Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Kiria Records is back here with the fifth release by Zenk, which is a melodic but sci-fi tech house EP that starts with the jittery beats of 'Oniromantic'. Rigid synth sequences and slivery metal hits give it a future feel while 'Khubaba' gets more tight and kinetic and abstract. The more tough and pumping 'Nefertiti' is another carefully interwoven mix of sinewy synths, hiccuping effects and warped bass that is topped with a sensuous female vocal and 'Nefertiti' (Costin RP remix) then gets zoned out and trippy with a more balmy sense of synth soul.

Review: Relative but strong newcomer ZKY, lands their New Standards EP on the fantastic French label Bass Culture. The EP includes four house standouts that are reminding us of gems that you would find on Nu Groove or Strictly Rhythm. 'Zycho' is a spirited tech house track that is as exciting as it is deep while 'Floating Phonk' adds a robotic funk to the mixture of deep and fun dance music. For the second side, 'Sonar Train' is a more futuristic ride that becomes an addictive workout quickly. 'Feeling RG' wraps up the EP on a soulful mood with this strong end of the nighter. ZKY is making waves in the scene and should be a producer we can look forward to hearing more from. We really like these mid 90s house sounds - not to be overlooked.

Review: Brazilian producer Zopelar is a real wizard when at work in the studio. He has done disco-tinged full lengths, synth-laced house sounds, deeper than deep grooves and now steps up to Sudd Wax with another brilliantly musical EP. It opens with the shimmering pads and free-flowing keys of 'Papaia' which then gets a Byron The Aquarius Jazz Twist mix that cuts even more free and gets even more cosmic. 'Jazz Class' is a funky one with golden chords and astral pads and the flip brings three more house gems laced up with the sort of meaningful melodies you don't often hear in this genre.

Review: 18 months after a fantastic launch instalment courtesy of the mighty Danny Krivit, Mr Bongo's Edits series returns. This time round, it's Manchester legend and 'E Soul Cultura' specialist Luke Una at the controls. On the A-side he handles 'Love Games', an obscure slice of mid-80s South African disco by Thandi Zulu and The Young Five, cannily focusing on the warm, gently funky groove and the track's spacey synth solos. Over on the flip, the Electric Chair co-founder takes on Lionel Pillay's percussion, synth-and-organ classic 'Plum', stretching out the most dancefloor friendly sections before unleashing waves of solos and the original's saucer-eyed, sun-splashed instrumentation.

Review: Let's face it, Hollywood director Christopher Nolan broke the mould with his re-envisioning of Batman. Taking things closer to the original comic books, themselves forced to 'go soft' by censors in the early-1950s, his films payed direct tribute to the saga's direction from the mid-1970s onwards. A trilogy of movies that were visually arresting, tonally dystopian, and viciously unhinged. It's not clear if we'll ever get a superhero (or anti-hero) film series of that class and calibre again, the world on screen so immersive you quickly feel like a Gotham native. A big part of that universe-building comes through the music, which enlists two of the greatest names in the history of soundtracks to help weave the tales. Hans Zimmer has composed for more than 150 films, James Newton Howard in excess of 100. This compilation of their shared caped crusader efforts proves why they're so well respected.

Review: Latin funk music's best and brightest recollector-reissuers Vampi Soul continue to do what they do best with this latest reissue of the debut self-titled album by Zulu. One of the last great albums of the first wave of Peruvian rock,and originally released in 1974, Zulu was infamous for its linking of psych-tinged rock with Afro-Latin American beats and folk pop. The enigmatic Zulu (real name Miguel Angel Ruiz Orbegoso) was best known during his lifetime as a member of the bands Traffic Sound and Los Nuevos Shain, but his only solo album commands a unique aura as a numinous rarity, immediately pre-dating his latter-career immersion in the religious community. Reissued for the first time with the collaboration of Zulu, including extensive liner notes and one extra track, the likes of 'Si en el cielo yo viviera', 'Laberintos' and 'Candela' are pastoral gems of folk-cumbia and salsa, playing back with a level of sensitivity and texture that could only be born of a worthy spirit.