Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Heavyweight heroes Kode9 and Burial are no stranger to working together having done so to great success on FABRICLIVE 100 back in 2018. They don't actually collaborate on this one, though, instead serving up one side each of a new 12" for Fabric. As experimental artists with a penchant for drawn from the UK hardcore continuum you roughly know what to expect - fresh rhythms, emotive sounds designs, compelling rhythms. The 140g 12" comes in both limited edition and standard black vinyl versions, and both have bespoke 3D design with the fabric logo printed on reverse board heavyweight card.

Review: It's hard to argue with how much work Koreless, AKA Lewis Roberts, has put into things. Born in Bangor, Wales, but based in Glasgow - currently the most exciting UK city for electronic music production - it took a decade from his debut EP, 4D, to his first album, during which time he participated in the sorely-missed Red Bull Music Academy programme, collaborated with Sampha, performed on Boiler Room TV, embedded himself within the Young Turks camp, wrote with FKA Twigs, and was credited by David Byrne. That's a lot to unpack, so while the bubble wrap is unloaded let's skip to right here, right now. Deceltica is a particularly Koreless collection of tracks, from the opening warning sirens and haunting melodic chimes of 'Seven', to the robot breaks of the title number, and 'Drumhell''s near-reprise of the opening track, a kind of outro to that intro, it's all very good. Then you get fellow Welshman and resident at Manchester's beloved Bakk Heia party, Jorg Kunning, proving why he's up there with the most technically brilliant beat makers.

Review: 'Autobahn' by Kraftwerk, released in 1974, is a seminal track that redefined the future of electronic music. Its significance lies not only in its innovative use of synthesisers and electronic instruments but also in its ability to evoke a specific visual and emotional landscape. Here, the song's repetitive, motorik rhythms are given an overhaul - or more specifically three - by Jim Rider, a regular at Lee Burridge's All Day I Dream parties. They're beefed up for the floor, certainly, but maintain the kind of delicate touches that makew the original such a great listen.

Review: Kraftwerk are as well known for their albums as they are their singles and the iconic 'Autobahn' is of course the name of both. It is a rather groundbreaking electronic gem originally released in 1974 and soon revolutionised music with its hypnotic synth melodies, driving rhythms and pioneering use of vocoders. The track - celebrating its 50th anniversary and here on 7" - alongside an album picture disc and new Dolby Atmos mix on CD, which seal the birthday celebrations - captured the essence of modern travel by blending motorik beats with atmospheric soundscapes to create a real electronic journey and sense of movement. It still sounds as futuristic now as ever, a record that truly changed the course of modern music forever.

Review: Outlier experimental label Eating Music brings back more for us to chew on here in the form of a varied four tracker from various artists. It is Mindexxx that opens with 'Track 1' which layers up snaking synths and deeply buried dark bass that grows in intensity and washes over you like a Tsunami. Laughing Ears then cuts back to a tender mood with soft piano chords and slowly unfolding rhythms that are warm and lithe. Gooooose's 'The Dusk Of Digital Age' is a churchy affair with textured drones shot through with beams of synth light and Knopha's 'Off-Peak Season Tourists' layers up choral vocals and jumbled drum sounds into something hypnotic and escapist.

Review: For the fifth volume of The Encyclopedia of Civilizations, Abstrakce's collection of split LPs - in which selected artists offer insight into fascinating ancient cultures - hears them focus this time on the enigmatic Babylon, visited by two of the label's favourite electronic bands currently active. Berlin-based duo Driftmachine take us on a journey between the ancient cities of Akkad, Uruk and Ashur. Bringing together astonishing electronics with a superb and precise sound - floating somewhere between modular ambient, leftfield, abstract dub - every detail has been carefully crafted to produce a complex architecture. Unconventional tribal rhythms recall obscure rituals, while warm, dynamic pulses contract and expand, interacting on their journey along the sandy roads of the Mesopotamian basin. Afterwards, Glasgow-based project Komodo Kolektif delves into the Babylonian vision of magic through the figures of the Kassaptu (witches and wizards), and the use of Mandragora. A blend of both tribal primitivism and a futuristic vision is provided by their vast arsenal of vintage synths and effects units, Eastern metallophones and traditional hand percussion. This is deep, psychedelic electronics that capture the spirit of ancient Babylonian sacred ceremonies and their vision of the cosmos.

Review: South African Warrick Sony is a ground breaking composer who was behind the Kalahari Surfers project which now gets a vital spotlight courtesy of Emotional Rescue. This compilation shows how effortlessly eclectic his sound was - from jive rhythms to jazz, tabla to political speeches and much more in between. A Hindu pacifist who was once conscripted into the South African Defense Force, he founded this group as a way out getting his ides out there, calling on other musicians as and when he needed them. It was the first radical white anti-apartheid pop in South Africa and as this vital collection shows it explored polyrhythms, slow motorik, dub sound collage and even a goofy cover of Nancy Sinatra.

Review: Optimo Music continue to dazzle with their increasing experimentation, this time welcoming Finnish producer and K-X-P frontman Kaukolampi to the fore. Exploring the concept of sound as a physical and spatial phenomenon, the LP explores Kaukolampi's idea of "the sphere": his metaphysical and/or musical analogy for being subject to an undetectable outside force, as if being manipulated by an unseen cult. Hypnotic, eerie grooves play out in a muted, time-crystalline fashion, all tracks evoking the feeling of being locked in spherical amber, unwitting.

Review: Kerala Dust are an indietronica trio hailing from Berlin, and their upcoming album 'Violet Drive' is rightly described by them as a 'pan-European dream'. Recorded between Berlin and a remote Swiss Alpine studio, this is a funky, dark and sumptuous vocal dance project, replete with an overarching nighttime swing and glossy shimmer. Rather than one for twangy, sunburnt all-American road trips, we imagine this one is far better suited for drives across milder Scandi landscapes at night.

Review: Audio visual sculptor Kero operates the multidisciplinary arts collective Detroit Underground record label and continues to produce bit crushed experimental electronic music with over two decades under his belt. Demo Vectors showcases Kero's sonic range-bouncing back and forth between IDM fractures, broken electro shapes and an all around low-end forcefield. Splicing machined modular tunes with syncopated rhythms and Detroit-inspired slivers, Kero's fingerprints can be found on imprints like Blueprint, Wild oats, Ghostly International, Shitkatapult, Semantica, Touchin' Bass, BPitch Control, and many others.

Review: Khalab's new album Layers comes on his own Hyperjazz Records and signifies a culmination of sorts. His musical journey started back in 2015 with this first EP on Black Acre Records and has then evolved through Afro-future sounds like his Black Noise 2084 album through On The Corner Records in 2018. His development has continued at pace after that and this record shows how across a series of deeply musical and spiritual tracks full of rich layers, jazz freedom and electronic rhythms. Top shelf guests help elevate the record with multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious jazz singer Alessia Obino and Burkinabe guitarist and kora player Gabin Dabire just some of those adding extra magic.

Review: The debut album from founding members Jason Kohnen and Gideon Kiehrs, the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble (now a sextet) was originally conceived as a means to realise imaginary scores for classic silent films, such as Nosferatu and Metropolis. Often made and played together with fragments from these films to help intensify the impact of the audio, each song here is a brooding noir slinker, not lacking in its heady supply of drum brushes, trombone drones and chromatics. The album is also a semi-synthetic affair, with Kiers providing synths, visuals and sequencing on this romantic yet mildly creepy 2xLP - a reissue of the original from 2006.

Review: Given that he's been delivering DIY releases as Kitchen Cynics since the late 1980s, it can be to know where to start with Alan Davidson's vast back catalogue. Happily, the Trilogy Tapes has come up with a solution: Beads Upon an Abacus, a career retrospective compiled by Jack Murphy that offers an excellent introduction to the Aberdeen-based artist's distinctive work. It's well worth checking, too, because Davidson's trademark style -a lo-fi and hissing blend of rudimentary electronics, hazy folk revivalism, layered guitar-scapes and oddly traditional instrument choices - is never less than invigorating, alluring and hugely entertaining. If you've yet to bathe in his unique musical explorations, don't sleep on this fine compilation.

Review: Klaus's Tanum compilation unites five groundbreaking 12" releases, originally scattered between 2012 and 2021, into a cohesive journey that reveals the innovative spirit of the artist. Each record, known for pushing boundaries, defied expectations and explored new sonic territories and in this compilation, the hidden connections between the tracks become clear. The work effortlessly blends genres, while maintaining a smoldering core of intensity that pulses through every track. From the unexpected twists of rhythm and texture to the emotive undertones, Klaus never settles into predictability. This collection, presented on a CD housed in a recycled card gatefold digisleeve, showcases the depth of Klaus's artistry and vision. Mastered by Matt Colton, the tracks retain their raw energy and sonic clarity. Marking the conclusion of one chapter while igniting anticipation for what comes next, this CD concludes a vital period for the artist.

Review: Pieter Kock shows us how it's done with The End II, a fantastic new experimental beats LP manifested on the Macadam Mambo label, in a move that has been described as "quite unexpected". A doyen of post-10s German kraut-tronics, Kock first found his savvy as a releaser of retrofutural cassette tapes for various outlets - the likes of RIO, Meakusma and Moonwalk X - all of which assumed album form (to date, Kock has not released a single single or EP). Macadam Mambo offer a suggestion as to why this is: "all the demos that he sent were so good that there was no question about doing something." If by "doing something" you mean releasing over 16 strident club-churners in the style of far leftfield dub, synthpunk and krauty Krankenschaften, you've made no mistake. Dive into any one of these exotic exo-treats, and your eyes will just as surely turn helical.

Review: Transporting us to a waking dream of Los Angeles, two enigmatic music makers from the City of (Fallen) Angels present a truly stunning journey into hazy half-memories, afternoon fantasies, borrowed recollections and thoughts of things yet to happen. In many ways, Salt & Sugar Look The Same feels incomplete; tracks, half-tracks, movements, bits and pieces feel like our minds often work. Was that what we think it was? Did this happen? According to the official release burb, these 18 brief but beautiful compositions combine finger-plucked guitar work, the lens flare of electronica, and warped samples to create a take on the American primitivism music movement. The result is something that transcends boundaries of sound, time and place, and exists in a world of its own creation.

Review: South Korean-born and Toronto-based musician Jessica Chao aka Korea Town Acid spans the divide between disparate musical cultures with her new record Metamorphosis. It is a collaborative work with DESIIRE from Toronto, Korean pianist and rapper Pianwooo, as well as Seoul rapper PNSB, LA producer Dreamdave and New Jersey MC, L.J The Alien. Glitch, home, jungle, boom bap and trap are all distilled into the 10 tracks, with sultry grooves next to more dark and stark instrumentals, often with carefully deployed raps and whispers elevating each tune above mere ear chewing gum status.

Review: Recorded in 1981, Turning Japanese captures Kraftwerk at the absolute height of their creative dominance, but sometime before their true induction into the household name superstar category of artists. Still representing a very forward thinking, boundary pushing and - as a result - specialist sound, this nine-track live recording feels like yesterday's tomorrow.
Opening with a stunning neo-classical synth overture, we're then taken on a journey through the mind of the man machine, an industrial yet somehow strangely human proto-electro world that is defined by order and structure, while still allowing for enough funk and groove to make sure feet, hips and more move seemingly of their own volition. Perhaps not the most insightful take on the pioneering German band - nothing here that hasn't been said before - nevertheless we hope it goes someway to describing how precise, refined and overwhelmingly infectious they can be on stage.

Review: This release, which was recorded for Bremen Radio in 1971, features four extended tracks showcasing German pioneers Kraftwerk in a very different light from their later work. The short-lived lineup of Schneider, Rother and Dinger fused electric guitar with their then-signature electronic sounds and it gives rise to unusual, exciting and innovative music. Half of the tracks here, as hardcore fans will recognise, are drawn from their debut album, Kraftwerk 1, and the recording quality is excellent. This release also includes full recording details along with extensive sleeve notes that help offer a fascinating glimpse into Kraftwerk's early, experimental sound before their more iconic and pioneering electronic phase.

Review: Kraftwerk's 1975 performance at Fairfield Hall in Croydon is the stuff of legend. Finally it is available as a high quality audio pressing that allows you to relive all its glorious futurism. The show was broadcast on radio as part of a short tour of the UK that came after the release of the German computer music pioneer's hugely popular Autobahn. It features tracks from that album as well as 'Die Sonne, Der Mond, Die Sterne' and 'Showroom Dummies.' A real piece of electronic music history that will spice up any collection.

Review: In August 2003, German synth icons Kraftwerk released Tour de France Soundtracks, their first album of new material since 1986's Electric Cafe. Even before the album's release, the band embarked on the extensive Minimum-Maximum world tour in January 2003 to great acclaim and much fan delight. By February 2004, the pioneering group had taken the tour to Scandinavia to perform in Helsinki, Finland, on the 6th and at Stockholm's Cirkus venue on the 8th and 10th. The Stockholm shows are still considered among the best of the tour and they are, luckily, all recorded for live FM radio broadcast. That exceptional concert is now available in its entirety on this new two-part set on translucent red vinyl.

Review: Autobhan, the 1974 album that began Kraftwerk's ascent to legendary status, is still capable of making the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. The headline attraction remains the absorbing, mesmerising, 22-minute title track, a musical whizz down an imaginary three-lane highway that's as evocative and atmospheric as they come. That said, the album's lesser-celebrated, more experimental flip-side tracks (and in particular the jaunty 'Kometenmelodie 2'), are also inspired. Here it gets the 2020 reissue treatment via a tasty blue vinyl pressing that comes packaged with a 12-page booklet of historic photos and typically utilitarian imagery.

Review: The Udacha label might have been away for a while but is now back with a vengeance. First up for this return is a new long player by the mighty fine Kurvenschreiber quarter, which is made up of Sergey Komarov, Vlad Dobrovolski, Ilya Sadovski and Alexey Grachev. These sound artists have been excelling in their field for some 10 years now and use synths as well as found sound objects to create their work. Magnetic tape loops, various instruments, pre-recorded loops, shortwave radios, transformers and much more give rise to this unique record which mixes up Boolean jazz, kurventronika and post-rock.

Review: Leipzig has a lot to answer for. The East German city has a very hushed reputation for being the place Berlin once was, albeit on a far smaller scale, but the sprawl is nonetheless changing at a rapid rate. So while you're still likely to find an abundance of squat parties, exceptional but internationally unsung club spaces, and memorable dive bars, some institutions are vanishing. The 'off-space' Kardamom is sadly one of the more recent losses.

Just before the place disappeared, though, Travel By Goods boss Arthur Boto Conley decided to bring together Kassem Mosse and Mix Mup for a live performance that would form this album, circa 2019. Comprised of on-the-fly remixes from the label's back catalogue, it's a grainy, sample-heavy, often off-centre and off-beat deep dive into collages of sounds, drums, loops, hooks and ideas. Basically, you'll wish you were at the show, but that's a feeling you'll have to put up with.

Review: Twinkle3 are a trio made up of accomplished flautist Clive Bell and electronic experimenters David Ross and Richard Scott. Their latest project welcomes the legendary David Sylvian into the mix alongside Kazuko Hohki, who was in 80s synth pop oddity Frank Chickens amongst other projects. Their collective venture for Cortizona treads predictably unpredictable territory, where minimalism, sound design and free improvisation merge into a meditative, distinctive whole. The woodwind and electronics intertwine in sublime fashion, resulting in a compelling trip for anyone who appreciates delicacy and risk in their leftfield electronica.