Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Archeo Recordings breaks tradition with the release of a new series of exquisite EPs honoring past masters. This collection features reimagined tracks from the label's cherished catalog, showcasing the talents of contemporary artists. Among these, Pepe Maina's 'The Infinite', enhanced by Manu's tribal percussion and electronics, transforms a classic into a celestial slow dance. Roberto Aglieri's 'Danza N. 1' receives a vibrant reinterpretation from Daniele Tomassini, merging proto-techno rhythms with psychedelic flute melodies, perfect for day raves and moonlit gatherings. The EP also revisits Radio Band's Italo-boogie classic 'Radio Rap', given a contemporary twist by the enigmatic Radiomarc. Finally, Mushrooms Project breathes new life into Futuro Antico's 'Pan Tuning', creating a transcendent dance journey that blends ancient sounds with modern beats. This collection not only honors the label's history but also promises exciting future endeavors, making it a great time to reflect on the past.

Review: Originally released in 2004 to a hot reception, this iconic soundtrack from the beloved Sega game Feel the Magic XY/XX features Tokoi's unforgettable blend of eclectic, funky and also smartly experimental compositions. The music complements the game's quirky, surreal themes with catchy rhythms and vibrant colours. This anniversary edition offers remastered tracks with enhanced sound quality so is a guaranteed nostalgic journey for longtime fans or a superb introduction to the brilliance of Tokoi's work for new ears.

Review: It's been a while since we've heard from ethereal music doyenne Ramzi. The release pace has run steady since 2022, with 'Feu Follets' being the last to come out via her own FATi Records. But now she lodges unto the cubbyhole a quick but unassuming reminder of her talents with Moon Tan, a cheekily sweet new album themed around the harnessing of so-called "World Fuzion Music" frequencies, and the resolution of the apparent Gremlin's Paradox (the existence of which in our timeline we cannot verify). Moving through every stylistic avenue from vintage dub to chirrupy 2-step - many of which experiments sounds as if they were made on a possessed Tascam four-track - there is an arresting mood of experimentation in limitation here, as Ramzi leans deeper and deeper into colourfully psych-ish but not grandiose moods.

Review: Some 30 years have now passed since Warp Records decided to repackage and reissue Red Snapper's first three EPs on one handy collection, the efflortlessly excellent Reeled & Skinned. Effectively the duo's introduction to a wider audience, it did a great job in showcasing their trademark sound - an enticing blend of loose-limbed live drums, double bass, intoxicating electronics and snaking sax sounds. As this anniversary vinyl reissue proves, it's a musical blend that still sounds fresh all these years on. The plentiful highlights include moody theme 'Snapper' (featuring Beth Orton), lightly Latin-tinged punk-funk workout 'Swank', the riotous and aggressive 'Wesley Don't Surf' and Sabres of Paradise's incredible rework of 'Hot Flush' - a jazzy, breakbeat-driven slab of dancefloor deepness that ranks among Andrew Weatherall and company's finest remixes.

Review: Red Snapper return with Barb And Feather, celebrating 30 years since their debut album. Liquidising the band's signature jazz, funk, and electronic grooves into a prostrate puree of vivid, electronically augmentable sound, we once again hear Rich Thair, Ali Friend, Tom Challenger and new addition Tara Cunningham perform a brilliant post-punk-dub-disco dramaturge, mullioned at the midpoint by a cracking instrumental redo of David Bowie's 'Sound And Vision', upheld by a true Balearic trestle. The second half, on the other hand, hears a four-track collaboration with the legendary David Harrow, pushing Red Snapper ever further towards unsnapped chunks of dietetic punk-disco delight.

Review: Juan Rico, who also known as Reeko and Architectural, presents Urmah, his debut LP at the eye-watering pace of 170 BPM for Samurai Music. Expanding on his two previous EPs with the label, Reeko has become essential to its sonic identity and Urmah embodies this synergy with the label by both its and his artistic boundaries. Across the record, Reeko dives deeper into hypnotic grooves and layers lush textures and subtle breakbeats into an entrancing and meditative work. The producer's deft touch for blending techno's intensity with gentle psychedelia shines through as he demonstrates a mastery of new tempos and evolving sonic landscapes.

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: A quadruple box set spanning recordings made between 1968 and 1980 on two-track Revox tape, these previously unreleased works showcase the hypnotic cycles and textural explorations that define kosmische musik. Using his signature Farfisa organ and Echolette tape delay, the pieces evoke the spirit of Roedelius' Selbstportrait series and collaborations with Dieter Moebius and Michael Rother. Rather than a strict retrospective, 90 feels like a timeless sound journey, blending cascading minimalist loops with the organic warmth that has inspired generations. Tracks are unnamed and unmoored from chronology, allowing the listener to experience them as fluid expressions of Roedelius's artistry. The music recalls the meditative brilliance of contemporaries like Terry Riley, while firmly rooted in the experimental ethos of early German electronic music. Released to celebrate Roedelius's 90th birthday, this collection is both a celebration and a rediscovery, offering a vivid portrait of a visionary artist. 90 is a masterclass in innovation and introspection, essential for fans of kosmische and beyond.

Review: Samuel Rohrer's stylish new solo album is a fine advert for his expertise as a multi-instrumentalist as it blends percussion, modular synths and keys into lovely downtempo grooves. The title may suggest romantic simplicity, but the music delivers nuanced emotional and tonal complexity and is dedicated to "brave lovers" seeking truth. Tracks like 'The Parish Bell' reveal Rohrer's focused, unhurried style with ephemeral sounds emerging and fading gracefully and guest contributions like Nils Petter Molvaer's muted horn on 'The Gift' add layers of warmth at a record which rewards attentive listening.

Review: Dublin-based artist Rustal is Peter Sweeney and he has a deep sound that he now brings to New York's renowned BlackCat label. Three of these originals are recorded in one-take performances at BlackCat HQ in the summer of 2024 and one is a dub reggae jam made in collaboration with label boss Jack Russell and Sonuga. 'Angel Of Light' is a widescreen dub techno opener with fuzzy, fizzy synths ripping out to infinity over dynamic drums. 'Flower Brick' is more intense with the oversized hi-hat ringlets and 'Ukiyo' is minimal and sparse in its drums and pads but soon locks you in. 'Burn Down Babylon' is a late-night stoner soundtrack for full mental immersion.