Rock / Indie / Folk / Metal / Punk / 50s / 60s Recommendations Best of 2017

Review: Sky Girl is the work of two noted (but arguably under-appreciated) crate diggers, DJ Sundae and Julien Dechery, and gathers together a veritable treasure trove of obscure material loosely connected by (in the label's own words) "the same longing sentiment". Its' fifteen tracks touch on a variety of hazy, down-tempo styles, and were recorded at various points between 1961 and '91. There's much to admire throughout, from the folksy psychedelic pop of The Rising Storm's "Frozen Laughter", and spoken word eccentricity of Scott Seskind's "I Remember", to the dreamy, eyes-closed ambience of Nini Raviolette & Hugo Weris' "Slow" and string-laden samba-folk of Nora Guthrie's "Home Before Dark".

Review: Emotional Rescue and Malka Tuti recognise their shared passion for globe-trotting sounds and team up to present this album from C Cat Trance, a project from John Rees Lewis who was formerly of post punkers Medium Medium. It's no surprise to learn that this was a project of the 1980s, as all the hallmarks are there. With the same outernational attitude that made the work of Eno, Hassell, Czukay, Wobble and scores more so alluring, this collection shines a light on a true gem of the era and provides a fresh pressing of some stone cold leftfield party groovers like "Shake The Mind".

Review: Six years ago, an iconic and emotional concert at Madison Square Gardens marked the end of LCD Soundsystem. The accompanying documentary 'Shut Up and Play The Hits' delved into frontman James Murphy's reasons for the decision, with self-examination, a need for change and a fear of old age playing a part. Fast forward to 2017, and the surprise release of three singles accompanying the announcement of a comeback album triggers anticipation and a sigh of relief from fans everywhere. 'American Dream' meets expectations and at times surpasses them, with the familiar driving disco rhythms, strutting funk basslines and heartfelt morning-after-the-night-before ballads feeling like a well-needed catch up with an old friend. The current musical, social and political climates provide Murphy with platforms for his self-effacing and acerbic witticisms. This strong return to form was needed now perhaps more than ever, but simultaneously feels like they never left in the first place.

Review: Treading an eclectic path through a twenty year career that's taken in everything from Detroit techno to vintage French ye-ye, from breakbeat-driven floor-fillers to krautrock epiphanies, David Holmes has made his name predominantly as an exemplary crate-digger and aesthete, whether soundtracking Steven Soderbergh movies or dishing our albums of his own. Thus, it comes as no surprise that this compilation - marking something of a personal journey for Holmes - is reflective of his status as an exemplary man of taste. Whether dispensing classics by the likes of David Crosby or Buddy Holly, unreleased original solo material or killer obscurities from everyone from modular synthesis cultist Keith Fullerton Whitman to Hollywood legend Jeff Bridges, this stylish nocturnal travelogue puts the listener resolutely in safe hands.

Review: The sadly departed Jaki Liebezeit was the kind of drummer whose influence will be continually recognised over the decades to come. Best known for his work in Can, there are also many more sides to this singular sticksman, and Emotional Rescue has chosen to shine a light on his post-Can period living in Stollwerck. On the A side of this 7" curio is the sound of Phantom Band with Linear Johnson & The Protons. "Rush Rush" has a spiky new wave bent to it, but still Liebezeit's drumming stands out. The B side "Drums Off Chaos" need little explanation - it's the sound of one of the all-time drumming greats letting rip in a ferocious blast of percussive abandon.

Review: Primarily known for their work in electronic and house music, Israeli duo Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi have always worked with a left-of-centre focus, an inclusive pulling together of disparate influence and patchwork sonics, framing everything with a largely club-ready sound. Throughout 'The Beach Goths', their roots and influences are audible all at once, retracing steps of post-punk, weird bleep, soundtrack, garage, psychedelia and more, skewed in such a way as to make this full-length simultaneously engaging, recognisable, and most of all - totally unusual and unique to them.

Review: Stephen Wilkinson has now made some seven albums under the auspices of Bibio, all the while notably avoiding any kind of genre restrictions in his pursuit of a unique and affecting style that somehow embraces glacial ambience, folk, jazz, reggae and '70s rock along its path. 'A Mineral Love', meanwhile, takes a nature-inclined theme and uses it to create a delicate and seductive record that is as engaging as it is stylistically elusive. At all times though, a flair for melody and texture prevails throughout these ditties, ultimately creating something not unlike an imaginary John Martyn as produced by Four Tet in 1982 - and as strange and beguiling as that sounds.

Review: That an album spends a relatively long time in gestation is not necessarily a bad thing, nor a mark of its quality. Fontan, the Swedish duo formed of Johan Melin and Jesper Jarold, released their second album 'Winterhwila' back in 2009. Their self-titled third full-length shows that its long period of development and perfection has benefitted it, and the band, greatly. Fontan is a record of widescreen psychedelic hypnotics, with lilts of space-age kraut-rock, ambient, hip-hop beats and cosmic disco with an impeccable kaleidoscopic backdrop of production. Overall, it's a pretty flawless album and undoubtedly one of the finest released this year.

Review: It's either regrettable or fascinating when an artist established in one genre reinterprets an album by an artist established in another. Thankfully, Norwegian producer Prins Thomas' versions of Swedish psychedelic group Dungen's 2016 album 'Haxan' falls into the latter category. The new revisions respectfully hold on to the progressive and psychedelic leanings of the original analogue tapes on which they are based, whilst expanding them into a richer, warmer and more spacious production. Though it's not quite the Nordic disco/house we would normally expect of Prins Thomas, his 'Haxan' versions prove to be a compelling listen and are ultimately testament to the producer's musical versatility.

Review: Far from his origins are a progenitor of chillwave and a man whose sound was synonymous with a certain kind of hazed-out and blissful abstraction, Chaz Bear has changed up his act considerably in the intervening in the years, embarding a funkier and fuller sound whilst also coming to the fore as a lead vocalist and personality. 'Boo Boo' is every bit as obsessed with the sounds and styles of the '80s as ever, yet the cherry-picking here goes above and beyond anything he's attempted before, embracing the limber lustiness of Prince once moment and the ashen-faced dirges of early Cure the next - yet crucially amidst this indie-RnB hybrid there's a seductive yearning that remains Bear's calling card and separates these moods and cadences from any other hipsterati troubadour on the block.

Review: Emotional Rescue and Malka Tuti serve up another round of top shelf remixes and revisions of John Rees Lewis' mid-late 80s project C Cat Trance, following in the wake of the Screaming Ghosts compilation. First up to bat are Red Axes, who bring a seductive line in loose and limber drumming to "Shake The Mind" that should suit the Fourth World dancefloor massive just fine. Jamie Paton brings a tough, clamouring intensity to "Take Me To The Beach," while Prins Thomas takes a truly spiritual approach when weaving the intricate arpeggios and percussion of "Sudaniyya." Khidja and Borusiade team up on "Simple Helen," presenting a dense and hazy trip into exotic territory with sinister undertones.