Review: Amsterdam label Music from Memory are steadily becoming the most interesting archivally minded operation out there, with this retrospective of Mallorcan guitarist Joan Bibiloni following essential issues of work by Gigi Masin and Leon Lowman. On El Sur, MFM founders Tako Reyenga, Abel Nagenast and Jamie Tiller cast their gaze over Bibiloni's work from the more experimental era of his long career (he first released a single in 1967) selecting tracks from a six album run which commenced with the album Una Vida Llarga I Tranquila, originally released in 1984. It was during this time that Bibiloni began to compose with the assistance of tape loops, drum computers and synthesisers and these primitive experiments make for compelling listening across the ten tracks on El Sur.
Review: Research Records once again hooks up with Melbourne's Big Yawn who return with fourth full-length NGBE. Known for their intricate rhythm sections, catchy basslines and playful sampling, the quartet delivers their most sophisticated work to date here on a record named after their cherished but lost warehouse space, the National Gallery of Brunswick East, where much of the album was recorded. It finds them exploring a diverse range of soundscapes with mutated drum 'n' bass, subtle grime, rap, and dub influences all enhanced with rich FX. The nine tracks also hint at a subtle evolution both in the studio and on stage as best highlighted by the collaboration '2Stroke' with Melbourne's Teether.
Review: Black Decelerant, a collaboration between Khari Lucas (Contour) and Omari Jazz, explores spiritual jazz through modern tones, weaving sonic reflections on Black existence, life and grief, expansion and constraint, and the personal versus the collective. Their eponymous debut album fosters a serene refuge amidst societal turbulence and aims to transcend fleeting moments. Conceived from an intuitive process, the album emerged from remote sessions spanning six months in 2020, bridging South Carolina and Oregon. Improvised instrumentals and sampled productions became conduits for their inner dialogues and offered solace during existential crises amid lockdowns and social unrest in the US.
Review: Pops Mohamed's Black Disco reissues from Afrodelic offer a rare glimpse into mid-1970s South African jazz fusion. The 1975 self-titled debut features Mohamed's cosmic organ, complemented by sax and flute maestro Basil Coetzee and bassist Sipho Gumede. Their interplay creates a blissful downtempo experience, highlighted by the innovative use of a drum machine and deeply immersive improvisation. The album's tranquil vibe and cosmic soundscapes showcase Mohamed's unique approach to chill-out jazz with spiritual undertones. The 1976 follow-up, Black Disco 3, continues this journey, with Peter Odendaal and Monty Weber adding to the ensemble. The album evolves the New Age lounge aesthetic into more adventurous jazz territory. "Spiritual Feeling" is reimagined as 'Spiritual Feeling Riding the Blue,' and the centerpiece, 'Dawn,' is a ten-minute, flute-driven exploration that underscores the band's evolving sound. Both albums are reissued internationally for the first time, meticulously sourced from the original analogue tapes, preserving the rich textures and innovative spirit of Mohamed's groundbreaking work.
Review: Straddling the worlds of dancefloor techno and leftfield experimentation - very often in the same track - The Black Dog aka Black Dog Productions was made up of Ed Handley, Andy Turner and Ken Downie, and on this one the trio appear in various combinations under various guises such as Atypic, I.A.O, Close Up Over, Balil, Xeper, Discordian Popes and Plaid. They released Bytes 30 years ago this year, the third album in Warp's Artificial Intelligence series and this anniversary repress comes on gatefold double vinyl with original artwork. It has been re-cut for the occasion and is as immersive and widescreen now as it ever was.
Review: The Black Dog were one of the core early Warp acts, and their Spanners album - the third full length of their career at the time - is one of their best. Despite its roots in the early IDM scene, the album managed to climb to number 30 in the UK charts back when it arrived in January 1995. It's a great mix of unexpected experimental oddness and dancefloor rhythms that makes for a superb trip through what was then the modern world. Pitchfork have rated it one of the 50 best IDM albums ever and this reissue reminds us why.
Review: Experimental electronic triad The Black Dog see their 2009 CD album remastered and reissued, a missive from a time when the band were particularly concerned with the encroachment of surveillance capital and Orwellian practices carried out by institutions, governments and corporations. Tackling the cynical ironies of weaponised phraseologies such as "for your own safety", and their use by firms whom almost certainly do not have our best interests at heart, the mood of this techno tucker is indeed certainly, if not paranoid, vexed. Emblematic of this are humanity reductions such as 'You're Only SQL', on which gurgly basses churn, and 'CCTV Nation', which bridges Dispatches-style documentary melodies and jittery acid house.
Review: It's been a minute since we heard from Blackjoy, Jerome Caron's flagship project of mellow, jazz-minded compositions and beatdowns. His last long player Erotis dropped in 2010, no less. Now he returns on Les Rythmes Ruban with a sumptuous new excursion into downtempo pastures which picks up the thread of nostalgic French lounge refinement associated with acts like Air. Just soak up the melancholic chord progressions of 'Michel Chevalet' and you'll find yourself taken away to somewhere very pleasant indeed. There are sweet vocal cuts like 'Clouds' and much more besides on this rich and fulsome record from a seasoned pro.
Review: James Blake's debut album is undoubtedly one of 2011's most keenly awaited releases, and its arrival via his own (major label funded) Atlas imprint ensures their is no lull in momentum for a producer who enjoyed a watershed 2010 with releases on Hessle Audio and R&S. The results here differ wildly from his previous sonic excursions - gone are the shimmering R&B soaked melodies of "CMYK" and the sheer experimentalism of the Klavierwerke EP, which saw the young Londoner depart from the confines of the dancefloor and enter a realm where there was only a passing reference to rhythm-based music. Instead we are treated to Blake's own yearning, raw voice, delicate pianos and an underlying sense of melancholy. Ubiquitous single "Limit To Your love" and the crackly sonic terrain evoked on "The Wilhelm Scream" are among the most immediately pleasing moments, but there is much to explore here. It's a fascinating opus and surely the catalyst to a long and fruitful career at the top.
Review: 20 years on from its initial release in 2004, Ninja Tune share the first ever reissue of Blockhead's Music By Cavelight. The New York-based alias of Tony Simon, this record is the quintessence of Ninja Tune's smoked-out trip-hop sound at the time, and for which Simon himself likewise came to be known. Recalling a time when instrumental beatsmiths were much likelier to consider their crafts artful enough to warrant calling their studios beat-smithies (as compared to the sadly throwaway feel of much instrumental hip-hop today), one can really hear the subtlety and care poured into each vignette here, our favourites among which are 'Bullfight In Ireland', 'Graveyard Hunt' and 'Bloop Bloop'; all play back like studies of a gritty, degage, sun-bathed vision of a bygone big smoke.
Review: Blockhead returns with a brilliant new album, weaving themes of death, afterlife and cyclical patterns through his signature sample-based sound. Known for his work with Aesop Rock and Ninja Tune, Blockhead has become a master at blending downtempo and upbeat styles across jazz, funk, blues and more. His ability to create expansive narratives without relying heavily on lyrics continues to thrill, using only a few vocal samples to guide the listener. The album explores life's natural endings with humor, irony and a touch of sarcasm, reflecting on the inevitable cycles that persist beyond individual experiences. Tracks like 'Earth's Farewell Tour' and 'They Got Therapy For That' offer introspection, while others, such as 'Dolphin Lundgren' and 'Burning Man in Tehran', provide joyful, quirky moments. Fans of Blockhead's work will appreciate the playful elements, with even a couple of tracks for the lovers. Not to be missed is the juxtaposition of Middle Eastern disco and festival vibes. The album is a perfect balance of humour and introspection as we reflect on cycles and endings.
Review: Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Blue Foundation's Sweep of Days is re-released as a special remastered vinyl edition, reaffirming its place as a timeless classic. The Danish duo seamlessly blends electronic, trip-hop, ambient and dream pop, creating ethereal melodies, haunting vocals and rich soundscapes. The album's fusion of electronic beats and organic instrumentation earned critical acclaim and international recognition, particularly when the single 'Sweep' was featured in the movie Miami Vice. Unlike their debut, which relied heavily on samples and scratching, Sweep of Days marked a more polished, atmospheric sound. The production quality is exceptional, with soft, angelic vocalsiparticularly in tracks like 'End of Day'ithat add layers of beauty. An evolution in style and sound, elevating their music to new heights.
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Sizzling-hot hip-hop duo Blue Lab Beats are on everybody's lips now, thanks at least in part to the announcement of their latest full-length album, Blue Eclipse. Heralding an exciting new era for the duo, these 12 songs reveal the depth and breadth of producer NK-OK, and multi-instrumentalist Mr DM's musical ambition. Throwing back to their debut EP 'Blue Skies', which even pre-dates their involvement with record labels, Blue Eclipse signals a circling back to their origins while also embracing the new; the pair's usual jazztronica remit is lent the utmost contemporary spin, with notes of drill, neoclassical, trap and Jersey bounce - all still prevalent styles - peeking through in these latest productions.
Review: Sizzling-hot hip-hop duo Blue Lab Beats are on everybody's lips now, thanks at least in part to the announcement of their latest full-length album, Blue Eclipse. Heralding an exciting new era for the duo, these 12 songs reveal the depth and breadth of producer NK-OK, and multi-instrumentalist Mr DM's musical ambition. Throwing back to their debut EP 'Blue Skies', which even pre-dates their involvement with record labels, Blue Eclipse signals a circling back to their origins while also embracing the new; the pair's usual jazztronica remit is lent the utmost contemporary spin, with notes of drill, neoclassical, trap and Jersey bounce - all still prevalent styles - peeking through in these latest productions.
Review: RECOMMENDED
Radio Nova programmer Max Guiget steps out under his well established Blundetto guise for another masterclass in mechanical dub-funk stuff, this time to provide a soundtrack to Canal+'s series VTC. Centred on a night driver for a ride share company, Nora, and her addiction to amphetamines, the show presents the mess that has become her life in all its vivid and uncomfortable details. Debts, divorce, and a bed on the backseat of the car she uses to pick customers up.
Faced with this kind of quietly disturbing realism, and a world that exists predominantly as a nocturnal realm, Guiget's work is steeped in brooding atmospheres, but rather than simply looking to build feelings through long refrains and deep dive ambience, there's often a slow but definite, forward-motion rhythm to what's here, with tracks like 'La Chapelle' an eerie yet groovy case in point.
Review: Athens of the North is back in business this new year with a couple of singles as well as a new album dropping before the end of January. This time it is Bo'vel's Changes album that gets served up on wax having teased the act by including them on a compilation Just A Touch late last year. Their soul sound is distantly UK-centric but with influxes from dub, funk and more. That is well showcased here across ten tracks that were famously made in the mid-90s in Manchester without a big budget or big press campaign but became cult classics all the same.
Giorgio Tuma - "Through Your Hands Love Can Shine" (with Laetitia Sadier) (4:11)
Superimposers - "Seeing Is Believing" (4:05)
Cecilio & Kapano - "Someday" (3:35)
Teacher - "Can't Step Twice On The Same Piece Of Water" (6:19)
Kalima - "Shine" (Vibrazonic dub mix) (8:57)
The Haggis Horns - "The Traveller" (part 2) (8:25)
Review: A quarter of a century has passed since Jason Boardman and Moonboots threw their first 'anything goes' Balearic Sunday session. Aficionado, as the event became known, is now an institution in Manchester, making this celebratory compilation a special one. It boasts two previously unreleased cuts - J-Walk's sparkling 'Cool Bright Northern Morning' and a deep Begin remix of 'Alaska' by Canyons - with the rest of the 16-track set being made up of records that "mean a lot" to the two DJs and their audience. The selections are simply sublime, with our current picks of a very strong bunch including the neo-acoustic brilliance of Stanley Clarke's 'Desert Song', the turn-of-the-Millennium nu-Balearic excellence of Mudd's 'Summer in the Wood', and the baggy 'global beat' fun of 'Can't Step Twice (On The Same Piece of Water)(New Version)' by Teachers.
Review: When it comes to a reissue such as this it can't be understated just how arresting the work of Boards of Canada can be in the right situation. This EP, that came to light in between Music Has The Right To Children and Geogaddi, represents the enigmatic duo at their most powerful, channeling their energy into four long-form tracks that draw on all of their combined strengths. "Kid For Today" is haunting and dark but utterly heartbreaking, whilst "Amo Bishop Roden" heads into more mysterious territory. "In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country" is eerie in its titular invitation to join a cult, and "Zoetrope" tips its hat to Terry Riley et al in its looping phrases, but really there's no describing the magnificence of these gems, pleasingly reissued on vinyl to beat the Discogs chancers.
Review: Warp's Boards of Canada reissue campaign reaches Geogaddi, perhaps the duo's most expansive (if not their most popular) record, presented here on a 3LP gatefold edition. Considerably darker than its predecessor Music Has The Right To Children, the claustrophobic sounds of "Gyroscope" and sampled spoken word in tracks like "Dandelion" and "Energy Warning" present a somewhat dystopian setting, filled with unsettling sounds, such as the light but eerie melodies of "Alpha & Omega" and "1969". Undoubtedly one deserving of reappraisal.
Review: Bohren and Der Club of Gore has always been one of Germany's most intriguing and out there bands - a group rooted in grindcore and doom metal whose hard-to-pigeonhole output draws on a myriad of intriguing influences outside those intense styles. "Patchouli Blue", their tenth studio set since forming in 1992, is another moody and atmospheric gem: a challenging and experimental set that pits angst-ridden guitar textures against hallucinatory, David Lynch style cinematic sounds, hypnotic electronics and smoky, off-kilter jazz expressions. It's not a great departure from their previous albums, but when your sound is so distinctive - and inspired for that matter - why tear up the (Patchouli) blueprint?
Review: Given his impressive track record, hopes are naturally high for Bonobo's sixth album, Migration, which is his first full-length since 2013. Happily, it's a majestic affair, with the producer delivering another sumptuous set of tracks. It was partly inspired by an extended period musing on the nature of personal identity, and the role that nationality plays in that. This concept is translated via thoughtful lyrics, and songs that draw musical influence from the four corners of the globe. It's not a big stylistic leap, of course - his bread and butter remains yearning, emotion-rich downtempo music built around gently jazzy grooves and impeccable live instrumentation - but given that few artists do it better than Bonobo, we'll forgive him for that.
Review: Simon Greene aka. Bonobo is set to put forth yet another album from his own personal ether; 'Fragments' was born from actual sonic 'fragments' that were later repurposed into twelve full 'sonic affirmations'. A later escape into the wilds of California's deserts formed the bulk of this album's downtempo magnum opi; watch out for collabs with a foray of world-downtempo electronica acts including Jamila Woods, O'Flynn and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. One of his most heartfelt albums, expect all from lilting future garage ('Rosewood') to rave-nostalgic slow builds.
Review: Has it really been five years since Migration? Time has flown, but the evergreen appeal of Bonobo holds true as he lands back on his spiritual home of Ninja Tune with another hotly anticipated opus. Fragments finds Simon Green digging deep, having forced himself to work outside of his usual tour-centric comfort zone during the global shutdown and developing a lot of new material in the isolation of the Californian desert. While that air of solitude formed a foundation for the album, he then folded in ample collaborations from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Jordan Rakei, O'Flynn, Joji and Kadhja Bonet, resulting in a stirring soul soup of richly developed, danceable rhythms and patient musicality with that unmistakable Bonobo touch.
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