Back catalogue: All genres

Review: More explosive rap classics get pressed up to handy and battle-ready 7" here courtesy of the TNT label. This seventh volume in their on going series of old school dynamite joints kicks off with a banger from Blu Cantrell. 'Breathe' (feat Sean Paul) has the reggae man dropping his trademark bars in stylised vocal form with Cantrell''s own delivery offering a clean, icy counterpoint over nice low end bump and Cali-style synth lines. Paul again features on the flip, this time adding his words to Beyonce's huge pop hit 'Baby Boy'.

Review: This project, which translates to "The Way of Music" in English, is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by Groh, founder of the esteemed Polish hip-hop label JuNouMi which was established in 2002. It marks a fusion of talents between Polish and Japanese artists and commenced with Twardowski crafting music using samples from Japanese albums followed by the inclusion of MCs KANETSUGU and Prykson Fisk. DJs 1an from Tokyo and DJ Eprom from Warsaw joined the ensemble while the design, handled by Magorzata "Mauko" Korczak, explores Japanese Shod? calligraphy. This 7" release marks the start of a new Polish-Japanese collaborative series with more to come.

Review: Once known as the technical wunderkind of alt hip-hop collective Odd Future, the ascension of Earl Sweatshirt to incomparable outlier status as a wordsmith very much in his own lane, has been a muted spectacle to behold. Celebrating the tenth birthday of Doris (his acclaimed major label debut released in 2013) earlier this year in front of a sold out KOKO just a stone's throw (no pun intended) from our offices, the anniversary show was immediately followed by a mass exodus down to Camden's Jazz Cafe where a limited club experience teased material from the much-pondered collaborative project with legendary producer and long-time Earl affiliate The Alchemist. Currently available to stream while vinyl continues to be pressed, Voir Dire exudes a lackadaisical, dare we say positive demeanour across its brief half-hour runtime, with Earl unpacking his fading twenties, preparing for his encroaching thirties and delving into the shift in perspective that comes with fatherhood. Brimming with both artist's trademark flourishes of drugged out, apathetic delivery and chopped, screwed and warped jazz and soul samples, the subtle coalescing of styles results in a work that's equal parts enlightening yet understated, while long-time collaborators/friends Vince Staples and MIKE both offer standout appearances.

Review: A collaborative album made and released by Mike Patton and NYC's hip-hop DJ trio the X-Ecutioners, General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners is a landmark album in the big-smoked turntablists' discog, thanks to its then-newfangled embrace of elements of two nascent genres: free jazz and glitch. In fact, the album is themed around a war between the two vastly different styles, which makes it a worthy, but lesser-known contemporary to many other artists fusing the styles at the time, such as Amon Tobin. However, this album is more in the vein of Wu-Tang than future angst; this reissue via Ipecac serves to rejolt its underground infamy.

Review: The second instalment of the Revenge trilogy is another doozy that once again reaffirms the indomitable spirit of the vengeful Gorilla at the same time as showcasing a relentless pursuit of violent justice. Against the brilliantly evocative backdrop of cinematic beats crafted by expert producer The Dirty Sample, Ol' Gorilla Bones is in top form as he spins vivid yarns of gruesome retribution against inept rappers. While revenge remains the central motif across this 16-track album, the duo's horrorcore narrative delves into unexpected realms that range from hockey references on 'Gerry Cheevers' to literary allusions on 'Honest Proposal'. It's a fine sequel full of macabre beat magic.

Review: Virtuoso bassist & singer Thundercat releases a very special deluxe edition of his album Apocalypse, ten years on from its original release in 2013. Packed with gems including the certified classics 'Heartbreaks + Setbacks', 'Lotus and the Jondy', 'Tron Song' and the all-out cosmic funk bullet 'Oh Sheit, It's X', Thundercat brings a fusion of pop, soul, electronica, prog rock and funk into an unexplored dimension, with his signature basslines gliding sky high to meet Executive Producer Flying Lotus' astral touch. The new edition also contains two previously unreleased tracks, 'Before I loved myself 'I' pooped my ankles (true)' recorded with Austin Peralta and Taylor Graves, and 'Paris' (with Mono/Poly). The deluxe LP also features special rainbow holographic artwork housed inside a transparent PVC outer slipcase complete with 'x-ray' holographic skull print.

Review: Tyla is an already hotly-tipped South African singer and songwriter but the release of this new self-titled album is sure to take her to the next level and be one of 2024's biggest and best. It's a fusion of r&b and amapiano - a mix of house, jazz, downtempo and rich melody from her native South Africa - that is topped with her seductive and soft vocals. Channeling the likes of the great Aaliyah, it's been proceeded day the captivating lead single 'Waze' and is full of heart melting moments of tender r&b beauty. It has been two years in the making and was recorded in Jamaica so is pulled with subtle sunshine that makes it all the more perfectly timed.