Back catalogue: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: Hull and Leeds-based band bdrmm finally follow up their acclaimed debut album Bedroom - which was instantly passed as a modern day shoegaze classic - with a new EP. It features the recent single 'Port' as well as fresh remixes by the ever more essential Daniel Avery, plus Working Men's Club, A Place To Bury Strangers and others. That single, 'Port,' took the band in a new direction with a darker sound fun of distorted drones and beats, with howls of anguish and manic guitar frenzies. That is carried over into the rest of the EP next to some radical reworks.

Review: Argentina born producer and DJ Born has been serving up some fresh sonic treats for three or four years now and here makes the natural next step of starting his own label. Desencanto will become a place to hear Sebastian Rosas Bruno's freshest tackle as exemplified by this first 12" which collides techno, new wave, electro and new beat. Text with the tunes says the EP is the first of many that will "deal with the disillusions of today's world: political, social, economic and also those left by old loves." Concept aside, these are innovative and impactful cuts.

Review: Experience two of Joy Division's iconic post-punk tracks like never before with exclusive 7" vinyl from Numero Group. Codeine's 1994 rendition of 'Atmosphere' captures the essence of solitude with a melancholic yet melodic twist that marked the iconic Manchester band's poignant farewell. Meanwhile, Bedhead from Dallas offers a fresh perspective on 'Disorder' and transforms it into vibrant indie rock. Encased in a sleek black and silver sleeve adorned with embossed braille lettering, these twin readings pay homage to Joy Division's enduring legacy while inviting listeners to explore new interpretations of their timeless classics.

Review: BIG BRAVE's music epitomises what has been called 'massive minimalism,' with layers of textural distortion and feedback accentuating its weight and frayed edges. Their artistry blends traditional folk techniques with a modern deconstruction of guitar music, all of which is evident in the new album A Chaos Of Flowers, which is a follow-up to their fierce 2023 album Nature Morte. Lyrically, the songs delve into vulnerability, isolation, and co-existence in nature and guitarist and vocalist Robin Wattie drew inspiration from poetry by female-presenting artists, exploring alienation's impact on the psyche. This record is a testament to the band's ability to evoke intense emotions through minimalist yet powerful arrangements.

Review: James Ford is one of the most important unsung heroes of contemporary pop and rock. As a studio producer, he's helped craft and hone incredible work from Fontaines DC, Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur and more. As an artist in his own right, he's perhaps more incredible. So, his impact on the latest and long-awaited new addition to Black Country New Road's catalogue should not be underestimated. Nor should the result of splitting the songwriting and vocal duties between members Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw. "It's definitely very different" said one of the trio about how this compares to preceding long form outings. We'd say it's definitely very different to most music you'll hear this week. It's folk, soft rock, experimental garage something, and none of the above, with tracks that almost seem at odds with themselves, chopping and changing, evolving and progressing, until you hear them as a whole.

Review: Since they first broke through in 2018, Black Midi has delighted in confounding expectations, with each successive release showcasing a band in continual, high-speed evolution. Cavalcade, the London band's second full-length excursion, continues these trends, expanding on their avant-garde, experimental rock sound via a swathe of wildly imaginative tracks that variously mix, mangle and mutate elements of noise rock, jazz, sun-kissed samba-soul, lo-fi punk-funk, post-rock, neo-classical, Bert Jansch style instrumental folk and blissed-out downtempo waltzes. The results are frequently staggering, always entertaining and restlessly inventive. There's no doubt that it will end up winning more critical acclaim - and most likely a bagful of awards - at the end of 2021.