Review: Dr. Dre's The Chronic gave rise to such heavy-hitters as 'Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang' and 'Let Me Ride', but what about its many "reimaginings" over the years? With The Ghronic, released in 2023, West Coast rappers 38 Spesh and Conway The Machine can't be said to have laid down their own version more so than they did treat the Dre touchstone as a starting point, dropping a nine-track array of similar G-funk whistling lowrider bumps, readapted for the contemporary New Yorker, and yet with fresh lyrical themes and subject matters. Reissued two years later on green vinyl, after an initially white-sleeved run, the productions are ever clean and the flows lackadaisical. Features from Lloyd Banks, Che Noir, Benny The Butcher and Elcamino cement the bluffing rep of a brag-heavy machine duopoly.
Eternity (Armin Van Buuren Rising Star mix) (9:20)
Eternity (Thrillseekers Eternal mix) (7:17)
Review: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dutch titan Armin van Buuren's legendary trance anthem 'Eternity,' Music on Vinyl has hooked up with his Armada Music label to release all four versions of the track on vinyl for the first time ever. Armin has remained a dedicated servant to trance even while it fell out of favour but it is now very much back in vogue so this one is sure to get back into heavy rotation again. Originally released in 2000, 'Eternity' is a joyous and uplifting sound with lashings of Ibiza sunshine, bright melodies and rushes of euphoria all making it irresistible.
Review: London-based DJ and composer/producer Phil Mison revisits his Ambala project with a fresh collection of immersive, sun-drenched soundscapes, weaving together breezy rhythms and luminous synth work. A defining force in Balearic music, Mison has long explored the genre in various guises, including Reverso 68 and Cantoma, the latter earning a place in chillout's informal "most revered albums" section. On this second Ambala release, he refines his approach, balancing crisp electronic foundations with warmer organics. A cast of collaborators from the Music For Dreams label join, including guitarist Santino Surfers (Jonas Krag), whose fluid solos range from sultry noir to Mediterranean reverie, composer Troels Hammer, and ambient producer The Swan And The Lake. The result is a dreamlike blend of melody and plunge-texture, perfect for late night reflection or hazy afternoons by the sea.
Review: Superfriends is a new label project from German tech house duo Andhim. They take care of the first release and export outside the usual realms on opener 'Tosch (feat Piper Davis).' It has an air of DJ Koze's hazy nostalgia to it with gentle tumbling drums, broad bass notes and plenty of lo-fi texture. 'German Winter' is not as harsh and cold as the season it is named after, instead layering up subtly hopeful, sustained chords over a groove that's not too heavy, not too airy. 'Mond' brings smeared and smudged melodies, flutes and pianos together over a dubby, delightfully deep house low end. 'Horse Society' closes with the distant sound or bird tweets, a hooky percussive lead and plodding kicks for day-time open-air dancing.
Review: Hailing from Atlanta, Andre 3000 continues to redefine the contours of musical experimentation with his latest sonic offerings. On 'Moving Day', a piece first showcased in last year's short film documenting his recent work, the OutKast veteran trades in his usual genre-defying flow for the smooth, ambient tones of a cosmic flute. The track unfolds like a slow-motion dream, where the melodies drift in and out of focus, capturing the disorienting yet soothing experience of moving through transitions. Then comes the reversed version, 'Day Moving', which inverts the gentle flow of the original, adding an unsettling, almost ghostly quality as the music warps and loops. The third track, 'Tunnels of Egypt', brings in an unexpectedly grounded yet still vast atmosphere, with its deep, resonant percussion and sparse instrumentation evoking a journey through both time and space. Andre's recent forays into the abstract have seen him abandon his commercial past in favour of an introspective exploration that challenges both him and his audience. Across these three tracks, he once again demonstrates his ability to balance complexity with restraint, creating something both otherworldly and deeply personal.
Review: Cititrax proudly presents the debut LP from Another Body Found here, which is the latest moniker of A// who is well known for his pioneering work as Le Syndicat Electronique. Emerging from the French underground with a dark electro, industrial, minimal synth and wave style, he has a stark and visceral take on raw energy and haunting atmospheres. There are plenty of mechanical, hypnotic beats here with heft bass and hints of dystopian fears. The title track reimagines Bronski Beat's 'Smalltown Boy' and strips it to its emotional core, 'Lost In The Northern Lights' has a cold, urgent sound and 'Murderous Earth' is brilliantly unsettling and melancholic.
Review: Tim Bergling's music as Avicii was loved enough in his lifetime, but it doubly shook the world after his untimely death in 2018. This career-spanning compilation brings together 19 key tracks by the Swedish DJ and producer, zooming back in mainly on the key works by Berg under the Avicii name, on top of another unreleased tune, 'Let's Ride Away' with Elle King. Avicii's instinct for brain-lodging hooks is on full display here, from the anthemic and unforgettable 'Wake Me Up' to the introspective of 'Heart Upon My Sleeve'. Also included are fan favourites like 'The Nights', 'Without You' feat Sandro Cavazza, and 'Lonely Together' feat Rita Ora, tracing his evolution from bedroom producer to international headliner.
Review: Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the enigmatic steel pan group from Hamburg, made waves in 2024 when their cover of 50 Cent's 'PIMP' was featured in the Oscar-winner film Anatomy Of A Fall. The track played a key role in the movie's success and led to the first-ever steel pans in the orchestra pit at the Academy Awards, further boosting the band's saliency. And yet despite global recognition, 'PIMP' is just a glimpse of their catalogue, which is already rather extensive. Since signing with Big Crown in 2014, Bacao've released four albums and numerous singles, and Big Crown Vaults Vol. 4 flaunts many of these dishings-out, with covers of Bob James' 'Nautilus', Khruangbin's 'Maria Tambien', and the uptempo original 'Kaiso Noir'. It serves as a tantalizing bud-whetter, too, before their oncoming fifth studio album.
Review: Craft Latino celebrates the 50th anniversary of the landmark 1975 salsa album by Ray Barretto with a deluxe reissue. This remastered edition of Barretto features the debut of Ruben Blades and Tito Gomez and includes iconic tracks like 'Guarare,' 'Ban Ban Quere' and 'Canto Abacua.' It has long been considered a cornerstone of the genre in which Barretto blends rich Afro-Cuban rhythms with lyrical depth and masterful musicianship from legends like Sly & Robbie and Augustus Pablo. It's a real bit of Latin music history that shines bright and is packed with shuffling rhythms and the sort of expressive percussion and horns that take you to a different continent in an instant.
Review: The man behind legendary London underground techno bash Lost, Steve Bicknell is back on KR3 with a nine-track LP that helps mark the label's fifth anniversary. Bicknell delivers seven of his raw signature sounds here and they combine the physical drive of techno with plenty of heady and atmospheric pads, all of which are frazzled, dusty and imperfect across four sides of wax. The first three are all intense and unrelenting deep techno odysseys with shadowy corners and unsettling sounds that bring a menacing presence. Side D shifts the tone with a 15-minute ambient piece that is tribal, luminous and meditative with cosmic signifiers and deep space energy, all keeping your mind locked in the moment.
Fuoco Lento (with Bint Mbareh & Ottomani Parker) (3:58)
Cicadidae (4:26)
Presagio - He Thalassa He Kath'hemas (4:41)
Le Toille (XVII) (3:26)
Sticks And Stones (with Buster Woodruff-Bryant) (3:09)
A Juniper Tree Whose Roots Are Made Of Fire (with Bint Mbareh) (7:32)
Tu Estomago (XVI) (1:51)
In My Recurring Dream (Sekizinci Iblissin) (3:32)
Rinascita (with Yusuf Ahmed & Buster Woodruff-Bryant) (4:35)
Review: The debut album by Big Hands (aka Andrea Ottomani), is a deeply immersive and dream-born odyssey that blurs the boundaries between electronic and acoustic sound. Conceived during a stormy Mediterranean voyage and built from field recordings, tuned percussion and collaborations with a tight circle of musicians, Thauma is an emotional and textural triumph that takes in Palestinian artist Bint Mbareh’s haunting vocals and Buster Woodruff-Bryant’s serpentine sax lines. Each moment brings real spiritual depth while merging modular synths with bells, balafon and bamboo drums to evoke a mythic, place-bound nostalgia that is organic and otherworldly.
Review: Prolific Italian maestro Black Loops returns to Freerange with Always Moving, a debut album steeped in high-grade dance heritage. Drawing on over a decade of production, he moves beyond club tools to something more personal and musical, with guest appearances from Harvey Sutherland, Byron the Aquarius and Marlena Dae. Rooted in funk, soul and 90s grooves, these are rich, warm tracks with fully authentic swing i with much of the percussion played live by the artist himself. The result is fluid and human, from the broken beats of 'CDMX' to the shimmering chords of 'Detroit Love Letter'. Marlena Dae adds her touch to several standouts, including the disco-leaning 'Electrical' and hazy deep house of 'Pleasure Ride'. Even at its most downtempo, like the closing 'Good Bye Berlin', the album stays focused and melodic. A confident and expressive full-length that shows how far Black Loops has come while hinting at where he might head next.
Review: Black Loops directs a welters' worth of experience into Always Moving, his debut full-length for Freerange. Far beyond club tools, this is a sensitive elusion of watery neo soul instrumentation and distant broken beat jazz, and we're not surprised in this breath to learn of Black Loops' own background as a drummer. Nor is it any wonder either that such auteur's disco house regals such as Harvey Sutherland, Byron The Aquarius and Berlin vocalist Marlena Dae all appear on the record, through 'CDMX' to the ever so eerie, Erie-downstream deep house of 'Detroit Love Letter'. 'Electrical And LSD' takes after such influences as Metro Area's disco house shimmer, while tracks like 'Pleasure Ride' and 'Good Bye Berlin' further locks down the abiding nighttime tension - that least comparable part of his sound.
Review: Originally released in 1990, Love Dub is a landmark in the dub landscape that reimagined the group's iconic material through a deeper sonic lens. With the legendary Prince Jammy at the controls, the album strips the majority of the vocals and amplifies the essence of the Black Uhuru sound-throbbing basslines, hypnotic rhythms and masterful use of echo, delay and reverb. Each track unfolds into a spacious, atmospheric journey that pushes the boundaries of reggae into more experimental terrain. Love Dub is more than a reinterpretation-it's a testament to Black Uhuru's legacy and Prince Jammy's visionary touch.
Review: A neat selection jungle and drum & bass gems by Fuze, also known as Dave Ivy i one half of Blinded By Science alongside Rob Pearson. It's the first time these DAT-sourced tracks have seen the light of day since their early 90s conception, and the result is a razor-sharp, brilliantly preserved insight into the raw energy of the era. Based in the US but with deep ties to the UK scene, 8205 specialises in archival material, and this one lands fully intact: 'The Alpha Omega' and 'Like The Thunder' are tough, rolling and atmospherically heavy, all punchy breaks and moody subs. 'Substrata Phase' feels slower-burning and eerie, while the Dev/Null remix flips it into something far more breakneck and manic. '6am' and 'So Damn Fresh' capture the looser, rave-adjacent side of early jungle, full of snap and character, and Tim Reaper's closing remix of 'The Alpha Omega' is the final blow i tight edits, deep pads, and that unmistakable future-facing precision. A new release, but one that's been waiting patiently for decades, finally given the care and context it deserves.
Review: New York emcee Hassaan Mackey (Rawkus 50) delivers sharp, unfiltered lyricism, packing rhymes with onomatopoeia and raw street wisdom. Set to blackout beats by Detroit producer Apollo Brown (The Reset, Brown Study, Gas Mask, Clouds), we've the ideal backdrop here: deep bass set to the the crackle of well-worn vinyl. The result is a record on which we're given much more than our Daily Bread. Lyrical picturebooks of faded spirit photographs return like plasmic ghosts, each booing line steeped in a mood of eerie reckoning. Atonement lingers in every note, experience weighs heavy, yet a fierce hope burns through.
Review: Candeleros is a six-member, Colombia- and Venezuela-rooted collective based in Madrid that fuse Cumbia, merengue, dub and an array of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, creating a psychedelic, postmodern celebration of Latin sound. Their music blends Andean echoes, cinematic textures and hypnotic percussion into what feels like a ritualistic dance experience and has seen them collaborating with artists like Dodosound and Carlos Talez. They always reject the usual genre boundaries while focusing on cultural activism and the power of collective expression and have performed across Europe. As this album shows, their sound is passionate, borderless and proof that Cumbia has truly rooted itself in Europe.
Aldo Cadiz & Andre Butano - "Zu-Mani" (Paco Osuna & Fer BR remix) (7:12)
Review: Turkish DJ and producer Carlita brings a 60-minute DJ rethread to Fabric, weaving the audio aids of Butch, Alex Metric, Paco Osuna, Prunk, Toman and Alinka into a seamless, 60-minute redline ride through house and techno. Among the 13 selections are two of her own standout tracks: 'Raf' (with Andrew Zimmer), a rave-leaning house cut loaded with soulful vocals and breaks, and 'Stop Now', a heads-down tech house roller that builds exponentially on its own momentum. Accompanying the release is a short documentary that trails Carlita through Istanbul, offering glimpses of her family, food, and creative beginnings in the city where cultures collide.
Review: More Chaos marks American rapper and record producer Ken's fourth studio album and shows a bold evolution of the distinct style he introduced on A Great Chaos. A pure solo effort with no guest features, the record sharpens his voice both lyrically and sonically and the production is handled exclusively by a close-knit circle of trusted collaborators, all of whom he's cultivated and refined across previous projects, and who give the album a cohesive, focused energy. With More Chaos, Ken expands the emotional and sonic range of what he's done before while staying true to the intensity that first defined his work. It's a sharpened vision well worth tuning into.
Review: Swedish EBM icon Celldod returns to Electronic Emergencies with a new album pressed on striking transparent magenta vinyl. Pa Liv Och Dod is a superbly emotionally charged release that channels the raw energy of D.A.F. and Front 242 while blending dark electronic beats with intense lyrical themes. It has collaborations with Leroy Se Meurt and Michael Zodorozny, plus Anders Karlsson's haunting Swedish vocals exploring death and life's meaning also appear across tunes that are both urgent and dance floor directed. Pa Liv Och Dod will force you to confront fear and chaos head-on while offering a soundtrack that offers some catharsis from it all.
Maintaining My Peace (feat Novelist & Stephanie Cooke) (2:59)
Tears (feat Saucy Lady) (2:55)
Brain Gymnasium (3:28)
Wanna Tell Somebody (feat Josh Milan) (5:53)
Otaki (feat Finn Rees) (5:26)
Love Language (feat Nathan Haines) (4:35)
A Deeper Life (feat Isaac Aesili) (8:00)
More Time (feat Lee Pearson Jr Collective) (3:56)
Tongariro Crossing (feat Nathan Haines) (5:17)
Barefoot On The Tarmac (4:11)
Marlboro Sounds (6:03)
The Eternal Checkout (feat Cenk Esen) (5:36)
Review: Given that even their most dancefloor-focused tunes are remarkably deep, immersive and sonically detailed, you'd think that Chaos In The CBD's music would suit the album format - it's just that until now, they've not recorded a full-length. A Deeper Life, then, marks a big step forward in the Helliker-Hales brothers' career. Predictably, it's borderline brilliant. Made with the assistance of a cast of collaborators and guest performers (flautist Nathan Haines, boogie revivalist Saucy Lady and original NJ garage-house hero Josh Milan included), it sees the Kiwi duo sashay their way through enveloping, musically expansive cuts - many downtempo and home-listening focused - that variously mix and match elements of deep house, nu-jazz, dub, 80s soul, hip-hop, trip-hop, Latin soul and much more besides. A genuine triumph, even by their high standards.
Maintaining My Peace (feat Novelist & Stephanie Cooke) (2:59)
Tears (feat Saucy Lady) (2:59)
Brain Gymnasium (3:30)
Wanna Tell Somebody (feat Josh Milan) (5:52)
Otaki (feat Finn Rees) (5:26)
Love Language (feat Nathan Haines) (4:36)
A Deeper Life (feat Isaac Aesili) (7:59)
More Time (feat Lee Pearson Jr Collective) (3:56)
Tongariro Crossing (feat Nathan Haines) (5:17)
Barefoot On The Tarmac (4:12)
Marlboro Sounds (6:02)
The Eternal Checkout (feat Cenk Esen) (5:34)
Review: Fraternal duo Chaos In The CBD open the latest chapter on a roundly impressive musical career, calling on an ensemble cast of creative collaborators to contribute to their debut long-player, 'A Deeper Life'. Louis and Ben 'Beans' Helliker-Hales have been on a non-stop roll since they began releasing music under the Chaos In The CBD moniker just over a decade ago. Recently adding a Fabric Presents compilation to their hefty singles catalogue, the siblings step up with arguably their most outstanding work to date. The likes of Blaze's Josh Milan, saxophonist Nathan Haines, longtime collaborator Isaac Aesili, and UK grime MC Novelist are just some of those drafted to embellish productions that range from head-nodding Balearic to the duo's more familiar dusty house thrust. Vast in scope, the collection drifts through all manner of sounds and styles, held together by a coherent production aesthetic and a gorgeously limber live musicality on display throughout. Highlights include the street soul swagger of 'Tears' (featuring Beantown disco queen, Saucy Lady), the searing soul of 'Wanna Tell Somebody', and the bittersweet deep house magnetism of 'Otaki'. All told, this is nothing short of brilliant work, arguably representing a coming of age as Chaos In The CBD simultaneously pay homage to their eclectic roots and transcend the floor-focused nature of the bulk of their previous output. Highly recommended.
Review: Journeys through melodic electronica by blending new material with club-ready reworks like the Radio 2-supported (!!) 'Love Love Love - Here I Come.' True to Chicane's aesthetic, the album is rich in atmosphere, optimism and nostalgia and is great for both relaxation and dancefloor workouts. The 2025 vinyl release for Record Store Day marks the first time these mixes and extended versions have appeared in physical format. With a global tour, club shows, and a Royal Albert Hall orchestral concert on the horizon, Trampolines kicks off another great chapter for Chicane.
Review: NRG 4 is the latest instalment in drummer and producer Chiminyo's boundary-pushing series and it captures the raw improvisational spirit of London's jazz-adjacent underground.The album is a communal outpouring of pure energy that was recorded live at the iconic Ronnie Scott's with no rules, no scripts, just spontaneous creativity and featuring a powerhouse ensemble including James Akers, Marysia Osu, Daniel Casimir, Lyle Barton and Tile Gichigi-Lipere. The set moves between frenzied burners like 'Levitate' and serene pieces like 'Sonder.' With surprise guests like BAELY and Regis Molina, NRG 4 is a genre-defying celebration of live collaboration and musical intuition that's electric, ephemeral and deeply alive.
Review: An unapologetically eclectic body of work from Cimm right here as he spreads his 'Circuit Jam' wide and thick. 'Squeeze' sets the wheels in motion with a switchy, jumpy slab of 140 rollage. It's backed up by a stately stretch of vibes - b-boy electro attitude on the sticky sweet title track, unhurried tension and sparse beatwork on the tech-laced dark garage bumps and slaps of 'Biting Back' and the bouncy electro biz of 'Crush'. Naughty.
Review: A fresh transmission from the Co-op camp, this two-tracker reframes soulful source material through the prism of West London's broken beat tradition and deep, jazz-inflected house. On 'Smooth Co-Operator', the velvet of Sade's original is reworked with restraint and flairisyncopated drums, funk stabs and hip-hop atmospheres merge in a smoky, low-lit groove. It's classy and confident, a subtle floor-builder that wears its edits lightly. Flip it over and the tempo shifts up: 'Dream Alchemy' dials in from a different zone entirely. A cinematic tech-house excursion, it accelerates with a cold clarityihovering pads, delayed keys and submerged A$AP Rocky vocals moving in step with a bassline that rolls like fog over city streets. J Diggns' ethereal melodic work floats above the pulse, while Whiskey Drop's grounding in UK club DNA gives it teeth. It's the kind of record that finds a home in the middle of a setibridging moods without breaking flow. Both sides manage to feel nostalgic and future-bound. A deft, compelling fusion from start to finish.
Take It To The Limit (Joaquin Joe Claussell extended version) (7:17)
Review: New York disco don Joe Claussell takes a scalpel to Norman Connors' 1980 uncut 'Take It To The Limit', turning a smooth Philly disco-soul burner into a swirling, peak-time epic. Originally voiced by Adaritha and buried on Connors' overlooked tenth LP for Arista, the track is flaymorphosed: pulled inside out, looped, stretched and whipped into chaos with Claussell's trademark floor-focused touch. If you've caught him lately at Body & Soul, you've likely heard this one spiralling into the rafters.
Mi Amor Buenas Noches (Con Carlos Agentino) (2:29)
Review: Celia Cruz is widely known as the Queen of Salsa, and Azucar & Salsa is a perfect celebration of her iconic voice and the unique spirit she brings to her work. The album finds her at her most electrifying and fuses the driving rhythms of salsa with her unmistakable charisma, with the results being a high-energy mix of percussion, horns and powerhouse vocals. Tracks burst with salsa colour and are anchored by Cruz's signature cry of 'iAzucar!'-a joyful call to life and rhythm which you will soon be shouting yourself. Cruz's presence is magnetic here, whether commanding the dancefloor or weaving emotional depth into ballads. Whether you are new to her work or a diehard fan, Azucar & Salsa isa fine tribute and reminder of why her music still moves new generations.
Review: Dan Curtin has been serving up genuinely far-sighted techno productions since 1992. While he's nowhere near as high-profile as he once was, Curtin is still capable of delivering dancefloor magic - as The 4 Lights, his first album in 15 years, emphatically proves. Those familiar with Curtin's spacey, futuristic and frequently funky take on techno and electro will know what to expect: think infectious, classic-sounding Motor City rhythms overlaid with funky basslines, warming chords, intergalactic-sounding lead lines and a healthy dose of electronic futurism. Curtin predictably hits the spot throughout, with highlights including future techno anthem 'What of Lazarus', the melodic and jazzy headiness of 'Trust Blind' and the sub-heavy downtempo shuffle of 'Transformations'. If that's not enough to seal the deal, this limited-edition version comes pressed to striking clear and black marbled vinyl.
Review: Astonishingly, 33 years has now passed since Cleveland native Dan Curtin made his bow via Detroit imprint 33rpm Records. More significantly, it's been 15 years since the storied techno and house scene stalwart last released an album - making this surprise excursion for Belgian imprint De:tuned a genuinely big deal. Those familiar with Curtin's spacey, far-sighted and frequently funky take on techno will know what to expect: think infectious, classic-sounding Motor City techno rhythms overlaid with funky basslines, warming chords, intergalactic-sounding lead lines and a healthy dose of electronic futurism. The myriad of highlights on show includes the densely layered tech-funk of 'Moral Imagination', the future purist techno anthem 'What of Lazarus', the melodic and jazzy headiness of 'Trust Blind' and the sub-heavy downtempo shuffle of 'Transformations'.
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