Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Private Stock Records serves up a treat for DJs and turntablists with a new 12" packed with beats, scratches, and skipless tracks. Four skilled DJsiBig Once, Cutso, Double A, and Nick Bikeicontribute their skills to this collection, offering a diverse range of flavours for scratching and beat juggling. Each DJ delivers a 'Scratch Sentence' and a selection of beats at various tempos, providing a versatile toolkit for creative routines. The inclusion of skipless tracks adds another dimension, allowing for seamless blends and extended mixes. With its focus on functionality and quality, this release is a must-have for any serious turntablist or DJ looking to expand their arsenal of sounds.

Review: A one-off reissue on Brooklyn's Finest - whose name in turn takes after one of B.I.G.'s many nicknames - Biggie Smalls' 'Sky's The Limit' set out Christopher Wallace's verbal message in piercing tones: go big or go home. The third and final single from B.I.G.'s second album Life After Death, this is the kind of song that obsessive fans might conclude portended his sticky end: not only was it the flagship song from the album, it also contained ominous sound design and sample work, and the music video features children dressed up as and imitating B.I.G., P. Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Faith Evans, and more, in a farcical pantomime of the rap game.

Review: NEMS, the "Mayor of Coney Island," joins forces with DJ Skizz and SkyAsia to drop 'Christmas Spectacular' on 7" vinylia physical release after its digital debut. This one is a proper holiday banger backed by High Water Music, FYL and DWMG and featuring eye-catching artwork with Kith's photography and a layout by Sieteson. Known for his gritty style and wit, NEMS puts his own twist on festive vibes, making this bit of vinyl a must-have for hip-hop fans wanting a fresh spin on holiday cheer.

Review: The Nextmen team up once more with Kiko Bun here and he is proving himself to really be one of the UK's standout vocal talents right now. Together they to deliver a big anthem bursting with feel-good vibes. Perfect for sunny days, this track begs for windows down and volume up. The vocals are packed with soul and flow freely over instrumental beats with a cool sense of funk. The tune has another robust groove doused in club culture and a love of hip-hop, as is often the case with Dom Search and Brad Baloo aka The Nextmen who are renowned UK DJs and producers celebrated for their eclectic mixes, albums and podcasts.

Review: Jupiter is a radiant return for Noa that signals a new quality to her artistry. Following her 2021 album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, which was shaped by personal challenges and a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Nao embraces joy and healing on this fourth outing. Tracks like 'Elevate' and 'Wildflowers' express optimism with others like 'Better Days' and 'Happy People' underscoring the theme of growth. The album blends funky guitar solos, delicious drum patterns and nostalgic sounds throughout and manages to show up great musical versatility across a rich, emotionally powerful album.

Review: Nazar, the nom-de-guerre of an anonymous Manchester-based producer, presents their sophomore album Demilitarize, following his acclaimed 2020 debut Guerrilla, released amid the pandemic. Nazar's first album securely firmed the artist's name within and beyond the Hyperdub diaspora, thanks to its unique melding of Angolan kuduro music with rough textures, field recordings, and media clips, retelling the story of his family's exile from the Angolan Civil War. Nazar is the son of Jonas Savimbi, a former general of the Angolan independence movement; after Angola's emancipation from Portuguese colonial rule, Nazar relocated to suburban Brussels. More recently, he fell seriously ill with tuberculosis contracted in Angola; battling mortality, the new album reflects a mix of introspection and blossoming love, which contrasts the warring rawness of his debut. Demilitarize is dreamier, with Nazar's submerged, mantra-like vocals at the forefront, evoking artists far-removed from the crumby, unedifyingly rough kuduro that characterised his first EP 'Enclave'. Nazar explains, "I wanted to create something almost metaphysical, inspired by the cyberpunk anime Ghost In The Shell." The sound is delicate, with relatively sculpted rhythms enveloping his own recorded voice throughout.

Review: After years spent working alongside a talented pool of jazz musicians as the Neue Grafik Ensemble, Fred N'Thepe has decided to go solo for the first time this decade. Dalston Tapes Vol 1 is, according to Rhythm Section International, a conscious attempt by the artists to return to his beat-making roots. It's an album, then, rooted in hip-hop mixtape culture, where vocal numbers featuring guest MCs sit side by side with rap-free "beats" - lusciously and impeccably crafted instrumentals in which warming bass guitar lines, deep electronic sub-bass, sparkling electronic motifs and choice samples cluster around loosely swung, MPC-driven beat patterns. It's a great collection all told, with nods towards club-ready broken beat and deep house sitting side by side with Dilla-esque workouts and references towards London's vibrant hip-hop and grime underground.

Review: Japanese jazzist Kenichiro Nishihara drew much acclaim for his second LP Humming Jazz in 2008, which came a full five years after his debut in 2003, and heralded a stabler career thereafter. With its harmonious, benignant piano melodies and oblique drum palette - which hears the artist secure both live bossa nova performances and original hip house beats - Nishihara knew the inherent entertainment value in tender modal jazz, and sought to enmesh sophistication with pop breeziness. 'Rain Falls' is an especially round-bodied track, with glycemic vocal flavours from Kissey Asplund and richly EQ-ed drums, setting a soulful precedent for two key hip-hop gems to come: 'From Time To Time' and 'Consider My Love', featuring rappers Gregg Green and Pismo. 'Step Out' signals the record's close with bopping triplet gaiety.

Review: Following their NYC Halloween reunion, indie rap legends Non Phixion reissued The Future Is Now for its 20th anniversary and now do so again a couple more years later. Originally released in 2003, the album's raw energy and sharp lyricism remain as impactful as ever and so is likely to appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers. Packed with hard-hitting tracks, the project delivers relentless beats and razor-sharp bars and a standout is 'Suicide Bomb' featuring The Beatnuts, Al Tariq, Marly Metal and Moonshin as it perfectly exemplifies the group's signature intensity and lyrical prowess.

Review: Nourished by Time's latest work blends lo-fi r&b, freestyle, and bedroom pop with a confident ease that feels fresh and alive. The album, created in a Baltimore basement, is a snapshot of raw creativity, with a sound that's deeply personal yet accessible. Tracks like 'In the Quiet' and 'Tides' experiment with layers of rhythm and texture, pulling you into a world that feels uniquely his. It's an album that doesn't play by any rulesistriking a balance between introspection and broad appeal, while challenging what we expect from contemporary music.