Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Undeniably one of the most prolific anime soundtracks of all time, Yoko Kanno's band SEATBELTS was formed just to record this 1998 OST for Shinichiro Watanabe's smash success 'Cowboy Bebop'. Following the adventures of the crew of Bebop, a bounty hunter ship that chases criminals and turns them into the Inter Solar System Police for reward, Kanno's zany fusion of rock, blues and jazz oozes cool. The opening track 'Tank!' has been hugely influential, informing innumerable title sequences, from 'Danganronpa' to 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'. Focusing, as the Japanese often do, on Americana hallmarks, there is a distinct New York slant in the horns with some Afro-Cuban percussive influences as well, most notably on 'Rush' from the first 'COWBOY BEBOP' album. This boxset serves as a comprehensive rundown of all things SEATBELTS, an 11-vinyl boxset featuring all 7 albums the band have made for the legendary franchise housed in a box with art from the show.

Review: The Cowboy Bebop was an anime series that was much loved for its soundtrack albums by Japanese composer and instrumentalist Yoko Kanno and his band the Seatbelts. The sounds were weird and wonderful affairs that made odd connections between seemingly disparate worlds - jazz, rock, J-pop and electronic, often with a curious aesthetic. Just this year, Kanno has returned to soundtracking the series on Netflix so this reissue is sure to connect with fans old and new. It is largely instrumental, with big band pieces next to more ambient passages and extensive alto sax deployment. As far as cult records go, this one is right up there.