Review: A 10" featuring the finest that highlife has to offer, Crentsil was a figurehead of Ghanian music during the 70s and 80s who was introduced to highlife music at the turn of the 90s - a combination of pop, jazz, disco, and funk. 'Obi Baa Wiase' and 'Sika Be Ba' are two tracks with a close-knit message of gratitude, hope and faith between them, with the former being the staple track of Crentsil's long career after being played at weddings, festivals, and live concerts by local bands. A pair of incredible tracks produced by Charles Amoah utilising limited equipment to create an authentic party atmosphere, jovial flutes and plucky strings are the accompaniment to A.B. Entsils's proclamation of joy - put this on at the party and the room are sure to start moving.
Review: Actress is one of those names that invokes equal parts notoriety and hero worship. Like so much of the music he is associated with, the producer and DJ, studio experimenter and synth explorer doesn't have a reputation for being the easiest artist to predict. A creator who seems determined to push boundaries, even if that sometimes means abrasive and uninviting to the uninitiated, or anyone who would have preferred to hear something less abstract, if not altogether safer. Grey Interiors is a case in point. Dropping on the always-incredible Norwegian outlet Smalltown Supersound only emphasises the fact this is going to be an exercise in boldly going... Pressed onto a single-sided white 12" reinforces the notion that this occupies a place very much unto itself. The drones, distant sound of stardust falling, and whirs of tech that make up this spacey drone experience confirming we've boarded the shuttle and are now exiting Earth's atmosphere.
Review: Alessandro Alessandroni (often said to be the most famous whistle in the history of film thanks to appearing on famous spaghetti western 'A Fistful of Dollars') is a legendary composer and musician who very much had a big say in the characteristic sound of Italian soundtracks during the 60s and 70s. This lovely 7" from Four Flies showcases that with two well chosen cuts that have been taken from a dusty tape found in the great man's vault. 'Shine On' is superbly stylish funk with some seductive vocals and rolling drums all peppered with golden chords and dynamic horns. 'Prohibition' is a little more mellow but still features magic Rhodes and characterful horns.
Review: 'Dreamtime Trance' is a cult gem for those who like to dig deep, and Alston Koch is exactly that person. She is a Sri Lankan-born Australian musician and the mastermind behind the Kookaburra Connection project, a collaboration with Aboriginal musicians, and this track blends indigenous themes with a unique, game-changing beat and infectious groove. It's a pure dancefloor revelation and this reissue includes a new extended version with a longer intro buildup that adds depth to the track. On the B-side, the heartfelt ballad 'Midnight Lady' offers a contrasting mood that is perfect for after-hours relaxation with PiNa Coladas. Remastered and re-issued with the original artwork, this EP is a must.
Let The Power Flow (Horny remix instrumental) (3:59)
Review: Nothing is off limits for The Altered Tapes crew who are known for cutting, splicing and cross-pollinating anything they can gets their hands on from the worlds of hip-hop and beyond. Every time they drop a new 7" it sells out in quick time, such is the impact of the blistering beast they design. This new one is another potent weapon in the form of a rework of Snap's classic. 'Let The Power Flow' (Horny remix) is driven by dusty breaks and florid trumpet leads, plenty of mean bars and slick funk lines. On the flip is an instrumental that's just as compelling.
Review: This is a limited edition pink vinyl aversion of a new one from Analog Mutants aka MC Phill Most Chill, DJ and producer Snafu, and DJ Grazzhopper. Tittyshaker is a lively follow-up to last year's Confidence 45. True to its playful title, the track delivers an 80s-inspired beat reminiscent of hip-hop's fun side, when sampling kids' TV tunes was common. With a Sesame Street-like charm, Phill's cheeky request to "shake their titties" comes off as lighthearted rather than problematic. In a musical landscape shaped by boundary-pushing artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Ice Spice, Tittyshaker channels that same bold energy.
Review: Both of these funk gems are taken from a cult compilation Trans Groove Express, which explored the sounds of Express Records and was assembled by MURO. Fourth Wave now serve them up on a superb 7", starting with Maki Asakawa. 'Hohi Hitotsu' is a delightfully gentle and subtle dub with funky guitars adding movement while the sultry vocal soars. Yasuhiro Abe's 'Night Fish' is a brighter and more retro 80s soul and boogie sound with glowing chords and snappy hits. The Japanese language vocal is emotive enough to mean plenty without understanding the meaning of the words.
Review: This third volume of instrumentals continues the faultless Isle of Jura label's deep dive into dub versions and beyond. Side one takes in references from UK street soul and reggae and features two late-'80s tracks by Howard Hill with machine-led rhythms, rudeboy reggae skank and soulful pads. Protek's 'I Love to Dance With You' is a proto-house gem featured in a Jura Soundsystem mix and here it gets a loving re-edit by The Nightlark. Side B includes an instrumental-driven track with spacey FX from The Cool Notes' and Ilija Rudman's 'Dub 4 Love' which is a knowing nod to acid house's golden era.
Guru Pope - "Reggae Soldier" (Saxaphone mix) (3:15)
Aba Ariginal - "East Meets West" (Hornix mix) (3:15)
East Meets West (dub mix 1) (3:14)
East Meets West (dub mix 2) (3:18)
Review: A powerful collaboration between Jennifer Barrett, Guru Pope and Aba Ariginal released on a striking red 12". The original track blends smooth reggae rhythms with heartfelt lyrics that celebrate strength, resilience and the spirit of the reggae soldier. Each artist brings their unique flavour to the release and that leads to a harmonious fusion of voices and styles. Add in its infectious groove and uplifting message, and 'Reggae Soldier' is a standout tune that begs to be played loud.
Review: Acclaimed Japanese artist Cornelius is back with a new three-song EP, Bad Advice/Mind Train, featuring a collaboration with Arto Lindsay. The EP's first single, 'Mind Train,' is an epic nine-minute track inspired by Yoko Ono which blends ethereal space-pop with minimalist structures and bursts of exhilarating chaos. Cornelius describes 'Mind Train' as a symbol of spiritual and inner exploration that is designed to prompt self-reflection. The accompanying video, created by renowned visual stylist Keita Onishi, enhances this journey with stunning retro-futuristic graphics that allow you to explore your own interpretations.
Review: This new 45rpm single on Humble Action includes the original version of 'Musical Healers' by Hummingbird as well as a remix by Aryeh Yah. The a-side version is a nice twisted dancehall cut with some hot stepping rhythms that sound like they could well have been sampled by The Streets at some time. It's a future sounding cut even now with its sleek synth leads. It's a real trip too at over eight minutes long, and the remix is no less adventurous but has a more heavy low end.
Review: Few labels are better at saving up big cut-and-paste tunes from the world of hip-hop, r&b, funk and breaks than Heat Rock. Here they come again with more of the goodness, firstly with Nick Nack. His 'And Ya Say' roll deep, with smooth bars flowing freely over the leggy drums. On the reverse, Chicago's Altered Tapes crew offer up their own unique take of hip hop classic 'Still Running' in the form of a shuffling Bossa B-boy flip which has Latin percussion and ass-wigging drums. Both of these are floor-friendly cuts that pack in plenty of heritage.
Review: German label Oonops Drops is ever more essential if you ask us and tidy 7"s like this prove why (as does their mission to focus is on "sustainability, climate protection and socio-cultural values".) 'Bird's Lament' is a top tier tune from Slick Walk x Sneaky with live drum breaks and serene strings making for a reflective late night vibe. On the flip of this limited edition and clear slice of wax is Avantgarde Vak with the sweet hip hop sounds of 'Keep Ya Eyes Up' then Toshiyuki Sasaki with his sublime 'Toshi's Bonus Breaks.'
Review: A Certain Ratio's core trio of drummer Donald Johnson, bassist/vocalist Jez Kerr, and multi-instrumentalist Martin Moscrop make ACR Loco a perfectly fluid and funk album. In fact, on this, their first album in more than ten years, the Manchester post-punk outfit are as funky as they have ever been. Their tried and tested sound gets nicely updated with modern beat driven sounds and plenty of redefines to today's political strife in the lyrics. There are plenty of smooth and cool synth led grooves like 'Get A Grip' and messages of unity on 'Family' that we can all relate to.
Review: Louis Johnstone is known for his mischievous and anti-art approach and here he teams up with Trilogy Tapes for Dracula Completo, an unhinged, chaotic release that defies conventional music. Operating under multiple aliases including Wanda Group and A Large Sheet of Muscle, Johnstone's work blends concrete electronics, warped samples and dark, often distorted spoken-word pieces. Dracula Completo embodies his subversive style and is a mix of absurdity, mutant poetry and rebellious energy. Though Johnstone's work challenges norms and provokes, it remains surprisingly accessible and engaging.
Review: As long as there is hip-hop, debate will rage as to which album by A Tribe Called Quest is their finest. Of course, they're all superb, but 1993's "Midnight Marauders" - their third full-length - may well be the best of all. That's a big call, but we'd ask any doubters to give it another listen. The New York crew is in particularly fine form on the mic throughout, while the backing tracks, which make great use of crunchy, head-nodding beats and hundreds of superb, hand-picked samples, are amongst the most intricately produced, groovy and deep ever committed to wax. It's one of those hip-hop sets that should be in the collection of any committed music head, and not just rap fans.
Review: There was a big fuss made when Aaliyah's music finally made it to streaming services late last year, which shows just how in demand it remains over a quarter of a century after it first hit record stores. Her self titled long player was an early and frankly just about unbeatable blueprint for r&b that has more than stood the test of time. With guests posts from Static From Playa and Timbaland she opened up on all manner of subjects from rejection to love, personal anxiety to better times. The slick production still sounds fresh, as does the timeless vocal work.
Review: Here's a chance to cop a pivotal piece of R&B history on vinyl. Aaliyah's second album was released in 1996, when she was just 17, and she was already one of the most commanding artists in modern R&B. Working closely with Missy Elliot and Timbaland on a number of the tracks, she made a significant step on from her debut with a revitalised and forward-leaning sound, and all while finishing drama school and preparing to star in Romeo Must Die. One In A Million is solid gold start to finish, and given how costly original pressings of it can be on the second hand market, this reissue is long overdue so grab it while you can.
Review: This is a deluxe reissue of a real pop classic from back in 1997. ABC is a group that traces its origins back to Vice Versa, a Sheffield band formed in 1977 by Stephen Singleton and Mark White. They released the Music 4 EP after founding Neutron Records and Martin Fry, creator of the fanzine Modern Drugs, interviewed Vice Versa before later joining as synth player. By 1980, the band transformed into ABC, with Fry assuming lead vocals. The lineup included Fry, Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17, and Keith Lowndes. Though their debut album received acclaim from critics, it didn't achieve widespread commercial success. Despite this, ABC's fusion of pop and electronic elements laid the groundwork for their future iconic sound.
Review: Raw post-punk trio Abdomen trade in the heavier end of the genre unafraid to douse distortion and fuzz onto everything and create music so exciting it would be hard not to want to throw yourself into a circle put for, 'Damage Tool' is a breathtaking way to get things started and 'Numbers' makes Fontaines DC sound like Boyzone. They are capable of slowing down - 'Dazed' has been slowed into a hypnotic Spacemen 3-esque psych/shoegaze jam. The band are relative newcomers and not widely known... yet. But this is going to be one of those albums you'll be kicking yourself for not having a first pressing of. Abdomen is only going to get bigger and it will give the Tapetown studio in Aarhus, Denmark - where they recorded this - more bragging rights for being among the coolest alternative music spaces in Europe.
Luniz - "I Got 5 On It" (feat Michael Marshall - Tethered mix From US)
Review: Composer Michael Abels and Oscarr winner Jordan Peele have hooked up plenty of times on the big screen before, and this is another hugely successful partnership. Us was released in March 2019 and is an original nightmare that is set in present-day Santa Cruz on the Northern California coast. Lupita Nyong'o and Black Panther's Winston Duke star and the score features many highlights such as a 30-person choir, ten of them kids, on 'Anthem', while plenty of Eastern European instruments, violins and percussion were also employed. 1995 hip-hop anthem 'I Got 5 On It' by Luniz is also included and never fails to stand out.
Aboutface: Small Hands & Feet In The Sand Show You The Great Illusion (feat Taro) (7:54)
Aboutface: Coutata Couyata Save Couyata (feat Taro) (13:01)
Aboutface: We Flee Whilst The Wild Smoking Horses Swim Among Us (12:19)
Aboutface: The Water That Glows Like Dancing Glass Cuts Crimson (feat Taro) (11:19)
Review: A master of sonic art, music, photography, sound for images, and conceptual performances, Ben Kelly's Aboutface project has found favour with some serious tastemakers, and if this is your first visit to his vivid, trance-inducing world, it shouldn't be that hard to understand why without going much further into the back catalogue. Not that we don't implore you to do just that.
Opening on 'Small Hands & Feet In the Sand Who You The Great Illusion', the penchant for long titles should already be clear. As such a deft ability to make tunes that are lush, peaceful and packed with meditate qualities. But anyone expecting this to be all tranquility should think again, 'We Flee Whilst the Wild Smoking Horses Swim Among Us' layers spirals of sound and refrains in such a way you feel the energy rippling from its arrangement, while 'The Water That Glows' is a joyous, leftfield downtempo-into-neo-dnb outing. Exceptional.
Review: Both of Joshua Abrams first two albums have been reissued this month, and this is the debut from 2010. At the time the artist said it was written with a view to countering "the commodification of time and the diminishing attention span that accompanies it by offering music with an irresistible groove, rooted in the sinuous rhythms of the human body and the full play of our senses." He sure pulled it off with elan across six tracks built around his own playing of the guimbri, a North African three-stringed bass lute. This is intoxicating, non linear avant-jazz that is utterly meditative.
Review: Relapse Records welcome Absent In Body for a label debut. The metal collective is made up of musicians such as Iggor Cavalera, Scott Kelly and former members of acclaimed metal-ers such as Amenra, Sepultura and Neurosis. Plague God is an adventurous record that is fearless and uncompromising in its approach with a real lucidity of expression and collective coming together that reaches new heights. It might be a terrifying listen filled with hellish left turns and sublime subversions but it is all held together well.
Review: Six years is ages for a band to go without releasing an album or doing very much. But for AC/DC, whose work rate has always been ridiculously high, it's a very, very long time. Between then and now, the band lost their lead singer, Brian Johnson, to hearing difficulties in the middle of their last tour, and saw drummer Paul Rudd arrested in New Zealand for 'attempting to procure a murder'. Talk about impetus to finally call time.
But then these are the guys responsible for one of history's greatest heavy rock triumphs, 1980s's Back In Black, released just months after formative frontman Bon Scott tragically passed. So it's no surprise Power Up, another post-traumatic release albeit an act of reunification with now (relatively) healthy Johnson and innocent Rudd returning, is among their best in the 40 years since. A comeback record that sounds exactly like AC/DC should - ballsy, bluesy, boozy riffs.
Review: Don't be confused by that title - this live album is a recording of their Monsters of Rock appearance from 1991, a bill on which even legends like Metallica and Motley Crue found themselves playing supporting roles to the Australian gods. That said, despite this being very much the domain of singer number two, Mr Brian Johnson, there are many, many moments from the Bon Scott songbook here, from album title tracks 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap', 'High Voltage' and 'Let Me Rock' alongside later triumphs like 'Hells Bells' and 'Heatseeeker'. The only thing that might seem odd by its omission is 'Highway To Hell' - the clue is NOT in the name, it seems - but across four sides of vinyl, there's still plenty of AC/DC at in truly electrifying mood here.
Review: With four albums dropping throughout the first half the 1980s, the second iteration of AC/DC with Brian Johnson on vocals was definitely on a roll. This recording of the band in action on the West Coast of the US mixes classics from their Back In Black classic like 'You Shook Me All Night Long' and 'Hell's Bells' - with older favourites. There are fan faves galore here but also a few tracks which make the cut less often, such as 'Shot Down In Flames' from the Highway To Hell album, 'She's Got Balls', 'Shoot To Thrill' and more. That alone sets it above the average live broadcast album from the band, elevating it into the realms of the essential for hardcore devotees.
Review: A slice of Australian rock champs AC/DC in action in 1978 in their classic Bon Scott-led line up, on tour in the US in support of their penultimate album before Scott's death in 1980, the often underrated Powerage. Along with staple live favourites that have remained in the band's set for yonks - see 'Rocker', 'Bad Boy Boogie', 'Problem Child' and 'The Jack' - there are rare outings for the groovy but more subdued, bluesy 'Gone' Shootin' and, the final encore here, 'Dog Eat Dog' from 76's massive Let There Be Rock album. You can almost hear the collectors' salivating.
Review: Frampton Comes Alive? Jeff Mills Live At The Liquid Room? Pah! There is only contender in the park when it comes to the best live album of all time and that's AC/DC's 1978 classic, recorded at the Glasgow Apollo and featuring their original vocalist Bon Scott. From the deft riffing of opener 'Riff Raff' - recently covered by men of the moment Black Midi - to the 12 bar frenzy of traditional closer 'Rocker' via big hitting groovers like 'Bad Boy Boogie' and 'Problem Child' and audience participation-fests like 'The Jack' and 'Whole Lotta Rosie', this is dripping in crowd atmospherics, improvised solos and big walls of riffs. Just about as great an advert for live music as ever existed.
Review: Gbefabi was recorded on a hot night in a gospel music studio in Accra's New Town district. Ghanaian trombonist Elikplim Kofi and American guitarist Nathaniel Braddock, who first met in 2017, reunited and were joined by percussionists Nii Addotey Brown and Daniel Tettey Black for these sessions which blend traditional and avant-garde sounds while merging folkloric instruments with free improvisation. The music is influenced by Ghana's diverse modern soundscapes so feels both local and cosmopolitan. The musicians' diverse backgrounds bring a rare, spiritual energy to this most standout record.
Review: Electronic music is guilty of so many injustices it's hard to know where to begin. Among the least talked about historically is the lack of space made for South Asian and South Asian-heritage artists, who, despite the written pantheons doing their best not to emphasise it, have contributed an incredible amount to the canon's many genres. Things are improving in terms of representation and visibility, but there is still a very, very long way to go.
Even without the urgent need for more equal coverage, it was always going to be hugely exciting to get a copy of an Acid Arab album. And Trois does not disappoint. The Paris-based production duo invite us into ever-deeper corners of their sound, from the tense prog chug of 'Ya Mahla' and the stripped techno build of 'Rachid Trip', to the slick and sexy, writhing broken gem 'Gouloulou', it's as varied as the influences involved.
The Three Rooms Of Nightclub Marilyn (feat Lieselot Elzinga) (2:33)
I Used To Be A DJ In A Club (Now I'm Just A DJ In My Bedroom) (3:15)
My Hats On Fire (feat Hannah Hu & Richard Hawley) (3:28)
Eulogy To A Quiet Life (feat Maxine Peake) (2:28)
Review: Not content with merely being one of the biggest selling indie bands of right now, Yard Act are busy carving themselves a tasty side hustle as A&R men, with their Zen FC label scooping up some of the most exciting other music around as well as their own. This album from Sheffield's long serving synth maverick Adrian Flanagan (Kings Have Long Arms, Eccentronic Research Council, International Teachers Of Pop) is not an obvious choice for the guitar slingers, being closer to electro pop than indie, but it's a compulsive and ingenious listen all the same. Written during lockdown, it follows the rise and fall of an imaginary superstar DJ, each song pushing the narrative along and featuring a plethora of guests, including Richard Hawley and Maxine Peake, both of whom feature at the album's 'comedown' conclusion.
Review: In celebration of 50 years in the performing arts, Idris Ackamoor presents Artistic Being for Record Store Day 2025-a powerful blend of jazz, spoken word and activism. Featuring the voices of acclaimed actor Danny Glover and stage legend Rhodessa Jones, this record captures highlights from the Underground Jazz Cabaret, which was performed during Black History Month 2024 at The Lab in San Francisco. Co-produced by Ackamoor's Cultural Odyssey, the release fuses poetic storytelling with evocative musical textures while reflecting on social justice, identity and resilience. Artistic Being is a profound statement from a visionary artist.
Review: Cannonball Adderley Somethin' Else gets the Tone Poet audiophile treatment now on this latest reissue from Blue Note. With the help of standout additional artists Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Hank Jones and Sam Jones, this is a record with a deep musical heritage and plenty of fine moments. The include the stunning performance of 'Autumn Leaves' and a fine title track along with the more romantic, slow shuffling and late night cuddliness of 'Dancing In The Dark.' Mastered by Kevin Gray from original master tapes and pressed to 180g vinyl, this is a must buy for jazz fans.
Review: Adelaida's fifth studio album Retrovisor arrives here on lovely high-quality 140g black vinyl which also comes with an insert with lyrics as part of the hand-numbered and limited edition 'The Noisy Series' on Spinda Records. It is a full throttle 13 track rock workout with dense and gauzy guitars layered up into impenetrable walls as the vocal wails fight your attention. It is a raw fusion of indie, grunge and shoegaze all the way from Santiago that will remind of classic bands from the late 90s.
Review: When keyboardist Thomas Jonsson, guitarist and bassist oMar Gudjonsson, saxophonist oSkar Gudjonsson and drummer Magnus Trygvason Eliassen take the stage, they channel the raw resilience of Northern Europe's islanders who have endured long, icy winters for centuries. Their energy transcends genres and has proven to captivate jazz enthusiasts, rock fans and ravers alike. This primal, non-verbal expression predates language yet remains deeply contemporary by blending cosmic vastness with free imagination and profound mysticism. Their music is a convergence of timeless human impulses and fresh creativity. It's challenging but hugely rewarding.
Review: Viva La Revolution indeed. The Adicts tore out of England's east coast, and specifically Ipswich, and immediately made an impact. Asked to change their name by Sire Records in a bid to appease the charts and TV bookers - although, oddly, one of the options was apparently The Fun Adicts, which raises more quandaries - Rockers In Orbit captures their huge sound in all its glory. Recorded live at Alabama Halle, Munich, Germany, depending on which way you're listening first impressions invoke breakneck punk, motoring metal, and even the romance and commanding power of The Cure at their loudest and most dominating. Ultimately, though, these guys just sound like The Adicts. A questionable reference point we can only assure you is meant as a total complement. Not a band people will forget in a hurry.
Review: Soul and jazz meet head to head on this new LP from Hot Casa, to truly bring the two genres into their natural alignment. Hola Adisa Farrar is a vocalist who hails from California via Jamaican roots, while Florian Pellissier brings though his Parisian jazz stronghold, and the pair lay down some unmissable Dingwalls-reminiscent gems. In fact, this is the perfect sort of album for those diggers looking for that perfect jazz-funk record, the one that slipped away; the drumming across all of the tracks is hypnotic but changes enough to retain that mysticism, the pianos glide over the melodies in a delicate but playful way, and Farrar's vocals are an utter beauty spilled all over the rhythm. A must have, and a warmly recommended album. Supported by Mukatsuku.
Review: Adja Fassa's debut album is a genre-colliding triumph of alternative r&b, neo-soul and jazz co-produced by Adam Scrimshire. Across 11 tracks, Adja dissects capitalism's influence on intimacy with sharp wit, layered symbolism and soulful grooves whether she's reimagining jazz standards or delivering dystopian vignettes of modern labor. Throughout these tracks her storytelling is bold, critical and playfully mystical. From the rebellious 'Sucking on my Emphatitties' to the haunting title track, this is protest music wrapped in velvet tones. Visually complemented by four self-designed tarot cards, the album is a rich conceptual tapestry for fans of greats like D'Angelo.
Review: Classic psychedelic rock singer Han Young-ae was a big deal back in the 80s and 90s, then disappeared before returning with a new album in 2014. This album, Vol 2, on C Sharp comes on limited transparent yellow wax with an insert and nine tracks that fuse her theatrical rock singing style with old school 90s rock licks and cold electronic drums on the opener then switch it up entirely for the sentiment soul ballad on track two. There are more soft rock pieces, 80s disco tinged rock, and many other weird and wonderful in between sounds from this cult artist. It shows she has come a long way since starting out with a folk band in the 70s.
Magma-Mana (Pele's Passion -The Beauty Of Hi' iaka) (14:29)
Cosmic Snail (5:41)
All Souls (3:43)
Deep (3:26)
The Magician (8:12)
On Angels Becoming Human (4:01)
Review: A remarkable retrospective compiled and carefully curated by Aloha Got Soul as hugely influential composer, soundscape conjurer and devotional musician Robert Myers enjoys full focus. With detailed notes and stories of each track's narrative, Robert's largely beatless wind and synth paintings are at once lavish, subtle and endlessly deep. Cosmic, progressive and laced with more and more intricacies to spot on every listen, this is a spell-binding historical exercise.
Review: We've encountered a few Woodstock '94 live albums in recent months. 30 years on, and the festival remains one of the most ill-conceived, poorly executed and abhorrently capitalist failures the live music scene has ever witnessed. When you cram 350,000 into a site aimed at half that, don't think about infrastructure, overcharge on everything and then stand idly by as a revolution begins to unfold, only responding when things become a life or death situation, how do you expect to be remembered? At least people actually played the event, though, unlike the likes of Fyre, which never even managed to get started. And the lineup for 1994's cash-in on the legendary New York State gathering was decent in many ways, Aerosmith stepping up at the height of their commercial fame to deliver a typically spectacular show of mainstream rock & roll with blues roots. Here's the recording.
Review: Aesop Rock x Blockhead's Garbology album was a huge success and so it makes sense that the label now follows it up with a new issue of the instrumentals. It's a tidy package across four sides of coloured vinyl in a nice spot-varnished sleeve. Musically it is a brilliantly mixed bag that takes in myriad niche sounds and styles. The opener is a deep soul cut with pensive chords while 'Jazz Hands' (Instrumental) suspends you in swirling synths and spring-day optimism and 'Wolf Piss' (Instrumental) has heavier, darker beats and more menacing string sounds.
Review: Originally released in 1999 and now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Black Sails In The Sunset was the fourth full-length from California hardcore-turned-horror punk heroes AFI, and is often cited as the pivotal project that signalled their sonic, career and identity shift for the decades ahead. Their first album with guitarist Jade Puget, the material marked a notable distancing from the frenetic energy of 1997's Shut Your Mouth & Open Your Eyes, and began their long love affair with gothic romanticism, Lovecraftian lyricism and a newfound horror aesthetic. Perceived by the band and fans alike for being the work that would form the basis of their future sound, while also exuding the first glimpses of vocalist Davey Havok's prowess as a melodious songwriter, there's no more important project in the AFI canon, especially when following onto the career heights of the All Hallow's EP and The Art Of Drowning LP, which likely wouldn't have materialised if not for the creative fearlessness of Black Sails.
Review: By the time they recorded "Songs of Praise" in 1990, African Head Charge had gone from being an Adrian Sherwood solo project to a fully-fledged band helmed by percussionist Bonjo Ivabinghi Noah. Here reissued to mark the album's 20th birthday, the set remains arguably the group's greatest single work. While rooted in the twin attractions of heavy dub and dense African percussion, the album makes extensive use of a dizzying array of influences, from gospel, steppers reggae and yacht rock, to traditional Arabic music, blues, disco, religious chants and even industrial music. This edition features a handful of decent bonus tracks, but they're unnecessary: the original album is little less than a masterpiece and should reside in every discerning listener's record collection.
Looking For The Perfect Beat (original 12" version) (7:04)
Renegades Of Funk (remix) (6:45)
Frantic Situation (Frantic mix) (3:49)
Who You Funkin' With? (Fetat Melle Mel) (6:21)
Go-Go Pop (feat Trouble Funk) (5:59)
They Made A Mistake (Performed By MC GLOBE & Pow Wow) (5:27)
Review: Afrika Bambatta & Soulsonic Force's Planet Rock is a legendary album in its own right and now Tommy Boy reissues it in limited edition style. Afrika Bambaataa was a pioneering rap force before most people had even heard the word. Raised in the South Bronx, he became a pioneering DJ, rapper and songwriter who put on large block parties that rocked his local neighbourhood. It was alongside Soulsonic Force in 1982 on this record that he cemented his place in the history books as one of the most revered and innovative artists of his time. The album has been a go-to for generations of artists ever since and remains a long-time favourite amongst breakdancers for its body-popping electro beats.
Review: Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Aroof Aftab presents her third studio album, and a record that has the power to transport listeners pretty much anywhere. While steeped in traditions stereotypically associated with her homeland, ears more attuned will quickly pick up on just how divergent this is. Whether you'd consider it a classical album is down to how you gauge that genre term, we'd say it has grown broad enough over the past century to definitely include this, but ultimately even that seems reductive.
Elements of poetry, ambient trance, jazz, minimalism, and new age, it's a spiritual and musical experience based around themes of discovery, loss, memory, and intimate connections with the Earth. Sonically, that translates as something that's at once sublime and yet also surprising, combining a multitude of influences from aeons of songwriting to create something that could not have existed in any previous era.
Review: This is an essential drop for dub lovers this Record Store Day. 'Dubbing At King Tubby's Vol. 1 comes on nice red vinyl and has been fully remastered as well as being resequenced for this release. It is packed with 22 jams that made it one of the bestselling compilations of the 1990s. It showcases the already well-revered talents of King Tubby, Prince Jammy, Scientist, Phillip Smart, and Pat Kelly, all of whom work their magic at the mixing desk on a series of iconic dubs. Each one is rooted in the works of Bunny Lee and they all bring the drum and bass to the fore and show why the studio has such an impact on Jamaican music history.
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