Back catalogue: All genres

Review: 'Faded Photographs' is the latest album project by Icelandic producer Yagya. Featuring his usual blend of ambient and dub techno, this one is also among his first to incorporate elements of deep house, pop and classical music, with friends Oskar Guojonsson, Benoit Pioulard and Bandreas cropping up on vocal and saxophone features. Despite the fact that there are over eleven tracks on this opus, every track on the album makes use of 3/4, rather than the bog-standard quantised 4/4, time. The overall effect is a skippier, dreamier, more laid-back queering of techno, contrasting to the straight and unswung vibe of its square forebear.

Review: Following on from 2022's critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize nominated debut LP The Overload, crossing over the bridge provided by last year's absurdist, Black Mirror-indebted eight-minute stand alone single 'The Trench Coat Museum', everyone's new favourite Leeds based post-punks Yard Act are set to capitalise on their momentous winning streak with the highly anticipated sophomore effort Where's My Utopia? Recorded in collaboration with Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr handling production duties, sonically the band have opted to open their playful dynamic to as many sprawling influences as possible, simultaneously leaning into synth-laden new wave territory whilst citing Fela Kuti's political messaging and worldly psychedelia as an integral aspect. As lyrically snide and sharp as ever, the reliable brand of tongue-firmly-in-cheek socio-political commentary reaches ludicrous new heights when unpacking the band's success to date, their self-awareness of being signed to a subsidiary of a subsidiary of another soulless corporation aggressively at odds with the members' personal ethos, and even the increasing admiration/begrudgery that stems from the ascension within the eyes of their supporters. It's all clever, dense, humorous and delivered via an onslaught of razor-focused bangers. In essence, it's Yard Act.

Review: Incidentally sharing the name of a pioneering East End gangster film of the same name - one of the first films to receive an 'X' rating - Yellow Balloon was also the name of this psychedelic "sunshine pop" band from Los Angeles. Filled with brow-beaten jaunts, scatting bops and tambourine shakes, this fab fivesome's first and only album is an excellent foray into the late 1960s zeitgeist, not to mention the enduring talents of the band's leader Gary Zekley.

Review: The third full-length studio album from Singaporean singer-songwriter-producer Nat Cmiel (aka yeule) released to rave reviews earlier this September, following an ethereal rollout with singles 'dazies', 'ghosts' and 'inferno' showcasing exactly what yeule excels at: worldbuilding. 'softscars' is now the 3rd instalment in one of the most exciting album runs in modern alt-pop, shifting away from the glitchy, electronic ambience of predecessor 'Glitch Princess', moving in a more rock-centric, brighter direction. This isn't to say the album doesn't have its soul-crushing moments, opening track 'x w x' closes with a defiant scream of frustration, whilst the drums, guitar and synths fight each other for dominance - bottoming out into a gentle outro sequence. The calm after the storm. We could go on about this album for hours, as a yeule fan it feels so fresh but so perfect with it's oscillating directness in delivery. Whereas 'Glitch Princess' felt like travelling through a clastrophobia-inducing tunnel at time, 'softscars' is that moment you burst out of the tunnel and are hit with a huge green vista. It's my album of the year but, hey, what do I know?

Review: Larry Young's Unity was released in 1965 and has endured with a fine reputatopn for being a rather innovative work in the jazz realm. As a pivotal figure in the post-bop and modal jazz movements, Young's innovative organ playing redefined the possibilities of the instrument. Unity marked his debut as a bandleader and he did so alongside an exceptional lineup that featured Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, and Elvin Jones. The title track is a mesmerizing 16-minute exploration that showcases Young's mastery of the Hammond B-3 organ as he creates a spiritual and avant-garde atmosphere. The album's fusion of hard bop, modal jazz and experimental elements solidified Young's place in the pantheon of jazz greats you need to know, if you don't already.

Review: It's been 17 years since we were last treated to a live album from Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and that was a recording of a legendary performance at Filimore East from 1970. This set, which features the band's later line-up, was recorded on the main stage at the Phoenix Festival (remember that) back in 1996 and first broadcast on UK radio shortly afterwards. It's a typically dynamic performance, captured with full crowd reaction for added atmosphere, with the legendary Canadian-American musician and his band-mates laying down terrific versions of favourites including 'Heart of Gold', 'Rockin' In The Free World', 'Cinnamon Girl' and 'Like a Hurricane'.

Review: Sean Bowie's fifth full-length as Yves Tumor arrives with an epic title (the academically minded will be debating its meaning for years to come), a grandiose electro-rock/post-punk goes-electroclash sound, and a bagful of valedictory reviews. It's basically an extension of Bowie's previous work with a few twists, but that's no bad thing; after all, the artist's distinctive sound and strong songs have always been an impressive calling card. Highlights are plentiful, from the fizzing, 21st century punk-funk of 'Lovely Sewer', and the Prince-does-Nine Inch Nails-flex of 'Parody', to the alternately jangling and sleazy 'Operator', and the post-ESG dancefloor heaviness of 'Fear Evil Like Fire'.