Back catalogue: Classical

Review: Double Consciousness is not just the name of the new collaborative album release between Oren Ambarchi and Eric Thielemans; it's also a term developed by revolutionary theorists such as Frantz Fanon and W.E.B. Du Bois to describe the cognitive dissonance/dual self-perception of oppressed groups in unjust, often colonial societies. With that in mind, we're not just going in blind here. A forty-minute, single-take epic album recorded live at the Werkplaats Walter theatre in Brussels, this is Ambarchi and Thielemans as we know them best, the former handling the guitar as usual, and the latter on drums and percussion. Many disparate movements ensue, the music seeming to represent the arc of psychic revelation; the roller-coaster ride of fulfilment; tyrants overthrown; and former double-consciousnesses unified.

Review: Emika's Vega:Trilogy is a bold, ambitious sonic journey that blends meditation, sacred geometry and a quest for deeper meaning. Recorded during the isolation of the lockdowns, Emika poured her creativity into crafting a work that transcends genres. Drawing inspiration from the northern star Lyra, Vega combines electronic, classical and avant-garde elements, with Emika's distinctive vocals anchoring the atmospheric soundscapes. Collaborations with luminaries like Horace Andy, Liela Moss and Rodhad add unique layers to the already rich fabric of the album. The three vinyl LPs are presented in a sleek black cover with a silver foil logo, making the physical release as captivating as the music itself. Since her early days in Bristol's bass music scene and her groundbreaking work as a sound designer, Emika has carved out her own niche. Vega is the latest chapter in her journey, offering a dynamic blend of electronics, neo-classical compositions and her signature vocal style. A truly introspective album that captures Emika's evolution as an artist and visionary.

Review: New York-based musician James Emrick is well known for working with Kinetic Media and is a masterful sound designer who has scored several projects. This is his new full-length and one that finds him making use of an array of granular and feedback processes within Max/MSP environments "to arrive at an idiosyncratic form of computer music that feels wilfully opposed to operating within the sediments of the genre." It's a fancy concept but one that rings true when you tune in as this is music that sounds like little else - all granular, shimmering, like falling rain or shards of glass blowing in a breeze. It's complex by process but simple to fall deep into. It has a widescreen melodic allure that makes for a cathartic and uplifting record.

Review: Originally conceived to accompany an installation at the 2022 Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Selkie Reflections is very much a thing of beauty, and a work in two parts. On the A-side, you have Alliyah Enyo re-working the original tape loops used at the show into a strange, enchanting, and immersive series of hypnotic and occasionally haunting vocal calls. Flip to side B, and Florian T M Zeisig, under the alias Angel R, takes all that and turns it inside out, onto its head, and down into the depths of the selkie's world - a mythical creature capable of shapeshifting between seal and human form which features heavily in Scottish folklore. Beguiling and enchanting, prepare to be submerged in a place of beauty, bliss and mystery.

Review: Hauntologic '80s nostalgia-propagandizers Ghost Box return once again with a new one from Eric Zann, 'Ouroborindra'. Ghostly vocals mesh with a wide range of acoustic and electronic instrumentation here to produce an inspired album that draws on early 20th century cosmic horror fiction, resulting in some dastardly thematic combination of Lovecraft, BBC Christmas Horror stories, and Scarfolk. Radio-static noise and cavernous intakes of breath on tracks like 'Threshold' and 'Dols' blend with long ambient progressions and string sequences, recalling mock-'80s film influences such as the latest haunter 'Enys Men'. As ever with Ghost Box, a patented corecore sound is captured.

Review: A collection of electroacoustic works exploring the intersection of Moroccan tradition and Western avant-garde, this release features 'Toubkal', 'Sultane', and 'Lectures pour bandes magnetiques', each showcasing the North African composer's unique approach to composition. 'Toubkal', inspired by field recordings of Berber music, pulsates with traditional rhythms and melodies, reimagined through electronic manipulation. 'Sultane', reflecting on themes of land and conflict, alternates between dense rhythmic textures and ethereal vocal passages. 'Lectures pour bandes magnetiques', a setting of poems by Rilke and Mandiargues, highlights the connection between the human voice and musical expression.

Review: Edvard Graham Lewis and Mark Spybey's collaboration fuses electronic rhythms, layered field recordings and ambient soundscapes into an album with striking depth and cohesion. Both artists bring decades of experienceiLewis from Wire, Dome, He Said and Spybey from Zoviet France and Dead Voices on Air. This project, however, ventures into fresh territory, blending experimental sounds with surprising grooves and sly hooks. Crafted remotely, each track unfolds a textured sonic landscape, offering listeners a unique glimpse into the creative synergy between two pioneers of boundary-pushing music.