Back catalogue: Classical

Review: In an unprecedented collaboration, Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc and world-renowned pianist Sofiane Pamart present Dreamers, a unique piano composition project. An unusual project to say the least, we have to admit that the idea is there: co-composed between the boy racer and the pianoforte prodigy, Leclerc and Pamart jointly describe their release as a "tribute to the journey and not just the destination", and a composition that "captures the ongoing pursuit of excellence and the never-ending evolution of dreams". It certainly is dreamy, with the likes of 'Focus' and 'The Dream Continues' wringing out the stargazing propensities of all those at home and mixing it with the raw power of the figurative racecar engine, inspiring a longing for greatness on the level embodied in these two.

Review: In 2018, three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn returned to classical label-behemoth Deutsche Grammophon (her usual) for an official album of interpretations of J.S. Bach's violin concertos, in collaboration with Jeffery Kahane and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. The much-celebrated fiddler laid down a stunning, full rendition of the concertos, all recorded at the Colburn School Of Performing Arts and which added to her huge repertoire. This stealth reissue from the classical music giant bolsters Hahn's rep once more.

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.

Review: The third album from Levon Eskenian's remarkable ensemble is its most adventurous to date. As well as reclaiming the music of esoteric teacher G. I. Gurdjieff for folk instrumentation, Zartir situates Gurdjieff in a tradition of Armenian bards and troubadours including Ashugh Jivani, Baghdasar Tbir and the legendary Sayat-Nova. In parallel, an emphasis on pieces for sacred dance reaches its apex in The Great Prayer, an entrancing collaboration between the Gurdjieff Ensemble and the National Chamber Choir of Armenia, which draws upon ritual music of multiple faiths. Arranger Eskenian says, "I believe The Great Prayer is more than a mere 'composition'. It is one of the most profound and transformative pieces I have encountered in Gurdjieff's work." Zartir was recorded in Yerevan in 2021 and mixed and completed in Munich in November 2022 by Levon Eskenian, Tigran Kuzikyan, and Manfred Eicher.

Review: We all know that Matthew Herbert is a far out sonic experimenter who will look to make music with and from anything. But this project might be his most outlandish and extraordinary to date. It starts with him looking for the largest possible animal skeleton to explore though music. He settled on a full size horse and from that made flutes from its thigh bones and bows from ribs and hair. Gut strings stretched over the pelvis feature in the mid-section and even more bizarre than that is the fact he travelled to ancient cave paintings of horses in Northern Spain to record reverb at their door. Brilliantly bonkers as ever.

Review: Whitney Johnson and Lia Kohl's debut album has evolved over several years. Its roots lay in their shared practice of free improvisation on viola and cello and flourished into a unique neophonic orchestral expression. That makes For Translucence both stimulating and soothing - a very alive form of musical meditation where layers of acoustic strings, wispy synths, evocative field recordings and radio and sine waves intertwine and grow while mesmerising you even more. Though always moving and shapeshifting the effect is cathartic as a fine balance is struck between experimentation and cohesion and the organic and the electronic.

Review: Selene by Akira Kosemura & Lawrence English is a beautiful exploration of atmosphere and gravity, seamlessly weaving together expansive soundscapes with a grounding sense of stability. At its core, Selene is a contemplative journey that delves into the human desire for transcendence and new perspectives. Through its meditative compositions, the record captures the essence of celestial zones and the boundless visions they evoke. Drawing inspiration from various sources, including radio telecopy, filmic dreams, and fictional renderings, the album transcends traditional boundaries to create a rich tapestry of sound and emotion. As a collaborative effort, Selene builds upon a lineage of musical exploration, bridging past and future with its innovative approach to composition and production. Through its ethereal melodies and evocative atmospheres, the album embraces the beauty of the unknown.

Review: Reissued and remastered for the first time, with its original tracklist and cover, Francis Lai's eerie-romantic soundtrack for A Man And A Woman, directed by Claude Lelouch, matches the film's subject. That is, two widowers meet for the first time at their children's school, and find themselves plagued by haunting visions and flashbacks of their former spouses. Netting the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1966, the film has gone on to set the benchmark for French romantic soundtracks, a mark set by the score's rose-tinted sonic scenery, diegesis-breaking narrations and almost automatic singing.

Review: Laibach has announced the release of Opus Dei Revisited, a newly reworked version of their seminal 1987 album. This project features two distinct versions of the original work. The first disc showcases a complete reimagining of the tracks, developed during the band's ongoing Opus Dei Revisited tour. The second disc includes fresh remixes by Rico Conning, who produced the original album, allowing him to reinterpret the source material while preserving key elements. Opus Dei was Laibach's first release with Mute Records, propelling them into international recognition and spotlighting their unique sound. The album includes Leben heiBt Leben, a German-language adaptation of Opus' Live is Life, which will again be featured on this release. Formed in 1980 in the industrial town of Trbovlje, Slovenia, Laibach's provocative performances and imagery have earned them a reputation as one of Eastern Europe's most influential collectives. Opus Dei Revisited promises to challenge perceptions and expectations, echoing the band's relentless pursuit of artistic innovation.

Review: Laibach revisits two iconic tracks from their 1987 opus, bringing new intensity to 'Leben heiBt Leben' and 'Geburt einer Nation.' Originally reworked for live performances, these versions merge theatrical drama with sharper sonic edges. The second disc ventures further, with original producer Rico Conning layering remixes that strip back and reimagine the band's audacious sound. This project doesn't just reframe the past; it grapples with it, offering both a homage and a provocative challenge to how we hear Laibach today.

Review: .Lang Lang, alongside soprano Gina Alice and the Gewandhausorchester under the baton of Andris Nelsons, presented a spellbinding rendition of Saint Saens' masterpiece. Their performance showcased great virtuosity and emotional depth with each nuanced phrase. Lang Lang's dazzling piano technique intertwined seamlessly with Gina Alice's soaring vocals, while the Gewandhausorchester's lush orchestral sound provided a rich backdrop. Under Nelsons' masterful direction, the ensemble delivered a dynamic and expressive interpretation, breathing new life into Saint Saens' timeless composition.

Review: Mary Lattimore's standing as one of the foremost harpists in active service is without doubt at this stage, but even by her considerable reputation this record is a standout moment in a glittering career. Over the course of two years, the dedicated improviser committed herself to focused sessions and collaborated with an impressive cast of characters from The Cure's Lol Tolhurst to Slowdive's Rachel Goswell. The over-arching theme is one of the inescapable nature of change, as crystallised in the crumbling Croatian hotel Lattimore references in the album title. It goes without saying the musical results are achingly beautiful, nuanced and fathoms deep.

Review: Bill Laurance's Bloom marks a grand transition from intimate duo collaborations to a widescreen orchestral spectacle. Teaming up with Manchester's Untold Orchestra, Laurance delivers a riveting fusion of classical sensibilities, jazz improvisation, and pop grooves. The eponymous opener features dark string chords expanding into a rhythmic journey with piano melodies and hypnotic improvisation. Inspired by his child's imaginative capacity, Laurance crafts a sonic landscape that evokes Baroque, Vivaldi, and modern influences, all while maintaining a sense of wonder and exploration. The Untold Orchestra shines in their tightness and sensitivity, elevating Laurance's compositions to cinematic heights. With Bloom, Laurance strikes a delicate balance between technical mastery and emotive storytelling, creating a stunning listening experience that invites listeners to lose themselves in its dreamlike realms.

Review: Christian Schoppik, aka Lauten der Seele, concludes his 'Water' trilogy with Die Reise zur Monsalwascheia profound exploration of spiritual journey and fulfillment. Following Die Mariengrotte als Trinkwasseraufbereitungsanlage (2022) and Ertrunken im seichtesten Gewasser (2023), this final chapter is a compelling odyssey from departure to salvation. While previous works leaned heavily on experimental soundscapes, this album shifts focus to classical influences, creating a more refined yet emotionally rich experience. Schoppik's expertise in blending samples and audio collages remains evident, but here it's woven into a more accessible and evocative narrative. The album's structure, from 'Decision, Farewell & Departure' to 'Losing Way, Arrival & Salvation,' show off Schoppik's growth as an artist, presenting a seamless conclusion to his trilogy. Die Reise zur Monsalwasche stands out as a testament to his evolving craft and emotional depth.

Review: Mike Lazarev drops his first album on Past Inside the Present and it's one that reminds us why he has such a great reputation as being one of modern ambient and classical's finest composers. After exploring notions of time on previous records, for this one, he embraces the here and now and that lends itself to a record steeped in mindfulness and meditation. As such, Sacred Tonalities is a perfect accompaniment to introspective moments with textural soundscapes placing you at the centre of them. The harmonics range from soft to gritty, the moods occasionally hint at trance and the layers of bass, piano and arps bring subtle and ever-shifting rhythms.

Review: Austria band Lehnen embarks on something of a new beginning here as they unveil a new four-track work, Negative Space: Gradients, which comes on cassette via Past Inside The Present. This project was initially thought of as a four-song experiment and one that continues where the last album left off. That is to say with lots of lush synth layers and ambient textures of its parent album but all turned up a notch. It will still be familiar to fans but while the last album Negative Space funnelled post hardcore and post rock energy, this one joins things together and the result is a work full of healing compositions full of hope.

Review: Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's All of Us Strangers soundtrack is a superb trip through plenty of highly atmospheric landscapes that blend delicate piano melodies with haunting electronic textures. Each track paints a vivid portrait, evoking a sense of introspection and emotional depth that only heightens the scenes in the movie. Levienaise-Farrouch's narrative captivates and guides the audience through a range of moods from tranquil introspection to moments of poignant intensity, and as such this soundtrack showcases her exceptional talent for composition and storytelling.

Review: Klara Lewis' latest release is a poignant tribute to her late friend, mentor, and former label head, Peter Rehberg. The EP opens with 'Thankful,' a track that directly acknowledges Rehberg's influential work under his PITA moniker, specifically the iconic 'Track 3'. This original piece has profoundly shaped the experimental electronic landscape, its influence still resonating across contemporary electronic music. Lewis' rendition offers a heartfelt homage with a cascading melody that transitions into an immersive digital landscape, evoking both reverence and a sense of finality. The track's abrupt ending mirrors the suddenness of Rehberg's passing, enhancing its emotional depth. Having first emerged with Ett on Editions Mego at 21, Lewis, now 31, presents Thankful as a mature and emotional milestone in her career. 'Ukulele 1' stands as another intimate tribute, featuring the titular instrument looping gently and capturing the essence of its recording environment. This track emphasises the human touch amidst an era increasingly dominated by mechanical precision. 'Top,' named after one of Rehberg's favourite expressions, offers a brief but intense burst of mutant acid techno, capturing the essence of Rehberg's eclectic taste. Following this is '4U,' a track that forgoes words for pure sonic expression, reflecting Rehberg's influence in its profound simplicity. The EP concludes with 'Ukulele 2,' which revisits the themes of 'Thankful,' reinterpreting the earlier melody with digital flourishes. Thankful stands as a meticulously crafted tribute, embodying the spirit and innovation of Peter Rehberg and the original MEGO label.

Review: Quartet Records, in collaboration with MGM, presents a remastered 50th anniversary edition of Michael J. Lewis' score for the 1973 cult classic Theatre Of Blood, directed by Douglas Hickox. The film is a macabre British black comedy about a Shakespearean actor who is systematically humiliated by critics who consider him hammy and old-fashioned. The actor becomes a serial killer and murders every critic by emulating the sadistic crimes in Shakespeare's plays. Lewis composed a delightful score, with a catchy, charming main theme that is opposed to the brutality of the story. Contrasting strains of old-fashioned lyricism and modern soundscapes frame a score of great stylistic diversity.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Quartet Records, in collaboration with MGM, presents a remastered 50th anniversary edition of Michael J. Lewis' score for the 1973 cult classic Theatre Of Blood, directed by Douglas Hickox. The film is a macabre British black comedy about a Shakespearean actor who is systematically humiliated by critics who consider him hammy and old-fashioned. The actor becomes a serial killer and murders every critic by emulating the sadistic crimes in Shakespeare's plays. Lewis composed a delightful score, with a catchy, charming main theme that is opposed to the brutality of the story. Contrasting strains of old-fashioned lyricism and modern soundscapes frame a score of great stylistic diversity.

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.

Review: Sound collage is a genre where ideas and sounds can get a blank canvas to express those ideas and not have any pressures to create full songs. The Gesua Plateau: Enslavement Of The Species pushes the boundaries of experimental and electronic music to an exciting place. This multi-sided album dives into ambient textures, unusual sonic landscapes and evocative soundscapes that feel alien and oddly familiar. Side-1 serves as an entry point, with five shorter tracks showcasing ambient and experimental ingenuity. Highlights include 'Track 2', where a blend of saxophone, electronics and effects evokes a chamber-like resonance and 'Track 4', featuring a dark, sequenced rhythm that feels futuristic and thrilling. 'Track 3' introduces nature sounds, adding an organic touch to the experimental palette, while 'Track 5' leans into spacey electronics that expand the album's ethereal tone. Side-2 delivers 'Track 6', a cavernous exploration of dissonance and sound processing that feels otherworldly. Side-3 offers 'Track 7', an industrial, mechanical piece that's haunting and deeply atmospheric. Finally, Side-4 ventures even further into the unknown, presenting soundscapes that feel unmoored from terrestrial reality. A profound journey into sonic experimentation. If you're interested in the avant garde, musique concrete or experimental sounds, this ambient album has all that and then some.

Review: SuperEverything is a wonderful audio-visual project by multi-media artists The Light Surgeons. It takes the form of a live cinema performance pice which "explores identity, ritual and place in relation to Malaysia's past, present and future." It was commissioned in 2011 by the British Arts Council and was made with Malaysian audio and visual artists. It has since toured all over various well regarded arts festivals around the world and melts field recordings, documentary film making and music. The nine original tracks that make up the score are all pressed to vinyl here for the first time.

Review: A Strangely Isolated Place continues to be a vital source of intrigue in the broader sense of what ambient music can be in the modern era. Here they present the debut album from Liz Qun Wong, a classically-trained cellist and composer who has been releasing and recording as Lihla for nigh-on ten years. As you might well imagine, there's a strong electro-acoustic bed to the sound on this mesmerising full-length, but one of the real distinctions with this album is Wong's storytelling, which gently rests atop the nuanced, textural compositions and guides us into some intriguing, cinematic places.

Review: "What was amazing about Liska's music was that, unlike most other composers, he didn't attempt to go with the mood of the film and milk the emotions but listened to the rhythm of the movie itself. Especially in an animated film, this helped to greatly enhance the sense of the picture's pace and drama. He was able to discover rhythms in films that even their authors weren't aware of." Jan Svankmajer, whose 90th birthday coincides with the release of this compilation, clearly holds Zdenek Liska in high regard. Respectively, a director and his regular composer-collaborator, the Czech artists worked on ten short films together. The original recordings of music for three of those have survived on tape - Don Juan (Don sajn), Leonardo's Diary (Leonard?v denik) and Jabberwocky (evahlav aneb sati?ky Slam?neho Huberta). Now here they are in all their surreal, folk-ish, playful, comedic and, at times, library-style glory.

Review: Bruce Campbell's character in The Evil Dead is up there with cinema's finest anti (or, possibly just accidental) heroes. Sam Raimi's landmark comedy horror movie about college students who accidentally open a portal to a terrifying underworld, with four out of five becoming possessed by demonic forces leaving one, our main man, to fend for himself, with or without two working hands, was exceptionally well written, combining genuine frights with visual and script gags, hitting all bullseyes in the sub genre. Evil Dead II was a high quality sequel, essentially telling the same story, only with a few tweaks. Again, it was laugh-out-loud funny and also pretty scary. A huge part of its impact comes down to the incredible music by Joseph Loduca. A Detroit jazz guitarist turned film and TV composer, here he combines fantastical instrumental movements, with surreal romantic piano phrases, knife-edge refrains and eerie reversed strings, creating a blueprint from which many others have looked to when trying to come up with an original horror score.

Review: The Marvel movie universe has exploded in recent years and whatever you make of the on-screen showings the soundtracks - particularly of The Avengers - have all been superb. Now you can immerse yourself in the universe of your favourite Marvel characters with this new and limited edition vinyl pressing from Diggers Factory on translucent vinyl. The 15 tracks traverse the superhero world and thanks to superb performances from London Music Works. Tracks from Infinity War, End Game, Age of Ultra and more all feature to make this a superb collection for fans of any age.

Review: Heavyweight ambient partnerships don't come much bigger than Lawrence English and Loscil, who pool their considerable resources into this majestic album for Kranky. If you're familiar with Loscil's shimmering, sweetly synthetic sound, you'll be very happy with the grandiose blooms of undulating colour bleeding out of 'Cyan', while English's affinity for subtlety comes to the fore on 'Aqua'. The approach for the album was centred around a century-old pipe organ at the Old Museum in Brisbane, but of course there's been a lot of work done on the original sound sources. There's no great tussle between the respective artists - their sound practices merge beautifully, rendering an essential addition to both of their considerable catalogues.

Review: Dais are presenting the first vinyl edition of this 2004 album from Tor Lundvall, which was originally released as a hand-numbered CD of 955 copies on New Years Eve. Initially conceived as a delicate album of piano and electronics, Lundvall developed his ideas for Last Light into an expansive, hugely atmospheric album which captures the twilight seasons of the Northern Hemisphere in a profound manner. From faint whispers of homespun beats to moody melodic refrains and vast swathes of reverb at every turn, Lundvall draws you in close on this spellbinding record, which makes its way to wax at the perfect time of year.

Review: Brian Williams' Lustmord project has existed in different forms for over 40 years, though it's only in the last couple of decades - when it has become a vehicle for his solo work - that new musical missives have become a regular occurrence. On Much Unseen Is Also Here, the former industrial musician turned soundtrack composer once again showcases his mastery of pitch-black sonics, creepy soundscapes and horror-inspired dark ambient workouts. As you'd expect, the sound design is incredible - listen on good quality headphones for the ultimate listening experience - while Williams' penchant for throwing in suspenseful chords, billowing aural textures and unsettling vocalisations adds further layers of paganistic mystery.

Review: You don't need to know that Craobh Haven was made during a one week residency at a tiny cabin in a remote Scottish village of the same name. One play through of the latest stunner to land on the ever-excellent ambient institution SWIMS and it'll feel like you were there in person. A witness to the creation of this strangely natural-feeling, highly technically-crafted, six tracker. Everything about the work by London-based musician and visual artist Loz Keystone and Glaswegian synth explore and jazz trumpeter Christos Stylianides feels in the right place. Its warm and fuzzy but vast and windswept. It's avant garde and abstract, but rounded and complete. It's incredibly inviting and slowly hypnotic. Distant samples of inaudible chatter and looped melodic refrains. Distorted walls of noise masking the patient power of aching brass. You get the point.

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.