Back catalogue: Classical

Review: Of all the seas in the world, the Indian Ocean is up there with those that invoke the greatest sense of mystery. Filling the rather big bit between East Africa, South East Asia, Australia and Oceana, it's a vast expanse of water known for deceptively dangerous paradise islands, political uncertainty, incredible natural beauty and a somewhat wild west (or east?) seafaring culture. It's a place that feels far less familiar to us here in Britain even than the Pacific, and as such a record that looks to interpret cultures and scenes from this watery region is always going to be intriguing. This is the second thematic volume in the Aquapelagos series, split LPs that focus on societies surrounded by waves, and the communities therein. Mike Cooper and Pierre Bastien's interpretation of the Indian Ocean is mesmerising, and often sounds isolated, hypnotic noises ebbing and flowing, distant calls, percussive details, 'atmos' of bird sounds, oscillations, high pitched feedback. A place that is serene and yet disturbed, often by distinctly human elements.

Review: Parus is a Belarusian ethno-ambient project blending pagan songs with modern soundscapes and Zara is their debut album. Led by ethnographer and folk singer Hanna Silivonchyk, the record features traditional Belarusian songs in various dialects, all accompanied by synths and field recordings crafted by Anton Anishchanka. The tracks were gathered during ethnographic expeditions across Belarusian national parks, and songs like 'Soniejka' and the title cut offer intimate reflections on life, love and mythology. It connects to the past while maintaining a deep personal edge that makes Zara a fascinating exploration of Belarusian culture.

Review: If its predecessor shook up the formula for what a superhero animation could be, Spiderman: Across The Spider Verse blew the game wide open in a dazzling display of shape-shifting visual style, heartfelt narrative and spellbinding action. Daniel Pemberton returned to the project to score the sequel and as he explained to Rolling Stone he followed the versatile approach to animation as a guide for how he composed the music. From archaic medieval bombast to grunge inspired squall on to the synthetic sheen of techno, the soundtrack is as wild a ride as the world-flipping action in the film.

Review: Piero Piccioni's score for Ti Ho Sposato Per Allegria (1967) offers a delightful and sophisticated accompaniment to Luciano Salce's comedy, based on Natalia Ginzburg's play. The film's narrative follows a serious lawyer who marries a whimsical and scatterbrained girl with a troubled past, just a month after meeting her. The story's charm lies in its light-hearted approach to serious themes like abortion, death, separation, and marital communication issues. Piccioni's music, released on vinyl by Musica Per Immagini, perfectly complements the film's whimsical tone. His score blends moods and aesthetic elements from his earlier works while introducing the unmistakable sound of bossa nova, funk, and lounge that would come to define much of his 70s output. The Turin-born composer's ability to simplify complex harmonic structures, infused with jazz elements, results in melodies that are both memorable and classy. Key to this soundtrack are its buoyant spirit and refined elegance. Piccioni's compositions achieve a perfect balance between catchy themes and intricate musical textures. Piccioni's talent for creating music is both light-hearted and artistically rich, making this a standout in his extensive catalog.

Review: Pianist. Conductor. Composer. Impressario. Extraordinaire. We could probably leave it at that with Piero Piccioni, but for the sake of clarity let's get clear. One of Italy's most prolific film composers of the mid-late-20th Century, this monolith of big band and jazz wrote more than 300 movie scores in his career, and also lays claim to membership of 013, the first jazz outfit broadcast in his home country following the fall of Fascism in 1944. Born in Turin, one of the epicentres of Italian music, Cadaveri Eccellenti was a 1977 crime thriller about Lino Ventura, Italy's top homicide detective, who is investigating the assassination of a judge. Full of intrigue, mystery, and tension, not to mention that underlying sense of sexiness which seems to pervade European flicks of this era, by now you can probably imagine how cool the score is.

Review: Celebrates the 50th anniversary of Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto (which is better known in Engish as Swept Away) with the ultimate edition of this classic soundtrack from Decca. Piero Piccioni's iconic score perfectly captures the 1974 film's exotic ambience with samba, bossa nova and lounge music sounds all enriched by Nora Orlandi's wordless vocals. Fully remastered from the original archive master tape, this version comes on double vinyl and tastefully honours Piccioni's remarkable contribution to Italian cinema.

Review: The Undreamt-of Centre is the fourth solo album by esteemed Australian drummer, composer, and producer Laurence Pike and it offers a modern reimagining of the requiem mass. This evocative work blends influences from modern classical music, Japanese environmental ambient, fourth-world electronics, free jazz, and Estonian choral traditions that are inspired by Tallinn-based composer Tonu Korvits. Collaborating with the VOX Sydney Philharmonia Choir and conducted by Pike's childhood friend, the composer Sam Lipman, this wonderful record was recorded in a 19th-century Gothic church which has helped to create a haunting and atmospheric soundscape that pays homage to diverse musical traditions while pushing the boundaries of contemporary composition.

Review: In a first-time collaboration, psychedelic trance godhead Simon Posford (best known as Hallucinogen and a founding member of Shpongle) teams up with fellow hippie and flutist Raja Ram (Ronald Rothfield) on a welling improvisatory record, Improvisations For Piano And Flute. Though both are highly esteemed artists in their respective micro-corners of the electronic music scene, Posford and Rothfield both depart significantly from their usually danceable ends for a living-room recorded set of ambiences. With a synth placed atop an antique Bluthner piano, Raj and Simon would join in after the other first begun playing, delivering a 44-minute effluence for the spontaneous soul.

Review: Munich-based trio Prepared craft a hypnotic and high-energy journey that blurs the lines between chamber music, jazz and minimal dance. The trio i Chris Gall on prepared piano, Flo Riedl on bass clarinet and Christoph Holzhauser on drums i merges cyclical motifs and layered patterns into a trance-inducing soundscape. Drawing comparisons to Steve Reich, Jonny Greenwood and Dawn of Midi, their music pulses with rhythm and repetition, creating a hypnotic Gesamtkunstwerk that feels both innovative and timeless. Recorded live in a single room without overdubs, Module is a state-of-the-art production. Utilizing advanced 3D miking techniques for Dolby Atmos, the recording captures the raw interplay between instruments with breathtaking clarity. Across four expansive tracks divided into ten parts, the album flows through moods and textures. 'Modul Eins' opens with a downtempo introduction before evolving into an upbeat, swinging groove. 'Modul Zwei' offers a cinematic, film noir feel, while 'Modul Drei' dips into hip-hop beats with introspective breaks. The 15-minute opus 'Modul Vier' swells through four sections like changing seasons, showcasing the trio's virtuosity and cohesion. With Module, Prepared prove that repetition can be a riveting genre-defying experience that's impossible to forget.