Back catalogue: All genres

Review: In 1985, rapper Tricky Tee (Edward Yates) pinned an unlikely staple to the great door of hip electro, decreeing that all those to follow him would take a bow whenever he sashayed into the room. 'Johnny The Fox' was his first release for Sleeping Bag Records, who now release it in fullest restored glory - this was the label founded by none other than indie cello superstar Arthur Russell and music mogul William Socolov, crossing between disco, stylistically crossing between avant-garde songwriting and paradise-garage house - and served to indent his name on the map in highly visible, permanent ink. Containing samples of The Kay-Gees and Thin Lizzy, Tee's voice is steeped in a short delay, a timeless technique lending the human voice a smeared-out, mechanoid feel.

Review: This new live release from Californian hip-hop veterans Cypress Hill captures their full-scale collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, recorded in July 2024 and reworking their landmark Black Sunday album alongside key tracks from across their catalogue. Conducted by Troy Miller, the performance adds sweeping arrangements and new sonic dimensions to classics like 'Insane in the Brain', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That' and 'Hits From the Bong', while tracks like 'How I Could Just Kill a Man' and '(Rock) Superstar' are reimagined with widescreen drama. The orchestra doesn't dilute the impact i instead, it sharpens it, with strings and brass accentuating the menace and clarity of DJ Muggs' original production. 'Dr. Greenthumb' and 'Illusions' sit particularly well in this new context, showing how elastic the group's material can be without losing its edge. It's a new release that avoids the usual crossover pitfalls i the arrangements are built with detail and respect for the original tracks, and B-Real's delivery stays sharp throughout. A rare example of a classical-meets-rap performance that feels earned, not novelty i and a reminder of just how deep this group's catalogue runs.