Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Founded in 2023, Category 1 Music (C1M) builds on deep roots in house music, focusing on soulful house vocal productions on a fine international scale. Beyond digital releases, they're now diving into vinyl with a series of exclusive drops; the first is a Category 1 Music Sampler, a 12" of four standouts by Terry Dexter, Michael Gray, Dr Packer, Richard Earnshaw, and DJ Spinna. Organic but still well cooked Ibiza house predominates the set menu, whether by way of the ultrasoul wateriness of Terry Dexter's 'You Saved Me' or the tighter but still dreamy entreaties of Shawn Christopher's 'He's Got It', both translated in exquisite mashup form by the likes of Gray and Packer.

Review: Jamaican vocalist Earl Sixteen's 1980 recording finally lands on 7" vinyl, produced by Earl Morgan of The Heptones and recorded at Harry J Studios. The vocal cut rides a familiar steppers rhythm also heard on tracks by Lacksley Castell and Black Uhuru - crisp, driving, and minimal in arrangement. Sixteen's delivery is measured that sits just above the groove without crowding the mix. The B-side features a dub version mixed by Sylvan Morris. It's restrained, focusing on dropouts and echo placement rather than full reconstruction. Both sides maintain clarity and space, typical of the era's late roots sound. A concise, well-pressed archival issue that foregrounds the essentials: voice, rhythm, and atmosphere.

Review: Mutual Response first appeared with its inaugural release back in 2023, so this second one has been a long time in the making. It's the Brit-based Dockett Eddy who runs the Turnend Tapes label who steps up and brings some invention to four tracks of deeply atmospheric techno. 'Monofly' has modulated synth bleeps and squeaks and smeared pads, making it a trippy and futuristic sound, while 'Delayed Response' is slow, heavy and marbled with sombre, downcast chords that make it an introspective delight. '00:04' has a lithe, jittery rhythm with eerie pad swirls up top and 'Tapeline' brings a bit of late-night urban grit and cosmic eeriness. It's a moody EP, this, but one that is always intriguing and inviting.

Review: Norwegian producer Ekkel, co-founder of Ute Records, returns with four sharply drawn tracks for Seismic's third release. His blend of 90s-indebted progressive textures and rhythm-forward minimalism remains intact, though with new, more interior inflections. 'Hradec Fog Fever' is the steadiest of the lot-clean, rolling percussion and tight low-end restraint-but it's 'Owl Foot' that lingers, pairing whispered vocal snippets with eerie atmospheres and subtle motion. On the B-side, 'Drum Ring' builds unease through gritty kicks and unresolved phrases, echoing trance motifs without ever fully revealing them. 'Endphase' teases a moment of release via distant melodies, but soon undercuts it with brittle, clipped drums. This is dance music in a minor key-focused, evocative, and unusually meditative. A smart addition to Seismic's emerging catalogue, and a compelling statement from one of Norway's most consistently interesting underground names.

Review: A masterclass in stark 'Kontrast' comes by way of producer Elektrotechnik, whose latest 12" here for Gladio Operations does unsurprisingly well to contrast his prior digital-only issue for A-Traction Records. Through glommy, paralytic, salivary sound design, 'Sigma' and its corresponding remix by Larionov mission-state the EP: one pronouncedly unafraid of weight or womp, and yet which still scoops out a mercurial feel akin to a volatile solder metal prior, pre and post-solidification. 'Kontrast' and 'Die Bestie' on the B-side sound like said reflowed solder chucked through a giant techno kaleidoscope, as both tracks move increasingly hypnotic and heavy.

Review: Mysticisms imprint strides purposefully into 2025 via a multi-artist extravaganza that touches on many of the label's regular musical themes. To kick things off, Utopia Records main man Alex Bradley offers up his take on Elements of Life's 1996 jam 'Are You With Me Love', reimagining it as a deep and spacey roller rich in languid trumpet motifs, metronomic synth bass and intergalactic pads, before Norwegian veteran Oyvind Morken asks 'How Bleep Is Your Love' via sprightly analogue synth sounds and jacking, sweat-soaked machine drums. Over on side B, Eirwud Mudwasser and Romansoff join forces on the deep, dubby, steel pan-sampling early morning tribalism of 'Cherrie', while N-Gynn treats us to a spot of deliciously deep acid house ('Es V edra TB Deluxe').

Review: The mysterious EMI has been turning out cutting-edge minimal and tech weapons for a while on the likes of PlayedBy and Contur, and this one takes him to the fledgling Draganenii label for a pair of elongated, long-form workouts for mind and body. 'ElVis#1' is all snappy drums and rasping bass, watery pads and moody synth atmospherics that are constantly shifting. The flip side is another epic piece, but this time is more stripped back and deep, dubby and otherworldly with smeared pads and abstract designs all keeping the mind busy while the synthetic grooves roll on.

Review: FoxBam Inc returns with its fourth EP featuring a powerful mix of floor-shaking productions. The release includes contributions from Gez Varley, best known for his work with LFO and classic tracks like 'Quo Vardis' alongside Italian acid producer Vikkei and label founders Foxtrot and Egebamyasi. This new one opens with the acid-heavy 'Battle Scars' while Vikkei delivers the hard techno 'Hip 'n' Crack.' Egebamyasi explores bass-driven wobbly dubstep with 'Mandubchester' and Varley's 'Saturn One' brings cinematic vibes to his signature techno style. Launched in 2023, FoxBam Inc is already becoming a key player in the underground.

Review: Portugal has always had its own thriving scene right back to the days of 90s rave and techno. But in recent times it seems to be having a wider cultural impact with the arrival of plenty of great artists, labels, radio stations and collectives getting proper recognition across the global underground. Just over the Tagus river from Lisbon comes this new label oDYSea from the Caparica coast, and it's headed up by Penelope. GNMR's 'Zen' kicks off with cosmic tech and snappy kicks then Pakzad's 'I Could Never Imagine' is a mid-tempo and warped tech cut with hissing hi hats and psyched out colours. Eversines's 'Randomized Controlled Trial' is taught and trippy techno then Oscillator Man's 'Turning The Mix Up A Bit' is an acid-laced sleaze-fest.

Review: Brian Eno's career has always been about explorationiof sound, technology and the emotional power of music. After pioneering ambient music, Eno has consistently sought out new ways to blend different genres and voices and his latest collaboration with Beatie Wolfe continues this tradition. Wolfe, a British-American artist with an innovative approach to music and activism, complements Eno's atmospheric world with her emotive, alternative vocals. Their work, recorded in London, moves seamlessly from the meditative to the experimental, with tracks like 'Big Empty Country' offering stark contrasts between the brightness of the day and the shadows of the night. This release is not only a nod to Eno's sonic experimentation but also a testament to his lasting influence as an artist who always seeks to connect art with broader societal issues, especially the environment.

Review: Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe join forces on a dual release infusing two distinct musical visions rooted in shared environmental concern. Their new joint release unfolds across two sides, with Luminal offering a vocal-led collection leaning into alt-pop ambiances and timbres, before Lateral rears itself in counterpart as a seamless ambient composition, making up a study in contrast and connection. Recorded in London, the project reflects Eno's lifelong exploration of mood and atmosphere, alongside Wolfe's ongoing push to blur the lines of digital innovation and tactile experience. The project builds the activist art works of Wolfe, a British-American concept artist based in Los Angeles, named by WIRED as one of "22 people changing the world," and tracks the expression of music beyond language or form.

Review: The Excursion's 1968 album Night Train, led by organist Jerry Allen, fuses jazz, mod and beat influences into a distinctive sound that has stood the test of time. Featuring a cover of the evergreen gem 'Green Onions,' the record epitomises the musical energy of its era and though relatively obscure at the time, it has since gained cult status among collectors. Original vinyl pressings are now rare and highly prized as its unique blend of styles and period charm make Night Train a standout release in British jazz history, which was ever shifting in the 1960s.