All genres charts

Review: Having previously worked with SBTRKT, Kanye West, Drake, Jesse Ware and Frank Ocean, amongst others, Sampha is no newcomer. This, though, is the British singer, songwriter and producer's debut album, and it's something of an understated gem. One particularly enthusiastic reviewer called it "an R&B album for the ages"; while that may be pushing it a bit, there's no denying that Process is an impressive collection of tracks. The beats are inventive, the electronics crisp, the samples carefully chosen, and the musical touches pitched just right. At the centre of it all stands Sampha, delivering thoughtful, heartfelt and sometimes poignant lyrics in his wonderfully evocative voice.

Review: Originally released digitally in 2013, Pink collated a series of 12" releases from Kieran Hebden issued over an 18 month period on his Text label. Hebden and record club and subscription service Vinyl Me, Please have teamed up to give Pink a double vinyl release for any Four Tet fans that weren't quick enough to nab those 12"s at the time. There is plenty of classic Four Tet to be had here too. "Jupiters" experiments with swung garage beats in an unmistakably UK Bass style, while "128 Harps" is a whipcrack MPC workout given his light melodic touch and "Peace On Earth" is a beatless 11 minutes of analogue kosmische. But it's the centrepiece of Hebden's Fabriclive mix, the brilliantly moody "Pyramid", and the loose limbed jazz-house of "Pinnacles" that really set this album apart from his other long-playing efforts, two examples of timeless dance music which demonstrate why after nearly 15 years in the game Hebden is only improving with age.

Review: LOIF does a fine job of exploring a wide range of genres on this new EP for fast-rising Aussie label Animalia. Elements of techno, electro, bass, breaks and psychedelia are all melted together in the murky underwater world of this Melbourne producer. His tunes are a stylish mix of grooves that make you move and sonic details that intrigue as they drift by - they have the quality of alien life forms or bacteria that glow and scuttle about. Sometimes a weird vocals sample bleeds into ear short, at others it's purely abstract techno rhythms. Either way, this is fresh.

Review: By now, it should be more than well-known that Joe-Armon Jones and Maxwell Owin are two of UK's jazz's most prominent and deserving fixtures, with the former having made a name for himself as part of outfits like Ezra Collective, and the latter for his unique blend of jazz and future garage. Together, they have an unmatched synergy; not staying too rooted in the potential quagmire of jazz alone, Archetype is a critical exploration of genre, as both Armon-Jones and Owin segue through explorations of their favourite non-jazz genres (dub, funk, garage, hip-hop) as "archetypes", paying homage to their infleunce on the music they make now. Guest features from Mala, Fatima, Lex Amor and O The Ghost cement this notion of tribute and versatility, making for a serene and virtuosic albu that best falls under the category of "jazzifyer".

Review: Hyperdub kick off the vinyl side to their ten-year celebrations with this weighty four-tracker from some of the leading lights from the label's story. Mala is in a strident mood with "Expected, Level 10" carrying through that extra touch of melody from the Mala In Cuba LP. DVA cuts loose with the leftfield scattershot groove of "Technical Difficulties", reveling in tonal experimentation and jagged rhythmic flair to a stunning end. Still locked into the sci-fi trap tangent that characterised Severant, Kuedo turns out the haunting "Mtzpn" and Helix pops up for a remix of Kode9's "Xingfu Lu" that strips down to bare essentials with a little starlit soul rubbed into the framework.

Review: Of all the artists past and present who claim to let their music do their talking for them, Burial is one of the elite band of whom this truly is the case. In fact, so reluctant is he to engage with the cult-of-personality hoopla that surrounds almost every modern producer and musician of merit, that he remains a genuine recluse; he has never appeared live, only one obliquely-angled publicity photograph is known to exist, and the number of interviews he has given can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yet despite this, his music speaks loud and wide, and the world has been listening ever since his 'South London Boroughs' EP debut on Hyperdub in March 2005. His eponymous album, which began life as a low-key release in May 2006, is now widely regarded as the benchmark release of the ever-widening dubstep genre, picking up unanimous critical acclaim along the way, and ending the year heavily featured in many 'best of' polls. Now Burial returns with 'Untrue', a new record of weird soul music, which lovingly processes spectral female voices into vaporised R&B and smudged 2step garage. Vocal lines are blurred, smeared, pitched up pitched down and pitch bent until their content is cast adrift from their original context and they whisper their saccharin sweet nothings into the void. The album continues with the debut's crackle-drenched yearning and bustling syncopations, haunted by the ghosts of rave, but also reveals some new Burial treats with a more glowing, upbeat energy. Kicking off with the skittering 2step syncopations and vocal science of 'Archangel', 'Near Dark' and 'Ghost Hardware', before long it descends into a space of radiant divas and ambience. Where 'Burial' first was humid, suffocating and unrelentingly sad, 'Untrue' is less sunless. Many of the tracks are so sweet, they become toxic, underscored by the almost geological rumbles of growling basslines. Unlike the overpoweringly melancholic prevailing mood of before, Burial's sound is now better defined as a downcast euphoria typified by the epic, muted optimism of the album's last track 'Raver'. Forget central heating the radioactivity of this album is all that you'll need to keep you warm this winter. 'Untrue' is available as full 13 track digipack CD, including recent underground hit 'Ghost Hardware', and 9 track DJ friendly double vinyl set, from which some of the beatless pieces have been edited.

Review: Well Street continue to offer up some of the most inventive gear on techno's multi-faceted outer limits, this time welcoming South London's Kincaid to the table. There's certainly a vaguely defined style around the label now, and Kincaid fits right in with a dexterous line in rhythmic programming and hi-def sound design, but like all the other artists he's got plenty of individual personality as well. 'OOO' quivers and surges with a braindance demeanour, while 'Nothing Is' deals in a swampy, dislocated kind of soundsystem music. This is dense, brilliantly rendered club music for those who require the freshest of the fresh ideas.

Review: 
After his surprise drop with music writer and producer Blackdown on the Keysound label last month, the enigmatic Burial is now back with a fresh new EP all of his own. It comes on his longtime home of Hyperdub and features two more of his deft designed, ghostly deep dubstep post-nightbus joints. 'Chemz' is a strict raver filled with rushed up sounds, plenty of dance floor love and big hooks that is many different tracks, moods and vibes all rolled into one. As always, these Burial sounds look back to go forwards and do so in thrilling fashion.

Review: Given that Four Tet's recent 0181 LP was comprised of material from Kieran Hebden's archives, and last year's Pink was largely compiled of tracks from the previous 18 months of 12" releases, it seems fair to say that Beautiful Rewind is his first proper album since 2010's There Is Love In You, and as such, it arrives with some degree of expectation. The past few years have seen the producer engage increasingly with the dancefloor, and these rhythms are most definitely present across the LP, particularly in the jungle breaks of "Kool FM", pirate radio-influenced techno of "Buchla" and hesitant dubstep style rhythms of "Parallel Jalebi". For the most part however Beautiful Rewind is as varied as the likes of Rounds and There Is Love In You, with the minimalist kosmische of "Ba Teaches Yoga", analogue gurgles of "Crush" and dawn chorus sounds of closer "Your Body Feels" all as beautiful as his most enduring tracks.

Review: In a fit of complex hybrid future funk, Second Storey and Appleblim consolidate their first three EPs for R&S into a long player that shows the full breadth of their sound in glorious technicolour. It's a thrilling world full of contorting shapes, glossy melodies and large doses of psychoactive fairy tale ingredients, with a gutsy techno heart pulsing away at the centre. Hearing all the tracks in one sitting gives a worthwhile context to the artists vision as they contort in and amongst each other, while new piece "Arpegmonger" opens the album in utterly glorious fashion. Craftily blending the notion of home-listening music and dancefloor madness, ALSO will have you twitching wherever it infects you.

Review: Given the hype that surrounded the release of the first Moderat set back in 2009, we can surely expect more of the same for this second outing from Apparat and Modeselektor. Those familiar with the first album's woozy blend of IDM, Thom Yorke indebted vocal dreaminess, porchlight techno and post-dubstep rhythms will immediately feel right at home. Online reviews have focused largely on II's atmospheric warmth, and the way in which the Berlin-based trio seems to have refined their sound. Both are valid critiques; certainly, there's a maturity and musical complexity to the album that betters much of their previous works. It's not much of a dancefloor set, but that's entirely the point; this is locked-in headphone listening for the wide-eyed generation.

Review: We've been waiting for this one for what feels like an eternity. Since his self-titled debut in 2012 Flume has gone from beat-digger's delight to global sensation who has influenced producers in all walks of sounds from hip-hop to D&B. Mercifully Skin delivers and exceeds expectations: from the gritty wonks of "Wall Fuck" and "16.3" to the airwave-ready songwriting of "Never Be Like You" and "Say It" by way of the introspective, fathomless electronic textures of tracks such as "When Everything Was New" and "Like Water", Harley has taken care to explore his widest influences and references points while treading the balance between retaining his signature but not repeating himself.

Review: Is there any artist in electronic music that releases as little music yet remains as highly revered as Burial? We can't think of any. As it happens, this new Streetlands EP is actually the hallowed UK producer's second outing of 2022 after the ambient offering Antidawn back in January. As always it finds him back on Kode9's Hyperdub label. 'Hospital Chapel' is eerie atmosphere and lo-fi samples, 'Streelands' is another sparse ambient cut that is full of melancholy and 'Exokind' is the soundtrack of a faraway planet with distant solar winds and only the smallest of microbial activities for you to tune into before a signature angelic vocal brings the beauty.

Review: It almost seems redundant, writing something about the latest fabric Originals release. If you could think of a more enticing double-header for fans of bass, Leftfield techno, and UK-hued alternative electronic music then we want to hear it, with both producers here moving well beyond cult status and into the world of households names in homes well beyond their original audiences. And yet, remarkably, neither have strayed too far from where they initially set stalls. Hyperdub boss Kode 9 proves this first, with the sightly dizzying 'Infirmary'. Born from a combination of loose, open, galloping UKF and organic techno, with its foundations rooted in footwork, it's a bounding high-energy body mover that refuses to quit. Flip it and find Burial edging closer to 'dance music' than many might be used to, although it's a deep, moody interpretation packed with the spellbinding vocal flourishes of a mutant garage and suppressed, fidgety drums so subtle they're close to background noise.

Review: Those interested in the roots of UK bass music have been well-served of late, with a number of books and compilations focusing on the first wave of British dance music in the late 80s and early 90s. Soul Jazz's latest compilation is a superb addition to this growing list. It showcases music made in the post-bleep and early breakbeat hardcore period, where basslines got bigger, drum breaks faster, and ragga influences started to come to the fore. The selections are on-point throughout from the dub-wise rave rush of Babylon Timewarp's "Durban Poison" and the bleep-and-breaks-meets-proto-jungle shuffle of DJ Dubplate's "Tings A Go On", to the rave-rap goodness of The Freaky's "Time & Age" and the heavily edited darkcore/early jungle insanity that is Krome & Time's terrific "Ganja Man". In a word: essential.

Review: British producer Burland and Ghanaian vocalist Zongo Abongo join forces here for UK to GH, a new collaboration that collides the respective backgrounds of each artist. Reggae, highlife, dancehall, UK bass and rave all meet in a world of fresh rhythm and melodic invention. 'Telephone No Wire' opens with a feel-good highlife sound on a 2-step beat with vocalist Adotey Johnson in fine form. 'Nyura' heads to the club with weighty bottom ends and enchanting melodies then things get darker on the flip with 'Try To Test' exploring another take on 2-step with hints of UKG and grime overlaid with catchy vocal hooks. 'Last Chance' pairs dancehall vocals with downtempo breaks for a superb conclusion.

Review: London-based artist Forest Drive West lands on superb Munich label Ilian Tape here with a new hand-stamped 12". He is someone who has mastered hi-fidelity minima bass music over the last few years, mostly on Livity Sound. This time out he offers four more of his intricate and masterfully designs cuts across two sides of vinyl as part of the ITX Series. As always there is a perfect balance between light and dark, physical groove and emotive synth work that pulls you in deep to his unique musical world. Do not sleep on this one.

Review: The latest drop in the Mysticisms Dubplate series welcomes back Persian for another round of reggae-inspired electronics. Once again the artist draws from across a spectrum of bass, digidub and breaks and also throws some jungle into the melting pot. Opener 'Survival Dub' is powered by classic breakbeats and great mic work that is sure to liven up any party. 'Smoke Mari' then slows it down to a fat dub with a vocal sample from a well-known smoker's anthem with plenty of mind-melting effects and stepping rhythms. On the flipside is 'There Is No Love' with a prime junglist drop and last of all comes 'Zatoichi's Troubles' which has devastating bass.

Review: DJ Crisps is starting to make some handy garage moves after a couple of various artists' appearances and a fine EP on Time Is Now Germany in July. Now they link up with Oldboy who appeared on Burnski's other label Vivid back in 2022. As you should expect these are four hardcore and rudely garage cuts with plenty of swagger, naughty samples and bass-face potential. 'On My Way' is the standout with its shuffling one-two drum punch, distant police sirens and warped basslines underneath a timeless and irresistible female vocal full of soul. A summer scorcher for sure alongside three more very useful weapons.

Review: Hornsey Hardcore is but one outlet for the prolific cult legend Jerome Hill, but at least you know exactly what you're going to get from these records. Bringing the breakthrough sounds of 1992-1994 into the modern age, Hill manages to maintain the clattering roughness of the OG material while adding in the benefit of modern mixing to make these tracks smack you upside the head in ways the old stuff can only dream of. Just drop in on the manic roll of 'Asylum' and you'll hear all you need to as the off key orchestra stabs and 'Bombscare' break create a five-minute pile-up with enough samples about insanity send a suitably grubby rave into sheer bedlam.

Review: Shadow Child and Mark Archer are two titans of the UK underground who have also very much made their mark on the world stage, though with quite different sounds. Here they find some sweet middle ground with a fierce new three tracker on Food Music. It opens up with the throwback rave energy and belting diva vocals of 'I Know U' and gets even bigger with 'Chinwah (Big DJs)', a cantering big room house cut with throwback stabs. The best of the lot is saved for last when 'I Know U' (Swankout Ready 2 Rave mix) erupts on waves of flappy drums and rich rave synths.

Review: Exit Records has already very much made sure of its permanent place in the history of contemporary electronic music but now it cements that by achieving a rare milestone: EXIT 100. It marks the occasion of its centenary release with "a celebration of innovation and creativity," which is nothing less than you would expect from this always forward-looking bass label. The four-part series is packed with gems and this second installment has ice-cold, late-night rollers, dreamy broken beat bliss-outs, mechanical and minimal rhythms and stripped-back steppers.

Review: Four years after his acclaimed Brame long player, Julien Chastagnol aka Ruby My Dear returns with his fourth album, A dada. It is another experimental sound world that is a joyous yet intricate fusion of drill 'n' bass and IDM, akin to what the artist himself says is "a breakcore lullaby." Across all four sides of wax, he goes in hard on the breakbeats and tightly programmed drums, with layers of scuzzy heavy metal sounds, looped and warped vocals and mind-melting synths that fizz and spin, explode and impulse on a constant basis to leave you feeling exhausted mentally and physically.

Review: Euphoric breakbeat hardcore of the fourth kind from Pillz, the bespoke rave label and expert belt-notchers of unknown artistry on 12". This edition brings 'I Can Feel It', which provides instant-classic countdowns and descending orchestral stabs aplenty; and 'Buzzing', which revolves around a central Kym Mazelle house sample and unfurls alongside it as an FM stab-laden, boomwhacking, redlining hurtler of speed-limit-flouting proportions.

Review: We're back in that electrifying breakthrough breakbeat period courtesy of Amen Brother to revisit the sound of the mighty DJ Pooch. This latest volume brings you more of those ruff 'n' tuff crossovers between early hardcore, jungle techno and more besides, beefed up to swing it with the best of them in the modern era. You might well recognise one or two of the samples flying around in 'Mind, Body & Soul (Remix)', while 'Rush On Me' has its own iconic hooks alongside some deadly, skull-crushing breakbeat pressure. 'I Need U' is a vintage, bleepy workout of the highest calibre and 'Hypnotising' finishes the record off in chilling old-skool style. Essential gear for rave veterans and revivalists alike.

Review: Breakbeat brederen unite for another sermon at the altar of Dawl who brings the chaos to this new 12", Slice & Dice. The title track kicks off with some mad old school scratching before fresh breaks bounce along and a ragged bassline joins in the fun. 'Let's Go For A Ride is another percussive workout with snares and toms all flapping away at high speed and 'Sonic Boom' keeps up the madness with slick, high-speed beats and corrugated bassline. Last but not least, 'Ready To Go' completes the picture with another fresh collision of breaks and scratching.

Review: Vinyl Fanatiks latest deep dive into British dance music's rave-era past takes us back to 1993 and an early EP from Dave 'Aquasky' Wallace under the Rave Doctor alias. All four tracks were originally released - minus titles - on Stu J's influential Adrenalin Records imprint via the 'I' EP, which in recent years has become something of an in-demand item amongst collectors. Now fully remastered, the tracks sound as rushing and energetic as ever, with Wallace flitting between sub-heavy 4/4 breakbeat hardcore (the thumping 'Live With The Hardcore'), blistering breakbeat hardcore ('Shake Your Rump', which features a typical-for-the-period chords-and-sped-up-vocals breakdown), proto-jungle insanity from the 'jungle-tekno' period ('Annihilating Rhythm') and an 'Apache' break-driven slab of sub-heavy breathlessness ('Ruff In The Jungle', with its jangling pianos and hands-aloft approach).

Review: Multidisciplinary artist Fatima Al Qadiri aligns with Hyperdub to release Asiatisch, a keenly anticipated debut album that's described as a "simulated road trip through an imagined China". First coming to prominence on the UNO label in 2011, Al Qadiri has subsequently provoked critical acclaim for the 2012 Desert Strike EP for Fade To Mind that played on her time spent living in Kuwait as a child, while her work under the Ayshay moniker for Tri Angle explored vocals in a unique manner. Asiatisch expands on the political themes of Desert Strike in a new and unexpected way, and acts as a homage to the style of grime known as "sinogrime". Asian motifs and melodies are prominent throughout whilst conceptually Al Qadiri runs through "the fantasies of east Asia as refracted through pulpy Western pop culture". If that wasn't enough to sell you on the concept, opening track "Shanzhai" is a "nonsensical Mandarin" language cover of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U".