Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Fresh from his maximal debut album 'Unbearable Lightness', Colombian Rachiid Paralyzing returns to an older project that he's been incubating since 2018. Essentially the sound of him refining his signature and focus, both cuts are more functional than his more experimental stuff now but both still defy the usual tropes and typicalities of breakbeat music. 'Mi Mama Dic K No' subverts ideas of electro as shades of melody morph, mutate and overlap over growling bass while 'Run Miami Run' is an all-out acid/breaks riot jam. A very interesting release - especially if you're still recovering from the mind-exploding matter of his recent album. Run come get some.

Review: Saint-Petersburg based duo Andrey Redkov and Stas Redkov have been hugely prolific since first pairing up in 2019. They have already served up seven EPs and now arrive on Fauve with another new one. It is a second volume of their West & East series and kick off with the jittery analogue grooves and post-disco wonkiness of 'Focal Savor' which is a writhing mass of detuned synths and chattery percussion. Que Sakamoto+NT's remix is a little more smooth and groove based but still sounds unhinged. The same outfit then serve up an original, 'Ninja Wa Sugoi', which is all tense and drawn out electronics that become more techno at the hands of the Radial Gaze remix.

Review: Following the excellent excavation of the Miami band's unreleased album Best Kept Secret, AOTN's Fryer treats us to his two favourite cuts on a 500-only never-to-be-repressed 45. Seeped in powerful vocal harmonies, "Let Go" is rare groove gold with smooth sax and a dynamic that keeps on surprising while "Will You Be There" is an end of night soul shakedown with a tenderness that's tangible in every element. Don't sleep on this... Or the album. One of AOTN's most exciting releases this year.

Review: Danno is the renegade master of Roman hip-hop and is part of the pioneering underground crew Colle Der Fomento. The Rebels instrumentals form the basis of his rhymes here while New York hip hop duo The Good People also appear on track two, 'Body Rockin', to bring some classic US styles to this package. Their tune is then remixed by another Italian hip hop legend on Ice One. This then is a package that brings together two different worlds, one more well known than the other for its hip hop, but the Italian team really do represent here and the whole thing fits together like two sides of the same NYC subway line.

Review: As we wait impatiently for the release of Sam Redmore's forthcoming debut album, Universal Vibrations, the hotly tipped producer has treated us to some club-ready revisions of two tracks from that set. In its extended mix form (track 2), 'Just Can't Wait' is an inspired slab of vocal boogie brilliance complete with heady Afrobeat style horns, sparkling piano riffs and a chorus so addictive it should probably come with a warning. Kid Creme's accompanying remix is a bouncier disco-funk revision rich in rubbery bass guitar, Nile Rodgers licks and jaunty electric piano stabs. Over on the flip, Latin-fired, rap-sporting Afro-breaks number 'One More Time' is given an airing, alongside a fine, stripped-back, sub-heavy deep Afro-house rub from Bristol-based veteran Red Rack'em.

Review: Room in the Sky welcomes us back to their world with Winston Reedy & The RITS RIddim Force. Here they cover The Eternals' classic Studio One hit, 'Stars' in their own unique and inimitable style. It is laden with rolling drums and fleshy bass. Trilling chords, buttery smooth vocals and tumbling congas all make it an earthy and authentic roots sound that sweeps the heart and gets the head nodding. Flip this one over and on the b-side, you will find a decent instrumental version that is more stripped back.

Review: "Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah blah blah. Hope is telling the truth." So said the world's most visible climate activist Greta Thunberg in her pre-COP26 speech in Milan, blasting world leaders for inadequate (or near-non-existent) responses to the environmental crisis. Given we're 12 months down the line and the vast majority of promises made at said 2021 climate summit have not been actioned, with emissions continuing to climb, it's unsurprising direct action has turned much more direct and disruptive this year, and people are now sampling the young orator to amplify her message through music.

If that sounds like it may lack subtlety, fear not. Renude19 have managed to achieve something pretty difficult - a protest dancefloor track that doesn't ram things down your throat and works very well without you knowing that context. Essentially a dystopian-vibed broken beat synth workout with electro-pop vocals and occasional "Blah blah blah" hook, it's timely and well executed.

Review: Glenn Ricks was originally part of The Fabulous Flames having met the band in Canada, where he had emigrated to from Jamaica as a child. His stagecraft and musical skill impressed them from the off and he moved back to Jamaica where they record some huge tunes before splitting. That is when Glenn embarked on his solo career and become ever more well known for his soulful style and lush roots and lovers rock sound. 'Time' is a 45 that feature two new cuts. 'Time' is all laidback and earth, with acoustic guitars and muddied drums, then 'Woman' is more loved up and romantic.

Review: Rise Black is Maxim Gkikaev, a producer based in southern Spain who also goes under the aliases Mitjun or Ocitin, and is part of the duo Psevdonym. He has released for Fil-Lex, Moustache and locals Another Perspective in recent years, but It is indeed a case of Bad Robot on this new one for Adjacent Possible. From the snarling acid electro bite of opener 'Alania', to the minimal EBM muscle of the title track and the truly dystopian bass dynamics of 'Laser Gun' - Gkikaev is not messing around here. Over on the flip, there are some mighty fine remixes which are equally as worthy of your attention. Benvol's electro-industrial sounding rework of 'Alania' retains that sick 303 squelch throughout, while PX's re-rub of 'Bad Robot' has an utterly majestic style of sonic futurism in the vein of legend Carl Finlow.

Review: Exclusively crafted for Satamile, these four dynamic electro and breaks tracks come from Roadking, one of Germany's top electro producers and known for his work with Elektrolux and Mikrolux. The man born Frank Rueckert delivers four electrifying electro tracks that are each defined by his distinctive style and sound - they are tunes infused with energy from the crisp and snappy drums of the title track to the more silky and loopy celestial sounds of 'Devotion' via the rugged metal snares and robotic vocals of 'Only Electro Music'. 'Silence' shuts down with a spraying synth lead that takes you into the future.

Review: The second Abstract Cuts release is an EP split four ways, but with new, unconventional approaches to the dancefloor at the heart of each submission and all using vintage drum machines and samplers. The Robot Dance Connection's 'Powers Of Ten' (R2d2 live edit) kicks off side one, shiny high frequency polish played off against a gorgeously stubborn techno beat, before the slinkier and smoother 'Gold Saucer' by Brunzi offers an equally danceable but less angular counterpoint. Flip it over and Tomska's 'Lethal Overdose' (Touch dub 2022) offers rushing sonics, off kilter snare damage and four to the floor thump, before Emile's 'Jeu Froid' completes the set in grimy basement style.

Review: Esteemed French producer Franck Roger lands on the Duck It label for the first time here. It is an imprint dear to him because of his Algerian originals and he cooks up a nice warm house vibe as a result. 'Pumpkin' is all balmy pads and trippy synth leads with a hint of Pepe Bradock. The tune is chunky and deep, with nice deft vocal sounds up top to bring the soul. RSlane remixes with a more contemporary and bumping tech house sound but still keeps plenty of the stylish cosmic melody in place. A tidy two tracker for sure.

Review: Indica Dubs and Kai Dub link up here for their second collaboration, which is the first release of the year for the label. It features the full flavour and futuristic stepper that is 'Elevation Dub', complete with wooden hits and Digital pads, warrior chords and a nice sleek aesthetic. 'Higher Dub' then flip sit into a more heady affair with plenty of mad studio effects and endless reverb, floating toms and sizzled pads. These triumphant tunes are primed and ready for big plays on huge sound systems.

Review: Roy Of The Ravers takes a break from his mischievious outings on Acid Waxa et al to lay down some of his braindance tackle on Emotional Response. White Line Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soleil) can rightly be considered a follow-up to White Line Sunrise II and indeed it represents a similar kind of spectrum of electronica. Roy's sound is edging further into the kind of 'artist' territory where slower, softer tracks, odd vocal diversions and some pop sensibilities merge with the acid, electro, breakbeat and other well-established tropes of his sound. It's the kind of record which could easily broach this quirky fringe operator of UK electronics to a broader fan base, and there's no doubt he's got the melodic, emotional heft on tracks like 'Versace 101624' to get everyone on board.

Review: It could not get much more late-1960s into early-1970s folk rock if it tried. Band name: Rainbird. Album title: Maiden Flight. General vibe: somewhere between a psychedelic ultraworld, late night blues basement and trip to a remote island to join an off-grid community. Painting quite a vivid picture there, admittedly, this 1971 rarity proves exactly why contemporary musicians can try to emulate this era but will never truly recreate it. Simply put, it's impossible to commit in the same way today. Rant and questionable point aside, Rainbird's uncovered gem is an epic masterpiece in no uncertain terms. From the wistful croonerdom of 'Stormdance (Part 1)' and its Wurlitzer powered chaotic seizure follow up l ('Stormdance (Part 2)'), to the lead guitar solo mastery of 'Man On the Mountain' and the quiet, reflective journeyman stuff on 'Sailboat', it manages to include every totem of this scene, without sounding cliched.

Review: As much as we all love vinyl, it's refreshing to see an artist who still wants to put out their music on CD, which is what we get here from Romare. His latest album Fantasy finds the widely admired artist take something of a new approach to his work. The man born Archie Fairhurst gets nice and abstract with his samples as he also layers in his own vocals and instrumentation. He has said the album was inspired by log walks and watching films doing lockdowns, and it shows. Hints of 70s fantasy cinema also features and his trademark off-kilter electronic rhythms and kinetic grooves also play a big part in making this one another winner.

Review: We all know and love Ron Trent as a house music maestro, but as his elevated productions have betrayed over the years, his chops reach well beyond the simple demands of functional club stuff. In line with his more eclectic output, What Do The Stars Say To You heralds his WARM project in a frankly stunning burst of musicality that harks back to the glory days of 70s and 80s studio prowess. This is still music driven by a groove, but it's certainly not a house by numbers affair. Instead you get soaring violin solos (from Jean Luc Ponty no less), infinte threads of nimble keys work and enough downtempo, slinky grooves to buffet a yacht from the Balearics to the Florida Keys and back again. Featuring members of Azymuth, Gigi Masin and Khruangbin amongst others, this is a return to the craft of exquisite album making, as handled by a true master in his field.

Review: Hip-hop supergroup Run The Jewels have looked back on their Run the Jewels 14 album and reworked it through a squarely Latin American lens. They have called upon artists from across the diaspora and in doing so spotlight a real wealth of talent for another superb album in this feel-good band's impeccable run. Oscar-winning Broadway megastar Lin-Manuel Miranda is one of the standouts in an album full of wild different and expressive sounds. This is certainly a collaborative free-for-all that is well worth hearing.