Back catalogue: Classical

Review: Steve Pittis aka. Band Of Pain shares his latest album, Uncle God's Pag Pag Banquet, though he daren't mention what exactly a Pag Pag Banquet is: you'll have to listen and intuit that one for yourself. Treading new ground not only in sound but in collaborative and material form, the new record hears Pittis cycle through a bevy of brooding post-punk and avant-garde arraignments, all while tabbing collabs with Steven Stapleton and Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound) and Jean-Herve Peron and Jeanne-Marie Varain (Faust), as well as bringing the record to a cheekily compact 2xCD set, backed up by an unplayable (yes, you read that right) 12" record with exclusive etchings thereupon by Stapleton. A macabre assemblage, this is a cannibalistic sonic banquet for sure, a Burroughsian nightmare of a third album.

Review: After five years apart, Italian composer Eraldo Bernochi and Japanese violinist, electronica producer and current Tangerine Dream member Hoshiko Yamana return with a sequel to their much-loved 2020 album Mujo. Described by the pair's label, Denovali, as "a deeply cinematic experience", Sabi cannily combines the slow-burn, trance-inducing synthesizer sequences of Tangerine Dream, the intergalactic electronic expressiveness of ambient techno, the thematic movements of modern classical, Yamana's emotive violin motifs and the spaced-out ambient iciness often associated with Geir Jensson's Biosphere project. It's a genuinely brilliant album all told, with the pair smartly sashaying between hazy melancholia, string-laden creepiness and picturesque aural colour.

Review: With a title inspired by the utterances of The Oracle of Delphi, a cult of female priestesses who reportedly "changed the course of civilisation" by inhaling volcanic vapours, it's clear that Lee Burtucci and Olivia Block's first collaborative album is rooted in paganistic visions and experimental mysticism. It's comprised of two lengthy tracks, each accompanied by edited 'excerpts', and combines Burtucci's experimental synth sounds and tape loops with Block's processed vocalisations and hazy field recordings. Dark and suspenseful, with each extended composition delivering a mixture of mind-mangling electronics, creepy ambience and musical elements doused in trippy effects, it sits somewhere between the charred "illbient" of DJ Spooky and the deep space soundscapes of the late Pete Namlook.

Review: Irene Bianco's debut solo album, Kronblade, is a quietly mesmerising exploration of sound that encapsulates the essence of everyday life. Released on the wxmen-led label Permanent Draft, founded by Valentina Magaletti and Fanny Chiarello, the album reflects Bianco's commitment to highlighting the subtle intricacies of sound. Utilising a unique blend of idiophonic instrumentsisuch as metal objects, bells, shakers, and vibraphoneialong with wind-up toys, zither strings, and field recordings, Bianco captures the delicate interplay of ambient soundscapes. Each of the six tracks unfolds like a poetic narrative, weaving through the realms of lo-fi improvisation, ambient textures, and chamber-like classical elements. Standout pieces like 'Sussulti' and 'Hvid' invite listeners on a dreamy auditory journey, while the final track, 'Op, Ned', shows her impressive restraint, merging piano motifs with water sounds and resonant dub elements. Kronblade is a profound example to the beauty of spontaneity and whimsy, reflecting Bianco's artistic vision and her ability to evoke emotions through intricate layers of sound.

Review: Originally released in 2017, Phantom Brickworks by Bibio (Stephen James Wilkinson) was an ambient exploration of abandoned sites around Britain, blending improvisation and composition to capture the lingering human presence in decaying locations. Now, the sequel, Phantom Brickworks (LP II), arrives as a ten-track double LP, complete with an MP3 download code. Mastered by Guy Davie and cut by Hendrik Pauler, this new record shifts focus to more intriguing landscapes, both real and legendary. From vast scars on the terrain to memories buried in folklore, Bibio's soundscapes evoke spaces lost to time but still resonant in history.

Review: In their latest transatlantic collaboration released through Forlag For Fri Musik, Blod and Shadow Pattern from Canada merge their distinct sounds with surprising synergy. Recorded during the winter of 2024 across Gothenburg, Sweden and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, this project sees Gustaf Dicksson's introspective lo-fi folk intertwined seamlessly with Nathan Ivanco's raw and experimental concrete music. Mixed and meticulously arranged by Nathan Ivanco, with mastering by Aaron Hutchison, the album is presented in a limited edition of 300 copies. Each copy features screenprinted artwork on repurposed cover jackets, enhancing the project's minimalist ethos and environmental consciousness. Blod and Shadow Pattern defy geographical boundaries and genre conventions, crafting an ambient and acoustic landscape that invites listeners into a world of subtle textures and emotive storytelling. This collaboration not only showcases their musical dexterity but also underscores the power of international artistic exchange in pushing creative boundaries.

Review: Fresh from curating a fine compilation marking 25 years of his admirable DiN label, Ian Boddy unleashes the latest in a long-line of collaborative works. He's previously released joint studio works alongside Chris Carter, Erik Wollo and Mark Shreeve, amongst others and here is in cahoots with Parallel Worlds member (and DiN semi-regular) Dave Bessell. In true ambient fashion, Polarity boasts a two-part, near 52-minute title track: an evocative, creepy and slowly shifting fusion of modular electronic bleeps, vintage analogue synthesiser melodies, immersive chords and - for shortish blasts amongst the aural weightlessness - bubbling beats. To round off the album, the pair drifts further into deep space ambient mode via the Pete Namlook-esque 'Confluence'.

Review: Den Helder is the northernmost city in Holland, is surrounded by water and borders the North Sea. With a military history dating back to the 16th century, it is also the most bombed city in the Netherlands and was nearly destroyed during World War II. The Third of May was written and recorded in 2020 over six days in an old pumping station located in the dunes of Huisduinen near Den Helder. The story behind the album is set in this historic city, weaving its tumultuous past into a vivid, imagined narrative inspired by the area's rich and tragic history. It's as much of an emotional rollercoaster as you would expect given the concept.