Back catalogue:

Review: Slowdive's Pygmalion stands as a profound yet overlooked gem in the band's discography. Released amidst the Britpop and grunge dominance of 1995, it was unfairly dismissed, leading to the band's quiet dissolution. However, if you revisit Pygmalion, it reveals a hauntingly beautiful departure from their earlier shoegaze roots. Now, pressed on vinyl, you can enjoy all the ways this release has stood against time and trends. The album is a minimalist masterpiece, stripping away their trademark wall of noise to reveal ethereal, ambient landscapes. Tracks like the opening epic 'Rutti' set the tone with its subdued guitar work and Neil Halstead's introspective vocals, evoking a sense of contemplative solitude. Throughout the album, space is pivotal - an expansive, cathedral-like atmosphere crafted through restrained instrumentation and atmospheric production. While critics of its time failed to appreciate its subtleties, Pygmalion now stands as a visionary work ahead of its time. Its influence can be heard in subsequent bands like Mogwai and Low, who embraced its meditative qualities and minimalist approach. In today's context, the album's tranquil melodies offer a refuge, resonating with listeners seeking solace amidst chaos. Slowdive's Pygmalion remains a shinning example to their artistic integrity and the enduring power of quiet introspection in music.

Review: First released in 1992, Slowdive's 'Blue Day' compiles the best of the band's earliest outings in the shoegaze genre, bottling them under a singly brittle, blue banner. Just seven tracks adorn its two sides, with the notable self-titled track 'Slowdive' signalling some hint of the band's origins (its wayward drumming getting at an especially happy naivete). Later moments on the record, such as 'Morningrise', are comparatively icier verging on frostbitten, with an overdriven crunch clipping off the most amped edges of the transient hits, suggesting an imperfect medium. On the B, the best of the lot is the slow colic of 'Losing Today', a song palpably packed with a sense of loss, most notably achieved via its soaring, cuspate guitar ogees, albeit ones which just about peek their heads above the shrednoise.

Review: The Stones Roses endure as a popular indie band decades after they were really relevant. Some of their biggest moments were all touched up by a selection of remixes who were at least loosely associated with early acid house, baggy and the indie dance cross over of the same period. 808 State go first and flip 'Made of Stone' into an electric big of indie-techno. Grooverider flips the most iconic of them all, 'Fools Gold', into a low riding breakbeat roller while Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne's Verizon of 'Waterfall' leaves al the glorious tumbling guitar melodies intact and beefs up the beats.

Review: This is the first reissue of the much-anticipated compilation gathering together many gems from the Louisiana born singer Bettye Swann. This compilation gathers and enormous 22 tracks from the career to highlight her career. Bettye rose to to acclaim with her 1967 soul classic 'Make Me Yours' which not only climbed to #21 on the Billboard 100 but also became a #1 on the rhythm and blues charts. Once she signed to Capital record a few years later, she had a second top 40 hit with 'Don't Touch Me'. The compilation has so many underrated songs from her career that just didn't get the attention that they deserved - see the excellent 'Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)' and the amazing cover of 'Tell it like it is'. There is so much great music here to discover. This reissue by Music On Vinyl is on 180 gram vinyl complete with insert.