Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Vrioon was the first ever collaboration album between Alva Noto and legendary synth man and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. 20 years after it became the first instalments of V.I.R.U.S.'s five records together it gets the full reissue treatment. The original tracks from the album are joined by an all new composition 'Landscape Skizze' which was laid down in 2005. The record is defined by alternate piano chords, lush electronic tones and quivering timbres that are delicate yet impactful.

Review: Since its initial release back in 2008, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto's fourth collaborative album, UTP, has become one of the pair's most celebrated full-length excursions. There's a good reason for that, too. Recorded with the Ensemble Modern string section, it presents an impeccable, atmospheric and otherworldly blend of electronic ambience, high-minded abstract experimentalism, and modern classical that benefits greatly from the presence of variations on multiple tracks - a creative decision that makes it sound like a cyclical, subtly evolving trip through minimalistic, Reichian movements. Astonishingly, this is the first time the album has ever been available on vinyl, so we'd expect copies to fly out. Pre-order now to avoid disappointment.

Review: Edits don't come any more legendary than these highly sought after (and barely/if-ever pressed) extensions from the veritable don that is Danny Krivit. Bringing the dance magic out of any record and fuelling our focus on the most essential element of the original's groove, each of these edits is a schooling in version science from the lavish emotions of his "Runaway" to the epic, DJ secret weapon percussion frenzy at the end of "Victorious". Essential.

Review: Hybrid Vigor is a privately pressed album from 1984 by the legendary Myles Davis and Ray Herrmann. It is an outlier that sits up there with fellow greats of its ilk such as the likes of David Byrne and Brian Eno's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts or Laurie Anderson's Big Science. It is inquisitive and enchanting, with clean melodies and gentle rhythms sinking you into a mindful state. Tunes like 'Romantic History' have inquisitive monologues stitched in next to the drum breaks and 'Break A Match' has gentle rock riffs next to new age ambiance. Lovely stuff.

Review: 'Dojo Cuts: Pieces' is a retrospective of the Australian funk and soul band's best works, harking all the way back to the six-piece's formation in 2009. Emphasising confidence, rhythmic tightness and unisons above all else, there are selections here ranging from their powerful debut album 'Take From Me' to their latest project 'Rome'. This is a project that flaunts what the band do best; expand outwards from the can't-go-wrong Atlantic/Stax Records template into something greater, not to mention adding a contemporary production sheen.

Review: David Holmes' first solo album since 2008's The Holy Pictures, Blind On A Galloping Horse now comes to Heavenly Recordings. A politically-charged LP full of sonic interrogations of political disaster and turmoil, Holmes here joins the cast of artists using their art to provide solace to music fans suffering at the hands of the Uncertainocene. With updated versions of the previously released singles 'Hope Is The Last Thing To Die' and 'It's Over If We Run Out Of Love', as well as a recording of an unreleased song by Holmes' late friend Andrew Weatherall, we're reminded of conflict, migration and othering, as all manner of voices combine to form a diverse but unified whole against a backdrop of leftfield post-punk - be they the spoken word accounts from Afghan and Ukrainian refugees now welcomed as residents in Belfast, or the French and Irish observers of the UK's turmoil of recent years.

Review: Venerable Japanese sax man Koichi Matsukaze has a scattered discography that reaches back to the 70s, but one of the true highlights of his accomplished career is the first he recorded with the Koichi Matsukaze Trio and Ryojiro Furusawa in 1976. BBE have been tapping into Matsukaze's archives for some time, and the incredibly rare and sought after At The Room 427 is in good hands with the jazz, funk and soul specialists. From the 20 minute epic 'Acoustic Chicken' to the short but oh-so-sweet vignette 'Theme Of Seikatsu Kojyo Iinkai', this is gold dust for dedicated jazz diggers.

Review: Way back in 1995, the late Susuma Yokota joined forces with Ray Castle, an Australian producer then based in Japan, for an album of 'tribal-ritual ambient' tracks as Mantaray. For whatever reason, the trippy, partially mixed patchwork of effects-laden percussion, mind-altering electronics, dreamy chords and mind-altering vocal samples was not released on vinyl first time round - hence this edition from archival release specialists Transmigration. It's a genuinely unique album that's alternately becalmed and unsettling, offering a psychedelic drift through hallucinatory, dawn-ready soundscapes that features plenty of subtle nods towards Japanese and Indigenous Australian musical culture. It's basically a slept-on 90s ambient classic, so this vinyl reissue is well worth picking up.

Review: Electronic icon Jeff Mills links up with fellow Detroit talent Rafael Leafar for this one on his own Axis, and it is yet another sublime exploration of the cosmos through the medium of techno. Leafar brings all his next level multi-instrumentalist skills and strong love of jazz to the duo and when combined with Mills' ability to speak through his machines, it makes for a unique record. The icy percussion rolls deep, taking you into another dimension each and every time while the noodling sax brings sombreness and soul. Big, splashy cymbals, dark chords and a real sense of mystery and intrigue keep you utterly locked throughout.

Review: Space Oddities (1972 - 1982) are the results of Frenchman Georges Achille Teperino aka Nino Nardini, fellow countryman Roger Roger and German Eddie Warner's collaborations over ten years at Ganaro recording studio. Given some underground recognition in the late nineties by the likes of Barry 7 of Add N to (X) (with his Connectors series) or UK electronica legend Luke Vibert, they can now add Alexis Le-Tan (Les Edits Du Golem) and Jess as devotees, who made the effort of compiling the release. As Born Bad stated quite succinctly, the trio used their "strange instruments to sketch out the beginnings of something that resembled the future of music. This collection presents some of the highlights from their light-hearted, electronic pop sessions."

Review: This is a new, short and seriously sweet album from Oh No - Madlib's bother - who is famed for being an innovator and mad talented when it comes to the art of sampling as well as rapping and beat making. He has a rich history of exploring a wide world of source material and here it is jazz funk great Roy Ayers in the spotlight. This superb instrumental collection deconstructs the work of iconic vibraphonist and is split into two halves each with its own vibe and all constructed from the early jazz-centric realm. Good Vibes is all about light and vibrant layers beaming in the sun and Bad Vibes is more dark and murky for angrier times.

Review: The latest of Radiohead's reissues is an utter avalanche of material. 'Kid A Mnesia' itself is an 'album mashup' between their two albums Kid A and Amnesia; both projects are remastered and released side-by-side on the same LP. It doesn't stop there: for the fanatics, there's an exclusive third disc, Kid Amnesiae, which contains formerly unheard material both recording sessions, as well as Kid Amnesiette, a cassette of B-sides. This ultra-deluxe edition is, decidedly, one for the ultra-fans. Besides the radical electronic fever dreams making up both projects, this version contains the never-before-heard song 'If You Say The Word' on the bonus CD. Remastered on vinyl and cut at half the speed of the original LP, it's an audiophile's banquet. Also watch out for the exclusive booklet of drawings that come with the special edition of this special edition.

Review: A quarter century old now, yet these art-rock giants and eternal malcontents seem as restless in their muse and motion as ever - still chronicling an increasingly complicated and strenuous age yet doing it with finesse, grace and innovation. The urgent, invigorating strains of single 'Burn the Witch' were no anomaly, and 'A Moon Shaped Pool' shows them shaking off the more insular tendencies of their last opus 'King Of Limbs' to engage and electrify in a way that they haven't truly managed for years - radiant, celestial ambience shares space here with impressive ire and emotional engagement, with these peerless experimentalists delivering a record that transcends both their own work and the vast majority of the musical landscape they survey.

Review: You can always count on Z Records to bring a deep-digging, dedicated approach to anything they put out, and that goes double for their flawless Under The Influence series. The 10th volume in the series sees them inviting the incredible Chicago-born DJ Rahaan to select some seriously headsy cuts from his collection, carefully cleaned up, de-clicked and remastered for the best listening experience. Given the nature of the series, don't expect the usual suspects, and instead savour the discovery of some of Rahaan's most treasured cuts, presented here on a double LP comp brimming with discoid magic.

Review: Ziad Rahbani is a Lebanese cultural icon. Born into a famous musical family, the renowned pianist and producer is also a playwright, as well as being one of the most important exponents of the Lebanese left-wing counterculture of the '70s. "Abu Ali" was recorded in Athens with a full orchestra and released as a limited run EP in his home country. Legend has it was only pressed at 500 units and hence its rarity The result is a fabulous New York-meets-Beyrouth disco. Wewantsounds presents the first-ever official vinyl reissue of Rahbani's mythical 1978 release on his label Zida Records.

Review: British duo Raime are back with the first album since 2012's brilliant Quarter Turns A Living Line and their signature style of dark ambience and haunting imaginary soundtracks which incorporate jungle, dub and post-punk influences into the mix also. The album is said to be largely influenced by their side project Moin which incorporates rock and metal influences too. According to Blackest Ever Black "the DNA of dub-techno, garage/grime and post-hardcore rock music spliced into sleek and predatory new forms." Highlights include the moody subtractive rock of "Dialling In, Falling Out", the dub and post punk crossover of "Dead Heat" and the brooding mood-lighting of "Cold Cain".

Review: The mighty Hospital Records is reissuing Green Graves, a classic album from Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement from back in 2016. It's an album that, as the title suggests, soundtracks a trip through the jungle with steamy pads and humid atmospheres, distant animal sounds and deep tribal rhythms. It's full of ambient and experimental mystery and intrigue, with suspenseful pads over barely-there skeletal drums that snake through the undergrowth on cuts like 'Red Protection Against Black Magic'. 'Nocturnal Anatomy' is darker and more dubby, hitting at the arrival of humans and their machines who come to destroy the forest.

Review: Two years on from the release of his critically acclaimed "Wallflower" album on Ninja Tune, Jordan Rakei returns with his most eagerly awaited set to date. Happily, it doesn't disappoint. Beginning with the electronic soul-pop brilliance of "Mad World", Rakei effortlessly flits between synth-laden hip-hop-soul ("Say Something"), slinky downtempo songs ("Mind's Eye"), 21st century disco-boogie anthems ("Rolling Into One"), slow-burn musical fusions (the military drums, Juju guitars and heartfelt vocals of "Oasis") and the kind of sumptuous, sun-kissed fare that defies easy categorization. With Rakei's sultry vocals taking centre stage throughout, "Origin" is a sparkling set that just gets better with every listen.

Review: Jordan Rakei is a real poster boy for the current neo-soul scene. New Zealand-born, Australia-raised artist is hugely popular here in his adopted homeland of the UK, not least because of how much great music he puts out at a regular rate. This is his fourth album in five years - third on Ninja Tune - and he's also turned out a lush entry into the Late Night Tales series. His soulful tones remain a delight on these tracks, which feature elements of dub, house, and dub as well as his aching vocals and fine songwriting. The mood is the most vulnerable yet as a result of things he learnt about himself during therapy over the last two years. Dive in deep.

Review: Man like Jordan Rakei has become a modern neo soul pin up. His solo releases - whether under this name or a more house leaning alias Dan Kyo - drip with sensuality. His buttery vocals always well matched with smoochy beats and deep grooves. To get a window into his music collection is mouthwatering indeed, and a Late Night Yales mix seems like the perfect opportunity to do so. As expect there are jazz moments, deeply soulful sounds, a few of his own exclusives and plenty of candle lit, tender, middle of the night moments of pure musical joy.

Review: 2014 was a tumultuous period for Polachek as she and her band grew apart; She wanted to create an aesthetic world, make the band dress better and invest in visuals. Needless to say, the 2010s indie band Chairlift wasn't entirely on board. Polachek was creatively parched and set about a production career, producing 'Arcadia' on her laptop whilst on tour using only MIDI instruments, laptop microphone and field recordings (like on the atmospheric 'Hissing Pipes at Dawn'). This period continued with Polachek beginning to perform in small venues in New York under different names, donning a blonde fringed wig and creating an expansive, yet quaint universe that would unquestionably influence the creating of her breakout solo debut 'Pang' 5 years later. Arcadia spans from ambient medieval-esque wind sections to zany strings that conjure up gusts billowing through green pastures with blue skies overhead. 'Dominic' has stood the test of time as the most popular of the tracks, a relationship that's a 'perfect disaster'. Highlights are the organ-led 'Backwards & Upwards' on purging infatuation, stepping backwards to move upwards as Polachek puts it, and 'Lady's Got Gills' with its whistles and what may be a blend of harp, yangqin and guzheng that backs a story of a woman contained. Arcadia is lo-fi cinematic, in a sentence, and a must listen to Polachek fans.

Review: Phoebe Guillemot's world-building as RAMZi has yielded us a plethora of exquisite albums since she first emerged in the tape-oriented scene around 2013. She's gone on to helm different projects, tour the world and generally blossom as a singular and gifted artist. After a string of self-released LPs, she's popped up on Music From Memory with one of her most refined works to date. Hyphea unmistakably belongs in the RAMZi-verse, full of the same mystical, softly shaped flora and fauna which makes her music so inviting, but there's also a sense of structure and purpose here which suggests she was honing her expressions - a natural progression for an artist who can make electronic music sound so very natural indeed.

Review: Under the now familiar Razmi alias, Phoebe Guillemot has spent the last decade carving a hard-to-pigeonhole musical niche that's all her own. While her music is always humid, heady, hallucinatory and intoxicating, it regularly draws on a dizzying array of styles. That consistent eclecticism is once again a major feature on Feu Fellets, her latest album-length excursion. Over the course of eight tracks, the Montreal native flits between Pat Metheny-meets-Steve Reich style Balearic brilliance ('Electric Counterpoint' inspired opener 'Risin'), dubbed-out mid-tempo chuggers ('Tien-Bon'), tropical breaks ('Zon Bien'), out-there bass music mutations (DJ Python hook-up 'Coucou Mon Ami', the two-step-fuelled psychedelia of 'Feu Foillets'), sparkling peak-time joyfulness ('Zombini'), and much more besides. In a word: essential!

Review: Tucked away on a private press release in the hidden corners of 70s Italian jazz, Enzo Randisi’s debut album has been rescued from obscurity and given the reissue it so richly deserves. The extensive ensemble playing on this album includes Randisi’s son Riccardo on Rhodes, Giuseppe Costa on bass, Enzo Palacardo on guitar and Franco Lota and Mimmo Cafiero on percussion, all serving as a backdrop to Randisi’s exquisite vibraphone. It’s a masterpiece of spiritual jazz cast in mysterious shades and sure to be cherished by any jazz aficionado, as confirmed by plaudits from such legends as Archie Shepp and Gil Evans.

Review: We are honored to release 'A Boy Alone', a double LP set from Manchester electronic music pioneer Eric Random. Best known for his early recordings for New Hormones and Les Disques du Crepuscule and collaborations with Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks), Cabaret Voltaire and Nico. As an original member of The Tiller Boys with Shelley, Random injected a healthy dose of Krautrock into the dour Manchester post-punk scene in 1978/79 before going solo the following year. Random's first 7" "Subliminal"/"23 Skidoo" was released in 1981 via Les Disques du Crepuscule and explored ominous sonic surrounds. That same year also saw the release of a second 7" single on New Hormones, "Dow Chemical Company"/ "Skin Deep". Both tracks offered bubbling, rhythmic sound patterns, and were the first to feature other musicians that would become know as The Bedlamites. Consisting of Lynn Walton on vocals, Ian Runacres and Andy Diagram of Dislocation Dance, and bassist Wayne Worm, aka Wayne Sedgeman. Their debut 12" single "Subliminal Seduction"/"Bedlam-a-Go-Go" was released in 1982 through Plurex, mixing arid funk textures and sparse melodies. That same year the group contributed proto chill-out track "6.55" to Plurex compilation 'Hours' and the highly filmic track "In Cassette Conference" to the Touch cassette package 'Feature Mist'. In 1983, Random spent several months in the Himalayas with a group of musicians from the Kulu Valley and studied non-Western instruments such as tabla. On returning to Manchester, Random convened a new group of Belamites including Walton, Sedgeman and drummer Graham Dowdall aka Dids of Ludus. They released the 12" single "Mad As Mankind"/"Dream Web Of Maya" in 1984 on Cabaret Voltaire's Doublevision, embracing electronic, industrial and dub styles. In 1985 they contributed the soothing "Pure Power" to Food Records' "Imminent Episode One" compilation. Our reissue also includes 4 unreleased bonus tracks from Eric's archives recorded between 1981-1984. The whole set adds up to 115 minutes of sinister, somnambulant Random music. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Each copy is housed in a gatefold jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring a spread of ephemera, photos with liner notes by James Nice of LTM.

Review: It can't ever be overstated what Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison did in founding Tribe as a community enterprise and record label in Detroit in the 70s. The musical legacy speaks for itself and both players continue to inspire and uplift their communities while evolving as ever-inspired musicians. The Jazz Is Dead series has been invaluable in bringing some true greats of jazz through to work with Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Adrian Younge on new compositions, and so it goes on this incendiary 16th volume - one for the new wave of jazz fans and old heads alike to get into.

Review: Wendell Harrison and Phil Raneli's Message From The Tribe is regarded by those who know as an untouchable example of spiritual jazz. The Tribe label - run of course by the pair themselves - it came on was also one of the great of its era in the 1970s. Here the album has been remixed from the OG master tapes, all under the watchful eye of its creators, then lacquered by Bernie Grundman. It is an expansive and indulgent record that includes a vast booklet that takes us through the history of the label and touches on the story of Black American empowerment.