Back catalogue: All genres

Review: As they mark over two decades of collaboration, HTRK continue to thread past and present with a new, upcoming reissue of Rhinestones. First self-released in 2021, the album marked a stylistic turn for Standish and Yang, embracing a sparse and haunted approach to songwriting inspired by gothic country and Western folk minimalism, contrasting their earlier dub-punk dramatics. More emotionally forthright as their records go, it drifts over echoic acoustic textures, hushed vocals, and a characteristic metronomic pulse, conjuring a shadowy, intimate atmosphere. A landmark release epitomising their noted progression out from minimal-wave origins to "gentler, more inviting" territory, Rhinestones motivated a quiet resurgence for the band. This reissue follows the 2024 repress of their debut Marry Me Tonight and the collaborative 'String Of Hearts' EP, with reinterpretations from peers like Loraine James and Liars, reaffirming HTRK's strong creative orbit.

Review: The exalted dream-pop-and-more duo of Nigel Yang and Jonnine Standish (HTRK) were originally a trio, with bassist Sean Stewart making up a third part of the Australian team's membership. Marry Me Tonight (2009) was as such the only album HTRK recorded from start to finish as a trio, as well as, coincidentally, being the only HTRK record to bear the co-productive stamp of Rowland S Howard (The Birthday Party). With the band racked by the devastation of both Stewart and Howard's deaths in the years after this album's release, HTRK's second LP is the last in an era: unlike their romantic recencies, early 'Hate Rock' was marked by enveloping blankets of industrial grunge-verb, with the instrumental shadow of post-rock looming larger, and with comparatively reticent and sparsely included vocal performances by Standish. Ghostly now reissue the record in what now functions as a compelling look back on HTRK's relatively steelier start.

Review: Portland, Oregon's Graham Jonson urges our hurries once more with Heard That Noise, an anemological study in ascendant post-rock and psych. Jonson crafts intimate, zigzagging and west windy songs, ploughing the grey, sludgy boundaries of folk, pop, and noise. Following a subtle tangent from SoundCloud renown to 2021's The Long and Short Of It, he now follows that record up through a desultory reflection on breakups, memory, and creative rediscovery; Phil Elverum, Dijon and Nick Drake glance through the sonic cloud cover as ancestral muses, while the record blends warmth and discordance, where sweet ballads unravel into distortion; serene moments jolted by sonic "jump scares."

Review: It is still rather cold here at Juno HQ, but the days are starting to feel little longer and brighter, which means we're ever more open to Balearic reveries. Few are better than this one from Studio, the Swedish duo of Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hagg who created a sound bridging indie, electronic and psychedelic music. Their 2006 debut blended Balearic romanticism with Krautrock, disco, dub, afrobeat and pop lyricism influenced by new wave and has been hard to find in physical and even streaming formats over the years. Inspired by DJ Screw, J Dilla and European live DJ sets, Studio embraced an "anything-goes" ethos, unbound by musical borders, and the results have stood the test of time.

Review: Swedish duo Studio's debut album, released in 2006, is a masterful blend of genres that defies easy categorisation. Drawing from Balearic beat, disco, and krautrock, the album offers a refreshing take on contemporary music. Opening the LP, "Out There" sets the tone with its expansive, atmospheric soundscapes, inviting listeners into a world of lush melodies and intricate rhythms. As the album progresses, tracks like 'West Side' and 'Self Service' showcase the duo's ability to craft infectious grooves, seamlessly merging organic instrumentation with electronic elements. The closing piece, 'Indo', serves as a contemplative finale, leaving a lasting impression with its hypnotic progression. This album stands as a testament to Studio's innovative approach, offering a timeless listening experience that continues to resonate.