Review: With a title inspired by the utterances of The Oracle of Delphi, a cult of female priestesses who reportedly "changed the course of civilisation" by inhaling volcanic vapours, it's clear that Lee Burtucci and Olivia Block's first collaborative album is rooted in paganistic visions and experimental mysticism. It's comprised of two lengthy tracks, each accompanied by edited 'excerpts', and combines Burtucci's experimental synth sounds and tape loops with Block's processed vocalisations and hazy field recordings. Dark and suspenseful, with each extended composition delivering a mixture of mind-mangling electronics, creepy ambience and musical elements doused in trippy effects, it sits somewhere between the charred "illbient" of DJ Spooky and the deep space soundscapes of the late Pete Namlook.
Review: Another case of second time around, this time for the final Creation Records release from Oasis, a collection of B-sides that returns in freshly remastered form. While not all bands could get away with this kind of exercise, the Mancunian Britpop heroes released enough memorable bonus cuts to make it a worthwhile and entertaining exercise. For proof, check the densely layered, riff-driven yelp of 'Acquiesce', the wistful 'Talk Tonight' and 'Half The World Away', the brass band-sporting Beatles-in-1966 shuffle of 'Going Nowhere', the sing-along fun of 'Stay Young', and the band's triumphant, six-and-a-half minute live cover of 'I Am The Walrus' - arguably their best "flipside" of all.
Review: Oasis' seminal Definitely Maybe is surely right up there with one of the greatest ever debut albums. It came in 1994 and soon catapulted the swaggering Manchester British band to stardom. Now 30 years old, it gets a special anniversary reissue on several formats including this one on double CD. Revered for its raw energy and catchy melodies, the record blends rock and Britpop influences and boats plenty of anthemic tracks like 'Live Forever' and 'Supersonic' that showcased Noel Gallagher's songwriting and brother Liam's distinctive snarly vocals. The album's success, marked by its confident attitude and raw, powerful sound, played a pivotal role in the Britpop movement of the 90s and remains a celebrated work.
Review: For well over a decade, Italian producer, electronic musician and sound designer Ocralab (real name Rocco Biscione) has been serving up immersive and enveloping ambient soundscapes, most of which tend towards the meditative and subtly sun-kissed. That's the trademark sound that he explores on gorgeous new full-length Locus Impervio, a set whose gently rising and falling melodic motifs, calming soundscapes and spacey sounds recall the halcyon days of ambient music in the mid-to-late 1990s. It's a genuinely gorgeous, soul-enriching set all told - the kind of thing we might have expected Pete Namlook, Jonah Sharp, Move D and Mixmaster Morris to put out circa 1994 (albeit with subtle nods to more contemporary, sound design-driven academic ambient releases).
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