Back catalogue:

Review: Calm is a much loved and influential beat maker with a lush downtempo sound. The Japanese artist has serve up a number of classic 12"s and LPs and now the man born Fukagawa Kiyotaka is back with another one. Quiet Music Under The Moon (Japanese Edition) features his signature ambient sounds - slowly arching pads, sustained chords that are like musical meditations on a theme, all with the deftest of touch. The is a quiet album of late night contemplation and adult lullaby that would sooth even the busiest mind.

Review: Fukagawa Kiyotaka is the Japanese artist behind the Calm alias. He is a master of instrumental downtempo funk and soul, with lashings of Mediterranean and Balearic vibes in his lush and escapist sounds. He has put out many an album over the years and now Hell Yeah, a label he has recorded new material for recently, reissue one of his greats. Before takes a horizontal approach to disco and house with beautiful sax and synths, musical grooves and plenty of starry and sunny motifs.

Review: Uplifting trance is very much back in right now but before there a scene to revive, Nicholas Bracegirdle, a.k.a. Chicane, was one of the artists very much at the forefront of the first wave. Behind the Sun was his second studio album and it came back in March 2000 and truly secured his status as a worldwide star. The album gave rise to four hit singles 'Saltwater,' 'Don't Give Up,' 'No Ordinary Morning' / 'Halcyon, and 'Autumn Tactics. Both 'Saltwater' featuring Maire Brennan and 'Don't Give Up' achieved remarkable commercial success, topping the UK Dance Singles Chart and the latter in particular soared into the top ten on singles charts across Europe and North America. Pressed on 180 gram audiophile vinyl for this reissue, it is well worth copping.

Review: cLOUDDEAD's debut album, a compilation of six 10" EPs released between 2000 and 2001, remains a quintessential example of abstract hip-hop. This expansive 3xLP, characterised by its dense, enigmatic soundscapes and avant-garde lyrics, has profoundly influenced a range of sub-genres such as cloud rap, hauntology, and lo-fi hip-hop. The trioiWhy?, Doseone, and Odd Nosdamiemerged from Cincinnati's vibrant underground scene, marked by events like Scribble Jam, and later moved to the Bay Area, where they helped establish the Anticon collective. Despite their shift to the West Coast, their Midwestern origins continued to shape their sound, rooted in the eclectic and experimental spirit of their early days. As noted in Chris Martin's liner notes, cLOUDDEAD's music was a unique blend of idiosyncratic vision and audacious experimentation. Each EP in this collection offers a distinct auditory experience. Tracks like 'Apt. A' and 'And All You Can Do Is Laugh' are emblematic of their surreal style, combining nonsensical lyrics and unconventional production. Nosdam's production seamlessly transitions from ambient textures reminiscent of Flying Saucer Attack to gritty drum breaks and esoteric samples. Restored by Nosdam and accompanied by a poster, this edition of cLOUDDEAD's pioneering sound, is the ideal version to get.

Review: While it's a cliche to describe Balearic-minded releases as being "sun-soaked" and "sunset-ready", they're both descriptors that accurately reflect the gorgeously warm, melodious and laidback sound of Japanese outfit Coastlines. Their second self-titled album is every bit as inspired as its predecessor and offers a range of tracks built around layered, intricate instrumentation, gently shuffling rhythms and vivid daydreams about beachside walks in sunnier climes. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the Andreas Vollenweider-inspired slo-mo Latin shuffle of 'Tenderly', the blazed deep jazz-funk of 'Alicia', the piano-laden early morning wonder of 'Night Cruise' and the squelchy future boogie of 'Sky Island'. In a word: sumptuous!

Review: For a brief period in the early 1980s, Colored Music - the duo of Atsuo Fujimoto and Ichiko Hashimoto - burned brightly. They released one critically acclaimed album on Japanese avant-pop label Better Days before vanishing into obscurity. Individual Beauty draws together previously unheard of alternate versions of the duo's eponymous 1981 EP, unreleased tracks and a handful of archival solo productions. It's an eclectic and hugely enjoyable affair, with the Japanese duo flitting between experimental ambient soundscapes, heavy no-wave proto-techno ("Heartbeat (Unreleased Version)"), mutant funk ("We Are Only Dancing"), head-in-the-clouds hypnotism ("Ambient Discotheque") and more raucous, post-punk disco insanity (the decidedly crunchy "De To Ri Mi").

Review: Earlier in the year distinguished deep house and deep techno producer Kaoru Inoue dusted off his Chari Chari alias for the first time in four years and delivered We Hear The Last Decades Dreaming, a gorgeous (and essential) fusion of new age ambient, American minimalism, jazz and dusty downtempo grooves. On the back of that acclaimed release, HMV in Japan has decided to offer-up a first ever vinyl pressing of the Japanese great's 2002 album under the alias, In Time. A little bolder and more colourful in tone, the set sees Inoue and a variety of guest musicians brilliantly blur the boundaries between ambient, modern classical, gentle Latin beats, dub-flecked grooves, numerous exotic Asian musical styles, hazy Latin techno and the deepest house around.