Back catalogue: All genres

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Some 20 years ago, Japanese producer donned the K.F alias (the initials of his given name, Kiyotaka Fukagawa) and delivered the astonishingly good 'Shining of Life', a sun-soaked Balearic house treat shot through with Japanese nu-jazz musicality, gospel-influenced vocals and expansive, life-affirming piano solos. This EP offers up previously unheard 'Shining of Light Flutemental' takes. Calm's own 'unreleased mix' retains some of the key elements of the 2004 original while adding morning-fresh flute solos and starry sounds seemingly inspired by Detroit techno. The 'Lambros Jahmans Sunset Mix' is a dreamy and immersive interpretation underpinned by an Afro-house style beat, while the 'Space Ritual Dub' is an almost entirely beat-free soundscape. On 'Undub (Space Ritual Dub)', the same producer wraps echoing flute and piano motifs around a tactile, hand percussion-driven rhythm track.

Review: Warsaw producer Kampinos delivers a knockout trio of tunes for GAMM here that collide soulful drum & bass with deep musical roots. The standout opener is 'Good Looking Pepe,' which flips Pepe Bradock's seminal house love-in 'Deep Burnt' into a lush, jazzy roller a la LTJ Bukem. On the B-side, 'Joi' explodes with gospel fervour and raw amen breaks to make for an irresistible jungle anthem built for dancefloor uplift. Rounding things off, Kampinos offers a rich, emotive refix of Little Simz's 'See You Glow' which is both warm and intense. This is rather unexpected yet effective outing for GAMM with a fine mix of soul and roughness.

Review: A sense of patient propulsion runs through this one, as Kozstum threads trance-adjacent synthwork through dubby, shuffling frameworks. 'Rasalhague' is all glowing pads and understated swing, while 'Tiaki' steps deeper into low-slung, post-tribal terrain, the drums barely rising above a whisper. 'Alien Agenda' ups the tension with its echo chamber atmospherics and slow acid seep, before 'Avior' opens out into a big-room closer i poised, melodic, and richly psychedelic. The German DJ's years behind the decks show in the pacing: each track keeps something in reserve, stretching the floor's energy rather than blowing it out.

Review: Let The Light will be KAMM's final album - and its most poignant - as it is a tribute to late member Alland Byallo, a beloved name in the underground who suddenly passed in 2023. Surviving members Marc Barrite aka Dave Aju, Kenneth Scott and Marc Smith dip into new sounds here, including jazz, psych funk, soul, golden-era hip-hop and textured electronics, and work them all into a heartfelt final statement that does a fine job of honouring Byallo's creative spirit with real emotional depth and warmth. From the serpentine tones of opener through the bossa-infused boom-bap of 'No Deal', the politically charged jazz burner 'Your Honour' and the sleek electro rhythms of 'How Long?', the album traverses plenty of ground. It also features Byallo's artwork and closes with a chorus of loved ones that makes it all the more poignant.

Review: Mamoru Oshii's undersung masterpiece Angel's Egg stands out among the Japanese animeteur's otherwise superbly varied filmography, in which his better known productions such as Ghost In The Shell and Memories stand out unduly loudly compared to it. Something of an initiatory shibboleth for anime fans, the DVD version of Angel's Egg went unavailable in Western markets for far too long, so we're not surprised Kanno's original score only now makes it to the hi-fi. Matching the film's flowing, tapestried, 19 Century gothic anime fusions - and its alleged mute allegorical retelling of the story of Noah's Ark - Kanno's soundtrack proves inseparable from the film's soundworld itself, hence the snippets of metaphysically charged dialogue you hear throughout this reissue.

Review: The story of Kool Keith's latest project is as peculiar and unpredictable as the man himself. For decades, he's thrived on the outskirts of hip-hop, carving out a singular lane where eccentricity, sci-fi alter egos and razor-sharp wordplay collide. If rap had its own multiverse, Keith would be one of its most elusive figuresidrifting between dimensions, reinventing himself with each new project, all while maintaining a presence that feels both legendary and underrated. His first full-length release since Black Elvis 2 reunites him with longtime collaborators and fresh voices alike. Hip-hop mainstays Tash (Tha Alkaholiks) and Marc Live (Analog Brothers/Black Elvis) bring their unmistakable styles to the mix, while rising talents like Dear Derrick and Yah Zillah add new energy. The production, handled by Grant Shapiro, is an exercise in classic boom bap craftsmanship: chunky drum loops, hypnotic samples and that signature off-kilter bounce that Keith navigates so well. If anything, this release reminds us that Keith exists in his own creative galaxy, unbothered by trends or mainstream validation. The lead single, 'Super Hits', arrives with a video directed by Wayne Campbell, a frequent collaborator known for his work with Benny The Butcher. The tracklist alone reads like a cryptic message from Keith's mind: 'Pierre 9', 'Body Rock', 'Pissing', 'Jim Kelly'ieach title a doorway into his endlessly surreal world. J-Styles and Steve "Steve B" Baughman shape the sonics into something urgent and tactile, where every drum hit and vocal nuance pops. Keith, as always, plays by his own rules. He's been doing it for so long that any attempt to pin him down feels futile. Instead, you just press play and let the madness unfold.