Back catalogue: Experimental/Electronic

Review: "It's like painting with button and sliders... Melting and dripping, seeping yourself liquid into the machinery." So said Darren Cunningham when discussing the creation of R.I.P, his long awaited follow up to Splazsh. It's a compelling image that works in practice too. R.I.P creates microcosmic sound worlds within each track: "Holy Water" for instance tumbles in on itself in a melange of shimmering sine wave droplets, while the pitch shifted waves of "Tree Of Knowledge" seem to inhale and exhale like a living being, crumpling inwards on itself to repeat the same motion ad infinitum. And although it uses much the same, occasionally abrasive sonic building blocks as Cunningham's been developing for many years, the pastoral tones of "Uriel's Black Harp" and the Alva Noto styles of "Jardin" make R.I.P a surprisingly graceful album. It may not be techno as many will know it, but Cunningham has never made techno in the traditional sense anyway - and it's clear on listening to R.I.P that he's only just beginning to realise the musical forms that have been swarming inside his brain for years.

Review: It has been almost two years since the Fatima Al Qadiri's debut LP dropped on Hyperdub, and we're as excited now for her follow-up as when we'd heard the first one. This is because Qadiri provides us with everything to satisfy our need states; through an awry and granular sound, the artist is able to transmit a whole spectrum of moods and feelings. This makes Brute an album for anyone, and it can be enjoyed both by the party-goers and the moody corner-dwellers. The intro is a detached sort of skit that distances itself form any sort of shape, but so we're dropped in a post-futuristic world of pseudo grime, broken, detuned techno and tropical electronica. To be honest, there would be no other place for it than the mighty Hyperdub. Big release.

Review: This set from the Future Sound of London's psychedelic rock-inspired Amorphous Androgynous project is extremely hard to pin down, thanks in no small part to its' boundary-blurring format. Officially a set of remixes of one song - 'We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal' - the album is formatted as a seamless, mixtape style musical journey in which recurring musical themes (think melodies, choral vocals, lyrical phrases and orchestral arrangements) slip in and out of ambient soundscapes, dub-influenced electronic beats, psych-rock workouts, crackly samples, field recordings and Lord knows what else. It features a stunningly epic cast of guest musicians, producers, remixes and obscure psychedelic bands, with the result being a brilliant collaborative work that sounds a little like a 21st century rock opera.

Review: Some 25 years after delivering his debut 12", Richard D James hasn't lost the ability to thrill or inspire. By his obtuse standards, the material that makes up the surprise Cheetah EP is actually rather laidback and melodious. "Cheetah2 (LD Spectrum)", for example, sounds like a slow house jam written by robots, while the even deeper "Cheetah7B" shuffles along in a metronomic fashion, seemingly oblivious to the increasingly aggressive World at large. Of course, those trademark skittish IDM rhythms are present and the Cornishman has thrown in a couple of hazy ambient cuts for good measure.

Review: By 1996, Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin, had a prolific career at 26. He co-ran Rephlex Records, signed with Warp Records, and had multiple releases and MTV-aired music videos. His fame surged with the 1997 Come to Daddy EP and Chris Cunningham-directed music videos. James was constantly creating music, describing his output as endless. The Richard D. James Album marked a turning point, featuring his creepy distorted smile on the cover, solidifying his bizarre persona. Despite his unassuming demeanor, James's music was wildly innovative. Raised in Cornwall, he preferred making music in solitude, viewing himself as "some kid mucking around in his bedroom." Departing from previous methods, the album was entirely computer-made, reflecting recent work. James aimed for accessibility with hidden complexity, making the music engaging yet intricate. The album featured more structured songs with clear melodies, such as 'Girl/Boy Song,' blending orchestral sounds with drum solos. Symphonic elements persisted, creating emotionally resonant moments. Tracks like '4' and 'Fingerbib' showcased his ambient sensibilities and inventive sounds. Vocals, heavily altered, added a unique touch.
The album combined delicate symphonics with intense beats, exploring drill ‘n’ bass. It had a cohesive vision, evident in tracks like 'Cornish Acid' and 'Peek 82454201.' Named after his deceased brother, the album held personal significance, subtly influencing its depth and emotion.

Review: In line with the timely reappraisal of all things R&S related, the resurgent Apollo have seen the opportunity to bring one of their most celebrated records back for another round on CD. Aphex Twin's ambient recordings mature magnificently with age, sounding ever richer and more emotive as the rest of electronic music continues to play catch up all around. From the gentle breakbeats of "Xtal" to the aquatic techno lure of "Tha", the airy rave of "Pulsewidth" to the heartwrenching composition of "Ageispolis", every track is a perennial example of how far ambient techno could reach even back then. It's just that no-one quite had the arm-span of Richard D. James.

Review: Last month, experienced experimentalists Arovane and Porya Hatami released their latest collaborative album, Organism_evolution. Billed as a "development" on the creepy, clandestine and hugely atmospheric vibes explored on last year's Organism, the set expanded on the original's fluttering, otherworldly ambience - created largely by layering and processing their own field recordings - with the addition of more electro-acoustic elements and a wider range of synthesis techniques. Here, you can judge the results for yourself, as both albums get bundled together on CD for the first time. If you take the time to sit and listen to both discs in sequence, you'll not only spot the subtle shifts in the pair's collective sound, but also feel like you're on a particularly memorable journey through a psychedelically enhanced imagination.

Review: Back in 2002, the Detroit Electronic Musical Festival concluded with something rather special: a rare live performance from the Aux Men - an expanded and upgraded version of legendary Motor City electro outfit Aux88. This must-have CD presents that performance, complete with the original introduction from Eddie Fowlkes and DJ Bone, from start to finish. Full of spacey synth sounds, heavy beats, weighty bass, it's effectively a whirlwind trip through the history of both electro and Detroit's contribution to electronic music history. Thus, we get killer versions of 'Planet Rock', 'Shari-Vari', YMO's 'Computer Games', tons of Kraftwerk classics, a breathtaking interpretation of Art of Noise's 'Moments in Love' and rip-roaring takes on foundational tunes by Cybotron and Funkadelic..

Review: Los Angeles based ambient husband and wife duo, awakened souls join with Reunion Island native, From Overseas to create Keep The Orange Sun. After hearing each other's individual music, a deeper conversation started about shared musical influences and inspiration leading to the creation of this album. Keep The Orange Sun guides the listener on a thoughtfully curated path. Starting with the certainty of life's changes (Certainty of Tides) to arising self-doubt (Release/Adapt) and celebrating immersion in the present moment as the gateway to deeper connection with nature and one's life (Keep The Orange Sun). The instrumentation present in each track channels elements of electronic, shoegaze & ambient with each artist's distinct musical fingerprint highlighted.

Review: A groundbreaking document of avant-garde music from Romania, originally released in 1981 under Ceaucescu's oppressive regime, that's grown in reputation enough over the years to now necessitate a reissue. This compilation, featuring Dumitrescu and three other visionary composersiOctavian Nemescu, Stefan Niculescu and Corneliu Cezaridefies both the political climate and conventional musical boundaries. Opening with Dumitrescu's 'Movemur Et Sumus', the album immediately plunges into uncharted sonic territory. Strings are transformed through radical processing, oscillating between shimmering abstraction and visceral intensity. Nemescu's 'Combinatii In Cercuri' marries intricate ensemble writing with electronic textures added in 1980, creating a circular, evolving soundscape. Niculescu's 'Sincronie' combines composed and improvisational elements, culminating in a hauntingly dramatic exploration of stasis and movement, with Dumitrescu contributing both piano and conducting. Finally, Cezar's 'Rota' blends Balkan and Romanian folk influences with startling electronic effects and prepared instruments, evoking natural sounds like wind and waves alongside experimental timbres. Recorded in a Bucharest radio studio against all odds, this album showcases the revolutionary potential of Dumitrescu's Ansamblul Hyperion, a daring chamber group he founded in 1976. Newly remastered from the original tapes, the reissue preserves the original cover art and reintroduces these boundary-pushing works to a global audience. With its fusion of spectralism, acousmatic exploration and Eastern traditions, this release remains as daring and relevant as ever.