Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen - "Tonight In Belfast" (feat Mike Garry) (11:58)
Orbital - "Belfast" (David Holmes remix) (12:03)
Review: Poet, librarian, Mancunian, father, husband, uncle, brother. Mike Garry is many things to many people, but tonight, Matthew, his voices guides our eyes upwards, inviting us to stargaze to one of Orbital's most emotionally resonant and timeless pieces of rave noise. Belfast Revisited would be one way to describe it, taking some of the classic and unmistakable elements of that anthem and turning it into something new. First and foremost freshness comes with the spoken word addition - a thoroughly positive, passionate and amorous declaration of unending love that could feel jarring depending on whether you always felt 'Belfast' was reflective and slightly melancholy, or not. Gone too are the breaks, replaced now by stadium-sized four-to-the-floor turning what was once the end of the night walking home at dawn into something that sounds way more 11PM at the concert.
Review: In line with the timely reappraisal of all things R&S related, the resurgent Apollo have seen the opportunity to bring one of their most celebrated records back for another round. Aphex Twin's ambient recordings mature magnificently with age, sounding ever richer and more emotive as the rest of electronic music continues to play catch up all around. From the gentle breakbeats of "Xtal" to the aquatic techno lure of "Tha", the airy rave of "Pulsewidth" to the heartwrenching composition of "Ageispolis", every track is a perennial example of how far ambient techno could reach even back then. It's just that no-one quite had the arm-span of Richard D. James.
Review: It's the album that redefined ambient music, not least for a generation of parasympathetic ravers. Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II marked a stylistic shift away from the first edition in the infamous ambient LP 'series', Selected Ambient Works 85-92. Volume II differed substantially; this time, there would be no 'techno' addendum to 'ambient', and all tracks thereupon would lack the usual indulgence of beats, however easy-on-the-ears these had been beforehand. Known for its many numbered tracks - which on the original edition, rather than track names, denoted references to images of natural forms, textures and geologic readymades, all bathed in orange, and from which fans had to infer the written names - this expanded edition stays faithful to this origin. Even so, it adds two unreleased D Jamesian treats - provided you don't count the massive Soundcloud dump of 2015 as a release - 'th1 [evnslower]' and a reversed version of 'Rhubarb' - as well as a the previously vinyl only '#19'.
Review: Still riding high from the success of his superb re-make of Manuel Gottsching on Test Pressing ('A Reference to E2-E4'), Alex Kassian returns to Pinchy & Friends - who released his similarly popular 2021 EP 'Leave Your Life' - after a three-year break. Beginning with the lusciously languid, Balearic, effects-laden and sonically layered title track ('Body Singer', where Jonny Nash style guitars and tumbling sax motifs rise above a sparse drum machine beat and shoegaze-esque aural textures), the Berlin-based producer offers up a loved-up mix of weightless ambient bliss (Kinship), kosmiche soundscapes (the sun-flecked 'Skinship'), revivalist Krautrock (the Can-after-several-spliffs headiness of 'Trippy Gas') and immersive, cinematic excusions (the gorgeous 'Mirror of the Heart').
Review: Ghost Dubs aka. Michael Fiedler returns to pile on the Pressure. Following recent acclaim-gatherer Damaged, this extension of the LP further serves to distend the dub, surveying and excavating fossil-rich terrains of soiled bass and coarse texture. Six reconstructed dub reformations, only two tracks, ';Chemical Version' and 'Wired Version', were previously available digitally; both introduce the record as warped yet unassuming undercuts, ripe for the meditating-to. 'Thin Dub' dissolves the mood into an echo-drenched texture; the track is marked by an up-down, contradistinct set of tuned impacts. 'Dub Craft', meanwhile, snatches the crown for most subby tune of the year.
Review: This gatefold green vinyl record captures a rare and electrifying live performance from the pioneering electronic music legends. Recorded at their 1997 Tribal Gathering festival headline, it's a showcase of the band's iconic sound that blends groundbreaking synth-driven melodies with hypnotic rhythms and futuristic themes. Performing classics like 'Autobahn,' 'The Robots' and 'Computer World,' Kraftwerk delivered a spellbinding experience that bridged their innovative past and continued influence on modern music all set against the historic backdrop of Luton Hoo Estate. It features plenty of their classics from the time, as well as - shockingly - a new track, titled 'Tribal Gathering' (and also sometimes referred to as 'Luton') that was written especially for the gig, never recorded in the studio and only ever played a handful of times. A great nostalgic trip.
Review: Moony Tunes is one of five new 12" LPs recently unveiled by David Tibet aka. Current 93, mad witch doctor of the post-80s industrial continuum. An ever-morphing project, Current 93 always implies motifs of apocalyptic folk, dream logic, and esoteric revelations, and this volume, subtitled Preparing To Sleep In Menstrual Night, feels like a whispered dispatch from the edge of sleep and symbol. True to C93's nature, it resists easy description, lullabying eerily through hoveringly attentive drones and spellcasting vocals. Each pressing includes a riso print of Tibet's painting Moony Toons, hand-signed in pencil, thus hand-stamping an album best received as a kind of ritual, and shaped by the occult aurae of Tibet's performances in London and Hastings earlier this year.
Review: French electronic icon Laurent Garnier returns with the FABRICLG4 EP to celebrate the 25th anniversary of London's legendary club. This release showcases Garnier's signature range and opens with 'Playing with the Low-End,' a fierce 2-step track that nods to the heritage of UK club sounds. The journey then shifts to techno with 'Resonances from the D' barrelling along with great force and then on the flip side, 'Odyssee Maison' features deep house grooves with Dan Diamond and last but not least 'On the Way Home' rounds out the experience with ambient sounds. This one comes with "augmented reality artwork" by Atelier 14 and is another doozy from the already untouchable Garnier.
Review: Dawn Yawns is one of five new 12" records released at the same time, documenting one or two - if not more - furtive live sets performed by Current 93 (David Tibet) between London and Hastings in early 2025. On this quintet of new transmissions, dream and daylight are heard in grisly merger, on the back of an umbral awakening from a polar slumber, where the blood moon never sets, known to C93 fans only as the "Menstrual Night". Be warned, however, these eerie recordings have a sure capacity to mark the soul in unprecedented ways.
Review: English experimental group, Current 93, was founded in 1982 by David Tibet and set out to explore industrial music with abrasive tape loops, droning noises and distorted vocals. As Real As ScareCrows is a haunting new chapter in Tibet's arcane vision, and it was released alongside four other LPs to mark recent Channellings in London and Hastings. Ritualistic and esoteric, the album feels like a spectral transmission or "ScareCrow scaring crows away after Menstrual Night," as Tibet describes it. It's a deeply unsettling and bleakly poetic work that is unmistakably C93 in its mood and mystique. Each copy includes a signed risograph print of Tibet's painting, making it as much an art object as a musical release. A beautifully eerie offering from one of Britain's most enduring and enigmatic cult acts.
Review: Another of five LPs by Current 93 (David Tibet) through his own audio-esoterica label Cashen's Gap, this brilliant yellow and green hued LP nods to the universally recognised colour of earth-ground wire, and comes in the wake of a recent two part set of "channellings" (live performances) in both London and Hastings. As ever, Tibet steers the dream ship through surreal poetics and creaking soundscapes, and offers us a risograph print of his artwork, titled MayBe Skeletal RainBow, or perhaps Building The RainBow PainBow Preparing For Menstrual Night (we're not sure).
Review: As we hapless reviewers make our way through these five new experimental LPs by Current 93, we cannot help but feel increasing torment and terror at the figures portrayed on the front covers of each record: hand-painted by David Tibet himself (the artist has increasingly indulged such formal solo trend-buckings through his own Cashen's Gap imprint in recent years) they appear like sleep paralytic demons or the ghosts of cancelled English folk yore. All the records are apparently ritually connected to a recent string of live appearances between London and Hastings, and Tibet's penchant for demonologic peerage titles such as GreenSleeve Drakon and Gnostic Sketch - blurring a sense of self-referentiality and occult otherworldliness - leave us bewildered and slack-jawed.
Review: A Charlie Brown Christmas is a stone cold classic Christmas album that now comes with a specially festive gold sleeve. What's here has the air of a sophisticated evening spent enjoying slow drinks in a late night jazz bar. It's sexy and refined stuff, laidback to the point where you can almost see the flames in the fireplace, resulting shadows dancing off the walls. Yes, 'Skating' is far more uptempo, and both 'Hark, The Herald Angels Sing' and 'Christmas Time Is Here' take us to school age Yuletide plays with their vocal choirs. But, on the whole, this might be the most tasteful festive album we'll ever get. So dig in.
Buddhastick Transparent - "Eras" (feat Something In The Air)
Review: Music From Memory share the CD edition (there's also a vinyl release) of their latest in a series of compilations, which focuses on the tide of new ambient and minimalist electronica which came about at the turn of the millennium, Virtual Dreams. Whilst the first volume focused on the techno and electronica musics emergent in Europe in 1993-99, Virtual Dreams Vol. 2 homes in on Japan during the same period, tracking the regional, geosonic differences between each global cultural centre. Tracing a fibrous thread, that began to weave itself of its own accord, out from the early 90s acid house FOMO experienced in Japan's early days, through to its restful response with the dawn of "listening techno" proffered by the likes of Sublime Records, Syzygy Records and Frogman Records, many of the tracks featured therein cull their choices from not only these leading lights but also the odd and not-so-odd rarity, helping usher in a truer representation of the era.
Review: Daft Punk's soundtrack for 'Tron: Legacy' is a masterclass in electronic music, seamlessly blending their signature sound with the film's futuristic aesthetic. The duo's blend of pulsating synths, orchestral arrangements, and driving rhythms creates a sonic landscape that is both epic and intimate, capturing the film's themes of technology, identity, and the human spirit. Tracks like 'Derezzed' and 'The Game Has Changed' showcase Daft Punk's mastery of electronic music, while 'Son of Flynn' and 'Recognizer' demonstrate their ability to create sweeping, cinematic soundscapes. This soundtrack is a must-have for any fan of Daft Punk or electronic music in general, a testament to the duo's ability to transcend genre boundaries and create music that is both innovative and timeless.
Review: You might think that you could cop a copy of New Order's seminal hit 'Blue Monday' fairly easily and cheaply given its ubiquity over the years. But no, copies in good condition still fetch around 50 quid, so this remastered reissue is well worth a cop. The single's iconic bassline and twitchy synth modulations very much soundtrack a generation, if not an entire youth revolution, but still enliven any dance floor many years later. What's more, the de-humanised vocals will always provide real singalong joy. On the flip is a 'The Beach', which is drenched in echo and reverb and general sonic filth.
Review: Kraftwerk are as well known for their albums as they are their singles and the iconic 'Autobahn' is of course the name of both. It is a rather groundbreaking electronic gem originally released in 1974 and soon revolutionised music with its hypnotic synth melodies, driving rhythms and pioneering use of vocoders. The track - celebrating its 50th anniversary and here on 7" - alongside an album picture disc and new Dolby Atmos mix on CD, which seal the birthday celebrations - captured the essence of modern travel by blending motorik beats with atmospheric soundscapes to create a real electronic journey and sense of movement. It still sounds as futuristic now as ever, a record that truly changed the course of modern music forever.
Review: Robin Carolan's latest score for Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is a darkly atmospheric work that fuses gothic elements with a broad range of instruments and sounds. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan once again teams up with Eggers to craft a haunting, meticulously composed score that complements the eerie 19th-century setting. British musician Daniel Pioro leads the orchestration, which features 60 string players, a full choir, horns, woodwinds, a harpist and two percussionists. Despite this grandeur, one of the trickiest pieces to perfect was the opening music box which really shows Carolan and Eggers' meticulous attention to detail. Carolan sought to avoid modern influences in the score while embracing contemporary instruments, a balance enhanced by Letty Stott's use of ancient horns and pipes. Carolan's inspirations were diverse, from Bartok and Coil to films like The Innocents and Eyes Wide Shut. He also drew from the Ukrainian film The Eve of Ivan Kupalo to shape the otherworldly tone of the score. Rather than focusing on horror cliches, Carolan emphasised the melancholic and tragic aspects of the story, adding a layer of warped romanticism. The result is an evocative soundtrack that, while perfectly aligned with the film, also stands as a powerful work of art on its own.
Review: Bristol label-turned-blog Innate launches a new sub-label, Innate Editions, which it says is dedicated to timeless UK techno, IDM, electro and ambient music, and it'll all come on heavyweight vinyl to boot. The first release revives Connective Zone's Palm Palm, a millennium-era cult classic and Ben UFO favourite that first came out on Mark Broom and Dave Hill's Unexplored Beats in 2001. Now, this long-out-of-print, expensive and hard to find gem has been remastered by Jamie Anderson and so sounds superb with many lavish electronic layers, richly emotive melodies and dynamic drums that lean on UK techno, IDM, and deep electro. Sounds as good now as it ever did.
Review: 'Warlock' is the latest release to be pushed via Bob Stanley's Measured Mile imprint, and pulls two floor-friendly but still retrospective gems from the storied De Wolfe music library, based in the UK and widely known as the progenitor and originator of what has now become known widely as library music. To demonstrate the gestation times common to this corner of the music industry, these two tracks have never been heard before, and yet were recorded in 1983! First comes Reg Tilsley with 'Warlock', a full yet light-winged flight through linns of flute, funk bass and notes inegales. Meanwhile, 'Flashpoint' by Roger Jackson is a space-age tittup of booming, long-tailed proportions; it's tempered by the nagging nip of a clavichord and the formidable frown of the lowest piano note.
Review: The 50th anniversary edition of Kraftwerk's Autobahn finally completes its decennial German interstate journey and lands in our drool-covered laps. With founding Kraftwerk member Ralf Hutter revisiting the record's original 16-track master tapes with engineer Fritz Hilpert, the group not only made a brand new Dolby Atmos mix for the CD edition, but have also reissued the original record in the never-seen-before picture disc form you see here. A cosmic pop overland journey, the vinyl remaster also lends the record an extra-dimensionality we didn't know possible; recumbent across it, and brought out to swelling prominence, are its tweezed, filter-cutoff sine chords, evoking the continual movement of rustic landscapes streaming past our eyes. Though at first received only to mixed acclaim, Kraftwerk's fourth LP was rightly hailed in hindsight for its simple automotive theme and change in sound, away from the Robots' emergent kosmische and into self-reflexive electropop. All this emboldened Kraftwerk as a band that could somehow cruise in the fast lane, accelerating with ease through the shifting stylistic sands of the mid 1970s.
Review: After nearly two years since his acclaimed Music For Animals, Nils Frahm returns with a live recording captured at Paris's Philharmonie. Known for his inventive, expansive performances, Frahm brings new life to his extensive catalogue, weaving through reimagined tracks and debuting the immersive new piece, 'Opera'. This release captures a single night's performance, showcasing Frahm's ability to captivate audiences at iconic venues worldwide. Frahm's seamless blend of composition and spontaneity here underscores why he's one of today's most sought-after artists, offering a rich snapshot of his evolving artistry.
Review: Barker's latest release is a masterclass in fluid experimentation, embracing unpredictability with a delicate balance of harmony and controlled chaos. Following his acclaimed previous work, this new collection of tracks finds him refining his craft while allowing for spontaneity to take the lead. Opening with 'Force of Habit', the project immediately sets a tone of shifting momentum, while Reframingithe serotonin-laced lead singleispirals through shimmering arpeggios, evoking echoes of classic trance before drifting into uncharted territory. Tracks like 'Difference' and 'Repetition' and 'The Remembering Self' showcase Barker's intricate layering, weaving together mechanical precision with an organic sense of movement. A deep dive into mechanical instrumentation lies at the heart of this work, with Barker exploring the possibilities of automation not as a replacement for human touch, but as a tool for new forms of expression. The result is a body of work that mirrors the uncertainty of its time, embracing change rather than resisting it. As the final moments of this LP fade out, Barker leaves us with a feeling of transformationimusic that adapts to the moment in which it exists.
Review: Bridging the gap between guitar-driven rock and ambient techno - they would later become the first artist to bring guitars to Warp Records - Seefeel skillfully blended electronic loops with post-psychedelic basslines, mermaid-like vocals from Sarah Peacock and intelligent percussion. Their debut album for Too Pure in 1993 was both ahead of its time and timeless, offering a quiet revolution of repetition and downtempo somnolent soundscape, a record that remains beautifully undated. Tracks like 'Imperial'. 'Industrious' and 'Charlotte's Mouth' demonstrate Seefeel's knack for using guitars as electronic complements, layering hypnotic smears of feedback with Peacock's intimate whispers. The eight-minute opener, 'Climatic Phase No. 3', floats with barely-there percussion and a lazy, dreamy melody, while 'Filter Dub' delivers a sublime, drowsy bass line perfect for slipping into sleep. The album's structure leans into drone and quirky ambience, creating an experience more akin to a dream state than a traditional rock record. Quique feels proto-IDM, a precursor to the ambient-motorik noise-pop aesthetic that artists like Tim Hecker and Mouse on Mars would explore. Seefeel's early work remains a blueprint for electronic experimentation, demonstrating that the band's forward-thinking approach helped define a genre that continues to defy easy categorisation. Quique is not just a product of the 90s - it's a sonic vision that still feels fresh and boundary-pushing today.
Review: We don't need to tell you why Tim Burton's musical masterpiece 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is good, but what makes the soundtrack even better? Why, the inclusion of Sir Patrick Stewart's cut epilogue on track two of course! Celebrating the cross-seasonal classic's 30th birthday is this double zoetrope record package, featuring iconic scenes from the stop-motion flick. The star of the show (sorry Patrick) is, of course, soundtrack legend Danny Elfman, who has seemingly gotten OST production down to an art form even to this very day. The Oingo Boingo singer-cum-producer has scored every movie you can think of: 'The Avengers', the 'Fifty Shades' franchise, 'Mission: Impossible' just to name a small handful. What newer fans may not know is that Elfman cracks out the vocals for this musical album, acting as the singing voice for main character Jack Skellington - yes, unfortunately, it's not Chris Sarandon's beautiful voice you're hearing, as great as that would be. It's never too late to get into a timeless classic like this, go out and spread the good word.
Review: Stepping into the world of Hiroshi Yoshimura is like entering a tranquil garden, where every sound is a carefully cultivated element of the landscape. His music, originating in the 1980s, blurs the lines between ambient soundscapes and composed pieces, creating an immersive experience that evokes the serenity of the natural world. 'Over The Clover' whispers with the gentle rustling of leaves, while 'Flora' blossoms with delicate melodies. Yoshimura captures the essence of specific natural elements, from the unfurling of a morning glory in 'Asagao' to the subtle shifts in air pressure in 'Wind Echo'. He even finds music in the unexpected, as 'Maple Syrup Factory' introduces a surprising sweetness to the sonic landscape. But Yoshimura's work is not simply about recreating the sounds of nature. The Japanese musician and composer encourages a deeper listening experience, where subtle details and intricate textures emerge with each listen, definitely music that rewards close attention.
Review: Inhmost is an alias of UK-based Simon Huxtable and Future Research Journal Entries: Part I marks his debut album for the peerless US ambient label Past Inside the Present, after albums for stables as illustrious as re:st, Huinali, Tonight's Dream and Spatial. It fits right in with the imprint's vast canon as it's an immersive work described as "a time capsule from a forgotten generation of space travellers." The album follows his collaboration with ASC on The Moons of Saturn and has similarly cosmically-minded themes. Opener 'Visualization of Forever' features calming drones and soft synths, 'Surface of an Untouched Moon' is awash with tranquillity and 'Gravitational Correction' and 'Haunting Silence' capture the fragile boundaries between life and the void. The closing piece, 'Sunrise On A New World' is a final dynamic odyssey that will leave you wanting to start the whole trip again.
Review: Trauma Collective returns to shock your system on their fifth release, which comes courtesy of Spain's Rafael M. Espinosa aka Geistform. The Barcelona-based artist, also known for his exploits under the Univac alias, has crafted a singular style that exists at the interzone of IDM, digital noise and electro and having earned him releases on Pi Electronics, Femur and Hands Productions in recent years.
Espinosa executes four programs in sonic warfare on the Antena EP, all sounding akin to complex bitstream amplification. A multi-level barrage of frequencies play offense on opening cut "Proxima B", which sets the theme for more widescreen pulsations that gash the senses, as heard on the syntax error of "Note Repeat" and building up to a climax on the monochromatic soundstage of "Norc" - a jagged and angular exploration in bass artefacts and static redux.
Since unleashing the austere techno of Birmingham legend Mick Harris (as Monrella) and hometown hero Kwartz on unsuspecting ears, the Madrid-based collective has now ventured into more experimental spheres, as heard on the off-kilter mentalism of ASC's Loop Research and the brooding atmosphere of Makunaimadama's limited cassette release last year. Antena is the logical progression for the label's next chapter, where it continues to push the threshold of electronic music's outer limits.
Review: In remembrance of Pete Birch, AKA Woosh, AKA The Peaceful Ones and founder of Spirit Wrestlers. Four ambient pieces, three of which were released as part of Pete's 52 Card Trick series on the Spirit Wrestlers Bandcamp site, plus another piece which was a favourite of Pete's but was never finished in time.
Collected together on vinyl for the first time, all profits from the sale of this record will be donated to the Spirit Wrestlers Foundation. Set up after Pete's passing, the Foundation promotes the belief that ""Music is the Healing Force of the Universe"", that ""Love Is the Most Important Thing"" and helps causes that were close to his heart. Nx
Elion Paz highlights the planet's biggest proponents of vinyl collecting, bridging stunning images with extensive interviews, revealing the motives and backstories behind the global vinyl community
Notes: Dust & Grooves Vol. 2: Further Adventures in Record Collecting - First Limited Edition
Renowned photographer and publisher Eilon Paz returns after the successful release of Dust & Grooves: Adventures In Record Collecting. For Volume Two, Paz highlights the planet's biggest proponents of vinyl collecting, bridging stunning images with extensive interviews, revealing the motives and backstories behind the global vinyl community. Ten years after the first release, with vinyl sales skyrocketing and a booming popularity among Gen-Zs, Volume Two digs deeper than its predecessor, underscoring gorgeous collections from astute everyday enthusiasts to venerated DJs, musicians, and producers. Veteran journalist and editor David Ma handles the editorial end to this sequel, making Volume Two a cultural leader in the field, expertly accentuating the world's unifying devotion to vinyl.
Tailor made for lovers of world-class photography, novice and expert collectors, and music obsessives alike.
Foreword by Prince Paul
Includes interviews with A-Trak, DaM Funk, Quantic, DJ Spinna, Kid Koala, Don Letts, Andy Votel, Mayer Hawthorne and more.
Review: JS is an alias of James Zeiter and is also the name of his own label. This seventh transmission once again showcases his signature take on minimal, dub and techno. 'JS-07' rolls out with deep, pillow drums and well buried sub bass that slowly sweeps you up and locks you into a state of hypnosis. 'JS-07R' on the flip side is run through with slightly more warmth and light, like beams of sun piercing the surface of an ocean and catching microscopic organisms floating on the sea bed. It's a heady sound full of soul.
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (True Crime version) (1:41)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Sacred Chant version) (3:12)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Lorna Wu version) (4:41)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Cover version) (4:40)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Nicky version) (0:48)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Agatha Through Time version) (2:29)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Pop version) (2:33)
The Ballad Of The Witches' Road (Score version) (1:23)
Agatha's Theme Score (2:09)
Billy Kaplan Score (2:38)
Rio (Love & Death) Score (4:29)
The Coven March Score (2:49)
Tricks & Trials Score (1:56)
Salem's Seven Score (5:02)
Magick Medley Score (1:29)
Review: The new Disney+ TV miniseries Agatha All Along sees Kathryn Hahn reprise her role as Agatha Harkness, a central superheroine and witch of the Marvel Comics universe. A sequel to the live-action miniseries WandaVision, Agatha All Along charts Harkness' travails of escape and persecution, in a contemporary magic realist narrative blending witch coven and superhero themes. Here the soundtrack to the new series appears in tasteful and fitting fashion and in LP format, featuring such well-chosen as 'Hava Nagila' by Traditional, 'Visions' by Plastic People, 'Season Of The Witch' by Donovan and 'Heads Will Roll' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Review: Kelly Lee Owens' fourth studio album marks a significant shift in Owens' musical journey, embodying themes of freedom and escapism. Dream State emerges from a period of inner transformation following a break-up, and is a testament to collaboration, featuring producer-writer contributions from electronic music luminaries Bicep, Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers and George Daniel of The 1975. The synergy between these artists infuses Dreamstate with a rich, dynamic sound that blends Owens' ethereal vocals with innovative electronic beats and lush production. A range of emotions and sonic landscapes, offering both introspective and liberating experiences.
Review: Bjork and Rosalia team up for the limited marble vinyl edition 12" double-sider, 'Oral', now coming packed with a stunning remix by Olof Dreijer from The Knife. The record is described by its releasers OLI as not just a single release but a "call to arms", with 100% of the profits being funnelled directly to AEGIS, the Icelandic charity dedicated to eradicating intensive fish farming in the country. 'Oral' itself is now a staple of the latest incarnation of Bjork's ever-mutant career, consummating her and Rosalia's recent rapport; a sabre-wielding, purblind aesthetic - befitting also of another of Bjork's collaborative contemporaries, Arca - fits seamlessly with the elegiac reggaeton of the song. Dreijer's remix is rabid and wonky by comparison, its draggy, morphemic rhythms belying Bjork and Rosalia's equally wetted vocals, producing a wacky litany of faunal electronics and whizzing FX.
Euph (Feelings In Finite) (CD2: Atmospherics - Bvdub's Re-entries)
Complete Nonsense (Calm & Chaos)
Helix (Radiate In Red)
Phosphorous (Elements Of Endlessness)
Mars Rain (Freeze And Fall)
Lost In It (Life In Lucidity)
FM (Frequencies Of Forgiveness)
Odyssey (Gazing Into Galaxies)
Genetic Experiment (Symbols And Secrets)
Review: zake's untouchable ambient imprint Past Inside the Present revisits James Bernard's classic 1994 album Atmospherics and has remastered it and paired it with some fresh reinterpretations by bvdub, a longtime friend and collaborator. Since the original release, music and technology have evolved significantly but the timeless craft and rich textures of Bernard's work remain evident. Atmospherics achieved cult status during the ambient music boom after being crafted solely with a keyboard, sequencer, 12-bit sampler, drum machine, and bass guitar, all created in real-time and without edits. Bvdub's reinterpretations honour the originals while adding new dimensions and infusing them with a melancholic air that enhances its emotional depth.
Are You Alive? (feat Penelope Isles - edit) (3:31)
Style (edit) (3:56)
Dirty Rat (edit) (3:31)
Review: This new and career spanning album A Beginner's Guide is a 'best of' collection tailored for both new or curious Orbital fans. Whether you discovered the duo after their iconic Glastonbury 2024 performance, during their global tour celebrating the Green & Brown albums, or through a track featured in a film, this collection offers an ideal introduction and recap of what makes them one of the most enduring acts in all of electronic music. It compiles there Hartnoll brothers's biggest hits in their edited forms and album includes utter classics like 'Chime,' 'Belfast,' and 'Halcyon' all of which give a fine a taste of the duo's influential electronic sound, all in one package for the first time ever.
Review: UV & Nenor link up once more and return to Fossils with three new edits that take the form of spaced-out deep cosmic chuggers. These are all classy tunes with an analogue edge, great deference to the classic synth sounds of days gone by but all with nice modern touches. 'Space Love' is a widescreen odyssey with sultry female vocals and a sweet theremin sound. On the flip, 'Shwag' has hazy pads and slowed down, rugged, sleazy drums and bass and then last of all comes 'GoGo Stomp' with another bubbly bottom end, squelchy bassline and weird but wonderful vocal sounds. A brilliantly high-grade addition to your record back.
Review: Current 93's latest album, Sketches of My Nightmares, is a collection of fractured musical scribblings that evoke a sense of dreamlike wonder and disorientation. The album is a tapestry of skittering sounds, strange tape loops, and other outlandish noises that weave together to create a haunting and evocative atmosphere. One of the highlights of Sketches of My Nightmares is Tibet's haunting vocals. His voice is both ethereal and powerful, conveying a sense of vulnerability and longing. The lyrics, which are often cryptic and enigmatic, add to the album's dreamlike quality. Overall, Sketches of My Nightmares is a masterpiece of avant-garde music. It is a record that is both challenging and rewarding, and one that will leave a lasting impression on the listener.
Review: Much to nerdy Japanese electronic lovers' delight, Temporal Drift reissued Hiroshi Yoshimura's Surround last year, and now carry on focussing on his work with the first-ever reissue of Flora, an overlooked gem in ambient music. Recorded in 1987 but unreleased until 2006, which was three years after Yoshimura's sad passing, Flora carries on in style where his acclaimed works Green and Surround left off. It's another sublime record that highlights Yoshimura's ability to explore the interplay between sound and ambience. He was a diverse talent who also created an album for museum playback, and composed a soundtrack for a contemporary fashion show.
Review: Back in the depths of the global Coronavirus pandemic, Nick Hoppner and Alex Kassian decided to join forces to record an album, one that would set aside their club credentials and instead focus on their collective love of krautrock, ambient and 'guitar-driven music'. The result is The Big Melt, the duo's first missive as H.A.N.K. Beginning with the immersive, enveloping sound world that is 'Cruise' - a slow-build, effects-laden dreamscape that offers nods to classic Tangerine Dream, shoegaze and 1990s ambient electronica - the album bobs along attractively, with exotic rhythms and intoxicated electronics ('A Useful Fever') sitting side by side with shuffling Balearic instrumentals ('Azul's Garden'), kosmiche epics ('Jag Aar Jag'), sitar-laden wonders ('While My Tar Gently Weeps'), and analogue-rich nods to Neu!, Can and Dunkelziffer ('No Harm').
Review: Saint Etienne's latest release envelops listeners in a serene, ambient soundscape that gently guides the mind into a state of calm. The track 'Half Light' exemplifies this approach, with its ethereal melodies and soothing rhythms creating a tranquil atmosphere and the album - the their 11th since 1991's debut Fox Base Alpha - continues this theme, offering a cohesive journey through layered tranquillity. A testament to the band's ability to craft immersive experiences that resonate deeply with the listener.
Review: Quiet Music Under the Moon marks the 2023 debut of Calm, featuring a talented ensemble: Toshitaka Shibata on piano, Yuichiro Kato on saxophone, Tomokazu Sugimoto on upright bass and Kakuei on steel pan. This new collection shifts focus from showcasing virtuosic solos to delivering a meticulously crafted suite of chillout tracks, mostly incorporating "moon" in their titles. The album unfolds like a serene journey through the night, seamlessly transitioning from pieces like 'Drift Into Dreamland' to morning reflections in 'Oyasumi, Ohayo'. The natural sounds of cicadas and gentle summer showers act as connecting threads, enhancing the auditory experience. Musically, the tracks fall into two categories: softly sighing synth melodies reminiscent of 80s cinematic scores and gentle, beatless soundscapes infused with post-rave textures. For example, 'Moonshower' evokes the lush aesthetics of Digital Justice's works, slowed down to a meditative pace. Calm's signature ambient sound shines throughout, characterised by slowly arching pads and sustained chords that invite contemplation. This clear vinyl edition, complete with an obi strip.
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