Review: Greek DJ/producer Lex has been part of the scene in his home city of Athens since the dawn of the millennium, though it's only in the last few years that he's focused more on making music. The results of his efforts, which were previously showcased on 12" singles for Leng and Samosa Records, amongst others, have been quietly impressive. His debut album, Waving, continues in the same vein, utilising a pool of musician friends to craft cuts that blur the boundaries between sun-kissed, sofa-friendly Balearic warmth and subtly funk-fuelled, dub disco-framed dancefloor shufflers. The plentiful highlights include the stunning, tropical-tinged opener, 'Punta Allen', the organ-sporting vocal squelch-along 'Window Spells', acid-flecked nu-disco-meets-cosmic disco workout 'Silver Peace' and high-octane number 'Down My Soul'.
Review: Next up on AD93 is the debut collab between singer-songwriter Marlene Ribeiro (of drone-psychedelic band GNOD) and electronic producer Shackleton, together masquerading as Light Space Modulator. A ghost-tropical ramble through what can only be described as a deterritorial comedown forest, The Rising Wave amounts to a floral, melty eight-tracker, easing up on concept in favour of a loop-breaking, mangrovey musical mood. The improv psycho-echoes of GNOD are heard in full force here - with lead shocker 'These Things' provides an especially depth-swelling burier bass down below - but Shackleton's long-honed dubstep abstractions serve to focus the mix, keeping things as beatmatchable as they need be open-ended.
Review: "I was diagnosed with ADHD at 15 when I was expelled from school. I often feel like every day is an emotional rollercoaster. This album is a representation of that. It's a journey of high-energy, intense songs and deep, slow, mournful ballads", says Tara Lily, the British-Bengali South Londoner whose been turning heads with her captivating blend of jazz, electronica, trip hop, experimental r&b and Indian-subcontinental musical hues and cues. Produced by Dom Valentino, Speak In The Dark is immediately engrossing, like walking into a room to find an open fire blazing and falling into its spell the moment you take a seat. It's beautiful, and in some moments staggeringly so. It's packed with groove and mood and atmosphere that's somewhere between edge and sophistication, at times closing in on the carnival dnb-pop that Tru Thoughts has always done so well. Simply put, this is the best thing you'll hear for some time.
Review: Given their shared musical heritage - both are members of the extended Firecracker Recordings crew - it's perhaps something of a surprise to find that Face The Facts marks the first serious collaboration between Linkwood and Gav 'Fudge Fingaz' Sutherland AKA Other Lands. It's less surprising that the album is really, really good. Touching on warming synth-boogie, head-nodding downtempo jams, mutant beatdown, Balearic beats, sunset-ready soundscapes and warming analogue deep house, the 13-track set is notable for the pair's extensive use of dusty old drum machines, tactile instrumentation (think smooth Rhodes solos, languid guitar solos and blissed-out synths) and Sutherland's hazy, sometimes seductive singing voice.
Review: Swedish dub funk electropoppers Little Dragon - Yukimi Nagano, Erik Bodin, Fredrik Wallin and Hakan Wirenstrand - present their latest LP Slugs Of Love here via their longstanding patrons Ninja Tune. Following up their 2020 album New Me, Same Us, which had a long time to gestate, the new album comes at a well-timed moment, charting a thematic undercurrent of finding love in unexpected places - just the message we need for 2023. Eccentric and kooky synthiness bolsters their minimal-kitsch, r&b-inflected post-punk sound, best evidenced by the songs 'Stay' (featuring JID) or 'Gold'.
Review: Little Dragon - the pioneering Swedish four-piece fronted by enigmatic vocalist Yukimi Nagano, with multi-instrumentalists Hakan Wirenstarnd and Fredrik Wallin on keyboards and bass respectively, and Erik Bodin on drums and percussion - return with their sixth studio album, New Me, Same Us. After an impressive period of renown lasting almost two decades, this new record sounds like a moment of respite and a return to basics. "This album has been the most collaborative for us yet." they explain, "which might sound weird considering we've been making music together for all these years, but we worked hard at being honest, finding the courage to let go of our egos and be pieces of something bigger." This entailed total self-production in a long-term home studio built in Gothenburg, Sweden, as well as an impressively stripped-back sound, towing lullabies such as 'Where You Belong' and 'New Fiction', which both reassure and rouse at the same time.
Review: .The last time we fell in love with Kedr Livansky it was October 2021 and the world was looking up. Lockdowns were over, and Liminal Soul brought us a celebratory embrace rooted in dance music and post-club night warmth. "Trance-tipped, heart-on-sleeve dance music that's never shy and still always chilled out enough to sit back and contemplate," we said at the time. Myrtus Myth is a very different thing altogether, but thankfully feels no less optimistic. Definitely sitting closer to pop, a kind of soft-yacht-rock, electronic-jazz-chill, and beach bar downtempo compared with the dance floors we were so keen to revisit three years ago, a few things have survived - all of them wonderful deep. Another stunner, to put all that another way.
Review: For over 20 years, Clay Emerson and Ian Pullman aka Loess have quietly built a reputation for crafting intricate, deeply atmospheric electronica and Battens, their fifth album on Califonrian label n5MD, sees them refining their signature aestheticistill grayscale and shadowy, but now imbued with a subtle warmth. The Opener 'Strake' features layered static hums and a slow, hypnotic beat that cycles like waves against a submerged structure. 'Halyard' introduces brittle textures and crisp rhythms, evoking wind-swept landscapes. 'Crowhurst' builds tension with submerged chords and fractured percussion. The haunting 'Koepcke' carries a sense of disorientation and search for stability, while 'Endoctamb' recalls Chain Reaction's most introspective moments, yet with a looser, more organic quality. Closing with 'Rime', Battens embraces silence, with glacial melodies fading into the ether. Throughout, the duo masterfully manipulates sound and space, allowing moments of stillness to breathe between pulsing rhythms and submerged harmonies. There's an undeniable human element in how these tracks moveilike the slow, inevitable shift of nature itself. More than just an exercise in sound design, Battens is a transportive experience, cold yet comforting, stark yet alive recording.
Review: Berlin-based Sydneysider LOGIC1000 (real name Samantha Poulter) enjoyed a prolific and productive 2024, becoming something of an in-demand DJ, producer and remixer on the back of her acclaimed debut album Mother, a typically distinctive affair that pulled deep house in a variety of woozy, melodious and inventive new directions. Her inclusion in K7's long-running DJ Kicks series is therefore well-earned. It offers a home listening-ready distillation of her sound that's notably 'calmer' (in the label's words) than her club sets. But that's no bad thing, as it allows greater exploration of experimental, downtempo and hyper-pop, alongside a string of exclusives (including the obligatory track created for the series) and some heady, mid-tempo dancefloor grooves.
Review: The music of this unique quartet explores the roots of African music while embracing its newest possibilities. Featuring Malian singer Rokia Traore and griot Mamah Diabate, alongside Stefano Pilia (Afterhours, Massimo Volume), their collaboration merges with Gambian griot Jabel Kanuteh, a kora virtuoso, and percussionist Marco Zanotti. The fusion of Malian and Gambian rhythms with Italian influences creates a fresh new sound that blends the ancient and the modern. The music weaves jazz, rock and folk with a number of experimental digressions but never at the expense of an underlying groove and high-fidelity sense of musicianship that connects diverse cultural identities.
Review: On their first album, 2023's Legacy, French trio Emile Londonien (a name chosen to reflect their love of British musical culture) explored contemporary jazz of the sort you might hear played by locals at London's Total Refreshment Centre. They take a slightly different tack on Inwards, combining the breeziness and musical positivity of their previous work with added nods to jazz-funk, dub, fusion, spaced-out soundscapes, soul-jazz and broken beat. Highlights are plentiful, from the smoky sweetness of 'Easy' (featuring guest vocalist Cherise) and the loose-limbed organic dancefloor rhythms of 'Catch The Light' (a definite nod to UK legend Kaidi Tatham), to the intergalactic jazz-soul of 'Another Galaxy' (with Ashley Henry) and the live tech-jazz masterpiece 'The Vibe Is'.
Review: The superb Emile Londonien band returns with their second album, Inwards, which is one that manages to showcase their evolution as well as deepening ties to the British jazz scene with collaborations from artists like Ashley Henry, CHERISE and Kazy Lambist. True to form, Emile Londonien brings their unique style to life here across some majestic cuts that range in mood and groove. They blend broken beat, house, jazz and r&b in a fresh, distinctive way which means that Inwards reaffirms their talent for merging genres, pushing boundaries but also retaining their signature sound.
Review: Before Lone became one of Britain's most celebrated kaleidoscopic rave fusionists with the R&S-released Echolations EP and Galaxy Garden LP, he was best known as a beat-maker with a passion for experimental MPC rhythms and dreamy exotica samples. The highlight of this portion of his career was undoubtedly debut album Lemuria, which here gets a deluxe reissue - with new artwork - on vinyl. It still sounds just as magical, dusty, picturesque and otherworldly as it did back then, with brief moments of rush-inducing clarity nestling side by side with jazz-flecked workouts and shimmering, Boards of Canada-go-glitch beatscapes.
Review: Jake Long's debut under his own name, City Swamp, is a long-awaited arrival, especially for those familiar with his work leading Maisha. As the drummer and composer for Maisha, Long was instrumental in creating some of the finest UK jazz releases, including There is a Place, which featured luminaries like Nubya Garcia and Amane Suganami. City Swamp not only showcases Long's talent but also serves as a continuation and expansion of the ideas explored in There is a Place. While Maisha's sound was celebratory, City Swamp delves into more dissonant themes with a psychedelic twist, particularly evident in the epic track 'Ideological Rubble.' Despite being a solo project, City Swamp still features many Maisha members, highlighting the collaborative spirit that defines Long's work. With this album, Long firmly establishes himself as a phenomenally talented artist with a unique musical vision, making City Swamp an exceptional debut.
Review: Instrumental beats don't get much slicker than those cooked up here by Ken Long. It is a different take on his Version Control album that goes deep into Roland arps and thick electric pianos. The individual tracks are short but they all add up to a coherent story that ranges from lounges late night beats to more spacious and pensive moments of cosmic introspection. The frayed edges and analogue textures lend it an air of authenticity that Long usually gives to the other acts he spends time producing. Originally made on cassette, it features SP1200 grooves and percussion, plenty of lush reverb and space echo and adds up to an immersive listen.
Review: Will Long aka Celer, Mississippi-born but now permanently resident in Tokyo, intensifies his investigation in personal house music with the fourth edition in his Long Trax series. A quartered circle of evolving textures of at first seemingly diminutive character, this manifest impression is dashed once we learn that each track on the record is given its own side, allowing each ample space to unfold within an economically restrained formula: dry drum machines, subtle chords, hygge bass. Clearly an ode to productive limitation: 'The Right Choice' tosses us the first chord against gambolling percs, while 'You Cannot Reform A Sin' brings marching, DC-offset acid. The release redresses historic wrongs too, using carefully extracted, recorded samples of key voices in the Afro-American civil rights movement.
Review: On her debut full-length, Istanbul-born, Amsterdam-based Loradeniz channels heartbreak into radiant ambient soundscapes. By layering up shimmering synth arpeggios, soft percussion and beautifully delicate and ethereal vocals, the album glides between a sense of emotional fragility and rousing sonic strength. Written, performed and produced entirely by Deniz Omeroglu, the artist's classical training and sound design expertise shines through on tracks like 'Cloud Sofa' and 'Sea Serpent' which balance intimacy with IDM-inspired textures, while closer 'Aftersun' glows with that quiet sense of sunrise euphoria. Sun Shone is a deeply personal and emotionally rich journey with plenty of reference points for us all amongst the melancholy and subsequent notes of catharsis.
Review: Less than 10 months have passed since the release of Matt Lord and Dennis 'Dego' McFarland's first collaborative album, but the long-serving duo have already readied album number two. The pair have been working together on-and-off for years and are clearly kindred spirits, at least musically. There's a warmth, looseness and pleasingly effortless feel about much of the material on show, which - like much 2000 Black crew material of recent years - adds luscious synthesizer and electric piano motifs to rubbery bass guitar parts and crunchy beats. It's naturally rooted in broken beat, but rhythmically also pays homage to jazz-funk, hip-hop, Azymuth-esque jazz fusion and boogie. It also includes an excellent, acid-flecked collaboration with mutual friend (and fellow bruk stalwart) Domu.
Review: Via his Lord of the Isles alias and contributions to Firecracker's Mac-Talla Nan-Creag project, Neil McDonald has proved particularly good at unfurling atmospheric, melodious and immersive electronic music. While much of it has been ambient in nature, there have been fine dancefloor excursions, and on this third solo album, Subtle Thoughts, he showcases the full range of his talents. We get a mix of sparkling, spring-fresh IDM, evocative ambient soundscapes, locked-in ambient techno, his take on bleep-and-breaks ('Open Mode'), widescreen electronic epics ('Subtle Thoughts') and the kind of hard-to-pigeonhole blasts of life-affirming brilliance that mark out the work of only the most talented of producers (see 'Medhi'). His best album yet by some distance.
Review: Midway through the last decade, Bureau B reissued a kosmiche curiosity from cult synthesiser composer Rudiger Lorenz, Southland - a set inspired by idle daydreaming about the island nations of the southern pacific and the south Atlantic. Here, they return to the late artist's catalogue, presenting their pick of the music featured on the DIY tapes and records he self-released (usually in very small quantities) between 1981 and '83 - IE the period before Southland was recorded. Larger darker and moodier than that set, Lorenz delivers a synthesizer-heavy musical blend of contemporaneous influences that consistently delivers the goods. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the sparse and warped 'Chabomilla Sabinae', the Tangerine Dream-esque beauty of 'Dreaming of Saba', the electronic ambience of 'Independence' and the star-gazing drift of 'Anigre'.
Take Your Shoes Off (feat Alex Cosmo Blake) (2:13)
Needle In The Ocean (feat Oscar Jerome) (4:09)
Sommer (feat Alex Cosmo Blake) (4:12)
Till' Mornin (feat Bluestaeb & Arena) (3:54)
Purple Sky Samurai (5:02)
Shotter Called Life (feat Amahla) (5:01)
When I Blow (feat Alxndr London & Greg Paul) (6:05)
Review: Louis VI's Earthlings album has been three and a half years in the making - with final sessions done deep in the Amazon rainforest - and now finally arrives on vinyl via Nightmares On Wax's new label HiyaSelf Recordings Unlimited. It is packed with high quality guests such as the one-and-only Moses Boyd plus Oscar Jerome, Alex Cosmo Blake, Bluestaeb and Greg Paul. The album is inspired by his love of nature and he says of the record that he hopes it reminds people we need to take care of our planet. It's a great message to match a great album..
Review: New York-based multi-instrumentalist/producer/film composer Steve Moore's Lovelock project returns to woo us all once more with Washington Park. This is yet another unctuous suite of instrumentals that are best categorised as lounge music heightened with plenty of magical and exotic synth sounds. This time, Moore is in a more mellow mood than ever before with soothing melodies and gently unfolding arrangements that offer a cathartic place to hide, well away from the dark dystopian of modern day life. This might be an album that is low-key in terms of design, but it is certainly high impact emotionally.
Review: The 2013 album, Ain't Nothing But A Groove, followed in the footsteps of its predecessor back when it as first released. It found the cult favourite LTJ delve into the rich world of disco and 70s groove with his unique touch. Mixing contemporary sounds with the timeless vibe that had become his trademark, LTJ explored this musical landscape like no other and brought forth a fusion of old and new that captivated listeners then and will surely do so again now as it gets a reissue on double vinyl via IRMA.
Review: Pop on your space suit and lock in for an intergalactic Balearic ride at the hands of Luca, whose new Terra LP is a terrific trip through the cosmos. This is a second full length from the artist born Francesco De Bellis and it follows on swiftly from his well received Venus EP early in 2022. It's a fr-reaching musical journey with retro-future synths glistening in the solar rays, loose and jumbled drums suspending you amongst the stars and pieces like 'Capitolo 2 Coscienza' with its spoken word elements contouring up the feeling of some mystic ritual dance.
Review: With some of the best DJs and selectors, there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. British DJ, producer and music maestro Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. The second volume in his E Soul Cultura series, Una's intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity and won him favour with record outlets.
The compilation isn't just peacocking his crate diving ability, but it's a sonical narrative that engages the ebbs and flows of salsa, nu-disco, psych rock and Balearic. It's a grab bag of sounds, and each one is as intriguing and groovy as the last. Here's to a hopeful trilogy.
Review: Galcher Lustwerk, the Cleveland-raised, NYC-based producer, has carved a unique lane in deep, low-key post-hip-house since his 2013 debut 100% Galcher. Through smoky, stream-of-consciousness vocals evincing an ability to both produce and locute, his work blends funk, rap and r&b into hypnotic club and after-hours four-scapes. On Information, his Ghostly International debut, Lustwerk refined his tech-noir house corner. Live drums and jazz sax added fresh texture, while Lust's trademark narrative cryptologes evoked dimly lit dives, fleeting encounters, and an all-round shadowiness. 'Cig Angel' and 'Another Story' pulse with the sonic linguals of mumble-core film and salivatory softened production, while 'I See A Dime' races forward with syncopated lyrics and daring bongos. True to an enciphered ethos, Lustwerk plays with perception: "Information doesn't equal knowledge."
Review: David Lyn's debut album, The World I Hear (Essence of Life), invites listeners to truly stop and listen to the world's music. Exploring the elements of fire, earth, water, and wind, the album focuses on love and wateriboth fluid and powerful. 'Drum Connection' is remixed by Chicago legend Elbert Phillips, a protege of Frankie Knuckles. 'Maria Juana' features Ibero-Cuban artist Arema Arega and composer-producer Andrew Nicholas, AKA Born74. Engineered by Shamrock Guitor and mastered by Andy Compton at Peng Studios, the album boasts arrangements by Dr. Bob Jones and Gee W, with vocal contributions from Vuyelwa Mgatyelwa and Elena Rogozhina. Lyn's album is an international collaboration, blending genres and influences to create music that speaks to the heart, soul, dancefloor and mind.
Title Theme (from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) (3:05)
Yoshi's Story (from Yoshi's Story) (3:20)
Ground Theme (from Super Mario World) (2:28)
Obstacle Course (from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) (2:29)
Middle Boss (from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) (2:47)
Title Theme (From New Super Mario Bros Wii) (2:07)
Flower Garden (from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) (2:51)
Story Music Box (from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) (2:48)
Yoshis On The Beach (from Yoshi's Story) (3:32)
Underground (from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) (2:25)
Delfino Plaza (from Super Mario Sunshine) (3:05)
Review: Nokbient and Save Point's Video Game LoFi: Yoshi is a playful and charming electronic covers tribute to the classic video game character. A mix of chiptune-inspired synths and lo-fi beats, crafted delicately and softly for the modern listener, combine to create this lovely ode to everybody's favourite green, giant-nosed reptile. Yoshi's greatest character themes - including those from Mario Kart, Super Mario World, and Yoshi's Story - all combine in an unequivocally cute mood here.
Review: You don't need to know that Craobh Haven was made during a one week residency at a tiny cabin in a remote Scottish village of the same name. One play through of the latest stunner to land on the ever-excellent ambient institution SWIMS and it'll feel like you were there in person. A witness to the creation of this strangely natural-feeling, highly technically-crafted, six tracker. Everything about the work by London-based musician and visual artist Loz Keystone and Glaswegian synth explore and jazz trumpeter Christos Stylianides feels in the right place. Its warm and fuzzy but vast and windswept. It's avant garde and abstract, but rounded and complete. It's incredibly inviting and slowly hypnotic. Distant samples of inaudible chatter and looped melodic refrains. Distorted walls of noise masking the patient power of aching brass. You get the point.
Review: The Mellophonia label offshoot Fusion Sequence won us over with its well-presented and great-sounding first EP, and now a quick follow-up does the same. This one is another various artists affair that starts with some nice futuristic robot disco from Vanity Project. There is more organic and lush Balearic from Bobby Bricks and Pacific Coliseum follows that spine-tingling Ibiza sunset vibe. On the flip side, there is everything from late-night electronic house to lazy disco via Sorcerer's blissed out 'Just For Love' which would entrance any dance floor. There's as much quality as there is variation on this one, which makes it a useful EP indeed.
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