Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Originally hailing from The Isle of Wight but now based in West Norwood, South London, Vertical Cat has been releasing tunes since 2001 on imprints like Smallfish, Vice and his own rather wonderfully named Achingly Responsive, but now finds himself delivering seven varied creations for Chicago's Kimochi Sound to issue via the kind of hand-numbered, limited edition run that's sure to get trainspotters salivating like Pavlov's dogs. From the jazz-inflected phrasing, subtle phasing and jiggly sub-bass of 'Go Willy-nilly' to the Mills-esque thumpfunk of 'Oh You Mucky Bugger!', there's a bit of everything here, but every last moment is delivered with quality and clearly perceptible personality. You've also got to love outro track 'I'm Leaving', which soundtracks an awkward call to HR with some nicely cheeky, perky exotica.

Review: Troekurovo Recordings is a production team made up of Toki Fuko, Vadim Basov and Evgeny Vorontsov and they have been hidden away deep in some enchanted Russian forests recording music. Now they are putting out the results on this superb double pack. This project started back in 2016 as a live experimental jam and is now an annual tradition made on loads of analogue gear on the banks of a canyon that was formed many years ago by a melting glacier. The locale provides inspiration - from the fresh country air to the meteor showers often visible overhead - for the music making which is strictly "no preparation, no pre-programming - hardware, friends and live improvisation only."

Review: Emotional Response has described soFa's fourth compilation for the label as "internationalism for the adventurous DJ", full of club music for the open-minded. It's basically an eclectic, esoteric musical travelogue that serves of intriguing, entertaining and admirable electronic music for those of a leftfield persuasion. There's much to enjoy, from the undulating melodies, off-kilter beats and mind-soothing chords of Infuso Giallo's 'Torus', and the moody techno-not-techno wave minimalism of Puma & The Dolphin ('Grass Drum'), to the analogue-heavy cold-wave dystopia of Houschyar ('Intercontinental'), the dark ambient techno of Lamusa II ('Artificial') and the tribal tinged electronic psychedelia of Bolva ('Rite II').

Review: Always hot on the steel-hard plates and murky subterranean atmospheres, Public System turns in a haunted double package from the crypt. Spanning hi-octane indus bullets, half-baked mutant salvos and shadow-clad juicers from a host of reputed names and rabid underdogs, this new comp collates ruff’n’tuff joints from gritty techno don Container, genre-unbound explorer E-Saggila, Berlin’s electro arsonist Privacy, acid-spitting hydra DJ Loser x Penelopes Fiance, basement guerillero Yabboq Penuel alias Le Syndicat Electronique, neo-punk beat thrasher Crave, Yves Tumor collaborator and sine-wave crusher Anthem, expert circuit dissector Beau Wanzer, Liquid G as remixed by Mick Wills, Night Gaunt’s Lower Tar, occult machine funk preacher Maenad Veyl, DJ Chupacabras under new guise 110, soundwaves cross-pollinator DJ Richard, vibrant mood-scapist Gavilán Rayna Russom, as well as label boss Myn going ubiquitous with studio fellows Kluentah as Myntha, and R Gamble as Fade Accompli. A much desirable feast of raw, unhinged, all-round spine-tingling jams for the club and not.

Review: This a compilation that means more than just good music - 100% of label profits from the sales will be donated to Livyj Bereh, a group of volunteers based in Kyiv who are working in regions affected by the war. It is a superb collection of mellow sounds and ambient atmospheres with some surprising leftfield cuts and curious curveballs along the way. First up, curating the A-side, is Ukrainian Muscut who has turned to artists from his homeland only - Kavkazka Sound, Radiant Futur, Mlin Patz, Iury Lech and Ihor Okuniev all contribute while Estonian Mida then takes care of the flip with Portuguese trio Niagara in between Estonians Maarja Nuut, Rotrum, Luurel Varas and Terry Long Hermy.

Review: Prepare yourself for a crazy but wonderful deep dive into the legendary world of cult French outfit Vox Populi!, focusing primarily on their 'big years' of 1986-1990, inverted commas used to hopefully articulate that these guys are yet another example of why music consistently fails to give outsider artists the widespread recognition they deserve. Nevertheless, those who know VP know just how incredible their music is.

In the first three tracks alone the breadth of their output becomes clear. Opener 'Caballo Blanco' could be And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Dead meeting Primal Scream at a Goan festival in the late-1960s. 'Mush Dub Gnarls & Vrooms' takes us into downtempo electronica with an undercurrent of bite, nodding to Andrew Weatherall's Sabres of Paradise project. Meanwhile, 'Holistikoholic' almost seems to reprogram the mind to the court of some king or other, with its jaunty flutes and wooden percussion.