Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Originally, a landmark album in underground rap and a standout collaboration has since become a cornerstone of the genre. The album's chaotic, sample-driven production and intricate, stream-of-consciousness rhymes create a unique album that has grown in accolades as the years have gone on. The beats, blend jazz, experimental hip-hop and underground sensibilities, making tracks like 'Sickfit' and 'Do Not Fire!' stand out. DOOM's lyricism shines through, with brilliant flows and rhymes that elevate tracks like 'Money Folder' and 'Figaro' into hip-hop classics. The album's vibe is defiantly playful, with weed references and quirky samples, but it's the chemistry between Madlib's unconventional beats and DOOM's meticulous wordplay that sets this album apart. Despite leaks and delays, this record remains one of the genre's most influential works, showcasing both artists at their peak.

Review: With a superhero like Spiderman being recognised the world over by those who've legitimately never even held a comic book, it makes sense that any film adaption should rely on the current sounds of the modern era to deliver an entertaining and reliably engaging soundtrack. Where 2002's game-changing Sam Raimi adaptation boasted a retrospectively cheesy bevvy of nu-metal adjacent radio rock with the film's lead single even being penned by Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, the music selection on this latest experimental animated series of films; Across The Spider Verse, turns to the current realms of radio dominating pop-rap. Overseen by acclaimed trap producer Metro Boomin and enlisting a who's who of modern artists such as Don Toliver, Lil Uzi Vert, Future, Nas and A$AP Rocky to name just a small handful, the collection serves equally as an of the time and on the pulse soundtrack, but also as a banging collaborative compilation of some of the best hip-hop acts in the scene today.

Review: This second posthumous album from the late Mac Miller dropped in 2018 after being recorded but never released back in 2014. In some ways, it joins the dots between his early career style - an earnest rapper with plenty of attitude - and the more thoughtful songwriter he became in later life. There is still plenty of sadness and melancholy hidden between the beats and amongst the lines of these tunes which are built on keys, drums and bass with only the subtlest of production tweaks. 'Do You Have A Destination?' is a richly layered sound with fragment vocals, 'Stoned' is woozy and deep with gorgeous guitar licks, 'Funny Papers' showcases Mac's unique vocal stylings over more trad beats and 'Manakins' is another smudged late night sound with a heartfelt undertone.

Review: The work of American singer and songwriter Janelle Monae is being reissued now and for good reason - it has more than stood the test of time. After her second album The Electric Lady from 2013 reappeared back in June we are now traded to a limited edition clear vinyl version of Dirty Computer which was originally released back in 2018. It was the first one not to follow the Cindi Mayweather Metropolis narrative and moved away from her early psychedelic vibe towards a more pop, funk, hip hop and r&b style that also draws on trap, new wave and Latin. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards and got widespread critical acclaim for its celebration of queerness, female power, and self-worth.

Review: To celebrate 30 years since their band first formed in 1991, Japan's pioneering Mondo Grosso has assembled a greatest hits collection that comes across two compilations, each on four sides of vinyl. Included are many of the biggest moments as well as new remixes and new mixes of key tunes, with a fresh remaster by the bands main man Shinichi Osawa himself. He was responsible for deciding which of the band's many tracks made the cut too so you can be sure it is as authentic as they come.

Review: Mrcy, the duo of producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson, fuse soulful self-expression with a modern sensibility. Drawing from their distinct backgrounds, they blend Marvin Gaye's warmth with the genre-defying sounds of Anderson .Paak. First connecting over Instagram during the pandemic, their music reflects both individual perspectives and shared experiences. Debut single 'Lorelei' captures this essence, with their upcoming project, 'volume 1', offering a mix of commanding vocals, empathy, and compassion. Mrcy's music is a personal yet universal exploration of soul, grit and the magic of everyday life.