Back catalogue:

Review: Whitney Johnson and Lia Kohl's debut album has evolved over several years. Its roots lay in their shared practice of free improvisation on viola and cello and flourished into a unique neophonic orchestral expression. That makes For Translucence both stimulating and soothing - a very alive form of musical meditation where layers of acoustic strings, wispy synths, evocative field recordings and radio and sine waves intertwine and grow while mesmerising you even more. Though always moving and shapeshifting the effect is cathartic as a fine balance is struck between experimentation and cohesion and the organic and the electronic.

Review: Sean Johnston's A Love From Outer Space is a masterclass in mood and restraint. Over two LPs, it captures the ethos of Johnston's club night, favouring steady, low-slung rhythms and cosmic textures over high-energy peaks. The tracks are sequenced with care, creating a meditative flow that rewards deep listening. This is dance music for introspection, where each layer reveals itself slowly, embodying a philosophy that values depth and subtlety.

Review: Sean Johnston curates a compilation that feels as much like a love letter to a bygone era of cosmic and chugging dance music as it does a blueprint for the future. Across this translucent red vinyl double LP, he assembles a narrative that stretches from the dub-tinged grooves of Weatherall-inspired rhythms to rich, enveloping basslines rooted in the darker corners of the dancefloor. These selections capture the ethos of A Love From Outer Spaceinot a style, but a sensibility, where tempo slows and subtlety reigns. Rather than overwhelm, the tracks reveal their power gradually, layering textures and grooves with a painterly touch.

Review: Grace Jones' fifth studio album, released on 11 May 1981, this album highlighted a legendary reinvention for the artist, moving her nearer towards the global fame that she's enjoyed for subsequent decades since. A sonic melting pot that blurred the lines between genres while retaining an air of effortless cool, it fuses of reggae's rolling basslines, the tight precision of new wave, the slick production of synth-pop and the ghost of disco's past. What made Nightclubbing particularly special was the way Jones fully embodied the musicinot merely performing songs but inhabiting them with an almost cinematic presence. Her deadpan delivery on 'Walking in the Rain' oozes detached swagger, while on 'Use Me', she turns Bill Withers' plea into an anthem of raw, unfiltered sensuality. The icy menace of 'Demolition Man' feels tailor-made for her, making The Police's later rendition seem comparatively tame. The reimagining of Piazzolla's 'Libertango' as 'I've Seen That Face Before' further demonstrated her ability to transform existing material into something wholly unique, haunting and hypnotic in equal measure. Sly & Robbie's rhythm section, along with Wally Badarou's textural synths, gave Nightclubbing an unmistakable grooveione that would be endlessly referenced by artists in the coming decades. From Massive Attack's trip-hop atmospherics to the sleek funk of LCD Soundsystem, the album's DNA is all over contemporary music.

Review: Poet, novelist and musician Anthony Joseph shares his latest Afrofuturist opus; a seven-track album of defiant, zooming, return-to-source music, comprising arched spoken word, broken/Afrobeat and soul jazz. Built mainly around the core triad that is 'Tony', 'A Tuba For Janet' and 'Churches Of Sound', this LP has the pull and gravitas of a classic album about it; it channels the fluvial, downstream consequences of historic exploitation and erasure, mixed in with a revolutionary lyrical spirit, charged with the hard-treaded grace of dub and Pan-African funk. Described as an Afrofuturist poem by Joseph, there is talk of genealogy, secret languages and wizardry: our fave has to be 'A Juba For Janet', a dub narrative constructed around the titular Miss Janet.

Review: Juice WRLD's posthumous album is a powerful continuation of the late rapper's unique style in that it mixes up introspective lyrics with emotive melodies and raw tap beats. The Party Never Ends delivers a mix of emo rap and melodic hooks that are all aden with the American star's signature vulnerability. Tracks like 'Misfit' and 'Party By Myself' dive into themes of love, loss and mental health, all of which resonate deeply with fans. The production is atmospheric and immersive with smooth transitions between songs and though the album captures Juice's raw energy and emotional depth, it also serves as a poignant reminder of the talent lost too soon.

Review: Multi-instrumentalist Jimi Jules got plenty of acclaim, and rightly so, for this 2022 album, which now sees a reissue on coloured vinyl. Executively produced by Innervisison label head Dixon, the album includes some of the most hammered tracks of the year it was released in - see 'My City's On Fire,' the superb 'Der Aufstand,' the dancefloor hit 'Burning' and 'Clinomania,' featuring Joy Tyson and renowned drummer Nathan Curran who has worked with the likes of Lily Allen and even Elton John. It's a melodically rich album that works at home as well as in the club and the album's artwork is designed by none other than the legendary Trevor 'Underdog' Jackson.

Review: We don't half love a bit of Steven Julien, the artist formally known as Funkineven. And this new EP arrives just at the right time as the days brighten, the sun heats up and cruising day-time funk, house and boogie blends are all you want to pump out of your retro 3 series with the top down. 'Time' has distinctly 80s flavours with its bright chords and beats, 'Ultra' is more heavy with a contemporary rap/trap edge and 'Up' is a raw house cut with swinging kicks. 'Wraap't' is another crunchy and loved-up 80s street soul sound then 'Lil'bit' and 'Ballad' close out with more neon pads and retro-future melodic sparkle.

Review: Steven Julien has been in his own musical world since he first started putting out beats. He blends everything from hip-hop and house to funk and soul in his always emotionally raw, frayed edge sounds. Because of that breath in his sound, the Londoner is the perfect candidate for a DJ-kicks mix and so it proves as he journeys from the sofa to the club and back again with tunes of his own next to jams from across the ages and the genres. Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brothermartino, My Girlfriend and more all feature in a well-mixed, well-programmed set that contrasts bright keys with dirty basslines, and boogie funk with more sleek machine rhythms.

Review: London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien's music blends contrasts and has done so across more than a decade on labels like Eglo and his own Apron Records. In that time he has explored various styles, from house and techno to soul and boogie, often drawing on his own life experiences for inspiration. His eclecticism extends to his contribution to !K7's wonderful DJ-Kicks series in a mix that features artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Todd Edwards along with Julien's own tracks. The mix takes you on a proper ride from a peaceful afternoon to a euphoric night on the dancefloor, with plenty of big moments and killer jams along the way.

Review: Ekoya is the fourth album from Jupiter & Okwess and it marks a new chapter in their sound as they embrace Congolese funk, rock, Afropop and Latin influences. This record was conceived during a South American tour and recorded in Mexico so reflects a cross-cultural fusion that's deeply rooted in African history and features collaborations with artists like Flavia Coelho and Mare Advertencia. Along the way, the music tackles themes of change, resilience and the global challenges we face so tracks like 'Selele' and 'Orgillo' fuse political commentary with big rhythms. Through a great mix of languages, rich instrumentation and powerful messages, Ekoya is a wonderfully worldly celebration.

Review: Talib Kweli and J Rawls reunite after 25 years to deliver a heartfelt tribute to hip-hop's golden era. Their collaboration blends Kweli's razor-sharp lyricism with Rawls' authentic boom-bap production, crafting a rich, soulful journey through the genre's essence. Tracks like 'Breath, Eyes, Memory' bring introspection, while 'Turnstyle' captures nostalgia and 'Native Sons' pays homage to the Native Tongues collective. With an impressive roster of collaborators including Blu, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Skyzoo, the album underscores the depth of rap culture. A celebration of roots, growth and timeless artistry, firmly rooted in the traditions that shaped the genre.

Review: Old school RuneScape players will love these nostalgic remixes by London producer Pizza Hotline who has a fine rep' for crafting video game-inspired drum & bass and jungle riddims. Here, beloved RuneScape tracks get reimagined to blend classic vibes with modern twists and the first up 'Garden' embraces a traditional style, while the iconic 'Sea Shanty 2' transforms into a minimal d&b banger. 'Autumn Voyage' slows things down with a breakbeat remix, and 'Shine' takes on an atmospheric edge while seemingly drawing inspiration from Aphex Twin. Made using hardware like a Roland JV-1080 and reverb effects inspired by the PS1, Pizza Hotline stays true to the golden age here.

Review: Slyly reissued for the new millennium, Lowell "Sly" Dunbar hears his flame relit as both the front face and back beat of Sly & The Revolutionaries, on this reissued 1980 collaboration with Jah Thomas. The second LP to be released by the in-house Channel One Studios band, then under the auspices of Chinese-Jamaican exec Joseph Hoo Kim, this is a red-and-black insurrection in sound, induing beret, spliff and bayonet. Dunbar, the prolific reggae drummer, is heard in almost crystalline sound here, reflecting the scrupulous recording quality of Channel One employ in the late 70s. Each track is a tribute to a drug or paraphernalia, and our faves have to be 'Rizla' and 'Cocaine'.

Review: Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes is the debut album from Gregory Uhlmann, Josh Johnson and Sam Wilkes, a collective of three versatile improvisers, arrangers and producers whose work spans jazz, rock and experimental. Across 11 instrumental tracks, they explore a jazz-informed take on progressive electro-acoustic chamber music that brings beauty, melody and rhythm to the fore. The record was conceived during live shows and a home session in Los Angeles and features Uhlmann's mournful fingerpicked guitar, Wilkes' bass chording and Johnson's effect-laden saxophone. Their arrangement-minded improvisation results in some nicely otherworldly textures as they push their instruments to create a spacious, lyrical sound.

Review: In classic jazz style, this collaborative three-way debut album brings together three musicians at the top of their game: SML members Gregory Uhlman (guitar and effects) and Josh Johnson (saxophone and effects), and sometime Louis Cole, Sam Gendel and Chaka Khan collaborator Sam Wilkes (bass and effects). Musically, what the trio offers is undeniably unique, with International Anthem describing the album as "a jazz-informed take on progressive electro-acoustic chamber music". Certainly, there's much to enjoy, from the tracked bass, guitar and sax loops and subtle changes of 'Mavis' and the dreamlike ambient jazz of 'Arpy', to the bubbling cosmic jazz of 'Frica' and a stunning, off-kilter instrumental cover of Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles number 'The Fool On The Hill'.

Notes: The birth and growth of the Jamaican recording industry...

Records have played an integral part in the history of Jamaican music and the importance of making records, as opposed to making music, can never be overstated.

These are the stories, told through first-hand accounts wherever possible, of the men and women... manufacturers, musicians, arrangers and record producers... who made the records and who made the sound of reggae available worldwide.

"An absolutely crucial survey of the origins of the Jamaican music industry replete with chapter and verse quotes from many of the pivotal movers and shakers. A wealth of new information, expertly marshalled: this is a book whose time has come."

Steve Barrow- Co-author of 'Reggae The Rough Guide'

"Noel Hawks' history of Jamaican studios and the characters involved provides an intriguing insight into the development of ska, rock steady and reggae. His lifelong love and deep knowledge of the music prove to be invaluable assets as he takes us on a journey from the primitive 'direct-to-disc' mento recordings of the Fifties through to the sophisticated roots and dub reggae of the Seventies. As both a music fan and a reggae business insider he has had access to the main players in the Jamaican music scene, and this book offers a genuine and unique insight into Kingston's studios and the producers and musicians who worked in them."

Chris Lane- Fashion Records

"Any music reference book should balance knowledge of an expert and enthusiasm of a fan in roughly equal measure. Noel Hawks' 'Jamaican Recordings' unquestionably succeeds in doing both. The wealth of facts and information that Noel has amassed in almost fifty years of researching and collecting reggae and its musical antecedents are presented here in a way that will show any reader that Noel still gets as much pleasure out of finding new classic music, not to mention acquiring new know how about it, as he and others among us did when we started our individual collector odysseys.

'Jamaican Recordings' is a fine read and a book that anybody with more than a passing interest in Jamaican recordings will need to add to their library right away."

Tony Rounce- Author & Music Historian

Format: 188 Page Hardback Book Illustrated throughout with period photos, artefacts & record labels