple and enduring joy in the realm of hard-hitting library funk.
Review: Minneapolis' Chris Bartels aka Blurstem, and Philadelphia's Andrew Tasselmyer of the likes of Hotel Neon and Gray Acres have hooked up once more for a second collaborative album Midnight Letters. This album's starting point was original concepts played out on guitar which were then processed and experimented with through an ages-old analog tape machine. Add in an array of iPad audio processing apps, samplers, and Ableton software and you have a perfect mix of tools to serve up a sonic journey that perfectly merges the old with the new. The resulting ambient soundscapes are immersive and sparse but packed with subtle details that convey all manner of emotions.
Review: DJ Stingray 313's 'INDUSTRY 4.0' is a contemporary dazzler from the enigmatic techno artist. Seemingly at once a lament of - and an embrace of - the modern manufacturing concepts that impact and even construct humanity's contemporary self-concept, this techniciously high-octane new EP wrenches our modern psyches by the collective ear and abrades it like an existential rasp. 'Large Language Model' pummels our sono-somas with jagged electrobass hellpits and the occasional robotic voice interjection - "machine learning" - while the second act, 'Multi Functional Robotics' and 'Sensor Data', moves even less predictably, exuding aneurysms of wonky mindmelt toplines turned assembly lines gone maliciously sentient turned rogue. The music plays back like a forbidden dossier of infohazards; terrifying AI trade secrets you weren't meant to see or hear.
Review: Affin Records label head and long-time techno maker and sound designer Joachim Spieth is back with a new album project called Retrace. It is one that finds him blending dub with ambient electronics into seven "complex, aqueous soundscapes" packed with great textures and crystalised melodies. Opener 'Recall' sets a fine tone for the record then 'Shine' sinks into hazy and lo-fi static-laced tundras, 'Longing' is delicious dub techno from the bottom of the ocean and 'Drain' follows suit but with a little more propulsion. Many more such tracks follow on what is an intriguing album full of evocative narratives and heady pads.
Review: Albert Van Abbe impresses with his new full-length Olodumare Who Is which is an exploration of deep, hypnotic techno with profound spiritual undertones. Drawing inspiration from his diverse cultural background and the Yoruba religion, the album blends dark, atmospheric soundscapes with intricate rhythms and deep basslines while Van Abbe's meticulous approach to production makes for a mysterious journey where each track weaves together minimalist percussion, tribal influences and eerie melodies. The result is an immersive sonic experience that evokes a sense of both tension and release while fusing ancient traditions with modern techno.
Review: The latest EP by noise and industrial maverick Oxymosoon delves into the intricate interplay of ego, vulnerability and self-reflection. This genre-defying release combines haunting electronic textures with evocative melodies and poignant lyrics to create a sonic narrative that challenges conventional perceptions of self-identity. Each track flows seamlessly while blending ambient atmospheres with bold beats and experimental soundscapes. Oxymosoon's signature style shines through with compelling production and emotional depth all drawing you ever deeper into an introspective journey that explores the beauty and complexity of the human psyche.
Review: Mad About Records is back with another essential double dose of Latin funk with this limited edition 7" from Los Sonidos De F.M. and Sola. 'Tema De Los Adolesentes' kicks off on the flip with brilliantly lively samba keys and blasts of big horn energy next to more slinky and seductive lines. It's a true steamy dancer full of sex appeal while Sola take a different approach on the flip with 'Tabu.' This one is low slung and mischievous with its prickly rhythms and wet cymbals. The Spanish vocal is delivered with power and flair and backed by brooding harmonies that add extra weight.
Review: Desencanto is carving out its own sound world with its first releases and this one again taps into a loved-up deep house vibe that puts beautiful melodies and serene moods front and centre. 'Pipina' kicks off in the form of an Acqua mix that is downbeat and blissed out. 'Miss U Too' then brings some retro 80s synth work and taught basslines under celestial keys. 'Temptation' has more glassy melodies making for a rather haunting and eerie mood and finally, 'Last Kiss' is a suspenseful ambient soundscape that floats you up amongst the stars with reverential flutes encouraging nostalgic dreams.
Review: All Life Long is the latest work from accomplished ambient, experimental artist Kali Malone. It's the first work since 2019's The Sacrificial Code on which Malone has composed for the organ - the instrument she's best known for. As a committed explorer of the instrument and its tonal, harmonic qualities, she's taken the organ to some surprising places and so it continues on this latest album. But Malone is never constrained to just one approach in music, as evidenced by recent collaboration with Stephen O'Malley and Lucy Railton amongst others and there are some striking voice and brass partnerships on this record which widen out her approach in compelling new directions.
Zake & From Overseas - "Live Improvisation II" (II) (21:33)
Review: This is a special audiophile vinyl version of Live Improvisations, an album featuring two sides of music, one the response to the other. The A-side is a recording of a 2014 session between Hakobune and Chihei Hatakeyama that was made with the colours of autumn and rural Japan in mind. Both of these artists have composed dozens of works that have established them as leaders in their field and this is no different. On the flip, zake and From Overseas craft 'Live Improvisation II' and 'forge an intercontinental bond' as they recorded the music in one take with no editing afterward. It's a gorgeous listen that shows a real mastery of tone and texture.
Review: Veteran electrohead and former artist on the Rephlex Records roseter DMX Krew's Ed DMX takes the well-known story by Jorge Luis Borges of The Library of Babel, said to contain all the different languages of the earth. Some deep philosophical thought has gone into the album's concept, but we'll leave that to Ed to explain. Instead, we'll tell you that from beginning to end there's plenty of the kind of trademark 80s synth playfulness in evidence, with a generally more mellow and soundtrack-related rather than frenetic and dancefloor-filling vibe in evidence, even on faster tracks like 'The Combed Thunderclap'. Still, Ed knows what he's doing when it comes to this kind of leftfield electro gear, and it's a rewarding, never boring listen.
The Dichtomoty Of Telling Everyone Everything (Loggsplitter remix) (5:53)
Review: Following the success of last year's Walks, Group Listening returns with a new 12" for PRAH Recordings. The title and artwork both explore themes of decay, expiration and musical renewal and the music was in part inspired by a small DIY festival in Bristol. Paul Jones explains the title represents a radical, open call for change while 'Tell Everyone Everything' is a layered, intense synth soundscape with destined pads and nimble chords that lock you in the here and now. The release also features remixes by Ancient Plastix and Loggsplitter who bring sub-aquatic dub and mind-melting rhythmic intricacies.
Review: The Opal label continues to establish itself in the electro realm with a second searing new release. This one comes from Cruz and is a full throttle outing that opens with 'Marine's Odissey', a journeying cut with searching synths and coruscated low ends. 'Tecnologica' has an even more rugged mix of raw drums and kicks and bumping basslines that never allow you to settle. There is increased turbulence on 'Los Misterios' with its zippy low ends and squelchy bass all firing every synapse in your brain then 'Los Finales Annunciados' shuts down with knick-snapping snares and alien sounds bringing the whole thing to life.
Review: Udacha family band Zdehvedo Gob is a collective of musicians who all hail from various cities around the world. It consists of Udacha label head Alexey Kalik as well as drummer Roman Shestaev and Gamayun associates Anton Dvoenko and Stas Mitrofanov and they all got together in the studio in Moscow in summer 2023 and the results are now presented on this new album. Employing an organic music approach to instrumentation combined with subtle electronics, the group go wild for various combinations of off-kilter percussion, organ, chant and birdsong in full ceremonial swing, they trace a path through the various branches of 20th century minimalism, pan-global folk-ism's and the harmonious collective consciousness that My Life In A Bush Of Ghosts encapsulated. It's a gorgeous mix of world, jazz, spiritual percussive, experimental music that rides on nice loose and vibrant rhythms with a great mix of synthetic and organic sounds all offering plenty for the mind as well as the body to get excited about.
Review: Always hot on the steel-hard plates and murky subterranean atmospheres, Public System turns in a haunted double package from the crypt. Spanning hi-octane indus bullets, half-baked mutant salvos and shadow-clad juicers from a host of reputed names and rabid underdogs, this new comp collates ruff’n’tuff joints from gritty techno don Container, genre-unbound explorer E-Saggila, Berlin’s electro arsonist Privacy, acid-spitting hydra DJ Loser x Penelopes Fiance, basement guerillero Yabboq Penuel alias Le Syndicat Electronique, neo-punk beat thrasher Crave, Yves Tumor collaborator and sine-wave crusher Anthem, expert circuit dissector Beau Wanzer, Liquid G as remixed by Mick Wills, Night Gaunt’s Lower Tar, occult machine funk preacher Maenad Veyl, DJ Chupacabras under new guise 110, soundwaves cross-pollinator DJ Richard, vibrant mood-scapist Gavilán Rayna Russom, as well as label boss Myn going ubiquitous with studio fellows Kluentah as Myntha, and R Gamble as Fade Accompli. A much desirable feast of raw, unhinged, all-round spine-tingling jams for the club and not.
Review: Middlesborough musician Rees impressed with his last outing on the Bordello A Parigi label: 'Three Eyes' was a real dancefloor gem which he now follows up with three more gems that showcase the artist's eclectic style and versatile skills. 'Dream Wave' is a bright, busy, intense cut with glistening synths front and centre, dancing about a crunchy and rigid rhythm while 'The New Beat' ups the ante with eerie arps leading the way as more metallic drum sounds clatter away below. Last of all is 'Electric Body' which is awash with more incisive synths and guitar lines, all with a hypotonic lead synth and new wave techno drums powering it along.
Review: Lorenzo Montana is an Italian soundtrack composer, sound engineer, and producer, with a prolific career spanning decades. Vion is his 29th full-length album, and marks his first solo effort for the Oakland-based emotive electronics outpost n5MD. Here Montana fleshes out the full possibilities gleanable from the use of drum brushes, diving into the wonderful world of jazz brush patterns, in order produce an electroacoustic record with a glistening ambient palette - whereas beforehand, the use of drum brushes might have otherwise felt mostly unfairly relegated to 'jazzy' electronic genres like broken beat. From 'Nympalidea' to 'Vilu', Montana's expert digital touch, and ear for texture, is heard and felt throughout, with the central brush patterns banking on their distinctive timbre to both stand out and yet also melt into the surrounding, progressive ambiance.
Review: When Marie Davidson announced last year that she would be, "retiring from club music", many wondered what she'd do next. Renegade Breakdown, her first album recorded with a full band (L'Oeil Nu), answers that question. It sees the Canadian artist and her new collaborators deliver suitably arresting, personal and ear-catching songs built on mixing and matching a surprisingly wide variety of musical inspirations, from Blondie, classic disco and mutilated heavy metal guitars, to Kraftwerk, Billie Holiday, Fleetwood Mac and Daft Punk. It's a big shift for the previously highly experimental artist, but thanks to her skill as both a a producer and performer, one that works magnificently well.
Review: Although widely celebrated as a pioneering and influential work, the original Japanese version of Ryuichi Sakamoto's third solo album, Hidari Ude No Yume, has long been hard-to-find. Helpfully We Want Sounds has secured the rights to reissue it in Europe, pairing the Yellow Magic Orchestra man's original set - complete with sung and spoken Japanese vocals - with a partner disc of entirely instrumental versions. Musically, it remains as vibrant and otherworldly as it did at the turn-of-the-80s, with the great Sakamoto combining elements of jazz, traditional Japanese music, new age, ambient and new-wave with rubbery synth-pop and proto-electro sounds. The fact that it still sounds like nothing else is not only proof of Sakamoto's genius, but also why you genuinely need it in your life.
Review: Any new release from reclusive Norwegian ambient colossus Geir Jennsen is cause for celebration. The Petrified Forest was inspired by a 1936 movie of the same name, the plot of which revolves around a world-weary British writer meeting a fellow idealist in an isolated diner in the middle of the Arizona desert. Jenssen's music has always been cinematic in tone - think widescreen visions with multiple related movements, sitting somewhere between icy loneliness and comforting homeliness - so it's little surprise to find that The Petrified Forest regularly hits the mark. Evocative, atmospheric and quietly melodiousness, it's a mini album chock full of brilliant downtempo electronica.
Review: Hull and Leeds-based band bdrmm finally follow up their acclaimed debut album Bedroom - which was instantly passed as a modern day shoegaze classic - with a new EP. It features the recent single 'Port' as well as fresh remixes by the ever more essential Daniel Avery, plus Working Men's Club, A Place To Bury Strangers and others. That single, 'Port,' took the band in a new direction with a darker sound fun of distorted drones and beats, with howls of anguish and manic guitar frenzies. That is carried over into the rest of the EP next to some radical reworks.
(Intro) Dreamdave - Korea Town Acid Shout Out (feat Imani) (1:45)
Curtain Call (2:39)
Bloom (feat Desiire) (3:16)
Dazed (feat LJ The Alien) (3:01)
Eclipse (feat PNSB) (2:57)
Bounce (feat Pianwooo) (2:57)
Thiis World Is Sick (3:18)
Law Of Attraction (2:32)
Into The Future (3:00)
There's No Turning Back (2:58)
Review: South Korean-born and Toronto-based musician Jessica Chao aka Korea Town Acid spans the divide between disparate musical cultures with her new record Metamorphosis. It is a collaborative work with DESIIRE from Toronto, Korean pianist and rapper Pianwooo, as well as Seoul rapper PNSB, LA producer Dreamdave and New Jersey MC, L.J The Alien. Glitch, home, jungle, boom bap and trap are all distilled into the 10 tracks, with sultry grooves next to more dark and stark instrumentals, often with carefully deployed raps and whispers elevating each tune above mere ear chewing gum status.
Review: Since he started producing music, Berlin-based American sound artist Jake Muir has been obsessed with sampling. His 2018 album "Lady's Mantle" was based on manipulated chunks of vintage Californian surf rock, and its follow-up, 2020's midnight symphony "The Hum Of Your Veiled Voice" was sourced from a wide variety of old records, and inspired by the work of experimental turntablists like Marina Rosenfeld, Janek Schaefer and Philip Jeck. On "Mana", Muir looks back to a misunderstood musical movement. Around 1995, a group of New York producers and DJs - including DJ Olive, DJ Spooky and Spectre - pioneered a genre-dissolving sound by unifying hip-hop techniques with ideas pulled from dub, jungle, ambient music and industrial noise. Badged "illbient", it was a short-lived genre that felt like a high-minded psychedelic cousin of the UK's trip-hop. Muir uses illbient as the springboard for "Mana", utilizing a selection of samples to inform his frothy drones and foreboding atmospheres. He ushers the material into 2021 by diverting it through his own contemporary worldview, attempting to recreate the hyperreal fantasy histories of Japanese RPGs (think "Dark Souls" and "Final Fantasy") and nod to sensual, tactile soundscapes of European industrial labels Staalplaat and Soleilmoon. The result is a magickal, sensory journey that's as physical as it is representational.
Review: Known for their cover versions - having re-read Sly Stone, Plastic Bertrand, Les Chats Sauvages, and many more over the years - Telex managed to tread a fine line between comedy and innovation. Focusing heavily on a lo-fi synthesised sound, the Belgian alt-poppers would use plenty of humour in their work, but never allowed this to outshine or overshadow the musicality of it all. Released in 1980, Neurovision is a case in point. According to the band, this was their tongue-in-cheek entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, for which they were chosen as representatives for their home country in the same year. Deliberately banal lyrics, mostly referring to the competition itself, married to the glittering wonder of a proto-electronic soundtrack, mark it as a work of bold daring and a little genius. Sadly, it failed to secure them last place in the tournament, as they hoped, forcing them to settle for 17 out of 19.
Review: Deepspace's 'Neon Blue Utopia' is the 16th album from the Brisbane-based artist is a heady brew of ambient electronica, spacewave and post-rock, conjuring a dreamlike world like a cyberpunk film score filtered through a kaleidoscope. 'Utopia=Visions' sets the tone with its expansive soundscapes and shimmering textures, evoking a sense of awe and wonder. Tracks like 'Parkour on Lazarus Heights' and 'Rainy... Precinct' paint a vivid picture of this futuristic metropolis, with their pulsating rhythms and otherworldly sounds capturing the city's vibrant energy and neon-lit glow. 'Entering Aquarium Prefecture' and 'Bubble Echolalia District' delve into the surreal, their off-kilter rhythms and disorienting soundscapes suggesting a world where reality is fluid and dreams are tangible. The album's second half continues the exploration, venturing into darker and more experimental territories. 'Floor 426-B' and 'Empty Office Space' hint at the city's hidden depths and the lurking shadows beneath its gleaming facade. A proper journey through a world of sonic imagination, this is an immersive and evocative soundscape-fest.
Review: For well over a decade, Italian producer, electronic musician and sound designer Ocralab (real name Rocco Biscione) has been serving up immersive and enveloping ambient soundscapes, most of which tend towards the meditative and subtly sun-kissed. That's the trademark sound that he explores on gorgeous new full-length Locus Impervio, a set whose gently rising and falling melodic motifs, calming soundscapes and spacey sounds recall the halcyon days of ambient music in the mid-to-late 1990s. It's a genuinely gorgeous, soul-enriching set all told - the kind of thing we might have expected Pete Namlook, Jonah Sharp, Move D and Mixmaster Morris to put out circa 1994 (albeit with subtle nods to more contemporary, sound design-driven academic ambient releases).
Review: Scale and Scope is a set of four 7" and one-sided coloured flexidisc records where each one contains "an instantiation of an individual microtonal designer scale" all developed by Stefan Goldmann. These experimental sounds pair wispy fragments of melody, the hiss of static electricity, twisted drones and only just audible details that add a range of moods from psychedelic introspection to cosmic wonder. 'Series Y (Gamma)' sounds like the internal thoughts of R2D2, while 'Series D (Delta)' is a futuristic symphony of melody and harmony.
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