Charlotte & Reinhard for WeCanDance - "To Be Free Again" (extended) (5:10)
Ollie Loudon - "LMT" (extended) (6:21)
Lily Ko - "Pure Rubber" (5:58)
Biancolato - "Resolution" (edit) (5:46)
Review: We're promised Mellow Magic and that's precisely what we get, across four tracks emerging from disparate corners of the globe but united in a common mission to provide beats that work on the more relaxed end of the dancefloor. Belgian duo Charlotte & Reinhard of Rheinzand fame kick things off with a slow motion Balearic version of a well known 80s MOR classic. Ollie Loudon's 'L.M.T.' finally makes it to vinyl after long being a secret weapon in Gratts' DJ sets, where handclaps and languid strumming meet a gentle but infectious groove. Flip it over for the more tracky affairs, as Japan's Lily Ko makes an impressive debut with 'Pure Rubber', an original mix of disco foundations and always snazzy but never showy 80s synth play. Melbourne's Biancolato finishes things off with understated deep house shuffling that adds just a touch jazzy keys and dreamy, wispy pads.
Review: The Distorsion camp offers up its first sampler as a way of teasing you with the sort of quality sounds and artists it has on its roster. First up is a three-way collab between Citybox, Hankook & Orebeat whose 'Dangerous Changes' is an intense breakbeat workout for the peak time. Orebeat & Alex Clubbers keep the energy levels high and inject early 00s video-game style synths, Orebeat & Citybox keep it dark and raw with 'Gangsta' and Orebeat & JottaFrank laced up their thrilling breaks with acid lines and sleazy vocals on "Noche De Paris.' This is potent stuff for strobe-lit floors.
Review: Koenig Cylinders always kept it hella real with their techno. The pair of John Selway and Oliver Chesler were pioneers of the hard stuff first time around and now that it is back en vogue, why not reissue this classic? 'Untitled' opens with a freaky vocal and eerie synth sound before '99.9' brings a wall of white noise and slamming drum patterns. 'Carousel' is an urgent wall-rattler with cantering drums and rave sires that light up the 'floor and 'Choreomania' shuts down with razor-sharp synths and acid flashes that tickle your brain. Arresting tackle of the highest order.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Fletcher and Steve O'Sullivan have often worked or appeared together in the past so it makes sense that the former now invites the latter to be the first person to release on his newly minted and always sure to be worth checking Social Currency imprint. They take the reins together across floor-focussed cuts that are marbled with deep pads and introspective sounds. 'Cold Calling Blues' is warm and airy with smoky vocal sounds and precision dub techno drum loops, 'Midnight At 1:30' hits a little harder but is still zoned out and serene and 'Shatner's Groove' takes on subtle deep space moods with deft pads and spoken word additions.
Review: Obongjayar is back with a striking double-single release that mixes up contrasting styles into a cohesive artistic statement. The dreamlike, danceable pop of 'Just My Luck' captures themes of loneliness with an infectious rhythm and shimmering melodies. On the flip side, 'Tomorrow Man' is all about a raw, percussive energy that confronts the theme of laziness with unflinching honesty. Together, these two tracks showcase Obongjayar's ability to explore emotional depth and sonic diversity and offer a tantalising glimpse into the creative direction of his next chapter. Whatever that may bring, he remains a boundary-pushing voice.
Review: KMA60 Prozektiva's exploration of a mutant, electrified take on tech and house continues with Ocean T taking the mantle across four future-facing new cuts. The opener 'Never Enough' has steely drums that slap hard while the twisted, glistening melodies and 90s stabs bring a rave feel. 'KO' is a darker and more gritty sound with dubby low ends and vocal aspirations adding a touch of human soul. 'OBSSSD' has more old school vocals buried in a shimmering mix of synths and snappy drums and 'Been There Too Long' flips the vibe with a much more soft, rounded, warm deep house jaunt with deft vocal fragments and neon colours all making it the best of the lot.
Review: Serenity is a mental health charity label that is now back with more sonic gold, this time in the form of a reissue of Marco Bernardi aka Octogen's 'The Journeyman' from 2008 on Soma Recordings. It is an immersive, emotive sound with lush and ethereal pads and a moody bassline that keeps you locked. The B-side offers two original tracks from Bernardi 'Travelling to the Sun' is one to hypnotise floors with its hypnotic chimes and raw drums, while 'Little Tiny Crickets' delivers a fast-paced IDM twist with some killer synth work. As always, proceeds go to charity this time Papyrus UK who support youth suicide prevention and MusicSpace.
Review: Tower Vinyl is very quickly becoming one of our favourite labels. its current run of releases is absolutely top notch and focuses on vintage soul sounds from across a wide spectrum. This latest 7" as part of the Free Soul series comes from Odessey whose 'Battened Ships' has big brass, funky drums and lots of killer guitar lines and rich bass, all topped with heartfelt vocals. The wonderful Terry Callier and is unique ones then bring jazz and soul stylings to the bouncy 'Ordinary Joe' on the flip.
Review: It feels like most every week Burnski starts a new label that is immediately as good as all his others, and here is this week's case in point: Reliance is a new outlet from the super producer and it kicks off with ODF who you may know from a brilliant remix of Special Request. 'Yeah (Uh!)' opens with bubbly basslines and neon melodies and is a timeless garage bumper. '2 Turn' then brings the funk with tight bass and lovely silky drums, 'Rattlesnake' is more dark and menacing thanks to the trippy samples and low end and 'Back To 98' is a stateful shot of garage nostalgia direct to the veins.
Odopt - "11000 Versions Of A Simple Track" (Berlin mix) (5:37)
Remotif - "HAJKSD15" (6:39)
N Tropic - "One Night Stand" (Full Circle & Kris Baha remix) (7:45)
53X - "Simulaatio" (5:38)
Review: Avidya is back with a third EP to build on the head-turning success of the first two and it is another trip to the outer edges of the dancefloor. Odopt from Born Free and 777 Recordings kicks off with a snappy cut that is deceptively simple but devastatingly effective with its gurgling and acidic bass. Remotif is a fast-rising talent who impresses with the heavy techno sludge of 'HAJKSD15' and Full Circle aka Alexis Le Tan and Joakim link with Kris Baha to offer a remix that is all twitchy electrons, busted drum loops and fizzing pads before 53X's 'Simulaatio' is another brilliantly loose jumbled of wiry electronics, sci-fi effects and techno chug for a fantastic closing beatdown.
Review: Off/Grid has impressed with his ability to cook up tracks that keep the tension going throughout. He's done it before on the likes of Rotterdam's Arts collective and more than once on Planet Rhythm. This one for another Dutch label brings plenty of texture to opener 'Down The Vaults' which has a fizzy lead prying between the sturdy drums. 'The Movement' is much more bouncy - one of those cuts that gets fists pumping and smiles on faces. 'Protect Ya Deck' is precision-tooled, acid-laced peak time gear for when the whole club is on the same vibe and the strobes are flashing, and 'Never Ready For This Shit' shuts down with some pent-up funk and brilliant syncopated drum work.
Review: Bobby Orlando is something of a hi-NRG master - his work with Divine is credited as a major influence on the Pet Shop Boys - who tapped up the then soon-to-be iconic duo Oh Romeo for their debut outing back in 1982. Their work on 'These Memories' made it a hit right from the off with big drums, shiny synths and arps and plenty of campuses. Late last year, Iventi d'Azzurro put together this remastered package featuring extended versions of four rare Oh Romeo tracks on the EP Living Out a Fantasy. These bangers really capture the duo's signature energy and timeless appeal and make this a record that suits both working DJs and lovers of big jams alike, all with the right amounts of nostalgia.
Review: Ohm & Kvadrant are back on their Kontakt label to kick off 2025 with another stunning dub outing. Pressed on classic black vinyl, with a limited gold edition also available, this EP features two exceptional tracks starting with the A-side, 'Peblinge.' It's a mesmerising melodic dub creation, rich with warmth and depth-perfect for those late-night sessions. On the B-side, a second jam delivers a refined electro-dub masterpiece, blending synths, hi-hats, and fathom-deep low-end frequencies. Both tracks showcase the duo's signature style with soothing results.
Review: Vuo returns with another entry into his ongoing Ruutana City Mood Series, with this one being on eco black wax but a green vinyl version is also available. Ohm & Kvadrant open with a smoky, textured roller driven by icy drums. Armin Bender follows with 'All Or Nothing' which offers a lighter, more optimistic vibe with airy pads. Tm Shuffle strips things back on 'Efficient Answers' to deliver a gritty, minimalist basement groove. Closing the EP, Gonzalo Villarreal presents 'Curanto', a raw, percussive cut bathed in rich echo and reverb for a captivating close.
Review: Finnish label Vuo kicks off its year with a second instalment in the Ruutana City Mood Series. Once again it brings four vital dubbed out grooves to a lovely green marbled vinyl starting with Ohm & Kvadrant's 'Borsen' which is a smoky, grainy roller with icy drums. Armin Bender's 'All Or Nothing' brings a little extra light and optimism in the airy pads and Tm Shuffle pairs things right back for 'Efficient Answers' which is a gritty basement jam. Gonzalo Villarreal's 'Curanto' shits down with tons of lovely echo and reverb on a raw percussive cut.
Review: Okain brings the class to this final outing of the year from German tech titans RAND Muzik. It's a full-throttle 12" that wastes no time in getting down to business: 'Dirac Sea' combines funky drum programming with nice squelchy acid, warped synth lines and crisp percussion to soon sweep you off your feet. 'Pterodactyl Phaser' is smoother and has a subtle garage shuffle to its low end, while balmy pads keep things cosmic up top. 'Spintronics' then ups the ante once more with thumping tech kicks and lively synth lines. 'Circuit Model' shuts down with some nice psychedelic clouds and a busy bassline. Quality tackle for sure.
Review: Motor City great Omar S is not just a don when it comes to programming drums and laying down his irresistible synth lines and heart aching melodies. He can also play a wide array of instruments, and in fact does just that here as he plays all instruments played you can hear across all three cuts of this new one on his FXHE label. Things kick off with the wonderful 'Featuring Omar S (instrumental)' and then 'Sayoungaty Nig' is a hazy, lo-fi ambient sound with occasional synth smears and a barely-there rhythm implied by the odd kick drum sound. 'Featuring Omar S' is a signature deep house joint with bristling metal hi-hats, rickety drums and edgy drones that keep you on edge as more soulful chords rise up through the mix.
Review: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.
Review: Four years on from the release of the label's second missive, a rather good joint EP from Camili Gil and Rodrigo Valdivia, Spanish imprint W3ird Ltd is finally ready to drop its' third release. It comes courtesy of collaboration-loving duo ONE+1 and newcomer Cheku Garcia. Unusually, the pair's two original tracks are nestled on side B. 'La 1' is immersive, deep and surprisingly loose-limbed, with the resulting blend of machine drums, squelchy bass, chiming melodies and atmospheric chords sat somewhere between deep house and tech-house, while 'La 2' is deeper, jazzier and lightly dubbed-out - think Smallville releases and you're close. Both tracks are presented in remixed form on side A, with Steve O'Sullivan's hybrid deep house/acid house re-wire of 'La 2' being followed by Maher Daniel's glitchy and fuzzy tech-house take on 'La 1'.
Review: In 2024, over 30 years after its release, Incognito's 1991 hit 'Crazy For You' has been reimagined by ONEGRAM with a stunning new arrangement. It brings out the soul with gorge vocals and lazy dub drums providing a perfect counterpoint. The B-side brings a vibrant twist featuring a groovier rhythm, ONEGRAM's signature horn section and lively steel pan melodies that blend Caribbean disco and reggae vibes. Adding to the fun, the ET Edit on the B-side is tailored for DJs and enhanced with tasteful effects for an energetic finish. This fresh take breathes new life into a beloved classic that showcases ONEGRAM's infectious sound.
Review: SIKU's various artists offerings always result in a nice and varied sound across two sides of vinyl and the sixth such drop is another one worth of attention for techno heads. Onoffon opens with 'Matter What' which rides on raw drums with slapping hits and stark synths, while Sebastian's 'Dreams Metaphors' has a ghoulish energy and dark, twisted synth menace. Rufo brings some cosmic wonder and bleeping melodic sequences to 'Mr Wonderful' and Brian Topham's 'Expressive Dimension' is a straight up tool with burrowing leads.
Review: Silent Force are d&b classicists who always bring the quality with their timeless sounds. And that very much continues to be the case with this first release for the new year. It's a collab between Opal's and Kimbr that opens with 'Alive', a breakbeat lead banger with looping drums and raw snares. 'Undergrowth' is a silky number with a menacing late-night feel in the groaning pads and tense drums. 'Demon Poetry' brings some darker vibes with a prying, distorted, menacing bassline and 'Keep Things Balanced' is another well-controlled, potent drum & bass workout with jungle influences and a dystopian energy to it.
Review: Murray Clark, Chris Deverell, and Robert Ellerby have been responsible for some genuinely inspiring electronic music over the years, their instrumental approach to downtempo and avant garde synth stuff originating in and among the fertile bounty of new ideas that was the early-1990s. On Hear My Mind, the trio - AKA Opik - take us deep into their DAT archives to see what's hiding in the darkness. Two tracks, both equally stunning, 'Hear My Mind' opens the pair with a slow burning, jazz-influenced atmosphere builder, reversed-out harmony floating over stepping bass loop and distant ethereal vocals. 'Kaulsoum' goes for something even more late night and subtly euphoric, growing and developing into a bold and beautiful slice of rave-hued ambient.
Review: UK electronic innovators Orbital have been revisiting their early roots with Orbital LEDs, a limited-edition series remastering their old greats. Now fully remastered and paired with striking new artwork by Julian House, the latest drop highlights the duo's groundbreaking early sound when tracks like 'Midnight' innovated with a blend of hypnotic house rhythms and minimalist influences from Philip Glass and Wim Mertens. Also included here is 'Choice' which stands out for its anarcho-punk edge and bold vocal sampling. Paul Hartnoll has often said he aimed to inject house music with a sense of rebellion and social commentary and these reissues reaffirm Orbital's ability to do that while pushing boundaries from the start.
Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen - "Tonight In Belfast" (feat Mike Garry) (11:58)
Orbital - "Belfast" (David Holmes remix) (12:03)
Review: Poet, librarian, Mancunian, father, husband, uncle, brother. Mike Garry is many things to many people, but tonight, Matthew, his voices guides our eyes upwards, inviting us to stargaze to one of Orbital's most emotionally resonant and timeless pieces of rave noise. Belfast Revisited would be one way to describe it, taking some of the classic and unmistakable elements of that anthem and turning it into something new. First and foremost freshness comes with the spoken word addition - a thoroughly positive, passionate and amorous declaration of unending love that could feel jarring depending on whether you always felt 'Belfast' was reflective and slightly melancholy, or not. Gone too are the breaks, replaced now by stadium-sized four-to-the-floor turning what was once the end of the night walking home at dawn into something that sounds way more 11PM at the concert.
Review: Ready to take a deep dive? Some long lost Orca dubs resurfaced on Deep Jungle last year and here comes the reissue. One of Kosheen co-founder Decoder's earliest projects, Orca's ripples date back to around 92 and seminal labels like Lucky Spin. Here we have a few reloads and few unreleased moments from that era. Highlights include the wonderfully rushy 'Spacetek' with its bellowing pads and springy beats and the didge-blasting wobbler 'Skylab' but the whole EP is fantastic. Have a whale of a time.
Review: Since its relaunch in 2017, Deep Jungle has been killing it by serving up previously unreleased tunes from the 90's next to represses of select rarities and new tunes in the vibe of the classic 93-96 era. Here we have Orca ensuring we all have a whale of a time (hey, hey) while lost in the precision-tooled breaks and snares, hits and lunging basslines of 'What Kind Of World.' 'Camyx' is a more trippy sound with liquid synths shimmering and raga vocals during the beatdown. 'Echoes' is a driving and physical workout with high seed loops and minimal pads.
Review: It's hard to fault the work of the Original Gravity crew and when the tasteful London label's All Stars assemble it's even more important to take note. It is they who kick off 2025 with a classic funky break that is topped with spoken word samples from an MC at a big fight event (though it's not Michael Buffer, the man behind these famous words, because he has a strict copyright on them). The beats are as fiery as a heavyweight showdown with plenty of punchy horn stabs. On the flip, 'Rumble In The Jungle' is a similar sound that makes just as much impact.
Review: The new EP from Image Recordings makes up their third release since their start in 2023, marking out an impressively chill but still poised undertaking in surreal funky techno. Evidencing on their part a keen understanding of the meditative instillations sought by DJs at the early outset of the UK techno explosion. Every track is swung and prescient of the UK funky sound that would emerge later, though this record doesn't quite qualify as UK funky since the latter sound is marked by a soulful (often vocal) influence of jazzdance; rather the likes of 'Same Being' and 'Life In The Shade' are strange ones indeed, with a strangely nocturning, mechanic, speechless quality.
Review: Originally released in 1972, these are the only known recordings from Tulsa soul band Outback. The A-side is an eclectic, psychedelic funk ballad with lyrics drawn from religious scripture and drawing powerful parallels to Black slavery in the U.S. They lend a deeply spiritual and socially conscious edge to the track which is potent in groove as it is message. The B-side, 'Reggie's Thang,' takes a different turn and is a raw, psychedelic instrumental showcasing the band's musical range and experimental edge. Together, these are a time machine back to powerful moments in soul and funk history, now rediscovered and sure to be appreciated all over again.
Review: Outlander is a bona-fide techno great no matter what your particular preference so it is great they are back after a rather protracted time away. In the past he has served up over ten EPs for the cult R&S label but now lands on Sonic Groove Records with'a timeless EP of thought-provoking modern techno. The title cut 'I Am I Was' is percussive and stripped back to its bones, 'Where Is The Exit' gets more spaced out and spooky with searching synth lines and 'Isolated' has an elastic bassline that soon locks you in before closer 'Tuesday Vibes' is another eerie and sparse soundscape.
Review: If you know, you know, and what you will know is that o.utlier is something of a legendary Irish producer. He sets out to melt minds with this new one on Animalia down in Australia. 'Evaporation' is a leftfield concoction with wispy synths that bring static electric feels to moody, stripped back and supple rhythms topped with sci-fi motifs. 'Crop Rotation' is a reverb-rich dub and 'Ionic' is another stripped-back and intriguing sound with shifting synth lines and only the most minimal drums. 'Pulse' is an icy and dubby closer for the heady back rooms.
Review: Ovatow is one of several aliases from the DJ, producer, graphic designer and Frustrated Funk label head also known as Klen. It is one he saves for dubbed out solo experiments and this EP first dropped back in 2007. It stands up now though as a tasteful Collins of electro, dub and techno. 'Flame' kicks off with wobbly synth hooks and ice-cold analogue beats. 'Visitation Dub III' then sinks down into a moody, grainy and lo-fi world of deepest dub and 'A Thought' flips the vibe again with a bright and busy electro workout. It pairs the coldness of machine hits with the liquid soul of some lush synth melodies. Classy stuff, for sure.
Review: Mr Banger keeps it tight and future-facing with this new offering from Oward. The opener is the title cut and it's a non-stop sound with bumping drums and bobbling rubbery bass topped with yelping vocals and scattered percussion that makes it super lively. There's a jazzy twist to 'Jardin Secret ' with its sunny strings but the busted bass and relentlessness of the dry, crisp tech drums make it a peak time bomb. On 'La Fete Du Tunnel' things get even quicker with more metallic drums and hits, bulbous bass and a speed tech house sound sweeping you offer your feet. Last of all, 'Spirit De La Fore' is a deeper cut with well-swung drums and fist-pumping energy.
Review: The latest EP by noise and industrial maverick Oxymosoon delves into the intricate interplay of ego, vulnerability and self-reflection. This genre-defying release combines haunting electronic textures with evocative melodies and poignant lyrics to create a sonic narrative that challenges conventional perceptions of self-identity. Each track flows seamlessly while blending ambient atmospheres with bold beats and experimental soundscapes. Oxymosoon's signature style shines through with compelling production and emotional depth all drawing you ever deeper into an introspective journey that explores the beauty and complexity of the human psyche.
The Gun Pointed At The Head Of The Universe (2:25)
Trace Amounts (1:50)
Under Cover Of Night (3:38)
What Once Was Lost (1:40)
Lament For Pvt Jenkins (1:08)
Devils Monsters (1:28)
Covenant Dance (1:46)
Alien Corridors (1:34)
Rock Anthem For Saving The World (1:18)
The Maw (1:04)
Drumrun (1:00)
On A Pale Horse (1:34)
Perchance To Dream (0:55)
Library Suite (6:37)
The Long Run (2:17)
Suite Autumn (4:19)
Shadows (3:47)
Dust & Echoes (2:59)
Halo (1:11)
Review: In the right circles,, Martin O'Donnell and Michael Savatori are living legends. Working with the iconic US video game company Bungie Inc, the pair put their names on the map - or maybe maps? - by creating soundtracks to a number of high profile titles, either as a duo or individually. O'Donnell is arguably the better known, or at least has the bigger online persona, but both composers deserve plenty of credit. Halo: Combat Evolved was the first title in what is now a huge and genre-defining first person shooter franchise, and the score reflects the emergence of video game music as an integral part of the on-screen action. O'Donnell and Savatori's efforts to ensure instrumentation dramatically changed with events in the game, which is by nature relatively non-linear, was a revelation. While their efforts to separate these into individual suites foresaw the rise of playable stories as films in their own right.
Review: It's been a long time since Halo: Combat Evolved revolutionised the word of first-person shooter video games. Graphically superior to anything that had come before it, the franchise also benefits from a spectacularly gripping storyline in which humans are outgunned and out-teched by a ruthless and uncompromising alliance of superiorly equipped alien races united as The Covenant. The titular Halo adds a kind of Prometheus air of uncertainty, as nobody really knows what it does until attempts to activate the galaxy-destroying weapon reveal something worse than death - a parasitic breed called the Flood. If all that was enough to blow everyone away in 2001, 2004 brought us to a whole new level of immersion in this future scape. Just like its predecessor, a big part of the impact was the visionary score by gaming soundtrack masters Martin O'Donnell and Michael Savatori. Now here it is in all its Gregorian chanting glory.
Review: We didn't see this coming but we're very much delighted it has: the peerless dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan with a full length of past triumphs and unreleased gems on Nina Kraviz's always adventurous Trip label is always going to be worth hearing. The Brit stretches his legs and pulls out all the stops here to cover plenty of ground while reaming true to his signature sound design excellence: bouncy, minimal but strobe-lit cuts like 'Kesk', twisted 90s techno sounds like 'Grun', barely-there IDM-adjacent sounds like 'Groente' and ice cold dub cuts like 'Botala'. A real masterclass.
Review: Oaagaada is a mysterious quartet from Finland that has long been one of the scene's best-kept secrets. That will change now as they release their highly anticipated debut album on We Jazz Records. Their music is rooted in the spirit of acoustic free jazz pioneers and moves forward on its own unique path. Eschewing sterile hi-fi sounds without embracing a tired lo-fi aesthetic, Oaagaada's album captures the raw energy of their live performances and was recorded at Hameenlinna's Odd Funk studios. Highlights include the brief opener 'Oag-Ada Sweet' and the four-part 'Suite Tuli' while 'Seagull Shapes' evokes the meditative energy of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders.
Review: London-based New Zealander Arjuna Oakes impresses hugely with this debut album, a contemporary soul and jazz fusion, global folk, electronica and post-rock motifs all woven in. Like any good LP, While I'm Distracted is a deeply personal journey exploring common themes of vulnerability, identity and hope in a world shaped by ever-more existential angst and social media stress. We're told that Arjuna approached this full-length album like a filmmaker crafting a feature and aiming to evoke emotion over concept. Performing vocals, piano, synths and arranging strings himself, he also leads a talented ensemble of collaborators who help him on this emotional odyssey.
Do It All (feat Diamond District, Uptown XO & yU) (3:33)
That Real (3:34)
Let It Go (4:08)
American Greed (3:21)
The Need Superficial (3:01)
Way In Way Out (2:47)
Maybes (3:44)
Another's Grind (feat Tranquill) (4:13)
Set You Free (3:37)
You Know Who You Are (feat Olivier St Soul) (3:48)
Think Of Things (2:44)
You Know Who You Are (feat Olivier St Soul - acoustic - bonus track) (3:57)
Review: This new album from cultured hip-hop mainstay Oddisee explores influence, inspiration, perception and reality. Each song was crafted outdoors, "where I could observe real-life interactions as the basis for my lyrics," he says. In hip-hop, reality often reflects the artist's personal experience, but People Hear What They See aims to expand that lens by portraying realities beyond Oddisee's own. For example, overhearing congressmen and lawyers on the Supreme Court steps inspired 'American Greed,' while watching a couple argue over the phone sparked "Maybes." By grounding each track in observed moments, "I hope listeners can visualise these worlds through the melodies and stories within each song."
Review: 'Power Starved/Human Waste' is as scary to hear as it is to read the track title. As far as album openers go, it certainly sets the scene vividly. A dark, dystopian, murky futurism where people - or at least their ears - listen from beneath the boot of oppressive forces, inaudible vocals echoing and expanding, reverberating and dissipating into a distance we can never really hear because of how forceful foregrounded sounds are. Industrial, EBM, noise, elektro-punk. There are many ways to describe what's here but they all point to a 21st Century cloaked in darkness and anxiety. The irony, of course, is that this is a very human expressionism, despite the harsh machines that seem to dominate the soundscapes. The distorted screams and thumping bass drums of 'Safety Net' perfectly summarise the point.
Review: Swiss imprint WRWTFWW continues to do deep dives into the forgotten corners of electronic music history, returning with shining sonic pearls of genuine historic significance. Here they deliver a first ever vinyl pressing of early Japanese electronic music producer (and bona fide experimental hero) Yashio Ojima's 1983 album Club, a set that was originally only released on an exceptionally limited cassette. Given its vintage, the album has held up incredibly well, in part because its unique, unearthly blend of minimalist electro, music concrete-inspired loop experiments, off-kilter ambient soundscapes and picturesque, post new-age soundscapes remains as far-sighted and unusual in 2024 as it did 41 years ago.
Review: Oklou is a French musician and is known to her parents as Marylou Mayniel. She dropped her debut album back in February and on it collaborates with artists such as Bladee and underscores, while some expert studio contributions from producers like the revered A.G. Cook, plus Danny L Harle and Casey MQ. Choke Enough blends Y2K influences with medieval melodies to reflect Oklou's evolution from her 2020 mixtape, Galore. This new long player offers up a deep dive into her meticulous approach to electronic, modern, 'hyper' pop while incorporating classical rigour. Standout tracks like the title track and 'Endless' are great reflections of her unique artistic vision while balancing formal complexity with subdued emotional impact.
Review: Born on the 17th of May 1988 and dying in October 1992, Old Funeral were one of the very first Norwegian extreme metal acts on record, before the second wave black metal wave would sweep through Scandinavia. Featuring members of later pioneering acts such as Abbath and Demonaz of Immortal, as well as Varg Vikernes (who would go on to become the one-man band Burzum and murderer of Mayhem's Euronymous), the Our Condolences collection collates every known recording the group ever made, showcasing the earlier chaotic maelstrom of blackened death-thrash experimentation retrospectively required before black metal as we know it today could arise. In traditionalist fashion, these recordings have been in no way remixed, remastered or touched up, this is straight from the original tapes cold, raw harshness in the exact same form it was delivered to unsuspecting listeners decades prior.
Poppy Jean Crawford - "Glamorous" (Compiled By Angel Olsen) (4:43)
Coffin Prick - "Blood" (4:36)
Sarah Grace White - "Ride" (4:08)
Maxim Ludwig - "Make Believe You Love Me" (3:53)
Camp Saint Helene - "Wonder Now" (4:36)
The Takeover (Poppy Jean Crawford Cover - Performed By Angel Olsen) (3:48)
Swimming (Coffin Prick Cover) (2:38)
Sinkhole (Sarah Grace White Cover) (4:03)
Born Too Blue (Maxim Ludwig Cover) (5:11)
Farfisa Song (Camp Saint Helene Cover) (3:58)
Review: It's hard to imagine the esteemed Jagjaguwar label without Angel Olsen. The American singer-songwriter feels like a central figure. She epitomises the absolute quality that they put out year-in, year-out. Her long-standing partnership with them has led to her landing a new imprint named somethingscosmic. Here she's given free reign to release when and how she wants, with help from Jagjaguwar. An absolute dream for her no doubt. This, the second release on somethingscosmic, it's billed as a compilation reimagined as a dialogue; the A-side features artists chosen by Olsen, with each artist choosing their own song for the collection. Side B is a collection of songs from the same artists, but chosen by Olsen and recorded by her. Of the artists on there, Poppy Jean Crawford's 'Glamorous' is dark post-punk with a Kills-esque vocal... it feels like what the definition of rock n' roll should be. Meanwhile, Coffin Prick's 'Blood' (Yep, you read that right... what a band name!) is a great example of reckless psychedelic fuzz. And Sarah Grace White has a stunning, magnetic voice and the music is pared back to let it shine at the forefront of the mix. Olsen clearly has A&R clout and magical release ideas - long may her new venture thrive.
Review: Originally slated for release in March 1996, Omniscence's The Raw Factor finally sees the light of day, a mere 28 years later, thanks to Below System Records. Despite earning The Source's "Hip Hop Quotable" and releasing standout singles like 'Amazin' and 'Touch Y'all,' label politics shelved the album leaving fans in suspense for decades. Known for his gruff cadence, punchlines and metaphors, Omniscence made waves in the 90s hip-hop scene, even placing high in the 1994 Battle For World Supremacy. Featuring jazzed-out boom-bap beats from Fanatic this deluxe release includes 15+ tracks and bonus cuts so was worth the wait.
Review: Originally founded in 1982, Bristol thrash metal legends Onslaught are considered to be one of the UK's so-called "big four" along with Xentrix, Sabbat and Acid Reign, while their sophomore effort The Force from 1986 is often regarded as a worldwide, stone cold thrash classic. Originally inspired by frenetic hardcore punk acts such as The Exploited and Discharge, the band would eventually adopt a hardcore-shaped speed metal assault that would be perfected following the arrival of vocalist Sy Keeler, allowing Paul Mahoney who provided vocals on their 1985 debut Power From Hell to switch to bass duties. Keeler would depart following issues with the label regarding his performance on the band's follow up third record In Search Of Sanity, released in 1989, yet he would make a triumphant return with the rest of the members for the dawn of their new era on 2007's Killing Spree.
The Cursse Of Hypervigilance (In Politics, Romance & Cohabitation)
Insecurity
Smiling (Quirky Race Doc)
Leave People Alone
A Short About A Guy That Dies Every Night
Protectors Of The Heat (feat Hemlock Ernst)
Insecurity: The Moor The Marry Her (part 2)
Dive Bar Support Group
Drunk Dreaming
Reprieve
Review: Open Mike Eagle may not have all the answers, but he asks some of the smartest questions in hip-hop. On Hella Personal Film Festival, he teams up with British producer Paul White for a psychedelic blend of soul-funk, booming drums and introspective storytelling. Recorded in London, the album continues where Dark Comedy left off-witty, anxious and deeply reflective. Eagle dissects modern life's absurdities, from social media addiction to racial microaggressions and uses that to craft surreal yet painfully real vignettes. With guest features from Aesop Rock and Hemlock Ernst, these tense anthems explore vulnerability with a cutting sense of humour.
Review: Marking their first album in five years and follow up to 2019's criminally overlooked In Cauda Venenum, Swedish progressive death metal legends Opeth return with their fourteenth full-length The Last Will & Testament. Marking the return of vocalist/guitarist/primary songwriter Mikael Akerfeldt's signature death growls; the first project to feature the inhumane bellows since 2008's Watershed, the work is the band's first concept album since 1999's Still Life, with the narrative based around a wealthy, mysterious patriarch in the post-World War I era whose death leads his family to congregate at his estate to learn horrific secrets as his last will and testament is unveiled. Whilst retracing some of their gloomier, more macabre sonics, musically the compositions continue to embrace the 70's psychedelia of Heritage and Sorceress yet with a notable rediscovery of their harrowing, frosted death metal origins. Pressed on limited marbled 'rough seas' vinyl 2xLP..
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