Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Blundetto unveils a captivating folk single here that features the ethereal voice of French singer Juliette Magnevasoa. 'La Playa' is an acoustic-rich cover of Marie Laforet's 1970 classic and this rendition has a new vocal whose unique timbre adds depth and all-new charm. Together, the artists create a delicate harmony of softness and melancholy and blend soothing tones that evoke timeless beauty. Already heralded as a classic gem, this subtly evolved new version of 'La Playa' offers a serene and heartfelt sound for intimate moments.

Review: Be Strong Be Free's 7" series is on fire this year and now comes back with a third instalment. It is 'Nuit De Fievre' and it comes from label owner Gratts, aka the "Belgian down under," who revisits disco's golden era by assembling a stellar studio team starring the Moody Mae band in the company of Reinhard Vanbergen on violin and Jaj from Paris on vocals. What they cook up in return is elegant boogie and disco that will chime well with fans of Dimitri From Paris. The B-side features Pellegrino's jazz-funk rendition, adding Mediterranean flair straight from Vesuvius. Both sides promise deliciously uplifting grooves for any disco enthusiast.

Review: Especial Specials has joined forces with Osaka-based imprint Chillmountain Recordings to offer up another Enjoy Your Self EP. This one once again showcases the talents on its roster with label head Ground kicking off with a beatdown meets trance sound on "Utau Narukoyuri'. After that slow burner come tribal percussive sounds from 'Arauma' (Kobato Dub), sunny cumbia on 'Something Sign' and a meandering Balearic journey from Akira Arasawa With KUN & FRANKY-CH that is brought to life with new age flute sounds, bird calls, jungle drips and folkloric strings. A fantastic EP, then.

Review: This one oozes more cool than George Clooney sat poolside and sipping on Kool-Aid. It is the seventh offering in this fine series which features the most iconic reworked, retouched and edited tracks from the legendary soundscapes of Pikes Hotel in Ibiza. There is no better place to ask up the gorgeous vibrations of 'Mata' with its steamy trumpets and genre-breaking beats than under the Mediterranean sun. The flipside 'Xiprell' captures the essence of laid-back sophistication and the warmth of Ibiza with arching prog guitars and pensive chords draped over the most go-slow live drums.

Review: Those delighted by Tallin's Porridge Bullet great job of documenting the late '80s and early 90s period of Estonian music and eager to learn more of the Eastern European country's music heritage should delve into the discography of Frotee. The label's latest release throws the spotlight on Estonian soul singer Velly Joonas, specifically the covers of European songs she recorded during the 1980s. "Stopp, Seisku Aeg!" (or "Stop! Stall the Time!") is a cover by Joonas of "I See Red" from Frida, with the Estonian providing her own lyrics over backing from amateur group Vstretsa and seems quite faithful to the soft skanking 1982 soul number. Complementing this is a wonderful cover of "Feel like Makin Love" which Frotee suggest was laid down in one hour.

Review: Fusion Sequence is a new offshoot from the Mellophonia label that kicks off with a heavyweight release both literally - its 180g vinyl - and metaphorically. It features seven different artists offering up one track each on what is a widescreen exploration of fresh deep house. They are A Vision of Panorama, Eternal Love, Pool Boy, Wolfey, Laseech, Larry Quest and Jay Sound and between them everything from cuddly depths to more moody late-night deepness is covered on an EP that brings plenty of new perspectives. A fine inaugural 12", then.

Review: Five years after its first release, Emotional Response is serving up this welcome reissue of Alexis Georgopoulos and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma's classic Fragments of A Season. They came together after five years of superb releases and reached new highs here even though they aren't necessarily household names. It saw them turn in some wonderfully expressive compositions played out across all manner of organic instrumentation. The richness of the production and the highly developed ideas embedded within this gorgeous LP should resonate for a long time to come, not least because the pieces are all so easy on the ears.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Five years after its first release, Emotional Response is serving up this welcome reissue of Alexis Georgopoulos and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma's classic Fragments of A Season. They came together after five years of superb releases and reached new highs here even though they aren't necessarily household names. It saw them turn in some wonderfully expressive compositions played out across all manner of organic instrumentation. The richness of the production and the highly developed ideas embedded within this gorgeous LP should resonate for a long time to come, not least because the pieces are all so easy on the ears.

Review: In Waves is Jamie xx's second full-length solo album, and the patented thematic follow-up to 2015's In Colour. The former album marked the height of a certain formative summer in dance music history, in which the UK at large opened its eyes to the potent admixture of its various musical heritages and seemed to meld them into one (perhaps this was best represented by Jamie's membership of a chart-topping indie band, and nonetheless simultaneous indulgence of solo beatcraft and DJing, which saw to a technicolour crock of collaborations we never thought possible, such as with Gil Scott-Heron and Young Thug). In Waves, however, posits the question of where we might've gone since. Channelling as ever Jamie's essential "soft-rounded" drums and clean, yet sample-heavy embellishments sifted from various classic soul and funk records, In Waves nonetheless sacrifices the sentimental ballad-dirges heard on In Colour for a more club-bound portrayal of a comparatively disinhibited night out. Livelier than In Colour, we're transported right on back to a certain kind of dancefloor, one that we'd felt remiss of for almost a good half of the decade in between the two albums.

Review: Second time around for Jean-Michel Jarre's 2022 album Oxymore, a loving tribute to French composer and 'music concrete' pioneer Pierre Henry. As the title suggests, this version features new remixes of album tracks (all of which feature sounds originally created by Henry) by a disparate group of musical talents. That makes for an interesting mix of interpretations, with armin Van Buuren's sizable trance translation of 'Epica' rubbing shoulders with a trippy, off-kilter electro take on 'Sex In The Machine' by Nina Kraviz, a moody Martin Gore interpretation of 'Brutalism', Irene Dresel's raw techno revision of 'Zeitgeist Botanica', and ambient pioneer Brian Eno putting his spin on 'Epica'.

Review: Glasgow grime producer Konchis engages his Jetsam alter ego for a wavier sonic serenade than we're used to from him. Tapping into his dreamier, more emotional side for an album length narrative, the Scottish scientist switches from tripped out swooning harmonies wrapped casually over Dilla-ish beats ("End Of Stars") to woozy cries over fuzzy synth riffs ("Cathedrals") to soul-jarring deep sea strangeness ("Mermaids"). Otherworldly, cosmic and mischievously off-kilter, Konchis has found the perfect muse in his alter ego right here. One of a kind.

Review: London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien's music blends contrasts and has done so across more than a decade on labels like Eglo and his own Apron Records. In that time he has explored various styles, from house and techno to soul and boogie, often drawing on his own life experiences for inspiration. His eclecticism extends to his contribution to !K7's wonderful DJ-Kicks series in a mix that features artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Todd Edwards along with Julien's own tracks. The mix takes you on a proper ride from a peaceful afternoon to a euphoric night on the dancefloor, with plenty of big moments and killer jams along the way.