Back in stock: Breakbeat

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, record slightly warped***


The 39 Orbits pair of Nick Annies and Twink put out only two releases and they were back in 1993. In the years since though, they have become real digger's delights that now fetch high prices on the second-hand market if and when copies come up. But not anymore - Cosmic Soup has assembled this welcome 180g 12" which features tracks from those original records as well as one previously unreleased cut. 'Mercury' is pure dreamy post-rave prog house, as is the slightly more direct 'Outer Limits.' 'After Life' is high-speed house with lush synth work and 'Orbit's Theme' gets more deep and inwardly reflective.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve slightly damaged, record slightly warped***


A² was the electro, breaks and tech house duo Andy Panayi and Alec Stone, and this outing on R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings is a four-track collection that comes years after the tragic passing of Panayi so serves as a poignant tribute from his close friends and family. Honouring Andy's legacy, the release captures the duo's innovative electronic spirit and is both a celebration of their work and a touching farewell. Musically 'Street Renegade' is a lithe breakbeat sound, 'Upton Park Breaks' is more dark and textured and 'Electro Boogie' is just that while 'Reckless' closes on a more spaced out and cosmic tip.

Review: Planet Orange Records' fifth release is a four-tracker from the legendary minds behind Alien Recordings, aka A2 and Stopouts, who take one side each. From the opening moments, the Beyonders EP weaves a thread between the halcyon days of tech and minimal from the 90s but with forward-thinking energy. A²'s 'Glider' is a happy, piano-laced celebration to start with ,then 'Let's Get It Together' cuts loose with lithe pads and more mid-tempo drums. Stopouts steep up for the flip and soon melts the mind with some tightly woven acid and cosmic tech on 'Sin City' and 'Kartwheel' then brings a more freewheeling and loopy groove with some neon colours dripping down its face.

Review: Plenty of neologistic fun can be had with the work "break", but we must admit that "breakflow" is a new one on us. Lisboa produtor b0n impresses such sonic and titular genii with a new, green-goo-hued four-track EP on Portgal's fantastical Magic Carpet label, spanning clean future progressive and garage-acid tempos. The title track and 'Sasha Palomal' only tease the unortho-breaks with tricky garage beats and straighter but admittedly still formative breaksteps; it's only by the point of the B-siders 'Positive Morph' and 'Fractures' that any such fluvial breakbeat is properly put back together and course-corrected. Be warned, the latter track moves through the nicely rare variants of freestyle and "electrance"; careful not to dance yourself to breakdown.

Review: Inventive acid-ambient from Guy Contact here, who returns to Butter Sessions for a round total of 10 new tracks. Following up 2019's 'Liminal Space', 'Drinking From The Mirage' hears the Perth pusher's penchant for plinky chord plucks, not to mention a subtly heavenly sound design that sounds somewhat informed by '90s trip-hop. The self-titled track, featuring fellow artist and singer Nori, is a prime example, while other tracks chart increasingly bangerized feels. 'Spirit Level' might just be our highlight; a phased-out, downtempo breakbeat bit that recalls peacefully free-running in Mirror's Edge, or cruising a future vision London in a self-driivng sustainable drop-top. Make sure to cop this one before the pain of missing out on its neural, brainwaltzing fruits fries your brain.

Review: There's a strong argument to be made that 1993's Orbital II, popularly known as 'The Brown Album', is the Hartnoll brothers' finest single album - a sublime fusion of bustling breakbeats, heady vocal samples (many provided by then unknown vocalist Alison Goldfrapp), twisted acid lines, memorable melodic motifs, and rush-inducing breakdowns. Here reissued in remastered and expanded form, the set - which includes fan favourites 'Lush 3', 'Halcyon' and the superb 'Impact (The Earth is Burning)' the album sounds as fresh and forthright as ever. This time round, it includes a second CD featuring key cuts from the two-part 'Raddicio' EP (including two takes on the Scott Walker-sampling 'The Naked & The Dead') and superb revisions of Lush 3 by Underworld and Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia.

Review: Tooflie's latest offering dives into the allure of French pop's vocal sensuality that weaves intricate production with global influences. The opener, 'CS VG,' anchors the release with its half-step beat that flows through grainy tonal shifts and rhythms, twisting familiar elements into something new and magnetic. Its dreamy, almost spectral feel is offset by sharper, more defined edges, creating an engaging dynamic that keeps the energy fluid yet charged. As the record progresses, 'BLORN' introduces a more laid-back groove, combining minimalist funk with a sense of melancholic soul, perfect for late-night listening. The flipside continues to surprise, with 'KRLE' and 'JUWRK' fusing breakbeat elements with soft digital textures, offering a distinct and refined energy. Tooflie expertly blends the experimental with the accessible, crafting a release that's both bold and sophisticated, ready to ignite the most discerning dancefloors.