Spectrums Data Forces - "Form 900" (Umwelt remix) (5:32)
C-System - "Mind Restore" (5:48)
7H3F4M1LY - "7053M4R14" (6:20)
Review: "Emergency protocol activated. Evacuate your homes and immediately go to the bunker for your safety. The invasion has begun!" Spectrum Data Forces makes a blistering return to New Flesh, fifteen years after first touching down on the label with Exodus and Reencarnacion. 'Trinity' hears Jose Maria Moreno Vega reshuffle his arsenal, securing salted-earth electro and mecha-funk fallows across four tracks and one remix. 'form900' launches the A in full arpeggiated mode, its high-velocity synth lines and crunching drums lensed through SDF's retrofuturist sound-and-vision. Umwelt tears into the remix with typical ferocity, twerking analogue gnarls into a thumping, break-laced payload. On the flip, Moreno dons his C-System alias for 'Mind Restore', a pummelling techno cut streaked with eerie pads and flecks of IDM. '7H3 F4M1LY', finally, under the 7053M4R14 moniker, hears the whole crew round things off in wiry, off-grid style.
Review: When this French producer released 'Rose Rouge' on his 2000 landmark album Tourist, it was more than a track. It was a manifesto. Built on hypnotic jazz loops, tight house rhythms and a sample from Marlena Shaw's 'Woman of the Ghetto', it was a vision of dance music that was cultured, expansive and deeply groovy. Its sophisticated blend of electronic textures and classic jazz sensibilities earned it a rightful home on Blue Note Records, elevating it beyond clubs and into the canon of genre-defying music. It remains a defining moment of jazz-house fusion. Two decades on, Jorja Smith brought her unmistakable voice to the track with a smoky, soulful reinterpretation that paid homage while casting it in a fresh r&b light. Joy Orbison's remix of her version on Side 2 injects another layer of evolution. It stretches the track into a deep, slow-burning cut, rich in atmosphere and bass weight, yet restrained and emotive. Together, these versions celebrate the enduring legacy and adaptability of Rose Rouge across generations and genres.
Review: Bassist and composer Joe Sanders shows he is unafraid to explore every side of his artistry with his new, genre-blurring album Parallels. It is a mix of live recordings with Seamus Blake, Logan Richardson and Gregory Hutchinson and dreamy, studio-crafted pieces with Jure Pukl and Taylor Eigsti that, between them, bridge signature East Coast grit and famous West Coast introspection. From intimate family moments to lush Italo-disco textures, Sanders threads his acoustic and electronic sensibilities into a cohesive overall listen that has plenty of fearless jazz exploration, deep groove and all-important emotional nuance. It is the sound of a musician at the height of his creative powers who is as curious as he is versatile.
Review: SAULT's masterful combination of soul, funk and gospel has made them a major underground phenomenon and that's a position that this, their 11th album, only helped to reinforce when it emerged in December 2024. Helmed by producer Inflo and featuring Cleo Sol's velvety vocals, the album unfolds as a seamless 32-minute suite of nine tracks, brimming with lush instrumentals and poignant themes of love, connection and resilience. While it leans less on the political sharpness of 2020's Untitled (Black Is), the album's spiritual undertones and hopeful messages shine with equal brilliance. From the Marvin Gaye-esque syncopations of opener 'I Look For You' to the jazz-infused 'Set Your Spirit Free', each song flows effortlessly into the next. Tracks like 'Soul Clean' and 'Someone To Love You' evoke 70s funk with wah-wah guitars and vibrant percussion, while the sensual, gospelly closer 'Pray For Me' wraps the album in shimmering strings and heartfelt intimacy. Despite its repetitive moments, the dynamic arrangements and Cleo Sol's stirring delivery keep the momentum alive. For those seeking solace or upliftment, Acts of Faith offers a cohesive and soul-nourishing experienceiits blend of genres and meditative beauty, a comforting reminder of music's power to heal.
Review: Dean Josiah Cover AKA Info's Sault collective has been one of the success stories of the last few years - a hard-to-pigeonhole outfit that manages to knock out inspired albums at a rate of knots. Their latest full-length, '11', is another brilliant and must-check excursion. Largely lo-fi, languid and laidback, it delivers a particularly loose and lo-fi take on soul - blessed with their usual nods to Afrobeat and soundsystem culture - whose instrumentation is deliberately sparse and laidback (think bass guitar, drums and guitar). The results are rarely less than impeccable, with the collective's vocals (both female and male singers feature) rising above vintage-sounding grooves and arrangements that variously doff a cap to Sly Stone, Cymande and - on the drowsy, warming and synth-sporting 'Higher' - the more tactile end of British 80s soul.
Review: Shed's Towards East was originally made for Berlin's Dussmann store back in 2022. It's a very personal project that now gets reissued by The Final Experiment and it sounds superb. The Polish producer weaves in plenty of foggy and lo-fi ambient pads into these tracks, whether they are beatless vignettes or more low-end driven soundscapes such as 'Absolute.' On 'In Between (Fur Geli), yearning strings and a lonely motif amongst walls of melancholic synth done and 'September 5th' is another hazy memory with nostalgic overtones and loads of frayed edges and buried melodic wisps. It's techno, but not as we know it.
Review: Epic, catchy choruses, scintillating blues rock solos and a self-confident frontman that will have likely had Alan McGee champing at the bit to sign to Creation back in the 90s - The Sherlocks hit all the right notes. The South Yorkshire four-piece indie rock n' rollers have stuck to their guns with guitar-based rock music and ignored the keyboard craze to craft face-melting anthems and earned them a loyal fanbase along the way. Their new album comes out on their own label Teddyboy Records and the band will be looking to outdo themselves by securing their first ever number one spot in the charts when this comes out. To their credit, they have every chance with their rabble-rousing tunes sounding more expansive and ambitious than ever before. Long may this ever-rising four-piece fly the flag for guitar music.
Review: South Yorkshire four-piece rock n' rollers The Sherlocks are truly DIY, having set up their own record label, Teddy Boy, after exiting their deal with Infectious/BMG. This is their second album on their own label and comes after their previous release hit the top ten. Sonically, The Sherlocks have always stuck to their guns, celebrating handmade indie rock n' roll with the tools that it's always been made with guitar/bass/drums/vocals, while being unafraid of embellishments if it benefits the song. Similar in a way to Catfish and The Bottlemen, The Sherlocks make music that sounds written for arenas with thousands of people singing their massive choruses back at them. Single 'Man On The Loose' is a particularly strong with classic rock solos with a Noel Gallagher High Flying Birds meets Thin Lizzy feel. And 'Bones' is a rip-roaring modern classic that put jet fuel in your step as you go about your day. Another top ten is surely on the cards.
Review: Recorded live at Copenhagen's Jazzhus Montmartre in 1963, Sahib Shihab's performance captures the moment when the saxophonist and flautist fully embraced both his roots in bop and his growing affinity for the avant-garde. Joined by an impressive cast of musicians, including flugelhornist Allan Botchinsky, guitarist Ole Molin, drummer Alex Riel, and the prodigious 17-year-old bassist Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, the set unfolds with elegance and innovation. The opening '4070 Blues' is an exuberant, hard-bop driven piece, setting the tone with its intricate brass and rhythm section interplay. 'Charade' slows things down, bringing a contemplative, balladic feel, allowing Shihab's sax to shine. On side two, the ambitious 'Conversations' suite spans three parts, each delving into the complexities of improvisationirhythmic shifts and interplay between the musicians give the track a live energy that feels spontaneous yet controlled. This reissue, with audiophile-grade pressing, offers a fresh perspective on a key jazz moment.
Review: As pioneers of underground techno and co-founders of Soma Records, the Scottish duo continue to redefine the soundscape with Dark Channel, their eighth full-length album. In a world fractured by division, Slam offer a raw, uncompromising tribute to the dancefloor as a space of unity and release. Opening with the tribal pulse of 'Use It, Lose It', the album wastes no time setting a fierce, driving tone. The title track, 'Dark Channel', leans into dissonance and texture, hinting at the relentless energy that permeates the record. Tracks like 'Parametric Factor' and 'Glide' are synth-fueled voyages, the latter embracing a classic Slam percussive intensity. 'Morganatic' plunges into shadowy territory, while 'Infinit Spaces' weaves in trippy FX and lively synth hooks. 'Kuture Version provides a moment of introspection before the pounding rhythms return. 'Ghost Dancer' rides on deep sub tones and eerie modulations, creating a dense, brooding atmosphere. As the album approaches its finale, 'Beat On The Drum' delivers a full-force rhythmic assault and 'Irregular Object' closes with a hypnotic, contorted energy. Dark Channel is both a reflection of turbulent times and a powerful celebration of techno's enduring spirit, proving Slam's contribution is as vital as ever.
Review: UK rapper Sonnyjim and producer Giallo Point deliver a cinematic masterclass in street rap on their new collaborative album. Sonnyjim's razor-sharp wit and sardonic charm cut through every bar of No Vi$ible Means of Income 3 while weaving tales of crime, luxury and survival with grit but also lyrical elegance. Giallo Point crafts lush, noir-inspired backdrops full of moody strings, dusty loops and crisp drums that feel ripped from a gangster flick. The album stays proudly UK-rooted with top-tier guest spots from Jehst, P4VAN, Juga-Naut, Farma G and Beny Laylo, all of whom help make an immersive world of suspense and swagger. British hip-hop at its most refined and raw.
Review: Originally released in 2008, Manifesto captured Canada's The Souljazz Orchestra in full stride i locked into deep Afrobeat, but stretching further into spiritual jazz, militant funk and raw soul. It's one of their most focused records, recorded live with no overdubs, and it still hits hard. Tracks like 'Parasite' and 'People, People' feel especially relevant now, tackling inequality, media spin and class struggle with sharp lyrics and a driving sense of purpose. There's fire in the horns, urgency in the rhythm, but also a feeling of hope and collective strength. The band has offered plenty of highlights since, but Manifesto remains a standout i lean, direct and full of intent.
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