Back catalogue: Balearic/Downtempo

Review: Insense has put together a tidy 7" featuring a rendition of Pharoah Sanders' 'Moon Child' which was first specially crafted for the compilation album Incense Music for Bed Room. It is a lush and spiritual sound led by gorgeous wind instruments and fluttery melodies over gentle and persuasive rhythms. On the flip, Yoshiharu Takeda's 'Bliss Of Landing' is another escapist sound with more of the same. A lovely 45 rpm for those quiet moments.

Review: This package of remixes of tunes from Translations is a real gem for lovers of Future Sound of London. plenty of familiar samples and textures are worked into the five Yage remixes as are cosmic overtones, sitars, drones, backward guitars and more. 'The Big Blue' is a woozy intergalactic sound on slow-mo beats, 'Requiem' is a worldly dub, 'The Lovers' has psyched-out lead riffs that bring prog energy and 'The Great Marmalade Mama In The Sky' has drunken tabla drums and mesmeric strings for a perfect retro-future comedown. 'Wooden Ship' is a spine-tingling sound with choral vocals bringing the celestial charm.

Review: Pierre-Alexandre Busson, a producer known for his multifaceted talents in both music and photography, steps further into his Destiino alias with a darkly ambient collection that stretches across downbeat house, industrial electronica and melancholic disco. Having made his name in the world of French electro, Busson's transition to Destiino was marked by an exploration of improvised compositions following his participation in a sound installation at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. This shift from his previous styles allowed him to dive deeper into moody, atmospheric landscapes. The current project, released under CHLOE's Lumiere Noire imprint, comes as a continuation of this artistic exploration, breaking from the dancefloor-driven energy of his past work to embrace a more introspective and expansive approach. Opening with 'Yokohama,' Busson sets a pensive tone, layering soft synths over a minimalist beat. 'My Crush' follows with a reflective yet upbeat mood, while 'Somlake' (feat. Inigo Vontier) weaves light, meditative textures. 'Transe Has No Speed' dives into dense atmospherics and 'Imagery' introduces a rhythmic, bodily groove. The second side offers 'Musique Electronique Repetitive,' using looping motifs to create a trance effect, while 'La Houle' brings fluidity and 'Morning Routine' soothes with its gentle vibe. 'Pulsar' (feat. Inigo Vontier) pulses with cosmic rhythms, and 'No Pain' closes with a melancholy, reflective note.

Review: Yomm's upcoming EP showcases a unique blend of City-Pop with diverse influences, solidifying her as a standout figure in the contemporary music scene. This six-track collection includes the pre-release singles 'Hatsukoi,' 'Alice,' 'Miraco feat. Layone,' and 'Saratto Patto Pitto,' alongside two new tracks: 'Hon de Yomitake,' penned and arranged by Kiseru's Gobun Tsujimura, and 'Scramble - Tokyo,' written and composed by yomm herself. A new project by Korean singer-songwriter and model Choi Jung-yoon, Yomm has quickly gained attention since its launch in April, with contributions from notable artists like Shota Araya (formerly of yonawo), Motoi Kawabe (Mitsume) and Jin Ono. The EP showcases yomm's ability to blend City-Pop with modern elements, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and innovative. With its eclectic mix of styles and top-tier collaborations, this EP is set to be a refreshing addition to the evolving City-Pop genre.

Review: It can be something of a surprise to know that Young Gun Silver Fox hail from modern-day London, as the sound of this album couldn't be more '70s-tinged and Californian if it was sporing sideburns, reefer-in-hand and discussing the Watergate scandal. Redolent of the like of Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers and even The Eagles, 'West End Coast' thankfully has chops and talent to stand as much more than a mere retro curiosity or museum piece - ditties like 'You Can Feel It' and 'In My Pocket' channel vocalist Andy Platts' falsetto croon, heavenly harmonies and AM radio production to considerable satisfaction for all.

Review: The twin 'electronic' album to the supposedly 'acoustic' album that came before, Vaccine Electronic is Younger Brother's eight-track compendium of electronic versions of the 2011 album 'Vaccine', released three years later. Packed with may a psytrance meltdown and crystalline glitch-freaks - as if our ears had just been injected with a new experimental psilocyboid - choice tracks such as 'Night Led Me Astray Electronic' lay especial claim to Posford and Vaughan's mammoth production skill, in contrast to their matchable songwriting ability as defined on the earlier album.

Review: Club culture can be curiously misled at times. While the focus is so often on breakdowns, in reality it's the hypnosis of looped drums and hi hats that often captures our imagination. And while belters frequently steal the limelight, in doing so we're at risk of forgetting the unifying, open-armed foundations that are found in everything from techno to hardcore to jungle and beyond. Brutal Flowers certainly makes a strong case for rethinking priorities. "A no-airs and graces piece of cool future-proof ambience" the label puts it. We'd agree. YS's stunning record seems to speak to our inner dreams of what rave has been and could still be, it hits nail-on-head in turning the emotions of surreal walks home post-club with friends into beautiful, understated yet grand synth overtures. It never forgets that heads down and ethereality are not opposites, but instead two halves of the same passion, and thoughtfulness is really the only secret ingredient in the dance music spectrum.