Ghostly International US レコード& CD

Review: While the appeal of Minecraft may be lost on some, there's no doubting the cultural significance of the immersive, user-built game. One of the title's most attractive features has always been its' music, which was composed, played and produced by a hitherto unknown German producer called Daniel Rosenfeld, under the C418 alias. Here, in the first of two volumes, Ghostly International showcases the best of Rosenfeld's work for the series. Sitting somewhere between the spacious ambience of Pete Namlook and Brian Eno, the heart-aching piano motifs of Eric Satie, and the sweeping orchestral pulse of a movie soundtrack, the 24 pieces here stand up with anything released by seasoned ambient producers in recent times.

Review: It is still rather cold here at Juno HQ, but the days are starting to feel little longer and brighter, which means we're ever more open to Balearic reveries. Few are better than this one from Studio, the Swedish duo of Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hagg who created a sound bridging indie, electronic and psychedelic music. Their 2006 debut blended Balearic romanticism with Krautrock, disco, dub, afrobeat and pop lyricism influenced by new wave and has been hard to find in physical and even streaming formats over the years. Inspired by DJ Screw, J Dilla and European live DJ sets, Studio embraced an "anything-goes" ethos, unbound by musical borders, and the results have stood the test of time.