Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Following on from their widely acclaimed album Afraid To Leave, Berlin's beautiful maudlin post-punk outfit Bleib Modern presents a compilation of remixes and reworks by esteemed artists from across darkwave, post-punk, and EBM. From IV Horsemen's club-worthy rendition of 'Bitter Smile' to M!R!M's dreamy synthpop take on 'Into The Night' via Dune Messiah's crooning 'Loony Voices, 2 Afraid 2 Leave: Remixed Reimaged Reloaded Part 2 offers truly diverse interpretations. With contributions from luminaries like The KVB and Blind Delon, it provides a fresh perspective on Bleib Modern's sound and serves as an exciting interlude that showcases the band's versatility and paves the way for future creations

Review: When New Order released 'True Faith' in 1987, they broke the mould as the first band to present multiple different editions of their single right at the point of arrival. As well as the widely adored original version of the track, there was a club-ready version mixed by the mighty Shep Pettibone, a true king of New York's scene who knew exactly how to get the best out of the track for the dancefloor. As singles compilation Substance 1987 gets a high-end reissue, so too does this late 80s club monster sounding brighter and bolder than ever thanks to a tidy remaster treatment, with the 'True Dub' version on the B side for those who really want to lock in.

Review: Golden Lion Sounds is the label attached to the legendary pub in Todmorden that has hosted everyone from Andrew Weatherall and ALFOS to synth wizard Richard Norris. It is he who is behind this latest 7" alongside Rude Audio. 'This Song's For You' (feat Findlay Brown) is fusion of indie, cold wave and synth with dreamy vocals drifting over typically lush chords and silky drums from Norris. It's a perfect soundtrack to a lazy afternoon in the sun. On the flip, Rude Audio's 'The Grinning' has a more psychedelic sound with loopy synth arps spiraling up to the stars and back again in colourful fashion.

Review: Originally released in 2005, 'The Weight Is A Gift' is the sound of band becoming more comfortable in its own skin - already thirteen years into their career and having originally made their mark as makers of grunge-tinged angst, this was where frontman Matthew Caws' songwriting took on a notably reflective and mature aspect, rendering this band as less the stuff of tantrums and rage than more bittersweet and restrained work one might expect from the like of Paul Westerberg or Evan Dando, were they still making records worth listening to. An unshowy charm offensive from one of the US' most rewarding and understated bands.

Review: This double LP release of Marcello Michelotti's Italian New Wave live performances of the groups 1980 double single 'Information of Death' and 2008 album 'Oscillator' come 3 years after their last EP. Whilst 'Information of Death' utilises analogue synths and live drum recordings to create its metallic, cold soundscape, 'Oscillator' - a live performance from the 1979 Banana Moon Club - is almost entirely those alien synths, with interspersed vocal passages. These two legendary New Wave projects are bundled together for the first time, the first vinyl press of 'Oscillator' and the first press of 'Information of Death' in 7 years. The abrasive, experimental production on tracks like 'Neon 0832' and 'Neon 1102' are revolutionary to a modern ear. To say Michelotti et al were ahead of their time is an understatement.

Review: Legendary kraut and prog rock duo NEU! aka Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger make the 50th anniversary of their self titled debut album with a special reissue all formats. This limited edition picture disc format is one for the collectors for sure. The music still sounds fresh with its mix of heady ambient and lazy grooves, driving motor kicks and psyched out sounds all making for perfectly immersive listening. Weird and wonderful and unbelievably avant garde for 1972, it remains one of the most impressive debut albums of the era.

Review: New Order's new remastered set of formats of Substance 1987 is here. The 2023 collection is here available on a double CD, among other versions including a 4xCD deluxe edition, 2xLP coloured vinyl version, and 2 cassette tapes. Also available are reissues of the 12" singles 'True Faith', 'True Faith Remix' and 'Blue Monday 88'. Originally released via the legendary Factory Records, Substance 1987 compiled all of the band's singles to that point in their 12" versions with many of their respective B-sides (on the CD and cassette versions), and specially new recorded versions of 'Temptation' and 'Confusion'. The album, of course, also included the biggest selling 12" single of all time, 'Blue Monday'.

Review: First released in 1997 as his sixth and final LP project, Colin Newman's Bastard came to the innovative "post-everything" label Swim a good while after the Wire member and electronic experimentalist had already made several splashes in the mitts of the infamous Cartel, the arch-distributor and de facto trade guild giving rise to labels like 4AD and Beggars. Keeping in close knit to such sonic romanticists helped propel Newman's sound into dreamier realms over the years, and this seven-tracker functions as the pinnacle of this tendency. First coming across as a more convincing analogue to contemporaries like Lush, Newman's sound here is less polished and thus more "authentic"-seeming, basking in militant breaks and techstep entrainments and which come blent with incredible pad and amped-up guitar washes. In the in-betweeny moments, we're also met with trip-hop delights resting on the lower-ends of the spectrum; the alien middle finger on the cover says it all, a veritable "fuck you" gestured by an early subject of dance music, a genre that Newman recalls was a misunderstood, much-maligned genre at the time.