Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Alt-dub never quite found its mainstream moment, but for those attuned to its intricacies, it remains a defining undercurrent in electronic music. Unlike its dubstep cousin, which relied on aggressive basslines and in-your-face drops, alt-dub takes a more measured approach, focusing on subtlety and complexity. It's about crafting a vibe, not smashing through it. San Francisco-based artist Federsen has been a pivotal figure in this niche for over a decade, using vintage tape delays and analogue gear to build immersive, textured soundscapes. His work with labels like Silent Season, Greyscale, Lempuyang and Ohm Series perfectly embodies how dub's elements of space, decay and resonance can be transformed into hypnotic, dancefloor-driven rhythms that unfold slowly. Tracks like 'Dub Trail' and 'Silent Whispers' reflect Federsen's signature approach: slow, deliberate builds, where the bassline is felt more than heard, and the subtle shifts in atmosphere draw us into the groove. It's not about immediate impact, but rather about crafting a space where the music breathes and where the transitions are felt as much as they are heard. 'Echoes In The Void' pushes this idea even further, with its dense, evolving layers of sound, while 'Lunar Dub' offers a more stripped-back, meditative experience. Through Federsen's work, the genre stands as an exploration of depth and atmosphere, where every moment of silence and every drawling transition plays an integral part in the experience.

Review: Frenchman Hemka makes a bold entrance on Mutual Rytm with this fierce solo 12" following her standout contribution to Federation Of Rytm III. She has established herself with a raw yet refined style on labels like Token and blends 90s grit with psychedelic textures and personal vocal touches in her work. This new EP delivers club-ready power across tracks like the tense, vocal-laced 'Abyss,' the propulsive 'Time,' and the haunting 'I Can't Shine.' With additional cuts like 'The Bad Place' and 'Unchanged' this is a fine window into Hemka's emotional depth and rhythmic command.

Review: Straight from Turin, Hey Cabrera! makes his Frank Music debut with The Moment-a high-energy Italo disco bomb packed with everything these sounds should be - juicy basslines, dreamy melodies, euphoric pianos, and catchy vocal chops. It's got that unmistakable made-in-Italy flair that hits just right. Label boss Johannes Albert jumps in with a hot club mix to kick off with, which takes the energy sky-high while the original is a disco stomper. Flip to the B-side and 'Exposed' brings more of that magic: vibrant vocals, punchy piano stabs and an 808-kissed remix from J.A. himself. Viva Italo!

Review: Chicago native James "Soul" Holvay is a true soul survivor. Best known for penning the 1967 U.S. No.1 hit 'Kind of a Drag for The Buckinghams,' Holvay led The Mob before stepping away from music in the late 70s. But with the resurgence of retro soul, he made a stunning comeback in 2020 and was soon channelling the golden era sounds of Curtis Mayfield, Gene Chandler and Johnny Pate once more. His 2021 'Sweet Soul Song' EP earned critical acclaim, and now LRK Records drops two gems from his Working Man EP in the form of 'Love That Lady' and 'Don't Take Your Love', both pure vintage Chicago soul heaters.

Review: What time is it? It's Skankoclock. The label is small but already well-formed and this sixth outing offers up a fresh roots reggae gem from Rapha Pico, whose 'Treat You Wrong' delivers rich vocal vibes over a heavyweight riddim. It is then Far East's smooth melodica version that take sober and lulls you into more deepness that mixes classic energy with modern warmth. Guru Pope and Handyman round out the lineup with deep instrumental contributions that add more layers of rich musicality, all of which gets pressed in a vibrant full-colour skanking sleeve for superb toots with soul, melody, and pure sound system flavours.

Review: An exceptional, almost entirely unreleased jazz-funk LP from Roland Haynes Jr., previously known only for a single 45 released in 1983 (included here). If you're thinking undiscovered James Mason, you're on the right track. This LP is huge, even by the highest standards. Until now, that rare single was the only material trace of Haynes and his band. However, Haynes meticulously documented his musical journey, recording both packed-out live gigs and studio sessions. The tracks on this release come directly from Haynes' personal archive, offering an incredible glimpse into his unreleased, carefully crafted studio work.

Review: Bashed out in no time at all, Andrew Hill's Andrew!!! drew on an astonishing creative upsurge enjoyed by many a musician in the early 1960s, which proved fortuitous for the pianist's storied early-career Blue Note run. Captured in 1964 with a distinctive quintet including John Gilmore, Bobby Hutcherson, Richard Davis, and Joe Chambers, this de facto debut showcases Hill's singular compositional voice across six dense, exploratory originals like 'The Griots' and 'Black Monday'; while his earlier Point Of Departure tends to attract the spotlight, Andrew!!! colours between the lines in a different shade. But like the former, it no less now benefits from BN's Joe Harley's audiophiliac oversight, preserving the subtle textures and telepathic interplay that define Hill's gauche-adroit playing.

Review: Stephen Vitiello, Brendan Canty and Hahn Rowe pull strings in strange and rewarding directions on Second, the chameleonic follow-up to their 2023 debut piece First. Vitiello, having left behind a vista's trail of ambient, lowercase and electroacoustic work with the likes of Taylor Deupree and Pauline Oliveros, now sketches raw forms with Rhodes, guitar and modular gear before looping in Canty and Rowe. The former adds drums, bass and piano with typical restlessness; the latter, once of Hugo Largo, folds in bowed guitar, viola and 12-string textures. There's a thread of freeform drift here, but it's sotted in dub weight, Krautrock pulse and post-punk lean. "We're coming from three different schools," Vitiello notes. Throw in a guest spot from Animal Collective's Geologist on hurdy gurdy, and it's a strange little world built on sideways logic.