New releases last two weeks: Leftfield

Review: Blkmarket Underground Music Party Edits is a sub-label to the influential Blkmarket, an esteemed label and event series in New York. Contrary to what that catalogue number might indicate, this is actaully their second release and has Facets at the controls. First up is 'Computers' with its raw and snappy analogue drum sounds and late-night synth details. 'Time Of War' is another full-fat blend of analogue drum thump and driving synth motifs, 'Talk To Me' has crashing cold-wave synths and deadpan vocals and 'Paranoia' has loopy vocals and moody atmospheres for freaky dancing. 'Lies' and 'Dub To Destruct' shut down this varied and retro-tinged EP with jerking rhythms that will do plenty of damage.

Review: Few tracks capture the icy allure of early 80s electronic experimentation quite like this underground classic. Originally released in 1981, this Swiss post-punk/coldwave classic has transcended its era, becoming a cult favorite across underground scenes and DJ sets of various genres. Now reissued on limited blue vinyl, its influence remains undeniable. 'Eisbaer' is a track that bridges stark, minimalist electronics with the raw energy of post-punk. The hypnotic bassline and cold, robotic drum programming lay a foundation for jagged guitar stabs and eerie synth flourishes, creating an urgent, mechanical pulse. The disaffected, almost mantra-like vocalsideclaring "Ich mochte ein Eisbar sein" ("I want to be a polar bear")iheighten its existential detachment. Echoes of Throbbing Gristle's industrial edge and Cabaret Voltaire's abstract electronics blend seamlessly with the emerging synth-pop movement, helping to push new wave into more danceable, electronic territory. Side B's 'Film 2' takes a more abrasive approach, a pounding, near-industrial instrumental that pulses with motorik intensity. 'Ich Lieb Sie' is more restrained but equally unsettling, its sparse arrangement and ghostly atmosphere reinforcing Grauzone's unique ability to evoke emotion through minimalism. Timeless and still chillingly modern, this reissue ensures that Eisbar and its B-sides continue to inspire. A crucial document of coldwave's evolution, reaffirming why this track remains a DJ favourite decades later.

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: Khotin - or Canadian electronic musician Dylan Khotin-Foote if you prefer - returns with 'Peace Portal', a six-track suite gliding us through a tantric slow motion, threading gauzy textures through ambient, Balearic, and soft-focus downtempo. After a decade refining his palette across releases for labels like 1080p and Ghostly International, here he reserves some of his most intimate and glowing material for his own platform, Khotin Industries. Opener 'You Made My Weekend Wonderful' sets the tone with choir-like vapour trails and delicate piano, while 'HP 1' follows in a dream state of sub-bass eddies, flowing seamlessly into the playful skip of 'Druid Dance'. The B deepens the haze: 'Vacation (Spam Free Mix)' evokes luxury resort liminality with plush pads and sunkissed low-end, 'Oasis Bioreference' drips warped acid through a slow-motion filter. Each piece is a postcard from somewhere gently unreal.

Review: Rindert Lammers' debut LP is a kaleidoscopic suite in five movements; pelican wingspans of twinkly, retentive but then also generous jazztronica, centring on two distinct themes: Japanese cinema and YouTube confessions. Japanese culture is seen through a grateful lens, as theatrical titans such as Kirin Kiki are homaged; the B1 especially is inspired by a poignant moment in the actor's portrayal of Hatsue Shibata in the 2018 film Shoplifters. Seemingly firstly inconsequential digital traces are lent an upscale gravitas, meanwhile, as a voice clip from a YouTube comment on an algorithmically boosted Hiroshi Yoshimura video evolves into the ride-embellished upswell 'Thank You Hiroshi Yoshimura'. Mastering the art of appreciation from afar, Lammers brings a mood of gobsmacked reverence for Japanese enviro jazz and its offshoots, suspending us over an endless realm of forms circa 1989.

Review: As the official soundtrack to Claire Sanford and Josephine Anderson's documentary Texada, New-York based composer Elori Saxl's latest record comes issued on a steadfast, standalone vinyl edition. Texada explores the evolving connection between people and the remote Texada Island, British Columbia, shaped by ancient limestone formations and industrial history. Saxl transforms these themes into sound, blending analog synthesizers, processed baritone saxophone (by Henry Solomon) and field recordings of water and rock. Her compositions evoke stone textures and the lunar-tidal motion of waves, with tracks like 'The Quarry' capturing the drive of resource extraction, and 'The Most Special Place' reflecting nostalgia and discovery, merging human and geological scales.

Review: Bonafide and veteran Japanese house legend Satoshi Tommie is back with a second taste of his upcoming new album Magic Hour alongside a selection of fine remixes. First is a Freund der Familie Reshape of 'N01' which is deep, atmospheric and mid tempo techno, while the album's title cut then becomes a swamp, deep, menacing rework from Andrey Pushkarev. Freund der Familie Rewire Fix of 'Phase Space' makes it into a deft, loopy, stuttering workout for the mind and the Satoshi Tommie's Alternate Cut of 'Fast Track' is a killer slow track steeped in dub dynamics.

Review: Crossing between V/A comp and split 12", Unusual Systems present the tenth edition in their series celebrating the work of local Italian producers. Glossing xenon flashes of Italo disco and electro-disco-synth, we've here the tasering talents of duo Two Opposites and then solo artist Corp on the A, backed up by Catalan producers Torrent and Adria on the B side. The opening productions are slick, adumbrate bops, outlining the barest, darkest contours of Italo in its most abstract form. Adria's 'Bakaloo' is the highlight of the B, indulging the weirdest of buildups and most party-crashing of progressions.

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.