Review: WA electronica duo Odesza have been watching Severance... have you? 'Music To Refine To: A Remix Companion To Severance' manifests as a seven-track EP reimagining Theodore Shapiro's score for the hit Apple TV series, the series which takes the 21-Century fixation on the idea of work-life balance to lugubrious extremes. The three-time Grammy nominees bring their signature synth-dance to the sampled atmosses of Severance, transforming Shapiro's eerie, coporatocratic sound motifs into wicked electronica abtsractions. Just as we're not quite sure what we're doing when we sit down to work at our desks, this officially Apple sanctioned release by the pair mirrors the simulacrum-similarities between commissioned remix culture and the in-out social sanctions of the fictive Lumon Corporation.
Review: UK producer Trevor Huddleston aka 36 and the Indiana-based Past Inside The Present label's head Zake return to their Stasis Sounds For Long Distance Space Travel project, a universe that suspends the listener in time across glacial soundscapes and a general sense of cosmic awe. Soft, slow-moving drones and textural washes drift like solar winds through the vacuum, suggesting the boundless calm of deep space. The production is rich, gentle with tonal shifts and barely-there harmonics that evoke both distance and intimacy, wonder and melancholy. It feels like music beamed in from the edges of the known universe. If you fancy a contemplative journey from the edge of Earth's thermosphere into the unknowable beyond, tune into Stasis Sounds on your best headphones.
Review: Abaete's self-titled 1977 LP remains one of Brazil's deepest cult treasuresian obscure gem of Bahian jazz-funk samba that now sees long-overdue reissue. Recorded during a creative high for Bahia's music scene, this sole full-length from the vocal trio blends masterfully layered harmonies with moody synths, groove-driven percussion and North Brazilian rhythmic signatures. There's almost no background info on the group, but the music speaks volumes. Highlights like 'O Rei Do Calang (Calangotango)' and 'Toca Nicanor' ripple with syncopated urgency, while 'Canto Sul' and 'Por Uma Razo De Amor' float with breezy melodic finesse. Mixed by Waldir Lombardo Pinheiroiknown for work with Tom Ze and Zeca do Tromboneithe album is full of freewheeling arrangements, grainy funk textures and subtle psychedelia. It's no surprise the trio also penned tunes for greats like Clara Nunes and Elza Soares. A rare window into an experimental chapter of Brazilian popular music, rediscovered in all its radiant groove.
Review: Abba's self-titled third album marked a creative and commercial turning point for the group; released in 1975, it was their first full-length following the breakthrough historic romance hit 'Waterloo', and the moment they cemented a sound that would dominate pop for years. Packed with high-drama hooks and refulgent production, the album of course also includes 'Mamma Mia' and 'SOS', both early experiments in the theatrical, harmony-rich style that would define the long-form productions of Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. With newly remastered audio cut at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road, we've two new inclusions: kitsch singalong gem 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' and glam-leaning opener 'So Long'.
Review: PAX-AM is the brainchild ofJacksonville singer-songwriter and author Ryan Adams, originally dreamed up during his high school years as a DIY cassette label for home-recorded genre experiments. Though those early tapes never left his inner circle, the name stuck. It's been a sandbox for Adams' prolific output ever since, blurring lines between alt-country, punk, classic rock and tape-hiss pop, all under his naive yet total creative control. Now, in homage to his favourite ever recording artists - many of whom you will likely recognise from the track titles alone here - Adams sings atop the altar, dirging covetously over the best of the Rolling Stones, Daniel Johnston, Bon Jovi, Oasis and Bob Dylan.
Review: Ladbroke Grove favourite AJ Tracey's highly anticipated third album arrives after a three-year hiatus and reaffirms his place at the forefront of rap. The record explores themes of ambition, resilience and living life to the fullest, reflecting AJ's journey from humble London beginnings to UK rap's pinnacle. Featuring viral hit 'Joga Bonito' and chart-topping track 'Crush' with Jorja Smith, who contributes two very different, equally stunning parts to that single, this is the sound of an artist who is still growing and joining his craft. His wordplay remains sharp and with and fuelled with fun cultural references and is sure to be heard banging from car radios, Bluetooth speakers and plenty in between all summer long.
Private Dancer (feat Iron Curtis - extended) (5:42)
The Night (Moves On) (extended) (4:38)
Patterns Everywhere (extended) (4:18)
Follow The Strings (2:54)
Squeeze Me Tight (extended) (4:31)
Review: German mainstay Johannes Albert returns after a six-year hiatus with his third club album, Private Dancer, and it's worth the wait. As expected, it is a deep dive into refined house music full of maturing production, warm textures, subtle grooves and emotive undertones. The standout title track features longtime collaborator Iron Curtis, and together they craft a hypnotic blend of classic deep house with modern minimalism. Highlights include the gentle grooves and percussion of 'L'Chaim', the steamy nocturnal soul of 'The Night (Moves On' and 'Follow The Strings', which is a more punchy heater. It's the sound of a seasoned producer delivering understated dancefloor gold.
Review: Alien D is the NYC-based producer Daniel Creahan, and he's back with a debut on Theory Therapy that taps into widescreen worlds of techno immersion. Departing from the ambient abstraction of his previous work, this album as a subtle kinetic pulse with tracks like 'Soil Dub' and 'Sleepy's Gambit' propel listeners forward with dubwise rhythms crafted for deep dancefloors. The album builds on an infectious, steady groove with repeating phrases and subtle shifts that keep the music in constant motion. Conceived in the first days after the COVID lockdown, these sounds exude a hopeful quality and capture the transcendent moments of early-morning parties when the moment is full of unbridled hope for what might come.
Review: From Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with another simmering display of his self-styled Simigwa-funk-part highlife, part jazz, part proto-rap, all unmistakably his own. Still sharp at 77, Ambolley commands a tight ensemble through groove-led declarations like 'Wake Up Afrika' and 'U Like Or U No Like', riding swung basslines and crisp horn arrangements with the flair of a master bandleader. 'God E See You' finds him slipping into a smoky, Afro-soul register, while 'New Simi Rapp' stretches out into hypnotic territory, led by flutes, baritone sax and rhythmic mantras. 'Ochoko Bila' and 'If You Want To Know' are more playful cuts, full of bounce and quick-fire wisdom. The production, split between Ghana and the Netherlands, balances live grit with rich detail-everything breathes, nothing is wasted. As ever, Ambolley's voice is both storyteller and instrument: loose, commanding, and deeply rooted in diasporic sound. This is music that moves and means.
Review: The UK's Robin Lee is one of the members of much-loved disco gang Faze Action but also he's behind Andromeda Orchestra who return here with an album that offers a cosmic fusion of jazz-funk and disco. It's been put together with Moogs, clarinets, Rhodes and rich analogue textures that make for a mix of nostalgia and sonic richness that sinks you in deep. Blending nostalgia with innovation, Lee creates deep, immersive soundscapes. There are widescreen odysseys like 'Mythical', loved-up bunkers such as 'Thinking About Your Love' and a rare Nick The Record remix of 'Get Up & Dance' that overflows with cosmic melodies and lush, life-affirming strings.
Review: Deko reconsecrate Angel's debut LP on the band's formative 50th anniversary, coinciding with a fresh wave of tour dates from the theatrically inclined glam-prog rockers. Originally signed to Casablanca after being spotted by then-A&R Gene Simmons, the Washington, DC band's first album leaned heavily into lengthy, keyboard-drenched pomp, a sound more progressive than the tighter glam stylings that followed on On Earth As It Is In Heaven and Sinful. The lineup at the time included Frank DiMino, Punky Meadows, Gregg Giuffria, Mickie Jones and Barry Brandt, building stage staples like 'Tower'. On this limited blue-black swirl vinyl edition, we've liner notes from journalist Dave Reynolds and a small selection of bundles signed by the four surviving original members.
Review: Thrumming with conceptual aplomb, jazz mastermind and Ezra Collective co-founder Joe Armon-Jones's new album All The Quiet is finally revealed to us. Residua of jazz, funk, dub, hip hop and soul abound on the second chapter of a two-part Aquarii Records release, which Jones founded. With guest features from the likes of Greentea Peng, Yazmin Lacey, Hak Baker and Oscar Jerome, the record complements Jones and Aquarii's stated mission to blend genres and cross stylistic streams, from atmospheric electronica to dub, while building and subverting tropes of apocalypse, prophecy and redemption.
Review: The multi-talented Joe Armon-Jones is back in the game with his most ambitious and self-defined solo work yet. All The Quiet (Part II) is a colourful collision of jazz, funk, dub, hip-hop and soul that was entirely written, produced and mixed by the man himself. His work as part of Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective is what established Armon-Jones, but his evolution as a solo artist on his own label, Aquarii Records, has been just as essential. This follow-up to 2019's Turn To Clear View features collaborators like Greentea Peng, Yazmin Lacey, Hak Baker and Nubya Garcia and is a deeply personal sound that veers from expansive and cosmic to more intimate and tender.
Review: Writers will appreciate the double play on words no doubt, and trying to figure out who wouldn't get off on the Au Pairs is part of the brain teaser here. That said, the British post punk outfit only managed to peak at 79 in the album charts with this one, so clearly back in 1982 plenty of people either felt differently to us or weren't actually listening. Rediscovering the record now confirms their ignorance. Musically, Sense & Sensuality is a far broader collection than the group's preceding work, smashing through the limitations of a genre that was in its Informed by free form jazz, theatrical cabaret, new wave and art pop, it's a wild and unarguably fun ride instrumentally speaking, while lyrics speak to personal challenges and timely political issues.
Review: American songwriter and composer Patricia Barber's marked her breakthrough with Modern Cool, an album driven by her captivating take on The Doors' 'Light My Fire.' Her performance of the album at The Jazz Standard caught the attention of Blue Note's Bruce Lundvall and lead to a celebrated run of releases and international acclaim. Modern Cool became an audiophile favourite thanks to Jim Anderson's meticulous recording and Barber's sharp songwriting and artistry, and it still sounds super here as reissued by Impex on VR900-D2-pressed 180-gram vinyl. It's the perfect way to enjoy a real jazz classic.
Review: The first recorded meeting of Pierre Bastien (compositeur Parisien) and Casper Van De Velde's (Belgian drummer known for his outings on Qeerecords) documents two days of lowkey live-performed regalia at Werkplaats Walter in Brussels. Set up by Blickwinkel, the residency saw Bastien's "miniature mechanical orchestras" - trumpets, motors, Meccano arms, all of which make up the former artist's trademark live machinic draw - click into orbit with Van De Velde's loose-limbed, textural percussion. Both artists work in detail and gesture before volume, moving gently but unpredictably, index finger tracing part-clockwork, part-creature pattern cuts.
Review: This 1968 debut from UK guitar visionary Jeff Beck still lands with the force of a revelation. Backed by a then-unknown Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on bass, it fused blues standard interpretations with proto-heavy rock swagger, laying groundwork for what would become metal. 'You Shook Me' and 'I Ain't Superstitious' are molten blues workouts, while 'Beck's Bolero'-a wild, multi-sectioned instrumental co-written with Jimmy Page-remains a startling piece of production and arrangement. The soulful grind of 'Let Me Love You' and the stretched-out ache of 'Blues De Luxe' show off Beck's ability to balance touch with raw volume. Reissued here on remastered orange wax, it's a reminder of a time when British blues rock was at its most electrifying.
Play No Games (feat Chris Brown & Ty Dolla $ign) (3:34)
Paradise (3:30)
Win Some, Lose Some (5:03)
Stay Down (4:14)
I Know (feat Jhene Aiko) (4:44)
Deep (feat Lil Wayne) (5:08)
One Man Can Change The World (feat Kanye West & John Legend) (4:10)
Outro (3:35)
Deserve It (feat PARTYNEXTDOOR) (4:23)
Research (feat Ariana Grande) (3:48)
Platinum & Wood (2:41)
Review: West Coast rapper Big Sean sharpened his pen and darkened his ink for his third album, trading in his bling for a thunderous storm-braving. Out through Good Music and Def Jam in early 2015, the LP, in true rap kingpin fashion, serves to simultaneously enlist and dagger-eye its own collaborators, including Drake, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne. With production from Key Wane, DJ Dahi, DJ Mustard and Kanye himself, the likes of 'Blessings', 'Win Some, Lose Some' and 'Stay Down' seem prescient for the time, when dark unison synths and tension-pluck progressions would parlay Sean's otherwise largely dry, un-effected vocals. Ten years on, Dark Sky Thinking feels like a personal reckoning for the rapper, scratching off the liquid latex gold to reveal a complicated character underneath.
Review: Recorded live at Brooklyn's Glasshaus in front of just 100 guests, Live at Glasshaus captures a one-night-only performance from Philadelphia-born vocalist Bilal, reinterpreting material drawn from a two-decade discography. Backed by an ensemble comprising his long-time creative circle, the set revisits early breakthroughs like 1st Born Second, cult favourite 'Love For Sale' (still never officially released), and later highlights from Airtight's Revenge and his collaborations on Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Resurrection. At 78 minutes, the session moves between stripped-down soul and expansive jazz-schooled improvisation, with appearances from Questlove and Common woven in. 'Soul Sista', 'All Matter' and 'Funky For You' get fresh treatment, while interludes lend a loose, intimate feel. First pressing gone; second underway with global shipping across 15 territories.
Review: Elizabeth Madox Roberts' The Time Of Man (1926) is an episodic modern novel, tracing the life of Ellen Chesser, the daughter of poor white tenant farmers in rural Kentucky. Roberts treats the main character's movement through different landscapes and seasons waveringly, grappling with poverty, loss, love, and the push-pull between solitude and connection by way of a lytic narrative that shifts and resolves atemporally. Biosphere's new record carries the transmission chain further, naming itself after the novel while interspersing its hiss-topped drum machine actions with vocal snippets from Joan Lorring's radio play version. Slowly transcendent, Biosphere presides with arid royalty over a slow but satiating new six-track release.
Review: Mike Mitchell is an American drummer from Dallas, Texas, who records as Blaque Dynamite. He plays across jazz, hip-hop and fusion and has worked with greats old and new like Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington. As a solo artist, he has dropped two albums in the last two years, and Stop Calling Me from 2023 is one that now makes it way to vinyl. It is a wild ride between intense jazz workouts that recall Sun Ra, smoky deep house that taps into Detroit and downbeat explorations like 'I'm Not Trippin'' that are densely layered, textural and infused with a new kind of soul.
Dance (feat Phoenix Cruz & Charles Hamilton) (5:24)
Happy (feat Kota The Friend & RAP Ferreira) (2:25)
Knowledge (feat Triune & Tristate) (3:16)
Bible (feat Propaganda & PCH) (2:52)
Human (feat Homeboy Sandman & Asher Roth) (3:07)
Loser (feat Cashus King & Stik Figa) (3:10)
Joy (feat Fashawn & Choosey) (3:26)
Review: Los Angeles MC Blu reaches a reflective milestone with his latest, produced in full by Dallas-based August Fanon. Known for his cerebral delivery and dusty crate-digging beats, Fanon provides unfiltered soul loops - no drum programming, no frills - that frame Blu's verses with raw elegance. Across eleven tracks, Blu revisits themes of ageing, selfhood and faith, delivered in tight verses with a clarity that's unhurried but never static. 'Happy' enlists Kota The Friend and R.A.P. Ferreira for a loose meditation on gratitude; 'Simple', with Sene and Chester Watson, blends memory and melody with ease. On 'Love (1-4)', Blu assembles four different perspectives - Wyldeflowher, Geminelle, Yah-Ra and Lexxus - weaving them into a gospel-centred suite before Noveliss lands the closing verse. 'Bible' is stark and spoken, while 'Human' sees Homeboy Sandman and Asher Roth wrestle with vulnerability. Fashawn and Choosey close the set on 'Joy', trading lines like letters from a calmer future. The tone remains introspective but never heavy: even at its most spiritual, the record feels lived-in and warm. It's not a revival or reinvention - just a seasoned voice, quietly confident in its next chapter.
Review: Back in 1994, Reading-based band Blueboy released their first album for Sarah Records: Unisex. The LP, which is one of the great indie/jangle pop records of the 90s, stands the test of time thanks to mesmerizing songcraft. To celebrate its 30th anniversary the band got together in May 2024 to perform live at The Water Rats in London's Kings Cross. It was their first show in 25 years and thankfully someone had the foresight to record the set. Whilst not limited to songs from Unisex, the key numbers from it are on here: 'Self Portrait' is up there with anything by Pulp or The Smiths. And on 'The Joy Of Living' co-singer Keith Girdler has an air of The Only Ones' Peter Perrett about him. Plus the synth parts and cello make for stunning instrumentals and the lyrical directness is refreshing in an age of smoke and mirrors and metaphor.
Review: After a standout Coachella headliner alongside Queen's Brian May, Benson Boone returns with his sophomore LP American Heart, hearing the Seattle singer-songwriter break another brick after after his debut Fireworks & Rollerblades saw its lead single 'Beautiful Things' go triple platinum in 2024. Now early 2025 stands sanguine and poised, with American Heart further elevating his global onstage position: lead single 'Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else' spans an up-and-down A-ha style instrumental and a West Side Story street elegy in the lyrics, where Boone muses on a two-minded relationship bind: a sticky situ of historic proportions.
Review: This deliberately mysterious outfit hailed from Italy, and this, the first of two previously ultra-rare and highly collectible LPs, is no less than a psychedelic classic, chock full of wild keyboards, fuzz guitar rampage, blissed-out trance states and fearful avant-garde trickery. It's been ascertained that Braen's Machine was the work of heralded soundtrack composer Perio Ulimani, as well as Morricone collaborator Allesandro Allesandroni, and this would make perfect sense, as "Underground" is very much in the metier of Italian soundtrack legends Goblin, and bound to appeal to fans of the widescreen psych sweep of Aphrodite's Child. Bellisima.
Review: Released on June 28th, 2004, Afrodisiac marked a major shift in American r&b queen Brandy's sound as she moved away from longtime collaborator Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins and embraced producers like Timbaland, Kanye West and Warryn Campbell. The record focused on Brandy's personal growth while addressing relationship woes and self-reflection in tracks like 'I Tried' and 'Who I Am.' The standout song, 'I Tried,' samples Iron Maiden's 'The Clansman' and features Brandy's most raw and emotional performance. The shift resonated with fans for its gritty, more relatable edge and remains her most well-received project.
Wait For You (feat Lorna King - The Sauce remix) (4:09)
Headshot (Alibi remix) (4:06)
Gunshot Love (feat Liam Bailey - L-Side remix) (4:20)
Lost (feat Charli Brix - Break remix) (4:35)
Box Clever (feat SP:MC - Skeptical remix) (3:45)
Don't You Ever Stop (Calyx remix) (5:03)
Another Life (Mefjus remix) (3:49)
Review: A heavyweight ensemble of drum & bass minds take on Break's most recent set of productions, pushing them deeper into system territory. The Bristol veteran revisits his own material alongside a dream team of remixers including Skeptical, Calyx, Mefjus and The Sauce, each adding distinct bite and tension to the originals. Alibi's flip of 'Headshot' is all murky propulsion and low-end snap, while L-Side draws out the yearning in 'Gunshot Love' with Liam Bailey's vocal laid over thick, heaving bass pressure. Charli Brix floats through Break's own icy rework of 'Lost', while SP:MC cuts through the dense, noir-streaked paranoia of Skeptical's 'Box Clever' edit. Clean but rough, emotive yet primed for damage, this is high-grade d&b from a cross-generational cast who know exactly how to thread vocals and subs without compromise.
Review: Detroit rap doyen Apollo Brown brings out Grandeur, which plays back like a victory lap and stress test rolled into one. With 19 tracks and a cast sprawling from M.O.P. to Chino XL to Evidence, it's pitched as his most expansive solo record to date, doing swell justice to the theme of personal magnificence. Also entirely self-produced by Apollo, his soul-laced, vinyl-dust production secures an individuality of mood, though collectivity abounds in the collabs, which clock in at 18 out of 19 tracks: 'Red Pill' and Verbal Kent match his pacing effortlessly, while Evidence sounds razor-sharp on 'There's Always Radio'.
Review: New York outfit The Budos Band return with their first full-length release on Diamond West, the new label founded by band members Tom Brenneck and Jared Tankel. VII was produced by Brenneck and engineered by Simon Guzman and has plenty of their signature taut, groove-driven tracks that blend Afro-soul, doom rock and 70s psychedelia. They were all recorded in California and feature the percussionist Rich Tarrana, who adds his own fresh texture without detracting from the raw, hypnotic MO of the band. As usual, this is music that is equal parts cinematic and visceral and is perfect for nocturnal drives and deep immersion. Now more than two decades in, The Budos Band are still able to surprise and compel.
Review: Welsh indie Sub Pop-signees The Bug Club return with their fourth album. Similar to their 2024 LP, On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System, they had the fortune of fellow Welsh indie star Tom Rees of Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard produce the album in Rat Trap Studios in Cardiff, Wales and birthed an incredible new record in the process. The Bug Club's appeal comes in their natural affinity with melody and born sense of humour and the single 'How To Be A Confidante' has an air of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Meanwhile, certain vocal parts in 'Jealous Boy' soar like Brett Anderson of Suede if he had grown up listening to Daniel Johnston. Sounding on the form of their lives, there's no chance of swatting The Bug Club's success.
Review: Captured during a fiery two-night stand at the Fillmore Auditorium in October 1966, these recordings catch the Paul Butterfield Blues Band at full throttle: lean, charged, on the edge of (controlled) chaos. Broadcast six years later on KSAN during Bill Graham's takeover of the station, the sets offer a rare document of the band's searing live form. With Paul Butterfield on harp and vocals, Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop duelling on guitars, and Mark Naftalin's swirling organ lines, this was the group's classic lineup pushing electric blues into new terrain. The final stretch brings a heavyweight finale: Muddy Waters and Luther Johnson join for the last four tracks, adding deep Chicago grit to an already smouldering set.
Review: Originally released in April 2017, this is a reissue that reaffirms the album's pivotal role in modern darkwave. Crafted by Sydney-based Marc Dwyer, Chroma pulses with a brooding energy that fuses stark minimalism with unexpected pop leanings. Across its runtime, jagged synths and relentless drum programming frame a series of emotionally charged compositions, each one dissecting states of isolation, longing, and inner turbulence. Far from being just a genre exercise, Chroma pushes the boundaries of synth wave and post-punk, threading glimmers of melody through layers of tension and shadow. Dwyer's delivery is cold and commanding, yet there's an underlying vulnerability in how he constructs each track, always rooted in personal reflection but never static. The production is raw but intentional, giving it an immediacy that still hits with force today. Since its release, Chroma has gained a cult following, inspiring peers in the darker corners of electronic music. With two additional albums and several international tours under his belt, Dwyer has grown into a spectral mainstay of the global goth underground. The long-awaited reissue brings Chroma back into circulation where it belongs. Restored, relevant and just as magnetic as it was eight years ago.
Review: Cafe Tacvba's Re was released in July 1994 but remains one of the most groundbreaking albums in Latin rock. The sprawling double LP produced by Gustavo Santaolalla fused punk, norteNo, funk and traditional Mexican sounds into a daring, genre-defying opus. Tracks like 'El Baile y El Salon' and 'La Ingrata' became almost instant anthems, while deeper cuts elsewhere explored death, identity and national pride. Often compared to The White Album by The Beatles, Re delivered cohesion through diversity and elevated Mexican rock to new artistic heights. Thirty years on, it's a cult classic and cultural cornerstone and is essential listening that reshaped rock en espaNol and inspired generations who came after.
Review: South American-born, Amsterdam-raised veteran Carlito returns with his long-awaited debut full-length on Liquid V, a 16-track journey through jazz-laced drum & bass at its most melodic and human. A founding presence from the Essence of Aura days, Carlito's production here feels both assured and lovingly detailed-balancing break science with harmonic finesse. 'Fiesta En La Playa (VIP)' and 'Sing It Now (Swerve Mix)' bring sunlit flair to the dancefloor, while deeper cuts like 'Passenger' and 'Savanna Rain' showcase his instinct for bittersweet atmospheres and syncopated space. T.R.A.C. features on 'On My Mind' and 'Scream', injecting a breezy vocal uplift that nods to Carlito's US connections. From the shimmering pads of 'Hold Me Tight' to the taut rollers like 'Ah Who' and 'Cobalt', every track feels cut from the same soulful cloth. A generous double-pack from a figure still shaping the genre he helped build.
Review: The latest release from South London's Loyle Carner pivots inward, offering a tender meditation on fatherhood, early memory and generational reflection. It's a natural progression from his previous introspections, but here the production is leaner and more luminous-stripped-back soul, minimal beats and a focus on clarity over complexity. Carner's delivery is quieter, but the intent feels firmer: gone is the youthful restlessness, replaced by something close to peace. As ever, there are references to family, race, and identity, but they're less rhetorical and more lived-in. With subtle collaborations and an intuitive feel for rhythm and space, Carner sketches an emotional landscape that's quietly disarming. This is one of his most human releases yet-not showy or maximal, but rich in detail and calm in its confidence. A welcome shift from a UK rapper increasingly more concerned with truth than trend.
Freedom Day (part 2 - feat Weedie Braimah, Milena Casado, Morgan Guerin, Simon Moullier, Matthew Stevens) (4:08)
Review: American jazz drummer, composer and songwriter Max Roach's original song 'Freedom Day' formed part of his landmark 1960 album We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, made with lyricist Oscar Brown Jr. and sporting a searing vocal performance by Abbey Lincoln. The piece infamously rejoices at the emancipation of enslaved people in the US, yet it also refuses to shy from the continuation of racial injustices in the present day. Now, still amid the post-COVID fug, whence the messages of BLM and other movements resound as relevantly as ever before, Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell's new reinterpretation of the Roach anthem hears a revivifying remix over jazz, electronics, and soulful vocals, retrofitting the original with signature percussions, electronics with a vibrant ensemble of Matthew Stevens, Simon Moullier, Morgan Guerin and Milena Casado.
Review: Country and folk singer/songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter is making up for lost time. Having left it five years between albums, the multi-Grammy winner is now onto her second album of 2025, having released a collaborative album, Looking for the Thread, back in January. Chapin's glistening oeuvre, which stretches back to her Steve Buckingham-produced debut in 1987, is bolstered significantly with this new offering, too. 'Bitter Ender', the first single, manages to sound intimate and widescreen at the same time: there's plenty of polish to make it a daytime radio hit, whilst never losing sight of the fact the Americana genre is principally about storytelling and she holds your attention throughout. Meanwhile, 'Home Is A Song' is more downtempo and strives off the beautiful interlocking of simple piano chords and intricate arpeggio guitar. The chorus harmonies are delightful and heartfelt. A solid entry by an all-time great of the genre.
Review: Formed in Kirby in Liverpool in 1979, China Crisis are a band with some of the most devoted fans, with even long time admirers Vampire Weekend taking them on the road for support spots as late as last year. This album brings together a reworked selection of their greatest hits and fan-favourite deep cuts, and the the tracklist reads like a love letter to the band's legacy. 'Animals In Jungles' is a cult favourite from one of their most cherished albums, 1983's wonderfully titled Working with Fire and Steel - Possible Pop Songs Volume Two. 'Wishful Thinking' i a top ten UK hit no less i remains an enduring classic too. Other highlights include the atmospheric 'Arizona Sky' and the smooth, heartfelt ballad 'You Did Cut Me', a gem from their 1985 catalogue. 'Black Man Ray' and 'King In A Catholic Style' show the band's ability to balance pop sensibilities with lyrical depth. Arranged by Jack Hymers and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Mark Phythian, the reworking of these tracks breathes new life into familiar songs with lush arrangements and warm production.
Review: Different Rooms finds its footing in the blurs between studio process and improvisation; lived space and constructed sound. Made across late 2024 and early 2025, it hears LA-London-Hamburgers Jeremiah Chu and Marta Sofia Honer fold field recordings, granular textures, and multi-layered viola sessions into a viscous yet meticulous shape. Core material stemmed from real-time editing and in-studio performances, interwoven with improvisations recorded back in 2023 alongside Jeff Parker and Josh Johnson. Compared to the outward gaze of their debut, Recordings From The Aland Islands, this second one turns inward, coming rooted in urban soundscapes: train stations, streets, domestic interiors.
Review: Under the Cicciolina alias, Ilona-Elana Anna Staller enjoyed an eclectic career that included spells modelling, making pornographic films, and representing her native country Hungary in Italy's national parliament. Crucially, during the mid-to-late 1980s she also made a string of albums with the assistance of producer Jayhorus. Avec-Toi was one of those sets, with the showcased music being recorded at some point around 1986-87. It's a joyously camp and at times verbally risque affair, with Staller singing and speaking over synth-heavy backing tracks that variously mine Italo-disco, formative Euro-dance, hi-NRG, European synth-pop and contemporaneous adult movie soundtracks for inspiration.
Review: The Cimarons were pioneers of UK reggae and were formed by Jamaican teenagers in a London bus shelter in 1967. They broke barriers as the country's first home-grown reggae band and were beloved in towns like Huddersfield during the 1970s. Their journey from struggle to recognition has been celebrated in a documentary and this powerful new album, which features 11 fresh roots recordings with Spanish producer Roberto Sanchez and his A-Lone Ark crew. Highlights include the haunting 'Ship Took Us Away' and a rework of 'Morning Sun,' which they originally played on in 1970. The vinyl comes complete with lyrics and rare archival photos.
Review: Cola Boyy tragically passed away in March 2024 so Quit to Play Chess is his final album. He was well known and loved for his unique blend of neo-disco, funk and innovative musical styles and gained fans worldwide from Coachella to Paris. Following his EP Black Boogie Neon in 2018 and debut album Prosthetic Boombox back in 2021, this album is his grooviest yet as it blends hip-hop, r&b and drum & bass while featuring collaborations with Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT, Jared Solomon and Nate Fox, who has worked with Chance the Rapper. These 12 inventive, passionate tracks are a fitting, boundary-pushing farewell to Cola Boyy's musical legacy.
Review: Funk legend Bootsy Collins drops his rather indelible 23rd studio album at the age of 73. Despite the advancing years, Bootsy remains a restless innovator and tireless blender of funk, punk, rock, r&b and futuristic sounds. This latest concoction album features collaborations with icons like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Dave Stewart alongside fresh talents such as October London and Fantaazma. Bootsy embraces his role as mentor here and ensures that his singular grooves are embellished with new school energy. Beyond music, he's also launching the Bootsy Collins Network, a streaming hub for live shows, tech and gaming that could well be worth a look.
Review: A key figure in Brazilian jazz-funk and a founding member of Azymuth, Conti merges deep house, samba and jazz-funk into a seamless experience. His signature percussive style is on full display, effortlessly blending electronic elements with organic instrumentation. His fourth solo album returns with a much-needed reissue, highlighting his ability to craft intricate rhythms and dynamic grooves. 'Bacurau' is a raw exploration of rhythm, built solely on Conti's percussion and electronic textures, bridging Brazilian dance music with African influences. The title track takes a deep dive into 1970s disco, its bassline and shimmering synths channeling both American and Eurodisco flavors. 'Jemburi' leans into late-night jazz, exuding a cool, laid-back vibe, while 'Ecos Da Mata' evokes the cosmic fusion of Sun Ra meeting a Brazilian dancefloor. With production assistance from Daniel Maunick and additional contributions from keyboardist Fernando Moraes and bassist Alex Maheiros, the album pulses with energy, balancing electronic experimentation with soulful, dance-driven grooves. A timeless work, it effortlessly connects the past and future of Brazilian jazz and dance music.
Review: Detroit rock monster Alice Cooper's band hit their stride in 1971 with this raw, swaggering major-label breakout, now reissued on Rhino's high-fidelity imprint. The set blends garage rock grit with theatrical flair, laying the foundation for what would later be called shock rock. Powered by Bob Ezrin's debut co-production, the groupiAlice Cooper, Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smithideliver hard-edged anthems laced with surrealist angst and proto-punk snarl. Tracks like 'I'm Eighteen' - the track that John Lydon auditioned for the Sex Pistols with - and 'Caught In A Dream' balance noise and nuance, while deeper cuts like 'Sun Arise' and 'Is It My Body' play with form and stagecraft. A new interview with Ezrin offers insight into the sessions and his early relationship with the band. Recut for audiophile listening, it's a vital snapshot of early 70s US rock, reissued with care and context.
I Can Never Say Goodbye (Paul Oakenfold 'Cinematic' remix)
Endsong (Orbital remix)
Drone:no Drone (Daniel Avery remix)
All I Ever Am (Meera remix)
A Fragile Thing (Ame remix)
And Nothing Is Forever (Danny Briottet & Rico Conning remix)
Warsong (Daybreakers remix)
Alone (Four Tet remix)
I Can Never Say Goodbye (Mental Overdrive remix)
And Nothing Is Forever (Cosmodelica Electric Eden remix)
A Fragile Thing (Sally C remix)
Endsong (Gregor Tresher remix)
Warsong (Omid 16B remix)
Drone:no Drone (Anja Schneider remix)
Alone (Shanti Celeste 'February Blues' remix)
All I Ever Am (Mura Masa remix)
Review: A four sided selection of remixes of the goth kingpins' widely acclaimed and long awaited latest album Songs of a Lost World. From the moment Paul Oakenfold's 'I Can Never Say Goodbye' rework opens proceedings i lush strings, half-submerged vocals, and a cinematic pace i it's clear that curation, not just contribution, has shaped the form. Orbital turn 'Endsong' into a glistening spiral of sequencers and tension, while Sally C's raw house take on 'A Fragile Thing' ups the pulse without disturbing the gloom. Smith i still unmistakably the same outsider from Crawley, West Sussex i guides things with restraint, letting the space speak louder than the noise. Four Tet's version of 'Alone' closes the first disc like a forgotten lullaby, cracked and glinting. You don't get every remix i the more textural, post-rock turns are gone i but you do get a sharp cross-section that keeps faith with both atmosphere and momentum. It's the kind of record that feels designed for the night: not to lift it, exactly, but to sink into it willingly, track by track.
Josma - "Voices In Los Angeles" (Disco '70) (6:04)
Mondo Grosso - "Souffle H" (King Street club mix) (6:43)
Cricco Castelli - "Life Is Changing Again" (main mix) (7:35)
Cricco Castelli - "Life Is Changing" (7:27)
Janet Jackson - "Go Deep" (Masters At Work Spiritual Flute mix) (10:55)
Jo Boyer - "Isabelle & The Rain" (Da Funkie Junkie & Cosmic Girl Caviar Jazz edit) (4:18)
Review: This deep-digging compilation from Italian label Right Tempo offers a lovingly remastered sweep through jazz-inflected house from the decade between 1995 and 2005-a period where groove, musicianship and warmth reigned. The Daft Punk remix of I:Cube's 'Disco Cubizm' is an obvious highlight: clipped funk licks under elastic synths, reshaped with robotic swagger. The original mix rides smoother, more submerged. Josma's 'Voices Of Los Angeles' shimmers with Rhodes flourishes and disco flickers, while Mondo Grosso's 'Souffle H' (King Street Extended Club Mix) drives forward with crisp drums and brushed keys. Cricco Castelli's 'Life Is Changing' appears in two versions-both tightly arranged, with swung jazz-funk energy. Jo Boyer's 'Isabelle And The Rain', given a heady edit by Da Funkie Junkie & Cosmic Girl, closes the set with downtempo sparkle. Elegant, playable, and reissued with care.
Review: Agharta snares Miles Davis and his electric septet in full volcanic mode, recorded live at Osaka Festival Hall during a 1975 afternoon set. Sonny Fortune, Michael Henderson, Al Foster, James Mtume, Reggie Lucas and the incendiary Pete Cosey conspire with Davis to pour molten funk, noise and free improvisation into a dense, swirling suite moulded across four untitled sections. Davis barely leads; rather, the ensemble pushes forward through locked, polyrhythmic surges, Cosey's snarling guitar and FX rig driving much of the intensity. Teo Macero oversaw the recording, though here there's little of his trademark splicing; the chaos is left intact. Though once derided, Agharta is now rightly recognised as the hellish high watermark of electric jazz that it is. This 50th anniversary edition is limited to 2000 copies on translucent blue vinyl.
Review: Mark de Clive-Lowe's Six Degrees was first released in 2000 and now returns as a vital reissue to mark its 25th anniversary. It's a still-groundbreaking fusion of jazz-fusion, Afro-Cuban rhythms, jungle, hip-hop and broken beat that chronicles de Clive-Lowe's musical journey from Havana to London to Tokyo. With Rhodes, synths and MPC at the core, he blends live musicianship and electronic beats into soulful, genre-defying tracks like 'Roundtrip,' 'La Zorra' and 'Day By Day.' It is thoroughly personal and inventive and harks back to a pivotal moment in future jazz's evolution while the reissue reaffirms its place as a seminal early electronic-jazz hybrid.
Review: Richard Fearless, London-based DJ and producer, returns with a daring reinvention of his electronic vision, delivering an unpolished, analogue-driven techno masterpiece. Stripping away any semblance of commercial sheen, he dives headfirst into a world of disintegration and overload, where every track feels like it's teetering on the edge of collapse. Drawing on his deep affinity for the rough textures of underground techno, the work channels influences ranging from the industrial growl of Ramleh to the acidic pulse of TM404, with moments that recall the claustrophobic minimalism of Mika Vainio and the haunting drones of Loop. Fearless is unafraid of pushing boundaries, his machinesifed by years of use and a tangled web of circuitryiemitting strange, almost sentient sounds, as if alive in their own right. What emerges is an album that doesn't simply reflect the artist's influences, but speaks with a distinct, personal voice. Tracks like 'While My Machines Gently Weep' and 'Death Mask' bear the hallamrks of live takes and dub-inspired mixing, creating a haunting, almost otherworldly quality, the machine noise blending with echoes of the past. Fearless has long been obsessed with dub and here, he allows its principles to guide him, distilling decades of musical history into something that feels deeply present. A vivid portrait of an artist grappling with his own sonic ghosts and the fractured landscape of modern dance music, it's quite the spectacular.
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