Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Uboa's Impossible Light marks a significant shift from the ambitious darkness of previous work. Xandra Metcalfe's latest release merges otherworldly sounds with raw human emotion, creating a captivating blend of intense darkness and poignant beauty. Throughout Impossible Light, Uboa explores a heightened sense of urgency and directness, particularly in addressing themes of trans experiences and societal marginalisation. Tracks like 'Endocrine Disruptor' contrast serene melodies with explosive beats, while 'The Puzzle' immerses listeners in heavy synths and impactful percussion. 'Gordian Worm' transitions from harsh noise to a more structured electro-industrial sound and 'Pattern Screamers' delivers a powerful vocal performance amid distorted, mechanical noise. The seamless flow between 'Jawline' and 'Weaponised Dysphoria', alongside the emotional depth of 'Sleep Hygiene', underscores Uboa's skillful talent at balancing it all.

Review: Modern glassy ambient forefronters Motion Ward present their latest masterpiece from two standout centre-stagers on their roster, Ulla Strauss and Ultrafog. Having not collaborated on a full-length record before, the one is billed simply as 'two individuals from faraway (journeying) the world together'. "(They) were given many tiny gifts from the surroundings. Then the music came out as a matter of course, as if a thing was being put in its right place." Sonically, this translates to a pristine, sampledelic blissout, verging on the nascent road-trippy electronic-shoegaze motifs that Motion Ward have found themselves exploring as of late; and echoing the kind of alien ambient guitar-dubs that could recall Fennesz or Bibio, lest they weren't also mixed up with the kind of contemporary vocal chopups and glassy, aerated refractions that continue to carve out this extended crew's current noble standing. Our highlights; 'Lame Mart', 'Kind Zo'.

Review: Foam On A Wave is a brand new London-based reissue label. Its first offering is a carefully dug out delight from Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond aka Ultramarine, one of the UK's foremost ambient techno artists. Folk is a seamless weaving together of "unique instrumentation and sonic influences into rich, ethereal soundscapes" that have all been fully remastered for this 30th anniversary release. Mixing up organic and synthetic sound is what this pair did best and this album has a kaleidoscopic pallet drawn from Canterbury's jazz-infused psychedelia, the contemporary Benelux scene, and plenty in between. It manages to be both thoughtful and playful, serious yet irreverent, and has aged as well as a fine wine.