Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Lea Porcelain, the new wave retroverts from Frankfurt am Main could very well be the next big thing that you've never heard of. The original version of "Loose Life" itself is quite difficult to locate on the interwebs but we're sure it's hard to compete with local legend Roman Flugel's slow burning remix on offer here. Darmstadt's finest Benedikt Frey is onboard too, giving "Similar Familiar" a makeover that's as unique as pretty much all his other work: part techno, part cosmic or even industrial. It's brooding, wall of sound guitars and vocals drowned in reverb battle it out against pounding 909 snare attacks and screeching synth leads. Awesome!

Review: While in 2024 we're supposed to understand, acknowledge, hear and appropriately respond to the trials and tribulations playing out in minds across the world, in many ways driven by global events and the status quo system we have rather foolishly settled on, for the time being, Lebanon Hangover's hiatus-ending two-tracker - their first studio work since 2020 - opens with a clear message. "Life is full of wonder, it's better than going under." Perhaps not the most sensitive way of telling us to appreciate our lot, the track itself, which nods to Head On The Door-era Cure, is all melancholic chords and a feeling of dizzying, perhaps even manic despair alongside the comfort that comes with recognising the universal human condition. It's a joyful but slightly sinister lead. Flip it to find 'KYIV', an acoustic-ambient-Cocteau Twins-esque tribute to the sorrow and pain of Ukraine, and, by association, other war torn regions of the world.

Review: Lake Haze's third album on Shall Not Fade is another triumph with his signature shimmering melodies strung out over lush beats. Drawing on house, disco, garage and broken beat it is a rich affair with a strong UK vibe. There is elegance and symphony to opener 'Xyleac' that immediately gets your head amongst the stars. 'Diluspth' keeps up the majestic synth while 'Bbyncole' is double-speed techno with balmy celestial synths and hurried bass that locks you in. Tender ambient pieces like 'Shores Of Eternal Life' reset the mood and then the second half is a series of shorter sketches packed with electronic soul.

Review: Midway through the last decade, Bureau B reissued a kosmiche curiosity from cult synthesiser composer Rudiger Lorenz, Southland - a set inspired by idle daydreaming about the island nations of the southern pacific and the south Atlantic. Here, they return to the late artist's catalogue, presenting their pick of the music featured on the DIY tapes and records he self-released (usually in very small quantities) between 1981 and '83 - IE the period before Southland was recorded. Larger darker and moodier than that set, Lorenz delivers a synthesizer-heavy musical blend of contemporaneous influences that consistently delivers the goods. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the sparse and warped 'Chabomilla Sabinae', the Tangerine Dream-esque beauty of 'Dreaming of Saba', the electronic ambience of 'Independence' and the star-gazing drift of 'Anigre'.