Back catalogue: All genres

Review: You had us at Sakamoto. Or rather you had us at "excerpts from Ryuichi Sakamoto's time working under Nippon Colombia's label, Better Days. First released in 1992, this 12-track compilation runs from tracks that appeared on the Japanese synth legend's debut album, Thousand Knives, first released in 1978, through to songs written with the iconic session group KYLYN, featuring celebrated guitar great Kazumi Watanabe. Ever the auteur, even if you didn't know this was Sakamoto in proper landmark mode, there's no chance the sounds here could really be confused for anyone or anything else. It's mature and intelligent, yet strangely - and typically - fun, childlike and a little cartoonish, sharing as much in common with experimental electronica that was emerging during the 1970s and 1980s as video game scores from the 1990s.

Review: This 1988 classic is the second full-length album from Chicago pop-punk pioneers Screeching Weasel. The album's quirky title references a phrase coined by friend Matt Carlson, who also inspired the band's name. Marking their first release on the Roadkill label which the band helped establish itself, the record is credited with shaping the future of pop-punk and skate-punk and for blending sharp humour with a melodic edge. This limited edition includes one black LP and one green LP featuring a bonus Live 88 set, an eight-page booklet with an in-depth interview with Ben Weasel, all packaged in a striking gold gatefold sleeve.

Review: Back to 2022! Seba reissues his third album Ingaro on this beautifully presented and precision-pressed yellow vinyl box set. With four 12"s, all 10 cuts get generous wax space and sound amazing as a result. Especially highlights such as the Spirit-like super charge of 'Sequence 5', the cosmic jungle thrust of 'Outer Worlds', the powerful and provocative 'Thoughts Run Free' with Rupture legend and killer MC Blackeye. And that's just for starters; the Bjorn Berglund-collaborated and Samuel Lancine-fronted downtempo cut 'Diamonds' is a sense-arresting moment and the dreamy finale 'Progression'. Seba, we salute you.

Review: Secret Garden is the Norwegian-Irish duo of Rolf Lovland and violinist Fionnuala Sherry and here they celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic debut, Songs from a Secret Garden. First released in 1995, the album won over global audiences with its blend of classical and folk, laced with Celtic and Norwegian emotion and some subtle new age undertones. It features the Eurovision-winning track 'Nocturne', which helped launch the duo into international acclaim. Elsewhere, there are whimsical melodies, ancient flutes, Lord of the Rings style Middle Age soundscapes, heartfelt emotions and plenty of clean, serene and timeless sounds that still offer great catharsis three decades on.

Review: French touch has been one of the cornerstones of the European house scene for decades. It's a singular sound with lots of filters, fuzzy funk and feel good house grooves that were pioneered by the likes of Bob Sinclar, Daft Punk and Alan Braxe. This new collection cerebrates the genre from 1994 onwards with Sinclar featuring alongside the likes of Cute B, Salome De Bahia, Reminiscence Quartet and many more. It's a colourful and vibrant three-box set that will bring inescapably good vibes to any party. Must cop.

Review: Working in partnership with Light in the Attic and curated by Grammy-nominated producer, DJ and journalist Kevin Howes this wonderful new collection chronicles a vital musical migration: in late-1960s Toronto, Caribbean immigrants infused the city with ska, rocksteady and reggae and recorded some of the era's toughest tracks. Originators from Studio One, Treasure Isle and Trojan Records all united and broke racial and cultural barriers to build an influential yet under-appreciated Canadian reggae scene that is now showcased with a 20-page booklet with archival images, artist bios and essays on this double vinyl set.

Review: Carl Marshall's musical journey spans over 30 years, but his popularity has surged in recent times. Raised in the vibrant music scene of New Orleans, Louisiana, Marshall played guitar in Sam & the Soul Machine, which was a group featuring talents like Aaron Neville and Cyril Neville. In 1976, he debuted with Movin' On under the name Soul Dog and it included the proto-rap track 'Soul Dog' delivered in a trucker's MC style. Beyond performing, Carl worked as a radio personality at Kiss 104.1 in Meridian, Mississippi and his enduring dedication has cemented his legacy in the world of soul and funk, as has this wonderful showcase of his sound.

Review: Since debuting at the tail end of the 1990s, Frank Timm's Sound Stream project has provided us with some of the most memorable and impactful disco-house loop jams around. It's been five years since Timm's last outing under the alias though, making this expansive triple-pack of club cuts a genuinely notable release. Typically, it's a special collection of cuts too, with highlights including the sun-splashed gorgeousness of title track 'Disco Fantasy', the stripped-back drum machine jam 'Who Ist Die Eins', the suspenseful, tease-and-release brilliance of 'Give Me A C', the deep disco-house hypnotism of 'Off The Rack', the funky bassline-driven headiness of 'Just Stop It' and the string-drenched excitement of 'Pussycat Pool'.

Review: A recent search through the Red Records archive uncovered two quarter-inch tapes, originally thought to be blank. To everyone involved's surprise, each reel held a previously unknown track by the cult jazz group Sphere. This find is remarkable for those who know as Sphere's official recording catalogue is notably sparse and in fact is limited to just two Elektra Musician releases and two Red Records live recordings. This discovery adds valuable depth to the legacy of a group with few official recordings and brings new weight to their influential contributions to jazz.

Review: Following two sold out farewell shows at the Scotiabank Arena in their hometown of Toronto at the end of January 2025, Canadian early 2000s pop punk megastars Sum 41 have bowed out gracefully upon their own terms. With that sombre farewell in mind, what better time to repress and revisit their surprisingly dynamic back catalogue of records, including 2007's much underrated Underclass Hero? Their fourth full-length (or possibly fifth, as many fans still often debate whether 2000's Half Hour Of Power can be considered their debut album) marked the first of two consecutive projects without founding lead guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, who would amicably depart to focus solely on his Brown Brigade solo-work. Following up the thrash-metal indebted mature left turn that was 2004's Chuck, which truly began to take shape on 2002's snarling The Offspring-worshipping grunge-punk career height Does This Look Infected?; losing their highly skilled axeman known for his juxtaposition of face-melting guitar solos next to anthemic hooks, led to somewhat of a revert to the more familiar pop-punk joviality of their earlier work, yet bolstered by more seasoned songwriting chops. Utilising an extensive array of acoustic guitars, synthesisers and a more expansive sonic scope to make up for their whittled down line up, the material has often been compared to that of Green Day's high-concept theatrical opus American Idiot or My Chemical Romance's even bolder The Black Parade. At a hefty (by punk standards) 52 minutes, this was the band's lengthiest LP to date, boasting some of their most dynamic and heartfelt cuts such as the triumphant opening title-track as well as the emo-tinged skate-punk longtime fan favourite 'Walking Disaster', culminating in a (now) near two-decade old pop punk rock opera. A bold swing for the fences in search of new direction, the Underclass Hero deserves your sincere reappraisal.