Back catalogue: All genres

Review: RECOMMENDED
If 2020, and the coronavirus pandemic, did anything good for music it was forcing a long overdue reevaluation of the role technology plays. Video games had a bumper year, and it didn't take long for the historic relationship between computer entertainment and contemporary musical compositions to start finding favour with content-starved editorial teams.

They say there's no turning back, ever, and as such the smart money is on albums like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice not just becoming more commonplace, but taken more seriously going forward. Soundtrack to Activision's critically acclaimed video game of the same name, in which players take on the role of a shinobi in feudal Japan, as you'd expect it's a deeply atmospheric collection that invokes misty mountaintops, shadows dancing off bamboo and patient heroics. An OST equal to any major movie.

Review: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The K&D Sessions, Kruder & Dorfmeister present a stunning limited-edition box set, available on 6xLP. Mastered by renowned engineer Bernie Grundman, this edition promises an audiophile listening experience. The set includes a newly added 6th LP featuring previously unreleased material, including remixes of Madonna, Roni Size, Lewis Taylor and Count Basic. The lavish packaging boasts gloss finishes, metallic gold Pantone details, and clear UV varnishing on the sleeves. Additionally, it includes a 40-page booklet filled with rare, unseen photos from the original era and extensive liner notes by Max Dax, Robert Menasse, and Werner Geier. A hi-res A2 poster is also part of the package. The standout tracks on the sixth LP include Kruder's 11-minute remix of Madonna's 'Nothing Really Matters', along with K&D's interpretation of Roni Size's 'Heroes' and U.F.O.'s 'L.O.V.E.'. Lewis Taylor's 'Lucky' appears in two remixed forms, one dubbed out and the other vocal-driven. This deluxe release elevates the original The K&D Sessions, which became the soundtrack for countless late 90s afterparties and lounge sessions, to new heights with a beautifully crafted presentation fitting for its enduring legacy.

Review: Knitting Factory and Partisan Records share the sixth instalment of the much-anticipated vinyl reissue box-sets from the Fela Kuti catalog. Box #6 is curated by actor, producer, DJ, rapper and singer, Idris Elba (aka. DJ Big Driis). Limited to an edition of 5,000 worldwide, this one includes a 24-page booklet with lyrics, commentaries by Afrobeat historian Chris May, together with some never-before-seen photos, not to mention a 16x24" poster designed by Lemi Ghariokwu, the creative force behind many of Fela's greatest album covers. Previous curators include Chris Martin, Erykah Badu, Ginger Baker, Brian Eno, and Questlove.