Russell Haswell - "Heavy Handed Sunset (Autechre Form Conversion)"
Viviankrist - "Creatures"
Powell Tillmans - "Stairwell"
NHK - "Binah"
Russell Haswell - "Hypersonic"
Review: Diagonal celebrates its 13th anniversary with a 4x12" release, highlighting both long-time label artists and notable collaborators. LP1 kicks off with a dark, atmospheric remix of Russell Haswell's 'Heavy Handed Sunset' by Autechre, transforming their 2016 version into something more intense. Label boss Powell joins forces with Turner Prize winner Wolfgang Tillmans for a quirky pop experiment, while NHK and Viviankrist deliver moments of striking beauty. Russell Haswell's nod to Cybotron rounds out the set, embodying the boundary-pushing, eclectic spirit that Diagonal has championed for over a decade.
Review: Wipeout XL was a game changer for electronic music, video games and the marriage of the two and it no doubt, inspired legions of fans of both throughout the last 25+ years. This adrenaline-charged album - inspired by the iconic series - delivers six high-energy tracks, each contributed by two artists known for their mastery in electronic music, immersing listeners in a fast-paced, futuristic anti-gravity racing adventure. With thunderous breaks, atmospheric jungle rhythms and liquid drum & bass, the album captures the essence of 90s and Y2K video game soundtracks, while evoking the smooth vibes of artists like LTJ Bukem, Peshay and Soichi Terada. Each artist brings their own flair, contributing three tracks each to the limited-edition LP, which comes housed in a heavyweight 350gsm sleeve designed by the legendary junkboy, creative director at Mojang Studios. The vibrant artwork perfectly complements the album's energy, creating a visual and auditory experience that transports listeners to another world. Following a string of successful releases, this album offers a turbo-charged, nostalgic escape for fans of synthwave, jungle and drum & bass, while also appealing to those who cherish the golden age of video games.
The Cursse Of Hypervigilance (In Politics, Romance & Cohabitation)
Insecurity
Smiling (Quirky Race Doc)
Leave People Alone
A Short About A Guy That Dies Every Night
Protectors Of The Heat (feat Hemlock Ernst)
Insecurity: The Moor The Marry Her (part 2)
Dive Bar Support Group
Drunk Dreaming
Reprieve
Review: Open Mike Eagle may not have all the answers, but he asks some of the smartest questions in hip-hop. On Hella Personal Film Festival, he teams up with British producer Paul White for a psychedelic blend of soul-funk, booming drums and introspective storytelling. Recorded in London, the album continues where Dark Comedy left off-witty, anxious and deeply reflective. Eagle dissects modern life's absurdities, from social media addiction to racial microaggressions and uses that to craft surreal yet painfully real vignettes. With guest features from Aesop Rock and Hemlock Ernst, these tense anthems explore vulnerability with a cutting sense of humour.
Review: It's the record that defined it all: King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, the defining collaborative album by Augustus Pablo and King Tubby, released in 1976. Not only a seminal record in terms of spreading the missionary message of dub, KTMRU is also a favourite of even contemporary deejays for its outsized, mature sound, one marked by eccentrically high-feedbacked, pop-eye delay effects, not to mention a driven percussion section. Now released in Canada by Clocktower Records, Canucks (and citizens of all other beneficiary nations of international postage systems) can enjoy the multi-instrumental blitz of Earl Smith, Ashton Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Robbie Shakespeare in collaboration with Tubby, the protomartyr of dub himself, on one of the quintessentially best dub reggae albums of all time.
Review: Pacific Express were an South African funk/jazz outfit with vibes of Stevie Wonder or Earth, Wind & Fire's music of the day and, originally released in 1979, this reissue showcases the band's pivotal role in shaping Cape Town jazz. Their blend of soul, funk, disco and r&b creates a seamless, groovy atmosphere, with the band's tight rhythm section and smooth instrumentation very much at the forefront. Tracks like 'Come True' highlight the excellent vocal performances and musicianship, with lush piano and string arrangements adding a lounge-like vibe. The standout ballad 'What Is The Answer' is emotionally charged, showcasing the band's depth. 'What I Feel' offers a catchy, upbeat groove, perfectly encapsulating the album's blend of relaxed yet funky vibes. Somewhat incredibly, this the album's first reissue, so our advice would be to jump on it.
Review: The Pambele band's debut album blends Afro-Colombian influences taken from their shared heritage with the vivid sounds of 60s psychedelic rock. It's a work rich in "Caribbean creolisation" with traditional Colombian percussion, joyful, rhythmic vocals and intricate guitar melodies all underpinned with wild organ tones. This powerful cross-fertilisation creates a transatlantic but also distinctly Caribbean sound that draws you into a world of exuberant musical atmosphere. The tunes often get you into a trance-like state while combining raw improvisation and dancey rhythms. It's an authentic escape to a very distant part of the world but one with a universal sense of rhythm that cannot be escaped.
Review: Pancratio's A Run of Streams delves into the "state of flux"-those moments when everything flows effortlessly. Blending downtempo, deep house and acid house elements, it's a raw, unfiltered expression of the artist's journey that encourages you to connect with your own moments of spontaneity. Each track is crafted in real time using Pancratio's signature hands-on, organic production style and this method fosters natural emotion and spontaneity so gives the album a distinctive warmth and authenticity. A Run of Streams is a deeply physical and immersive listen that shows off Pancratio's unique sound.
Review: Dark Entries welcomes back the Brussels brothers Jean-Marc and Pierre Pauly for this superb collection of B-sides and unreleased tracks. Formed in 1981, Parade Ground pioneered a more emotional take on their homeland's signature electronic body music sound by blending drum machines icy synths and guitars with Jean-Marc's powerful vocals. The Hidden Side spans 1982 to 1989 and explores their cold, dark aesthetic from menacing coldwave tracks to danceable cuts like 'Hollywood (The Sexiest Fish') to magically melancholic freakouts like 'Looking Through Keyholes'.
Review: Parade Ground is the Belgian duo of brothers Jean-Marc and Pierre Pauly and they formed this project in 1981 as a way of blending post-punk, coldwave and electronic body music. The Golden Years compiles their influential singles and rare tracks from 1982-1988 and it's a great window into their world of sleek synths, skeletal guitars and expressive, evocative vocals. Collaborating with Front 242's Daniel B. and Patrick Codenys, Parade Ground released seminal works like Moan On The Sly and Man In A Trance and later they worked with Wire's Colin Newman on Dual Perspective. This remastered album includes a press kit with lyrics and photos which chronicle their lasting impact on Belgian electronic music.
Review: Despite their name, we find that the music of retro technicians Paranoid London offers us a rest from the paranoid mental state that the Great Wen often instils. Now out on a tenth anniversary edition, the duo's raw acid techno debut, released in 2015, heard two Londoners take temporary flight to Chicago, re-imbuing urban smoky techno with a long-lost sense of looseness and grit. Working in relative anonymity, the duo drew praise for their sparse use of original Bernard Sumner vocal lines, affording the record an esteem-by-proxy as well as a sense of turning full circle, as PL's Quinn Whalley actually spent many a pre-teen afternoon in Factory production wizard MArtin Hannet' studio. But it's the record's own minimalism that keeps it satisfyingly repetitive yet never complaisant. PL go their own way, swirling the old school round a ringer road of outer-city grit.
Review: Lloyd Parks was born in May 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica, and went on to live a rich life in reggae that made him an icon of the genre, in particular, known for his soulful melodies and fantastic bass playing skills. He began his career in the late 1960s with the Invincibles band before later forming The Termites with Wentworth Vernal. As a solo artist, Parks achieved success with his 1973 hit 'Officially' which also became the title of this sought-after album. He worked with artists like Justin Hinds, Dennis Brown and The Abyssinians and later founded the We The People Band. This reissue brings 'Officially' back into the spotlight where it belongs.
Review: Ultra-vintage reissued psych-pop from Parsley Sound, whose self-titled debut for Mo Wax was one of the label's most prized releases, and yet ended up massively inflated in price due to early sellouts and low pressing numbers. The duo / band made up of Danny Sargassa and Preston Mead are deft emulators of full-band sonics, producing the illusion of a wider ensemble; Parsley Sounds followed the early EPs 'Ease Yourself And Glide' and 'Twilight Mushrooms', but was comparatively much softer on the ears, charming the listener with its herbal pan flutes, downtempo era string segments, and not-too-heavy 70s throwback haunto-pysch cult propulsions. Clearly an early influence of now colossal cognates of the sound like Caribou and Four Tet, Parsley Sounds is essential heads' listening for those who wish to lead a certain uncanny, chintzy still life, yet who also know something of the restless beauty of said life. A5er 'Ocean House' is the expansive ballad that proves this, finding a lo-fi yet cavernous vocal opportunity in an otherwise claustrophobic cranny of sound.
Review: It's been a while since we've heard from high-end hip-hop helmers PartyNextDoor and Drake. The two superstars usually work together to make ethereal stopovers on otherwise damn hard rap records, especially by the latter former Young Money megastar. Though the pair have never worked on a full-length album together before, Some Sexy Songs 4 U tots up to the third in an unsaid series of Drake collab albums, following ones between 21 Savage and Future. Dealing in themes of sexual jealousy and ongoing personal feuds - especially amid tumultuous fallouts between the larger private-jet-bound artist and various smaller up-and-comers such as Ice Spice - the record offers a stylistic range on an wide trap smorgasbord, working in Mexican rock samples and alt-rock progressions.
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: An impressive compendium of raw instrumental beats and rap features composed and orchestrated by the late producer Paten Locke from Atlanta, GA, who sadly passed away in 2019 from stage-four cancer. All conceived, produced and recorded by Paten in the mid-2010s, this rough collection spans the best part of a decades' work, with the very last of these bombout beats having only been completed in 2017, two years before his death. Now reissued by Full Plate, the theme and title of this record feels timely and jesting, as if to suggest and anticipate his friends, family and fans make merry after his passing. Despite the demure context, Locke's preferred tone of unwavering poise and braggadocio, felt in his production style and choice of features, is not lost on us here.
Review: We really can't find out much info about pdqb but the producer behind the name is said to have gone mad after being possessed by an alien parasite, and his whereabouts are unknown. Synaptic Cliffs however has a bunch of music to release from him starting with this. The tracks "were created with the NCO6.27 for test subjects with brain implants" and the music combines dark, playful techno, electro, industrial, chiptunes, IDM and electronica into moody cuts with a unique energy and clout for the club.
Review: Pacifico is the debut album from Italian-born, LA-based multi-instrumentalist Francesco Perini under the Pearz guise. It tracks a five-year sonic journey through Florence, London and Los Angeles and takes in all the sounds of those places so blends disco, electro, nu-jazz and Japanese City Pop into a rich, genre-spanning sound. True to its name (Pacifico means "peaceful" in Italian) the album captures the reflective calm of travel's end and has collaborations with artists like Kuntessa, VANBASTEN, Natalie Findlay, Jules Apollinaire and others bringing their own depth to the project. The result is a multicultural tapestry of sound that is full of warmth, groove and introspection.
Review: This compilation is a vibrant celebration of Gnonnas Pedro, the legendary Beninese composer and musician. Spanning his career from 1967 to 1985, it showcases Pedro's remarkable versatility and eclectic musical palette; featuring 21 tracks that traverse genres with ease, from the Afrobeat energy of 'Pas De Petard' and 'L'Indomptable Gnonnas Pop' to the salsa rhythms of 'Tembleque' and the soulful grooves of 'How Much Love Naturally Cost'. Pedro's music is a fusion of influences, blending traditional African sounds with funk, soul and Latin flavours and highlights here include the irresistible 'Dadje Von O Von Non', the funky 'Yiri Yiri Boum', and the soulful 'Bailando Mi Solo'.
Review: Analog Africa is back with a dedicated project celebrating Gnonnas Pedro, the king of Modern Agbadja, and they press it up on a marvellous double album that includes an eight-page booklet with a ton of extra info. This bumper pack features 16 of Pedro's best works, all of which captivated Africa at the time. His vibrant blend of Agbadja, Cuban fon, jerk, highlife and more unique styles, all of which come with vocals sung in Fon, Mina, Yoruba, French, English and Spanish, add up to one hell of a rich sound. A great testament to the artist's extraordinary legacy.
Liminal Space (feat Yana & Einarindra - Riffz remix) (7:08)
Tribes (Tropiki remix) (3:50)
Metal Fear Bolid (Molehead remix) (2:58)
Headshell (feat Dizkret & DJ Eprom - TVB remix) (2:54)
Zbywasz (feat Dominika Plonka - True Dat Re-groove) (5:38)
Review: U Know Me present a fresh, modern object of intrigue, with Balance Remixed, which takes Pepe's 2023 album of the same time and makes it over into another full-length vinyl only release, throwing back to the days of vinyl only DJ sets, which were necessitated by technological limitation alone. DJ BLIK, Envee, Molehead, Riffz, Tropiki, true.dat, and TVB top up Pepe's original house, funk and disco blend with a brasher bass bisque, mastered and masterminded by cyborgish music titan Eprom. Spanning ever bassy tempo-set from 87 bpm to 164, we've a thrilling range of momentums here.
Review: Perila returns with a reflective spiritual successor to her 2022 album that comes on Vaagner's sister label A Sunken Mall. The album takes in eight tracks produced between 2021 and 2023 and they all do a fine job of conveying a serene vulnerability with its drifting, ethereal soundscapes smeared with echoing voices, droning guitars and resonant textures. It's like a whispered conversation during quiet moments and once again makes for a world that doesn't need to be understood, only felt. The Air Outside Feels Crazy Right Now reminds us that finding inner peace through music can counter the chaos of the external world and help turn fragility into strength.
Review: Here we have a welcome reissue of the Lee Perry-produced Conscious Man from The Jolly Brothers. Recorded in the late 70s but only released as an album in 1992, it shares its name with the standout title track, which became a massive hit when released as a single in 1977. The music still hits with that unmistakable Black Ark magic. Perry's production is loose, heady and live i tape hiss, endless reverb trails and all. The Jolly Brothers' harmonies are rough-edged but full of heart, delivering roots messages with an unmistakable mellow. 'Conscious Man' rightfully pulls focus, with its soulful vocals, phasing guitars and gorgeously lo-fi feel. It's dubby even in its vocal form. But there's plenty more to enjoy here, with a dusty optimism running through the whole record. As spiritually inclined as it is streetwise, it presents soul and roots in equal measure.
Review: Hey, Mr. Music! The expertly rediscovered North West London soul singer Candy McKenzie (sister of Bunny McKenzie) hears her Trojan Records debut, and only album, reissued through MOV. "Upset" by Lee Perry of all people - the late great dub producer titularly "introduces" McKenzie as person of interest here - this sole LP from McKenzie, first unearthed in 2011 but recorded unmistakably in the 80s - betrays a nonconformist character, crossing blurrily between percussive lovers rock and bubbly new wave. McKenzie's vocal style is aplomb and vigorous, and is well contrasted to the otherwise soothing laryngeals of Perry's many other femme familiars, such as Susan Cadogan.
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