Back catalogue: All genres

Review: The names Apollo Brown and Planet Asia evoke a rarefied set of expectations. The raps are as hard as galvanized steel. The syllable placement is meticulous and intricate. The beats bang: simmering in a soulful but warped inferno. They are maestros of raw and unalloyed hip-hop: full of as much grit and craftsmanship as anyone to ever incinerate a microphone or master an MPC. After all, high standards are essential. Sardines is curb-checking minimalist hip-hop: sharp, efficient, and well-executed as a guillotine chop. No wasted bars or rhythmic excess. Just poetic verses and night-time vulture vibes. Apollo sums it up best: it's "dirt, grit, mud, sticks, stones, all that. Leave your boots on." The title's name is a flip on their revered first album. Like sardines, anchovies are a love it-or-hate it proposition. It's not for everyone, but if it's for you, it's laser targeted to your interests.

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.