Back catalogue: Soundtracks

Review: Re-rendered in a stunning full-length form, the groundbreaking soundtrack to the 1988 anime film Akira is here remixed in full by individual members of Geinoh Yamashirogumi, the elusive Japanese music collective behind the original Akira OST. Founded in 1974 by musician and agricultural scientist Tsutomu Ohashi, Geinoh Yamashirogumi still to this day adhere to a loose ecology, comprising hundreds of people with different occupations. Recreating folk music along modern dance musical and electronic lines - terraformed folktronica, if you will - the original Akira soundtrack was innovative, drawing on such Japanese folk musics as gamelan and noh while merging them into. Spawning many later remixes across electronica and dance music, this fresh remix record is fully overseen by director Katsuhiro Otomo and tracks larger-than-life remixes from Makoto Kubota, Kuniaki Haishima and Yasuharu Konishi, ragtag but chosen members of Geinoh Yamashirogumi.

Review: The music from Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize and 12-Oscar-winning film encompasses the original score by Gabriel Yared with the haunting vocals of Marta Sebestyen and Fred Astaire. It is a story which has successfully made its mark on every medium that counts a - a classic to beat all classics. It's a cathartic journey that explores identity, fidelity, and fate amid the chaos of World War II. Shot against the majestic backdrop of the Northern Sahara and Italy, Yared's score blends Hungarian folk tunes, baroque themes, and romantic orchestration and mirrors the emotion of the film's characters without relying on visuals. Period tracks by Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Goodman complement the emotional depth of the story.

Review: And they say nobody makes amazing kids TV anymore. Or maybe that's just people who remember iconic series like The Trap Door, Button Moon, Pingu, Danger Mouse and Fraggle Rock? Either way, anyone who actually has children now will attest to the fact there are some great programmes doing the rounds. We fell pretty quickly for Octonauts, which focuses on a pack of underwater animal rescuers. Meanwhile Yukee, which presents the potentially terrifying prospect of a ukulele-wielding six year old, also won our hearts. Thankfully for us all, Yukee can play her instrument very well. So well in fact that this collection of songs from her first series is actually very enjoyable no matter your generation. OK, so maybe once you get onto the 25th play-through in a single afternoon there might be cause to switch things up, but overall these catchy folk-pop tunes are going to bring smiles to faces of all ages.