Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: This set from the Future Sound of London's psychedelic rock-inspired Amorphous Androgynous project is extremely hard to pin down, thanks in no small part to its' boundary-blurring format. Officially a set of remixes of one song - 'We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal' - the album is formatted as a seamless, mixtape style musical journey in which recurring musical themes (think melodies, choral vocals, lyrical phrases and orchestral arrangements) slip in and out of ambient soundscapes, dub-influenced electronic beats, psych-rock workouts, crackly samples, field recordings and Lord knows what else. It features a stunningly epic cast of guest musicians, producers, remixes and obscure psychedelic bands, with the result being a brilliant collaborative work that sounds a little like a 21st century rock opera.

Review: He will forever be known as the frontman of Pulp, but for many music lovers Jarvis Cocker has also won our affections with his erudite selections for his BBC 6 Music show. Entitled Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service, it ran every week from 2010 to 2017 and now a selection of his personal favourites get the compilation treatment. Reflecting the mood of most Sundays, the music is soothing, soft and mellow, but always high quality. There are stunning covers or Beyonce by Anthony & the Jonsons and Gary Numan's "Cars" on steel drums, plaintive piano pieces from John Baker and a classic from Nina Simone amongst a whole treasure trove of gems.

Review: Given the evocative, emotion-rich nature of his solo piano compositions, Nils Frahm seems a smart choice to mix the latest installment of the long-running Late Night Tales series. He predictably does a fine job, too, putting together an atmospheric, slowly evolving soundscape that variously takes in Four Tet, Boards of Canada, spooky world music (The Beka Forest People of South East Cameroon), crackly 1930s ballads (Gene Autry, recorded from an old 78rpm disc), hazy downtempo jazz (Dictaphone, Miles Davis), Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and the out-there dub textures of Rhythm & Sound. Throw in a few of his immaculate compositions, and you have an alluring late night treat.

Review: The Late Night Tales mix series - going strong since way back in 2003 - never ceases to both amaze and please our eardrums when they're in need of a sonic massage. With legendary artists such as Fatboy Slim, Jamiroquai, Groove Armada, MGMT and many others on their roster, you just know it's going to be quality throughout. This time it's up to Domino man Jon Hopkins to give us an outlook onto his own tastes and musical influences. The selection is vast and varied, with everyone from Four Tet to Darkstar and even Peter Broderick featuring within. An incandescent blend of sci-fi electronica, tropical bass nuggets and lighter shades of drone-fuelled house. Quality.

Review: Second time around for Jean-Michel Jarre's 2022 album Oxymore, a loving tribute to French composer and 'music concrete' pioneer Pierre Henry. As the title suggests, this version features new remixes of album tracks (all of which feature sounds originally created by Henry) by a disparate group of musical talents. That makes for an interesting mix of interpretations, with armin Van Buuren's sizable trance translation of 'Epica' rubbing shoulders with a trippy, off-kilter electro take on 'Sex In The Machine' by Nina Kraviz, a moody Martin Gore interpretation of 'Brutalism', Irene Dresel's raw techno revision of 'Zeitgeist Botanica', and ambient pioneer Brian Eno putting his spin on 'Epica'.

Review: The late ambient turntablist Philip Jeck's life is triumphantly celebrated on this latest compilation from UK A/V label Touch. Rpm cycles through 16 unheard snapshots laid down over the course of Jeck's career, connecting the dots of his life through the works of both kindred spirits and Jeck originals. Whether it be a storied live performance with Faith Coloccia or the in memoriam live night recorded at Iklectik by fellow avant-gardist Chris Watson, this compilation refuses to think confinedly about whose work should be included; Jeck's touch left a lasting impression not just on his own music, but of those of his contemporaries and friends. Much of the new material on this record was made by Jeck while he was in a hospital bed, laptop used as the final means to edit and sequence these friend-sourced gems.

Review: Berlin-based Sydneysider LOGIC1000 (real name Samantha Poulter) enjoyed a prolific and productive 2024, becoming something of an in-demand DJ, producer and remixer on the back of her acclaimed debut album Mother, a typically distinctive affair that pulled deep house in a variety of woozy, melodious and inventive new directions. Her inclusion in K7's long-running DJ Kicks series is therefore well-earned. It offers a home listening-ready distillation of her sound that's notably 'calmer' (in the label's words) than her club sets. But that's no bad thing, as it allows greater exploration of experimental, downtempo and hyper-pop, alongside a string of exclusives (including the obligatory track created for the series) and some heady, mid-tempo dancefloor grooves.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' Placenta is a deeply conceptual and collaborative album, marking the fourth collection of their imaginative music released on International Anthem in recent years. Inspired by NiNo's experience of becoming a father again, the album is dedicated to the spirit of family, birth, and the experience of bringing new life into the world. Each track is a sonic exploration, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's refusal to confine himself to genres is evident in the diverse sounds and textures woven throughout the album, reflecting his belief that friendships drive the greatest creative collaborations. With contributions from an impressive list of collaborators, Placenta is a prime example to the power of community and the boundless possibilities of musical experimentation. It's a heartfelt and visionary work that invites listeners on a transformative journey of sound and emotion.

Review: Ace Records continue their series of compilations from Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, tapping into unique niches of British music culture under titles like English Weather and The Tears Of Technology to arrive at this latest joint, Fell From The Sun. This is a specific trip into the downtempo, after hours sounds prevalent in 1990-1991, as the acid house wave broke and Balearic selector ethics seeped into studio practice. The selections are absolutely on point, from The Orb's majestic remix of Primal Scream's 'Higher Than The Sun' to Saint Etienne's own moody roller, 'Speedwell'. It's bouncy and boundlessly optimistic as well as being supremely chill, absolutely of its time but still ringing with an eternal charm that feels ready for a revival. Let this compilation be your guide.

Review: Detlef Weinreich's latest release as Tolouse Low Trax is something of a curio, albeit one that's predictably impressive and off-kilter. It's a compilation that boasts some of his own cuts, alongside edits and reworks by friends of tracks described by Bueau B as "hits that never took the charts by storm". Check first 'Subghosts (Tolouse Low Trax Rework)', a bizarre but brilliant fusion of modular electronics and head-nodding organic instrumentation, before admiring the sparse, hard-to-pigeonhole electronic experimentation of Simo Cell's edit of 'A Song and a Photo Novella', the Autechre-esque beats of 'Down Is Temporal (Beat Detectives Dawn Rerub)', and Joakim's club-ready revision of 'Rushing Into Water'. Further inspired excursions are provided by Ido Plumes (the throbbing techno psychedelia of 'Tristoeros Empire') and Froid (the trippy IDM digi-dub of 'Make Friends').

Review: Klamm is the new label dedicated to the artistic output of Saele Valese. After "Ivic", a collection of old and new materials published on Alva Noto's label (NOTON) at the beginning of the year, Saele Valese releases now his first real album "A White, White Day". Written and recorded between 2018 and 2021 the material of this work was sliced, glued and recreated several times, just like a filmmaker in the editing process, before finding its final form. Inspired indeed by the most poetic cinema, 'A White, White Day' represents, in the form of a non-linear and enigmatic narrative, a personal and psychological reflection on time, memory and dreams. Mastered by Rashad Becker.

Review: Fresh from joining forces with fellow Danes Lust For Youth on a decidedly experimental seven-inch single ('Jean Jenet'), Christian Stadsgaard brings his Vanity Productions project to Northern Electronics for the first time. In keeping with his career to date, The Night Has Passed Already fuses Stadsgaard's love of extreme, layered, distorted drone sounds and radical sound design with grandiose ambient chords, distant heavy metal guitar solos (drenched in oodles of reverb and white noise), icy electronic melodies (see the Biosphere-esque 'Way Around The Canvas') and buzzing, mind-altering fragments of effects-laden electronics. It somehow manages to sound intimate, contemplative and utterly colossal all at the same time.

Review: There are basically two types of anniversary compilations: the humble retrospective, packed with classics and significant musical moments from the past, and collections of all-new music that showcase where an imprint is at right now. Predictably, Planet My founder Mike Paradinas AKA U-Ziq has chosen the latter option to mark the occasion of his legendary experimental label's 30th birthday. There's naturally plenty to get the blood pumping and the synapses snapping across the 25 tracks on show, from the skittish IDM of Jlin ('B12'), mutant future-boogie of Venetian Snares ('Drums') and hard-to-pigeonhole excellence of Falty DL ('Usually I'm Cautious'), to the chopped-and-screwed r&b of Bae Bae ('Living In The Memory'), Nik Colk Void's industrial gunk ('A Tough Design (demo)'), the glassy-eyed D&B/ambient techno of Xylitol ('Nevada') and the sample-rich instrumental hip-hop hedonism of Luke Vibert ('Bullet Drop').

Review: As the title suggests, this vast, triple-CD box set from Cherry Red is an attempt to chronicle one of the most productive periods in the history of British experimental and avant-garde music: the years between the rise of punk in 1976 and the unofficial end of the post-punk era in 1984. It does a rather good job of it if truth be told, with the unnamed curators offering a brilliant mixture of guitar-based noise, trippy early electronica, weirdo ambient, dubbed-out jazz, spoken word oddness and clanking industrial music. There are plenty of big names present - Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV, Test Department, Robert Fripp, 23 Skidoo, Clock DVA etc - alongside lesser-celebrated experimental heroes.

Review: The long-awaited CD release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OST for Nintendo Switch is a monumental event for fans worldwide. With a staggering 344 tracks spread over nine CDs, this soundtrack dwarfs even its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, offering a comprehensive journey through Hyrule's musical landscape. Composed by Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, and Tsukasa Usui, the soundtrack beautifully captures the essence of the game, blending orchestral, electronic and traditional instruments to create a rich cornucopia of melodies. From intense battle themes to serene exploration tunes, each track evokes the spirit of adventure that defines the beloved Zelda series. The limited edition box set is a true treasure for collectors, featuring a special box and a tall-sized digipack housing the CDs. However, the real highlight is the Master Sword-shaped USB player, offering high-resolution and 5.1 channel sound sources for an immersive audio experience. With 15 tracks included on the USB, players can dive even deeper into the game's vast and majestic world. Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom soundtrack is Zelda fans dream, delivering hours of enchanting music that perfectly complements the game's epic adventure.

Review: One of the most startling aspects of Todd Philips' Joker sequel - aside from the creepy, claustrophobic, horror-leaning moodiness of Hildur Guonadottir's original score - was the director's decision to get its lead character to belt out cover versions of well-known songs, jukebox musical style. It's that aspect of the film's soundtrack that's showcased on this release, rather than Guonadottir's incredible score. Joaquim Phoenix and Lady Gaga, then, are the undoubted stars of the show, belting out - individually or collectively - such familiar favourites as 'That's Entertainment', 'That's Life', 'When You're Smiling (The World Smiles With You)' and 'To Love Somebody'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: manufacturing fault not continuous play ***


Founded by Zach Frizzell aka zake of Past Inside the Present fame, Healing Sound Propagandist (HSP) is based in Indianapolis and has quietly amassed a catalogue of nearly 100 releases since its inception, all of them specialising in textured drone and experimental ambient music. To mark this achievement, Retrospective [2019-2024] compiles 76 standout tracks across a five-hour odyssey through the label's most significant works. The compilation features artists like James Bernard, Pallette, and Sean Evans who, along with many others, create a varied world of atmospheres through unique instrumentations. HSP emphasises a focus on deep listening and quality over gimmicks and this retrospective serves both as a tribute to the label's legacy and an introduction to its transformative, meditative soundscapes.

Review: Since launching way back in 1996, Trunk Records has become one of the world's most reliable outlets for odd, interesting and overlooked gems from across the musical spectrum, with Jonny Trunk doing a terrific job in curating a catalogue packed to the rafters with bizarre-but-brilliant library music, oddball British film soundtracks, early electronica, exotica and much more besides. This 25th anniversary collection offers a small snapshot of the label's story so far and features a mixture of back catalogue favourites and previously unheard cuts. Equal parts Radiophonic Workshop style electronic experiments, library music oddities, quirky TV theme tunes and smile-inducing easy listening jazz, it's a fittingly quirky and entertaining affair that should make newcomers want to dig deeper into Trunk's eccentric and esoteric catalogue.

Review: Part 2 of this exciting soundtrack brings an array of music that complements the series' epic conclusion. Headlined by Ashnikko's electrifying anthem 'Paint The Town Blue', this collection includes contributions from a diverse lineup of artists such as Stray Kids, Young Miko, Tom Morello, d4vd, Twenty One Pilots, Marcus King, King Princess and more. The album strikes a perfect balance between high-energy tracks and more introspective tunes, enhancing the emotional depth of the show and its beloved characters. Following the success of the first soundtrack, this edition continues to elevate Arcane's storytelling, adding even more layers to its vivid world. Notable contributions also come from Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Imagine Dragons, further enriching the listening experience. With its dynamic range of sounds, the Arcane Season 2 soundtrack is a powerful companion to the series, deepening the viewer's connection to the world and characters.

Review: The Pop Ambient 2025 compilation from Kompakt marks an incredible 25-year journey for the ambient series, blending long-standing contributors with new talent. This year's edition upholds Kompakt's tradition of meditative atmospheres and subtle textures, opening with Leandro Fresco and Thore Pfeiffer's 'Goldwasserfluss'ia fragile, shimmering collaboration that sets the tone for an album both familiar and exploratory. Highlights include Pass Into Silence's 'Mirage', a delicate track that brings back Tetsuo Sakae's stoic precision, and 'Follow Me', a collaboration by Sebastian Mullaert and Tamara Davitashvili, adding a unique, intimate resonance. Max Wurden's 'Circles' captures the series' ethos, with a moving chord progression around the 2:55 markia reminder of why this series remains timeless. Other standout moments come from Sono Kollektiv with Nathalie Brum's 'Periadriatische Naht', where Luis Reich's flugelhorn enriches the ambient soundscape with jazz nuances and Andrew Thomas's 'Sunshine Night'. combining piano with Julia Parr's ethereal vocals. Jorg Burger's meticulous mastering polishes each track, while Veronika Unland's floral artwork provides a fitting visual. The series continues to transcend time, offering moments of reflection that feel unburdened by the rapid pace of modern life. Pop Ambient 2025 is a statement on the power of musical atmosphere, filled with serene landscapes and intricate soundscapes that linger well beyond the final note.

Review: This year marks the 24th edition of Kompakts 'Pop Ambient' series, starting way back in 2001, a celebration of predominantly German collaborators who have come together to create a digital encyclopedia of ambient for over two decades. 'Octarine' by Mikkel Metal is a gentle, layered vibraphone track that conjures dream sequences, it's subtle guitar buildup in the back adding a sense of unease into the mix. 'Panta Rhei' by Joachim Speith is a more typical piece, a droning ambient synth creating a cloudlike texture - think Lovesliescrushing or DJ Lostboi.

Review: Second time around for DiN Records' 25th anniversary compilation, which lands on CD for a second time - in limited numbers, of course - with an inverted cover design. The set itself is superb, with founder (and regular musical contributor) Ian Boddy inviting artists who have released on the label to contribute new, previously unreleased works. Rooted in ambient, IDM and gentle electronica, the 20-track set simply oozes quality from start to finish. Highlights come thick and fast, from the bubbling electronics and lilting pedal steel motifs of Erik Wollo's 'Emergence' and the sparkling, toe-tapping shuffle of D'Voxx's 'Vila Madalena', to the ghostly beauty of 'Now There Was Nowhere' by Scanner, the psychedelic ambient exotica of Chris Carter's 'Consonance', and the spaced-out ambient jazz of Nigel Mullaney's 'There Is No Dark'.

Review: Past Inside the Present, Healing Sound Propagandist and Fallen Moon Recordings mark an outstanding year with Past/Present 2024, a new three-hour compilation that spans serene ambience, deep drone and experimental sounds. Featuring scene legends like 36, bvdub, ASC and James Bernard alongside talents like Slow Dancing Society and Black Swan and rising artists such as Innesti and Angela Winter, the collection captures a rich blend of modern ambient music and showcases just how strong these imprints are. Opening with a 71-minute live mix by LA's Inquiri, this compilation has been curated by label founder Zach Frizzell aka zake and highlights like T.R. Jordan's 'Swapped' and Black Swan's 'Perhaps We Never Were' making a lasting impression.

Review: In the 70s and 80s, nothing was as revolutionary as the synthesiser. Electronic sounds became essential for forward-thinking adverts, with TV producers and advertisers seeking music akin to 'Tubular Bells,' Tomita, and Jean Michel Jarre. Music libraries like De Wolfe, Bruton, Parry, and Chappell swiftly adapted. Bob Stanley's new album, 'Tomorrow's Fashions,' compiles advertising jingles, TV themes, and space exploration tracks with ambient beats from that era. Despite being 40-50 years old, the music feels fresh, featuring jazz veterans like Brian Bennett and John Cameron embracing synthesizers. This electronica predated new age and ambient music, influenced pop, early Human League, Warp Records, and has been sampled by MF Doom and Kendrick Lamar.

Review: The music of London's Blitz nightclub is celebrated with a new box-set curated by Rusty Egan, the man who, with Steve Strange, helped usher in a transition from the late 70s musical gloom into a glamorous, sonorous new 1980s. After their prior band, Rich Kids, disbanded in 1978, Egan and Strange saw through their enterprising excesses with a new venture, launching the Blitz club as a wine bar in Covent Garden. Bottling the unique, generic essence of the nightclub - at a time where the styles and sounds of David Bowie, Sade, Spandau Ballet, Boy George, Billy Idol, Ultravox, Visage, Marilyn and Gary Numan reigned supreme, yet were often not heard all in one physical place - this new reminiscence compilation brings both well-known and lesser-heard gems of the Blitz era to a fantastically fresh set of ears, proving that even you, too, can be a hero, just for one day.

Review: Franck Vigroux may be a nightmare for journalists - he rarely talks about his music, preferring to keep his aims, influences and inspirations to himself - but he's amassed an impressive catalogue of experimental-minded releases over the last two decades. While that was initially abstract jazz/electronica fusion, in recent times his releases have explored full-throttle, synths-and-drum-machine driven industrial music, albeit with plenty of dark, paranoid ambience - and his trademark fuzzy guitar textures - thrown in. It's that hybrid sound that he explores on Grand Bal, flitting between horror movie soundscapes (the John Carpenter-esuqe '68'), 'cold wave' workouts ('Vice', the ghostly 'La Live'), fractured ambient ('Lightnin') and intense, noisy and insanely weighty industrial slammers ('Loic').

Review: The most eminent British rock opera of all time, The Who's Quadrophenia, released in 1973, hears Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey conceive and narrate the angst of a young postroom worker, Jimmy, living in post-war Britain amid the schismatics of the mods and rockers, as they warred in converse step. Exploring rebellion, let-off steam, and alienation through music, the record firmly set the stage for the 1979 film adaptation of the same name, which popularised the thoroughfare connecting London-Brighton as a vital identificatory artery for a certain angst-ridden generation. The album features standout tracks like '5:15' and 'Love, Reign O'er Me', and remains one of The Who's most celebrated works. It's now reissued through Bespoke Editions, with two CDs of Pete Townshend's demos, and a 5.1 DVD-A remix of eight tracks, plus handwritten lyrics in a book and a 13,000-word essay from Townshend.