XL レコード& CD

Review: It may have taken a while - his massive debut single 'Hyph Mngo' was released 12 years ago - but Joy Orbison has finally got round to recording his debut album. It's a highly personal affair, peppered with speech snippets from various family members (including his mum, dad, sister, cousins and famous uncle, Ray Keith). It's a narrative device that works well, providing a unifying thread throughout a woozy, musically eclectic concoction that sees the now veteran UK producer give his distinct spin on ambient, slow house, two-step garage, deep house, post-dubstep beats, dubbed-out soundscapes, British bass music, experimental electronica, cutting-edge deep D&B and much more besides. It's perhaps not the all-out assault on the dancefloor some may have expected, but it is a genuinely brilliant and entertaining album.

Review: It was when Makaya McCraven linked up with International Anthem around 2015 he became an artist transcending the jazz scene's tangle of singers and players. Since then he's evolved his craft from album to album, project to project, reaching this undeniable achievement of a record that places him at the forefront of modern jazz. Nearly seven years in the making, In These Times is the product of McCraven's striving to create a personal stamp, leaning in on his own rhythmic language of time-signature trickery and unusual arrangements, steering large-scale orchestral ensembles and elevating his craft in every way he can. For all the considered science behind the sound, it lands as an incredible natural experience full of cascading drums, ascendant flutes, lilting strings and a whole cornucopia of talented musicians playing to a striking creative vision.

Review: Yaeji's latest offering is a perfect tightrope walk between dreamy pop, DIY house and plenty of the Korean American artists own unique sound designs. It is starkly emotional and demonstrates a lightness of melodic touch that is beautiful to experience. Introverted and perfectly poised for self reflection, the album is an essential audio partner for these strange and unsettling times in which we live. There are darker moments of experimentation, but always balanced with improve jazz or lighter moments that lifts the mood. It's perfectly time during an era when we can't be back in clubs, and is her strongest work by far.