Back catalogue: All genres

Review: After years of silence following the loss of Sonny Knight in 2017, former Lakers members Blair Krivanek and Cy Pierpont return with their new project, Ace Box Shift. The duo have made plenty of standout contributions to the soul revival scene before now and here they debut on Secret Stash Records with another pair of fiery instrumental cuts that work exceptionally well for DJs and dancefloors alike. They find Krivanek's jazz-infused guitar work meeting Pierpont's pounding rhythms with raw, funk-driven results that make for a bold, high-energy comeback that pays tribute to their roots while also moving things onwards.

Review: Superfriends is a new label project from German tech house duo Andhim. They take care of the first release and export outside the usual realms on opener 'Tosch (feat Piper Davis).' It has an air of DJ Koze's hazy nostalgia to it with gentle tumbling drums, broad bass notes and plenty of lo-fi texture. 'German Winter' is not as harsh and cold as the season it is named after, instead layering up subtly hopeful, sustained chords over a groove that's not too heavy, not too airy. 'Mond' brings smeared and smudged melodies, flutes and pianos together over a dubby, delightfully deep house low end. 'Horse Society' closes with the distant sound or bird tweets, a hooky percussive lead and plodding kicks for day-time open-air dancing.

Review: Chicago label Future Rootz is a collective of mix media DJs who all play and rework global roots, tropical bass, world electronic and Latin house. Who better to do that than Detroit's Dez Andres, a deep-diving DJ, house head and producer with Cuban roots. He goes first here with 'El Trombone', which has a signature low-end thump with sunny Latin vocals, joyous horns and florid melodies. He then slows things down with one of his trademark remixes of AfroQbano's 'El Bucanero', which has noodling bass and poolside charm.

Review: Smiling Phases returns with its second outing and hands it over to Parisian producer Arve, who clearly has a deep understanding of many different genres as the two tunes he serves up go way beyond the predictable. Opener 'Pyroclast' is a fast and physical one that blends radiant house grooves with deep, disruptive rhythms and myriad cosmic synth lines that swirl around the mix. 'Tephra' is another busy workout with pumping drums and an array of different synth textures spraying around the groove. On the B-side, 'Pyroclast' gets a remix by Belgian producer DC Salas, who takes it into retro-future 90s trance-techno territory and Italy's Paolo Mosca, who injects warmth and depth as well as a little cosmic mystery.

Review: This new platter captures UK dub pioneers Alpha & Omega linking up with Pensi & Iries Roots for a pair of new school dub cuts on the Livity-Ites label. The A-side 'The Signs' has mesmerising warrior leads and harmonicas that drift in and out over the yearning vocals and sleek digital synths amidst myriad effects. On the flip, 'Dub Signs' is a version with even heavier low ends and more snaking leads that are sure to hypnotise when played nice and loud on a serious system. Two crucial cuts for dub heads, whether old or new.

Review: Windy City collective Future Rootz are all about mixing up worldly electronic sounds, Latin, tropical bass and global jazz. This second volume in their new series does just that with two expressive remixes of iconic Afro-Colombian tracks. On Side A, Sound Culture delivers a modern take on Son Palenque's legendary 'A Pila el Arroz,' which was originally composed by Justo Valdez for Palenque Records. He infuses it with fresh and bubbly bass and hypnotic vocal chants. On side-B, Afroqbano reimagines 'Tropical Scenes' by adding a vibrant, rhythm-heavy twist to the original that sympathetically blends traditional Afro-Colombian sounds with electronic influences into a wiggling bit of irresistible and sunny global fusion.

Review: Passing Currents aims to stand out from the predictable by offering a deeply human touch in its music. This five-tracker backs that up by melding academic expertise with dancefloor intuition and the A-side features txted by Phil Moffa remixed by Yamaha DSP coder okpk after they met during doctoral studies, they flip technical mastery into bass-driven energy while Atrevido' fuses California warmth with analogue electro, Josh Dahlberg's rediscovered 2009 electro gem, 'Ass On The Floor', still bangs and Detroit's Kevin Reynolds delivers hypnotic grooves before Hazmat Live pushes boundaries with a sound rooted in soulful, experimental innovation.

Review: This tasteful Spanish label always does a fine line in traditionally inclined deep house. Their latest drop brings together the talents of Andrew Lozano and Trevor Vichas. 'Don't U Feel It' kicks off with a playful skip in the drums and one of those spoken word vocals that add plenty of atmosphere. It's Demuir who remixes this one with even more light-hearted groove and jazzy Rhodes chords. Lozano and Vichas then offer 'With You' which keeps the dubby, smoky, frayed-edge house sounds rolling and 'Feel The Heat then brings a more upright groove with driving hits and swirling pads that speak to the soul.

Review: Originally formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, Alcatrazz are one of the pioneering metallic-tinged hard rock acts of the decade of change and cheese. Often noted for once being the musical home of an at-the-time unknown Yngwie Malmsteen who served as lead guitarist for a year, before being replaced by Steve Vai, in the later years, the band have become somewhat comically known for their splitting off into separate factions of the same group, both performing under identical monikers since the release of 2020's Born Innocent with lead vocalist Graham Bonnet embarking on his own version of the band complete with Nevermore mastermind Jeff Loomis, while guitarist Joe Stump, Jimmy Waldo on keys, Gary Shea on bass, and Mark Benquechea on drums have remained united. Released as part of Record Store Day 2025, All Night Long In Japan 2019 originally arrived a year prior to all of this internal conflict, showcasing a series of shows unlike the band had ever done before, featuring two sold out nights at TSUTAYA O-EAST in Tokyo on 28th & 31st May 2019, with night one including their classic debut album No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll performed in its entirety in the intended track sequence the band originally wanted to be released back in 1983, while night two would include Graham Bonnet's Rainbow era 1979 album Down To Earth performed in full by Alcatrazz.

Review: Gothenburg trio Amateur Hour is Hugo Randulv, Julia Bjernelind and Dan Johansson, and Gar I Kras is their fourth album. It builds on the expansive Krokta Tankar Och Branda Vanor from back in 2022, and though still experimental and out there, it might also be their most accessible and polished work yet. Dreamy lo-fi pop meets gritty electronics and sound collage throughout as damaged linger above humming basslines and grimy guitars underpin detached vocals. It's a haunting but beautiful soundtrack for outsiders who like music from the fringe but that retains a sense of human warmth and soul.

Review: Cititrax proudly presents the debut LP from Another Body Found here, which is the latest moniker of A// who is well known for his pioneering work as Le Syndicat Electronique. Emerging from the French underground with a dark electro, industrial, minimal synth and wave style, he has a stark and visceral take on raw energy and haunting atmospheres. There are plenty of mechanical, hypnotic beats here with heft bass and hints of dystopian fears. The title track reimagines Bronski Beat's 'Smalltown Boy' and strips it to its emotional core, 'Lost In The Northern Lights' has a cold, urgent sound and 'Murderous Earth' is brilliantly unsettling and melancholic.

Review: Pink Elephant is Arcade Fire's first album since 2022's We, and it serves as a compact and cathartic return that is defined by its sense of reflection and emotional recalibration. It has been co-produced by Daniel Lanois and leans into intimate textures and moving drums with standout tracks like 'Year of the Snake' and 'Ride or Die', evoking both earnest self-examination and communal uplift. Elsewhere, there is the hypnotic 'Circle of Trust' and haunting title track, which showcase the band's ability to mix grandeur with vulnerability and means that this is a work that again cements Arcade Fire's reputation as one of indie's finest.