Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Metronomy, esteemed purveyors of eclectic indie-electronic pop, open a new chapter with Posse EP Volume 2, out on Ninja Tune. Band founder Joe Mount steps into the role of producer, crafting musical worlds for new singers and artists. The EP's lead single, 'With Balance (feat. Naima Bock and Joshua Idehen),' showcases pastel-plucked guitars and hazy vocal lines, culminating in Joshua Idehen's powerful wordplay. This understated ballad is accompanied by a visually striking video produced by global creative agencies Wieden+Kennedy, Immigrant Studio, and Wake The Town. Mount comments on the video, 'It highlights new artists and ideas and allows me to enjoy it as a viewer.' Posse EP Volume 2 features collaborations with Miki, Faux Real, Nourished by Time, Lynks, SPIDER, Master Peace and TaliaBle. Mount reflects on the Posse EPs as a way to connect with new music and embrace their extensive career. This collaborative approach energises both artist and listener, making Posse EP Volume 2 a revitalizing addition to Metronomy's vibrant discography.

Review: Metronomy mark their signing to Ninja Tune with a new single that comes not long after their Posse EP Volume 1, a collection of tunes all made in collaboration with up-and-coming artists like Biig Piig, Spill Tab, Sorry, Brian Nasty and Folly Group. This one is another collaboration, this time with Pam Amsterdam. 'Nice Town' deals with the lead singer's own battles such as "internal versus the external or, intangible versus the tangible." It is a delightfully snappy dance-pop ditty with great and tight synth sequences, old-school rap vocals and nice broken early electro beats. Metronomy and Alain Ogue add their own remixes to a great label debut.

Review: Travis Stewart, better known by his stage name Machine Drum, is an American electronic music producer who has been pushing the boundaries of drum and bass for over two decades now. Stewart's unique approach to rhythm and sound design has earned him a cult following among discerning music enthusiasts. Machine Drum's latest album, 3for82, is a testament to his minimalist aesthetic. Released on the respected Ninja Tune label, the album marks Stewart's return after a four-year hiatus. 3for82 showcases Machine Drum's signature blend of intricate drum patterns, atmospheric textures, and sparse melodies. The album features an eclectic mix of vocal artists, each contributing their own unique flavor to Stewart's sonic tapestry. From the catchy vocals of Tinashe on 'Zoom' to the slick style of rapper Deem Spencer on 'blessed', 3for82 is a testament to Stewart's collaborative spirit. Stewart's attention to detail is clear in every layer of the album, from the subtle shifts in rhythm to the evocative sound design. The result is a hypnotic and immersive experience that energizes the listener to an album full of memorable music. With 3for82, Machine Drum once again proves himself to be a master of his craft.

Review: Maribou State's Hallucinating Love is their first record in over five years, following 2019's acclaimed Kingdom In Colour (which concluded the mid-to-late 2010s in which the pair shot to superstardom). Centring on one core theme: togetherness, it tells the fraught yet reinvigorating tale of late mental health diagnoses, pandemic lockdowns, peaks and troughs of inspiration, rest and recovery and time spent honing and reforming their core craft. Battling several several health problems and impasses, the duo of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory have beaten the odds here, once again crafting a wonder of a dance record, which builds on their distinctive downbeat-upbeat funk-pop style whilst still forming a swell sonic backbone for what is sure to be one of the dewiest of oncoming British festival seasons, spring and summer 2025.

Review: Hallucinating Love, Maribou State's third album, is their most personal yet and was crafted amid intense challenges. After scrapping initial drafts, Chris Davids and Liam Ivory created the album as a form of "musical therapy" to help them reconnect and heal. With soaring strings, evocative samples, and guest vocals from Holly Walker and Andreya Triana, Hallucinating Love captures both intimacy and grandeuriperfectly suited for Ninja Tune's indie sensibilities and a fitting soundtrack for hopeful, communal reunions.

Review: Many happy returns to Mr Scruff's third and most celebrated album, Trouser Jazz, which turned 20 at the tail end of 2022. To mark the occasion, the long-serving, Stockport-born DJ/producer has reissued it on blue and red vinyl and reworked the artwork a bit. It remains a genuinely kaleidoscopic, all-action musical treat that moves in a myriad of different directions, blending quirky and unlikely samples with good grooves, oodles of musicality and plenty of aural colour. Highlights include the jaunty, solo-laden breakbeat bounce of 'Sweetsmoke', the up-tempo soul-jazz of Seaming To collaboration 'Beyond', the 21st century jazz-funk of 'Shrimp', the jazz-flecked hip-hop of 'Shelf Wobbler', the horn-heavy nu-jazz excellence of 'Champion Nibble', and the sample-laden silliness of 'Ahoy There'.

Review: Roisin Murphy has finally become a genuine top-tier star - an artist capable of packing-out venues with dynamic live shows, and whose every new musical move is headline news. Hit Parade is not, as the title suggests, a solo retrospective but rather a brand-new album produced not by regular collaborator Crooked Man, but rather another masterful maverick, DJ Koze. The pair has worked together before, so Murphy is in safe hands. Musically, it's a genre-straddling, style-bending affair whose strong songs - rich in sing-along choruses, thoughtful lyrics and musical hooks aplenty - are presented in vivid colour (with plenty of sparkling organic instrumentation). Recent singles 'Cuckoo' and 'The Universe', both instant classics, offer a neat summary of the album's many qualities.

Review: It may have taken longer than some anticipated, but Roisin Murphy is finally getting the plaudits she serves as one of the UK's finest vocalists and most inventive artists. It's taken time but finally the accolades are coming along with the of packed-out venues, dynamic live shows, and superb new albums. Hit Parade is a brand-new record made not with regular producer Crooked Man, but the leftfield Pampa Records boss DJ Koze. Musically, it's a genre-straddling, style-bending affair whose strong songs - rich in sing-along choruses, thoughtful lyrics and musical hooks aplenty - are presented in vivid colour (with plenty of sparkling organic instrumentation). This is the deluxe version of a truly deluxe album.

Review: Ignore the title of this one because despite what it may sound like, this new album from Roisin Murphy is not in fact a look back at her greatest hits, even though there have been many. Instead it's a new collection of new tunes produced by the masterful DJ Koze. The pair has worked together before, so Murphy is in safe hands. Musically, it's a genre-straddling, style-bending affair whose strong songs - rich in sing-along choruses, thoughtful lyrics and musical hooks aplenty - are presented in vivid colour (with plenty of sparkling organic instrumentation). Recent singles 'Cuckoo' and 'The Universe' already became instant classics, with many more likely to follow.

Review: Roisin Murphy's new album is getting plenty of deserving spotlight from Ninja Tune who have served it up on several different formats, all of which are available from Juno. Whatever ti might sound like from the title, this new album from the disco queen is not a retrospective but an all new work. The tunes have been produced by the masterful DJ Koze, the leftfield Pampa Records boss. It crosses many genre divides with plenty of sing-along choruses, thoughtful lyrics and musical hooks aplenty presented in vivid colour. Recent singles 'Cuckoo' and 'The Universe' are big ones already and many more follow here.