Back in stock: Modern Classical

Review: Lucinda Chua is currently based in South London and is a singer, songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. She crafts elegant and emotive music mainly using her voice and cello, plenty of effects units and draws on ambient for her inspiration. What results is atmospheric and intimate music that is utterly enchaining as this album on 4AD proves across ten tracks that come after she spent an intensive period studying Chinese dance forms. Lead single 'Echo' is a pop song about ancestral trauma that walks a thin line between respect for the past and the hope and freedom of a new future. It's captivating indeed.

Review: The Sonatine (1993) soundtrack is an exceptional work from legendary composer Joe Hisaishi, known above all for his in-house scores for Studio Ghibli. This inviting compendium of neoclassical, synth-driven, turn-of-the-80s electronica highlights the infamous artist's contemplative, intimate side, bringing an equally sparring yet evocative experience. Not a Ghibli contribution, the score instead accompanies a signature addition to the filmography of Takeshi Kitano: Sonatine is a stylish yakuza crime thriller following a weary gangster sent to Okinawa, where violence and existential reflection intertwine. These pensive, purgatory pieces are equally capable capacity to melt and enrapt the listener's heart, with refulgent piano and Roland DJ-800 / D-50s scoring a distinctive J-chillout mood (just listen to those flourishes on 'Play On The Sands').

Review: Moondog's H'art Songs stands out as a defining moment in his illustrious career, marking the first release to omit his name from the title. Recorded in his sixties, this rare vocal album comprises ten art songs that deftly blur the lines between classical and pop music. Dubbed "H'art songs" for Hardin's art, the compositions showcase a musical sophistication that appeals to both pop and classical enthusiasts. Released in 1977, this collection enriches Moondog's eclectic discography, featuring mesmerising wordplay that conveys narratives ranging from political commentary to nature appreciation, all wrapped in poetic intrigue. Moondog's unique singing style, devoid of vibrato, allows for accessibility, encouraging listeners to join in. He intentionally simplified the vocal lines, leaving the intricate harmonies to the piano, which carries the melodic weight of the songs. This album is undeniably one of Moondog's most impactful releases.

Review: A wet dream by any other name, Nocturnal Emissions first gave us Innovation of the Beast Gods in January 1989. A year that would wind up changing the very face of the world and global order, it's fitting that we should be returning to it at a point when history seems to be getting made in some rather overwhelming ways, and established structures are again being called into question and actively dismantled. Enough politics, though - Innovation of the Beast Gods is disinterested in the discourse of artificial power and resolutely committed to a more natural world. Tracks are more collages of layered sounds, recordings of creatures that come out as the sun goes down and humans tend to take more of a back seat. Bats, owls, marine life, foxes, and insects all contributed to the aural tapestry, captured noises augmented by synthesised and electronic tones completing a deeply textured and immersive experience.

Review: In celebration of Arvo Part's 90th year, his latest release showcases the Estonian composer's continued exploration of minimalist, spiritually charged sound . Part's work has always sought to blend the sacred with the secular, and this collection of new renditions brings forward the timeless resonance of his choral and orchestral compositions. Opening with 'Littlemore Tractus,' based on John Henry Newman's reflections, the piece sets the tone of quiet, introspective change that permeates the entire work. His music, a dialogue between sound and silence, invites profound contemplation, with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under Tonu Kaljuste's direction offering nuanced, deeply attentive performances. Compositions like 'Vater unser,' showcase Part's ability to transform liturgical text into transcendent musical experience. There's an undeniable spiritual gravity in pieces such as 'Cantique des degres' and 'Sequentia,' where strings and vocals weave in delicate yet forceful patterns, revealing a steady undercurrent of renewal. The rich textures in these works evoke both a longing for and a reconciliation with the past, capturing Part's life-long exploration of sacred music's dialogue with the world. The album culminates with 'Vater unser,' an evocative reworking that brings together choir, strings, and piano, offering a meditative close to an album that is as much about reflection as it is about the continued forward momentum of Part's artistry. Recorded in Tallinn's Methodist Church, this latest chapter is a continuation of the Part-Eicher partnership that has defined so much of his career, expanding the legacy of albums like Tabula rasa and reinforcing Part's place as one of the most significant voices in contemporary classical music of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Review: The results are in and the doubters have been silenced - Barbie's silver screen debut has been a resounding success. As well as adroitly treading the line between bubblegum escapism and socially astute observation, Greta Gerwig's blockbuster features a heavyweight soundtrack pieced together by premier league pop auteur Mark Ronson alongside Andrew Wyatt.

Review: After a two-decade interlude, Jim O'Rourke's Moikai returns with Spectral Evolution, a major new work by Rafael Toral. Making his name in the mid-1990s with influential guitar drone platters like Sound Mind Sound Body and Wave Field (both reissued by Drag City in recent years), Toral has never been one to rest on his laurels repeating past glories. In the early years of the 21st century, Toral began his "Space Program", a 13 year investigation of the performance possibilities of an ever-expanding set of custom electronic instruments, played with a fluid phrasing and rhythmic flexibility inspired by jazz. Dedicated to honing his skills on these idiosyncratic instruments, Toral founded his Space Quartet, where his mini-amplifier feedback integrates seamlessly into the frontline of a classic post-free jazz quartet rounded out with saxophone, double bass, and drums. Since 2017, Toral's work has been entering a new phase, often still centred around the arsenal of self-built instruments developed in the Space Program, but with a renewed interest in the long tones and almost static textures of his earlier work; he has also, after more than a decade, returned to the electric guitar. Spectral Evolution is undoubtedly Toral's most sophisticated work to date, bringing together seemingly incompatible threads from his entire career into a powerful new synthesis, both wildly experimental and emotionally affecting.