Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: There's been an unexpected revival in Sophie Ellis Bextor's music ever since the success of 'Murder On The Dancefloor' in the closing scene of the Saltburn film. Some lesser-known trivia is that she was in a 90s band with DIY pop hero Billy Reeves called Theaudience, who were like a poppier Stereolab. Reeves being the band's songwriter founder and co-producer. They only ever released one album (their second album was rejected by Mercury Records) and Reeves retrained as a radio producer and broadcaster following a near-fatal car crash in 2001. Reeves, however, has been reasserting himself in music since 2023 and is already onto his third solo album, which is a thrilling, idiosyncratic take on electropop. 'Generation Game' is what you imagine the inside of Hunter S. Thompson's head would have sounded like if he was let loose around a Tokyo gaming arcade around the time he was writing Fear And Loathing... 'Let's Not' is Britain's answer to LCD Soundsystem's 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House'. Elsewhere, 'Bstrds!' has a groove reminiscent of Alabama 3's Sopranos soundtrack and 'Dear Life' is poignant and emotional, offering a terrific counterpoint to the joyous emotions running through this magnificently compiled album.

Review: For Left Ear's 35th release, the label revisits the archives of Spanish musician Jesus M' Catalan and his project, Respuesta Alternativa. Unlike his previous release, these tracks, which were created between 1987 and 1990, were recently discovered in a forgotten shoebox. While working as a sound technician, Jesus crafted atmospheric tracks in his bedroom, later refining them with collaborator Julian C. Perez. Their music evolved from simple themes with guitars to incorporating vocal samples. Influenced by his Asturian roots, Jesus blended serene and stormy elements, reflecting the contrasting seas of the Balearic and Asturias Islands, creating unique, enduring soundscapes.

Review: R.N.A. Organism's 1980 release, R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O, reissued and remastered by Stephan Mathieu, is a captivating delve into Kansai's experimental scene. Comprised of enigmatic figures 0123, Zero, and Chance (aka Tatsuo Kohki), the album presents a sonic collage blending metallic beatbox loops, robotic vocals, and glockenspiel motifs. Producer Kaoru Sato (of EP-4 fame) helped sculpt their dub-infused, distorted rhythms and bizarre effects. While initially deemed too avant-garde, the album offers a more direct insight into their visionary sound. The opener, 'Weimar 22,' sets the tone with blown-out drum machines and ethereal vocals, hinting at influences ranging from electro-pop to spannered dub and tape manipulations. Tracks like 'After' and 'Nativity' showcase their experimental abilities, layering environmental sounds and off-kilter melodies over chuggy beats. R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O is a fusion of low-budget experimentation and tempered instrumentalism, offering a glimpse into the enigmatic world of Kansai's late 70s scene. Its timeless appeal resonates with listeners, echoing throughout the decades with its prophetic Japanese twist.

Review: Twenty nine years ago (can you believe it) Alexander Robotnick released his first album, Ce N'Est Q'Un Debut, featuring what's arguably his most defining track "Problemes D'amour" with the Harajuku-cute vocals of Martine Michellod. It's this album that has influenced countless French synth pop acts and a horde of old school electro lovers, and all this time later it's been repressed (again) by the label that first released it, Medical. Keeping the sacredness of this LP firmly intact by sticking with the keyboard-head artwork, Ce N'Est Q'Un Debut - along with Man Parish's 1982 self-titled debut - should be in all of our record collections.

Review: 70s space disco and laser-rock outfit Rockets started out life in Paris as Crystal. They later renamed and had singles such as 'Future Woman' and debut album 'Rockets' which helped establish them and win them a wider fan base. 1980 saw them record their Live album and offer up a cross section of their tracks in all their synth and futuristic glory. The aforementioned 'Future Woman' features along with the heavy sounds of 'Drum Solo' and Kerouac-referring 'On The Road Again' which is a jaunty disco groove with vocoder vocals.

Review: Here's something new from one of Japan's leading nu jazz outfits Nautilus. Already seriously accomplished across their back catalogue, on this occasion they chose to tackle some evergreen jazz standards and give them a crisp modern lick. From Herbie Hancock's 'The Eye Of The Hurricane' to Bobby Hutcherson's 'Little B's Poem' plus pieces from Billy Taylor, Duke Ellington and more, the band's signature sound is all over the renditions (check the super funky slap bass coursing through the Hutcherson cover) but you can hear the original material coming through in all the right ways.

Review: Rosetta Stone's latest studio album, Under The Weather, continues their legacy as gothic rock pioneers. Returning with their signature dark romance, the album features chiming guitars, lush keyboards, and a hint of sinister nostalgia. Karl North, the band's key figure, guides this new release with a refined blend of their classic sound and modern touches. Since their 2020 comeback with Cryptology, fans have eagerly awaited new material, and Under The Weather promises to exceed expectations. This album is set to impress longtime followers and new listeners both with its evocative melodies and hauntingly atmospheric tracks. Available on coloured vinyl, it's ideal for collectors and fans of the gothic rock genre.

Review: Michael Rother from acclaimed wave bands such as NEU! and Harmonia steps out for a new album As Long As The Light that finds him collaborate with Italian musician Vittoria Maccabruni. It is a work packed with dark moods, with towering sonic constructions and plenty of unsettling emotions. They are created by Rother's trademark melodies and expressive guitar harmonies and all eight songs manage to break new ground despite the fact that over the last 50 years Rother has amassed such a fine catalogue. This one is eerie and excellent and will conjure up a mental movie like no other.

Review: Royksopp declared their 2014 album The Inevitable End to be the last time they would release a traditional album, and after eight years they lived up to that promise this year with a new audio-visual approach titled Profound Mysteries. The first instalment appeared in April, while the second volume landed in late summer, and now they're underlining the project with this appropriately epic conclusion. Drawing on collaborators such as Alison Goldfrapp, Susanne Sundfor and Jamie Irrepressible, we get another 10 slices of glittering, melodious synth pop magic from one of the finest duos to do it.

Review: Electronic pop trailblazers, Royksopp, announce the second part to their expansive Profound Mysteries project, Profound Mysteries II. They declared their 2014 album The Inevitable End to be the last time they would release a traditional album, and after eight years they lived up to that promise this year with a new audio-visual approach titled Profound Mysteries. This second instalment of three is the andante-minuet of said electro-symphony, in which the band unveil a gargantuan selection of self-generated tunes, in contrast to the totally collaborative third part).

Review: Dutch 'West Coast' sound pioneer Ruud Lekx has been serving up suitably dark, throbbing and wayward dancefloor jams since the mid 1990s, most frequently under the name familiar Rude 66 alias. On his latest full-length excursion - the long-serving producer's first for six years - the clandestine melodies, weirdo analogue synth sounds and horror movie soundtrack textures have been dialled up to eleven. That's no bad thing, because Lekx does it far better than most. For proof, check atmospheric chugger 'Magick Angels' Invocations', the acid-laced early morning beauty of 'Interpreting The Cards', the slow motion dark-Italo pulse of 'Victim Of Illusion', the swirling ambient darkness of 'The Demiurge and his Arcons', and the sub-bass-propelled headiness of 'The Chariot'.