Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Germany's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band's profile skyrocketed in 2024 when their hypnotic steel pan cover of 50 Cent's 'Pimp' became a surprise emotional core in the Oscar-winner Anatomy Of A Fall. So pivotal was the track that steel pans would here make their first ever Academy Awards orchestra debut. But for longtime heads, 'Pimp' first turned heads in 2008, where it was pressed on Bjorn Wagner's Mocambo label and was often mistaken afterwards for a 50s sample source. The 'Big Crown Vaults' series now swoops in to save and preserve the group's best contributions to the music world, in addition to and in excess of the 'Pimp' version. A true archive-delving if we've ever heard one, the tracks so preserved include Bob James' breakbeat classic 'Nautilus' and a thunderous take on Khruangbin's 'Maria Tambien'. Then there's the B's funked-up flips of the Jackson 5 and Billy Jones, plus one original, 'Kaiso Noir'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Brazilian electronics are back in vogue, and Tony Bizzaro might have just snaffled up said new wave's crown. All the way from 1976 comes 'Que Se Faz Da Vida', a strutting, suave, emotionally cool EP of only the most DJ-able and collected soul-funk. This reissue is, bizarrely, Bizarro's first ever.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The Raw Joints series is one of the best things about the ever-excellent SlapFunk Records, and now the Dutch label is back with a fresh bout of sounds from some of the most inventive artists operating in the minimal house sphere. Ferro's "Electric Sunshine" leads the charge with a militant groove and a rubbery bassline to die for. William Caycedo has a rugged, sample slicing thrust at work on "Mi Casa", while Malin Genie takes things far out on the wonderfully freaky "Superposition". The record wraps up with Ingi Visions, whose "RJG" wriggles into a skippy 2-step groove that will have bodies shaking uncontrollably when it gets deployed in the dance.

Review: Kelly Finnigan, based in San Francisco, continues his rich legacy of soul with a fresh collaboration alongside fellow genre legend Renaldo Domino. The pair's new 45, kicks off with 'Keep Me In Mind,' is a track originally laid down in 1967 by Buffalo's Samson & Delilah, but Finnigan brings a modern, soul-soaked touch to the tune, locking in with tight rhythms and vibrant horns, all while channeling the essence of classic male soul duos like Sam & Dave. On the flip side, 'Let Me Count The Reasons,' pulled from Finnigan's recent A Lover Was Born, dials down the tempo into a more tender, romantic groove. Written with long-time collaborator Max Ramey, it beautifully weaves influences from Detroit to Philadelphia soul. This 45 is yet another nod to Finnigan's knack for crafting timeless soul, making it a must-have for DJs and lovers of classic, heartfelt music. With every release, Finnigan proves why he remains at the forefront of modern soul.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped***


A top value for money opportunity here, as Moiss Music deliver the latest in their sweet and sticky Jam series of various artist 12" line ups, bringing you no less than six bubbling, vivacious disco triumphs from six artists. Khemir's 'Disco Bandit' kicks off proceedings, a production that sounds like it was made by a band of around 45 musicians, a proper cavalcade of strings, brass, brazen disco thump and beautifully bold vocals. Wurzelholz's 'Prince' goes for a bit more economy but with a slinky funk bassline like that - not to mention the occasional exclamation from the purple overlord himself - it's equally devastating in dancefloor terms. Among the other highlights, 'Golden' by I Gemin has the feel of a lost Daft Punk flip tune and Cosmocomics' 'Glamorous Garcon', boasting 70s-style synth bubbles that are as cute as they are retro. Tasty as ever.

Review: Richard Norris loves a series. The former Grid man and noted psychedelic music afficionado has umpteen on the go at present, including ones dedicated to meditative ambient sounds ('Music For Healing') and modular experiments ('Abstractions'). Then there's his dub-wise and 'outernational' music series, Oracle Sound, which here reaches its fourth - and possibly strongest - instalment. Highlights are plentiful, from the languid and woozy head-nod of opener 'Connected Dub' and the intoxicating, flute-sporting musical mystery of 'Earthsea Dub', to the up-beat dancefloor dub of 'Maximum Dub', and the sub-heavy, near dub techno pulse of John Carter hook-up 'Ceefax'. That one also comes accompanied by alternative takes by both Norris and Carter.

Review: Junior Scaife delivers two ensouled sides, produced and co-written by Penrose mainstay Anthony Masino. One of the most gifted vocalists in the soulscape of today, Scaife infuses every note with a shrill sprechgesang, a longing, heaving intonation heard between the runs. 'Nobody Gets My Love' is an ode to tensions of love and pride, wielding the late-60s Hestor and Wylie Detroit sound as a listless instrument for impudence. On the B, 'Too Much Too Soon', offers a slow-burning ballad laced with wah guitar and a comparatively elegance, marking a standout for the lowrider soul crowd.

Review: West Coast soul outfit Thee Baby Cuffs keep the slow-burning romance alive with 'There Ain't Enough Roses', a tender ballad drenched in harmonised falsettos and vintage charm. Now composed of Joe Narvaez and Reality Jonez, the group channels classic lowrider soul, working once again with Finnish production outfit Cold Diamond & Mink. Their signature downtempo style remains intactilush instrumentation, delicate grooves, and a melody built to sway. Previous Timmion singles like 'My My Baby' and 'You're My Reason' cemented their status as torchbearers of group soul, and this latest offering only deepens that legacy. On the flip, a flute-led instrumental nods to Steve Parks, sealing the track's timeless appeal.

Review: Constellation Tatsu welcomes US artist Brendan Principato aka Saapato for what is a hugely conceptual new album based around decomposition. It was sparked when Saapato saw a dead fox lying by the side of the road on his way home from a job in a local warehouse. He used that as a jumping-off point to interrogate "transformation, interconnectedness, and renewal" and the five stages of decomposition, namely fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced decay and dry/remains. Several collaborators help him on his way as he sketches out various instrumental textures which variously have occasional shards of light, lingering melancholy and a subtle sense of hope.

Review: Portland's Paul Dickow, the man behind the Strategy alias, is back with a new album that has been created with a 1989 model sampling keyboard. Exploring its limitations, he plays the sampler by hand and abandons sequencers for a more organic approach which apes a guitarist's connection to their instrument. The record delves into glacial, pensive soundscapes where experimental, ambient and dance music elements all come together with deliberate intention. Though Dickow crafts a sound rooted in ambient techno futurism it is one open to serendipitous, experimental outcomes which makes it a gently unpredictable listen and otherworldly charmer.

Review: While best known as an admired author and music historian, Jon Savage has long been one of our most interesting and considered compilation curators - a music collector whose thematic collections have variously touched on 90s ambient, turn-of-the-80s electronica, post-punk, LGBTQ pop, garage-rock and proto-techno. On Space: Light Years From Home, he offers a whirlwind - and decidedly eclectic - trip through music inspired by all things intergalactic. That means an enticing blend of out-there instrumentals (Spirt's 'Space Child'(), cosmic disco throbbers (Cosmic Hoffmann's deliciously OTT 'Space Disco'), Britfunk (Atmosfear), new wave (Devo), experimental synth-scapes (Martin Hannett and Steve Hopkins), out-there jazz (Sun Ra), weirdo ambient (Biosphere), space rock (Hawkwind), Deep house (Larry Heard) and impossible-to-pigeonhole oddness (Tim Buckley).

Notes: Inside the brand new issue:

Cosey Fanni Tutti: The industrial music icon has been to Hull and back with her new album 2t2. By Claire Biddles

Quinton Barnes: The Montreal rapper and producer flips the script in a new project with free musicians. By Emily Pothast

David Van Tieghem: The New York percussionist who has played with everyone on the Downtown scene receives a dedicated collection of his own work. By Robert Barry

Happy Family: Over four decades the Japanese group have moved from rigorous prog to euphoric harmony. By Daniel Spicer

Amina Claudine Myers: Honing her skills on the old school nightclub circuit, the keyboardist is now forging ambitious suites for choir and pipe organ. By Stewart Smith

Quade: Landmark album. By Lucy Thraves

Milk Eyed Sigh: Let it bleed. By Misha Farrant

Liu Zhenyang: Language games. By Josh Feola

Invisible Jukebox: billy woods: Will The Wire's mystery record collection be recognised by Backwoodz Studioz's main man? Tested by Mosi Reeves

Global Ear: Bratislava's LGBTQI+ scene creates safe spaces amid repressive policing. By Chiara Rendekova

Unlimited Editions: LA's Colorfield label creates spontaneous studio magic. By Daniel Spicer

The Inner Sleeve: Circuit Des Yeux on Weyes Blood's Titanic Rising

Against The Grain: Jo Hutton celebrates radiophonic art as a unique field of creative endeavour

Epiphanies: Daniel O'Sullivan steps outside of himself via the ambiguous, understated moods of library music

Soundcheck: Al Karpenter, Anika, Black Arches with Sexton Ming, Blind IO, Ivor Callin, Rex Casswell, Nels Cline, Coffin Prick, Cosmic Ear, Angel Bat Dawid, Angel Bat Dawid & Naima Nefertari, Demonologists, Deradoorian, Peter Evans & Petter Eldh, Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter, Fatboi Sharif & Driveby, Flying Lotus, Mary Halvorson, Jenny Hval, IOM, Evan Johnson, Eleonora Kampe, Kelan, Phil Langero, Ingrid Laubrock, Annea Lockwood, David Longstreth/Dirty Projectors/s t a r g a z e, Lullahush, Sue Lynch & Regan Bowering, Mamuthones, Gabriele Mitelli: Three Tsuru Origami featuring Camila Nebbia, Mopcut, Moundabout, Bill Nace & Evan Parker, Maggie Nicols & Dan Johnson, Paal Nilssen-Love Circus with The Ex Guitars, Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, Kory Reeder, Marc Ribot, Crystabel Efemena Riley, Scanner & Nurse With Wound, Ferdinand Schwarz, Nadah El Shazly, Sleep Unhealed, Alan Sparhawk, Spellling, Stereolab, Surgeon, Territorial Gobbing, Luca Tilli/Sebi Tramontana/Steve Beresford, Julia Olehla & Dalava, Kamasi Washington, Water Damage, billy woods, Youth Code, Various Marc Urselli's Best Of Ramones Redux, Various Marc Urselli's Ramones Redux, Various Only sounds that tremble through us, Various Planet Mu 30

The Columns: Avant Rock by Tony Rettman; Dub & Reggae by Steve Barker; Electronics by Emily Bick; Hiphop & R&B by Richard Stacey; Jazz & Improv by Bill Meyer; Modern Composition by Julian Cowley; Noise, Industrial & Beyond by Raymond Cummings; Size Matters by Byron Coley

The Boomerang: Ash Ra Tempel, Henry Badowski, Cindytalk, Julee Cruise, Purple Trap, Various Born In The City of Tanta: Lower Egyptian Urban Folklore & Bedouin Shaabi From Libya's Bourini Records 1968-75, Various Eli Roth's Red Light Disco: Dancefloor Seductions From Italian Sexploitation Cinema, Various Roots Rocking Zimbabwe, Various Secret Superstar Sounds: Scraping Bubblegum Off My Soul 1977-80

Print Run: America's Greatest Noise by Frans de Waard; Music In Orbit: Satellite Radio In The Streaming Space Age by Brian Fauteux; The Capitalist Imaginaries Of Popular Music by Charles Fairchild; Feel Like Going Home: Portraits In Blues & Rock 'N' Roll by Peter Guralnick; Krautrock Eruption: An Alternative History Of German Underground In The 60s And 70s by Wolfgang Seidel; Dub: The Sound Of Surprise by Helmut Phillipps (translated by Ursula Munch); Studio Electrophonique: The Sheffield Space Age From The Human League To Pulp by Jamie Taylor; To Hell With Poverty! A Class Act: Inside The Gang Of Four by Jon King

On Screen: Harmony Korine Baby Invasion; isold Uggadottir Cornucopia

On Location: Tribute To Maryanne Amacher, Paris, France; Hamid Drake & Michael Zerang Winter Solstice Concerts, Chicago, US; Rewire, The Hague, Netherlands; Only Connect, Stavanger, Norway; TLF Trio + CTM/Frederik Worm, Los Angeles, US; Wendy Eisenberg & Ryan Sawyer, London, UK; Counterflows, Glasgow, UK; From The Lips To The Moon, London, UK; MaerzMusik 2025, Berlin, Germany; Maher Shalal Hash Baz, London, UK; Big Ears, Knoxville, US

On site: Kathe Kruse, It's All Good Now, Berlin, Germany

Notes: Groovy Stylus Cleaning Fluid 2 fl. oz.

Use with Stylus Cleaning Kit ASCK.

Notes: Synth Cables' braided quality 6.5mm to 3.5mm adapter cables.

Features

Braided stiffer cables, perfect for connecting synthesiser systems, mixers and EuroRack modules together
Quality Nickel Plated 6.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male Mono TS connection
Cables built to high specification 28awg *1C + spiral shielded wire
Planet friendly PVC, recyclable cables

Notes: Synth Cables' braided quality 6.5mm to 3.5mm adapter cables.

Features

Braided stiffer cables, perfect for connecting synthesiser systems, mixers and EuroRack modules together
Quality Nickel Plated 6.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male Mono TS connection
Cables built to high specification 28awg *1C + spiral shielded wire
Planet friendly PVC, recyclable cables

Notes: Synth Cables' braided quality 6.5mm to 3.5mm adapter cables.

Features

Braided stiffer cables, perfect for connecting synthesiser systems, mixers and EuroRack modules together
Quality Nickel Plated 6.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male Mono TS connection
Cables built to high specification 28awg *1C + spiral shielded wire
Planet friendly PVC, recyclable cables

Notes: Synth Cables' braided quality 6.5mm to 3.5mm adapter cables.

Features

Braided stiffer cables, perfect for connecting synthesiser systems, mixers and EuroRack modules together
Quality Nickel Plated 6.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male Mono TS connection
Cables built to high specification 28awg *1C + spiral shielded wire
Planet friendly PVC, recyclable cables

Notes: Synth Cables' braided quality 6.5mm to 3.5mm adapter cables.

Features

Braided stiffer cables, perfect for connecting synthesiser systems, mixers and EuroRack modules together
Quality Nickel Plated 6.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male Mono TS connection
Cables built to high specification 28awg *1C + spiral shielded wire
Planet friendly PVC, recyclable cables

Notes: Synth Cables' braided quality 6.5mm to 3.5mm adapter cables.

Features

Braided stiffer cables, perfect for connecting synthesiser systems, mixers and EuroRack modules together
Quality Nickel Plated 6.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male Mono TS connection
Cables built to high specification 28awg *1C + spiral shielded wire
Planet friendly PVC, recyclable cables