Back catalogue: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: Now I See The Light is the comeback album from often-overlooked Japanese math rock pioneers Toe. As the title suggests, the blissful, meditative soundscapes offer listeners a refreshing perspective, providing the emotional grounding needed to view life through a renewed lens. Toe exemplifies modesty in their artistic expression. Their music, characterised by intricate instrumental subtleties, reflects a reserved demeanour, paralleling their minimalist online presence. Their focus remains solely on creating music, naturally attracting those who truly appreciate their craft. Discovering toe is thus a serendipitous experience. Blending elements of post-rock, pop, jazz, electronic and ambient genres, toe has crafted a sound that feels both seamless and cohesive. The album opens with '????', enveloping the listener in the warm embrace of intricate guitar harmonies, akin to a comforting reunion. The band's chemistry radiates through each hypnotic rhythm, reflecting their strong bond. Though primarily instrumental, tracks like 'Loneliness Will Shine' feature tender vocals from guitarist Yamazaki Hirokazu. His airy voice enhances the beautiful instrumentals, creating a captivating atmosphere reminiscent of Dredg's El Cielo. The placement of these vocal tracks within the album ensures a well-balanced pacing, making it feel neither purely instrumental nor vocal. The pristine audio quality of the album allows every detail to shine. '??????' exemplifies this, with carefully panned elements creating an amazing depth. Despite its clarity, the production maintains a human touch, avoiding sterility and instead feeling authentic. What stands out most about toe is the unwavering authenticity woven into their music. There are no gimmicks or over-the-top embellishments, just pure auditory bliss from beginning to end. After a nine-year hiatus, it's as if they seamlessly continued their musical journey, allowing us to experience the light they bring to the world. The CD includes a poster, adding an extra touch for fans.

Review: London-based Australian vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Penelope Trappe has always made immersive, enveloping and deeply atmospheric that sidesteps convention. It was that uniquely haunting and emotive approach to ambient and electronica that earned her deals with Optimo Music and Houndstooth, amongst others. Now signed to One Little Independent, Trappes has pushed the boat out further on Requiem, a mournful and bittersweet musical meditation in which her distinctively sweet-but-drowsy vocals rise above manipulated cello textures, hushed field recordings, ambient textures and intriguing electronic sounds aplenty. It's bold, beautiful and at times breathtakingly brilliant, once again marking Trappes out as an artist with a genuinely unique musical vision.

Review: As he's moved further towards a career in soundtrack composition, Trentemoller's music has become increasingly widescreen and atmospheric, with the Danish artist drawing inspiration from dream-pop, the Cocteau Twins and Durutti Column as much as the ambient, electronica and immersive techno he was once famous for. All of these strands combine beautifully on 'Memoria', a picturesque and enveloping affair whose multitude of highlights include the yearning, string-laden and bittersweet brilliance of 'No More Kissing The Rain', the wall-of-sound dream pop shimmer of 'In The Gloaming', the mid-80s indie-pop haziness of 'Dead or Alive' and the glassy-eyed and tactile 'All Too Soon'.

Review: By Scott Hansen's previously prolific standards, we've had to wait a fair old while for a new album. Infinite Health, the third Tycho album for Ninja Tune after years signed to Ghostly International, is by design something of a reset: a self-proclaimed meditation on "hope for the future" mixed with a "requiem for the past". Stylistically, that also means a return to his electronic roots, with colourful, melody-rich and sun-splashed synth sounds combined with unfussy beats and breaks, toasty basslines and glistening, AM radio-friendly guitar licks. It is then, regardless of the inspirations behind it, a classic-sounding Tycho album - as highlights 'Phantom', the instrumental deep synth-pop dreaminess of 'Devices' and the lo-fi, trip-hop influenced shuffle of 'Green' emphatically prove.