Back catalogue: Classical

Review: Outer Spaceways Incorporated: Kronos Quartet & Friends Meet Sun Ra is a tribute to the legendary Sun Ra, the fourth in a series inspired by his music and vision and bringing together an eclectic group of musicians, composers, producers, and emcees, all converging to honor the cosmic spirituality and innovative genius of Sun Ra. Harrington aimed to place Sun Ra alongside American music giants like Charles Ives and Duke Ellington. The project features a diverse lineup, including Jlin, Nicole Lizee, Zachary Watkins, Trey Spruance, Victoria Shen, and Jacob Garchik. The album's collaborative spirit is highlighted by contributions from Marshall Allen, Georgia Anne Muldrow, RP Boo, Armand Hammer, and 700 Bliss, among others. Harrington and his team sought to create a sonic landscape that reflects Sun Ra's world, blending genres and pushing the boundaries of music, much like Sun Ra himself did throughout his career. The result is a forward-thinking, cosmic journey that truly captures the expansive and boundary-defying essence of Sun Ra's work.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' Placenta represents a deeply conceptual and collaborative effort and serves as their fourth album release under International Anthem. Inspired by NiNo's recent experience of fatherhood, the album reveres the essence of family, birth, and the marvel of new life. Each track embarks on a sonic voyage, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's eclectic approach traverses various sounds and textures, echoing his belief in the influential force of friendships in fostering creative endeavours. With an impressive lineup of collaborators, Placenta epitomises the resilience of community and the boundless scope of musical innovation.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' album Placenta is available in several formats including CD, translucent purple barbed double vinyl and plain black wax, which is what we have here. The record is their fourth release on International Anthem and was inspired by NiNo's recent journey into fatherhood. It pays homage to family, birth, and the wonder of new life as each track embarks on a sonic odyssey, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's diverse approach traverses a spectrum of sounds and textures, reflecting his belief in the influential power of friendships to nurture creative ventures.

Review: It's not often you get to talk about a classical supergroup. It's debatable whether the term supergroup really exists in the classical realm, although Tar, or, to use the full title, Tar (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) is probably as close as you'll get to proving that it does. Evidence is coming, so don't worry.

The work of Academy Award, two-time Grammy Award, and Primetime Emmy Award-winning Icelandic composer, cellist and general shapeshifter Hildur Ingveldardottir Gudnadottir (who has recorded with Throbbing Gristle and Pan Sonic, and toured alongside Sunn O))) and Animal Collective), she's only gone and blown the bloody doors off/drafted the Dresden Philharmonic, London Contemporary Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra for this incredible outing, which not only offers sublime tracks but glimpses of the record process itself.

Review: You had us at hello. Or at least you had us at weird French sounds from the 1970s, a decade that played a pivotal role in modernising musical processes, techniques and instruments, among other things. With names like Gilbert Becaud & Christian Gaubert, Jean Schwarz, Jacky Chalard & Gilbert Deaez and Alain Goraguer, those more in tune with this era in Gallic sound culture will know this is going to be a varied ride. Hence we open on 'The Organization', a piece that nods to the classical heritage of screen scores and captures the laidback attitude of the late-1960s perfectly, before moving through a wealth of styles, including proto-New Wave, post-punk, Kraut and meditative moods. For want of a better description. Nothing you won't have encountered before, but certainly pushing in new directions at the time.

Review: One may easily shorten the Light Sounds Dark label name to LSD. So too does this new V/A compilation of dark industrial soundscapes by the label befit the bad trip. With minimal release info besides an ardent confirmation by an unnamed witness - "definitely a trip into a darker dimension" - the notion of ingesting LSD takes on a whole new meaning here. The otherwise absence of info motivates some detective work: a stained-glass design on the front cover; a title referencing Indo-European paganism and/or Zoroastrianism; intense cloud-sonics and glassy chamber spaces on the ensuing tracks; everything intuitively fits, though we're not quite sure how. Some way to a narrative revelation emerges on track four, though at best it's a speak n' spell numbers station voice, half-lost under the solemn, soily noise scramble beneath. The trip only grows weirder, with strange bird calls melding into gong sounds and pan flutes on the lossy eighth track, and the closing locked groove spelling ultimate doom for the more harmonically inclined.

Review: It's the first ever compilation from Do You Have Peace?, the celebrated Bristol label spearheaded by Jabu. Originally intended as a project that would link together disparate dream pop artists, things have naturally evolved into a far broader sonic spectrum. There are ties that bind, though, like the 'half awake' vibe running through every track here. On the list, then, you'll find DIY chamber music, cinema-worthy grand arrangements, intimate confessionals, and strange, otherworldly immersive love letters. Vocals dominate the early half, while the second allows us to escape into a mind unfettered by language, presenting sublime instrumentals without voices. Aside from a few half-heard utterances, motifs and fragments. Lush, engrossing and genuinely beautiful, it should be on everyone's list.

Review: Hatti Vatti's new album, Zeit, brings a diverse blend of organic electronic music. Drawing on a wide range of influences, it channels the essence of festival bands like the Ullulators and evokes the mellow, cosmic vibes of Hawkwind during Harvey Bainbridge's era. This Polish experimentalist, aka Piotr Kalinski, combines electronics, guitar and production to create an album for those who enjoy their dreams in tangerine hues. Zeit marks Hatti Vatti's first LP since 2017's Szum. For this album, Kalinski collaborated with notable Polish jazz musicians, inviting them to improvise with his compositions. Rafal Dutkiewicz (drums), Pawel Stachowiak (bass), and Piotr Checki (saxophone) contribute their talents, having worked with renowned acts like EABS, Skalpel, and Slawek Jaskulke. The resulting album is an eclectic mix that transcends genre boundaries, echoing Japanese ambient, krautrock, jazz, and dubby UK bass. Zeit stands out as a distinctive, dubby electronic space rock album, adding a unique flavour to the label's impressive catalogue.