Back in stock: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: Acopia's second album is a captivating journey through diverse electronic landscapes, blending Balearic and downtempo styles with atmospheric depth. Opening track 'We Evolve' sets a haunting tone with its echoey soundscapes and ethereal vocals, creating a serene yet mysterious atmosphere. 'Be Enough' follows, adding a slight techno edge, blending smooth electronica with subtle rhythmic pulses. The vibrant 'Holding On' channels synth-pop and synthwave influences, offering a nostalgic 80s vibe, while 'What I've Been Looking For' builds on dynamic electronica with a stronger retro energy. 'Take You For Granted' slows things down, leaning into a chill-out mood with a mellow, reflective sound, while 'This Conversation Is Getting Boring' introduces a melancholic drum & bass rhythm that reflects a deeper emotional undertone. Acopia successfully crafts a rich downtempo album. The Australian act continues to evolve, offering a record filled with thoughtful nuances and sound textures.

Review: Out of stoner rock miasma traipse David Eugene Edwards (Wovenhand, 16 Horsepower) and Al Cisneros (OM, Sleep) with two new sludge-offs, 'Pillar Of Fire' and 'Capernaum'. With leeward, mountainous horror vacui depicted on the front cover - and a 10" press signifying that the musicians intend for this to be a maestro's statement, not too invested in the magnanimity of a full LP and yet still knowing full well that you'll lap up the sense of terse completion such a record promises - these tracks are estivate delights, both their meditative experimental-bass workings evoking barren, anxious wanderlust.

Review: Rhode Island post-metal avant-garde duo The Body have made a name for themselves due to their caustic maelstrom of harsh, brutalist experimentalism as well as their prolific output and collaborative nature, releasing collab albums with the likes of Full Of Hell, Thou, Uniform, and most recently, Dis Fig. Their latest endeavour sees the pair link up with another duo of musical extremity, Toronto, Canada's recently reformed industrial two-piece Intensive Care. Was I Good Enough? has been on the cards since the artists first began making plans as far back as 2018, trading, warping and ruining mutual sessions with layers of loops, distortion, samples and even dubs, constantly striving to find the ideal haunting balance between both of their sonically hideous, oppressive worlds. For all of our ears' sakes, they just might have succeeded.

Review: After a 40-year hiatus since his last album, Kevin McCormick has returned to recording with this new album Passing Clouds which builds on his retrospective works Light Patterns and Sticklebacks, both of which were released in recent years through the Smiling C label. The artist's daily obsession with writing music and exploring sound reignited his inspiration and this album, he says, reflects his love of sky watching and peaceful places. Across several sessions, he used electric and acoustic guitars, bass and simple analogue equipment like valve reverb, tremolo and tape delay while a violin bow adds drones and ambient textures through a tape looper. The result is some superbly heartwarming Balearic sounds.