Back catalogue: Experimental/Electronic

Review: Throughout is a new and exciting label out of Kyoto that impresses once more here with a brilliantly cool new collaboration between Jungle Brothers' Sensational and the producer Unbuilt. The former has laid down endless amounts of interesting sounds over the years and Poiesis now joins those hallowed ranks. It is aptly described as "a paranoid party-starter cast against a menacing greyscale backdrop of impressive dystopian grandeur." The production from Sensational is on point and a mix of basted and dubbed out while the bars remind of early underground rap greats - like Def Jux rewired through a more contemporary sound.

Review: Uboa's Impossible Light represents a profound evolution from the dark, ambitious sound of The Origin of My Depression. Xandra Metcalfe's latest work melds inhuman textures with visceral human emotions, creating a unique blend of dark intensity and raw beauty. The album opens with 'Phthalates', a track that combines haunting vocal samples with jittery percussion, setting a controlled yet expansive tone. 'Endocrine Disruptor' features a striking contrast of serene arpeggios and explosive beats, highlighting Uboa's ability to juxtapose beauty with darkness. Lyrically, the album reflects a heightened urgency, addressing themes of trans experiences and societal othering with a stark, direct approach. 'The Puzzle' delves into oppressive, heavy synths and percussive blasts, while 'Gordian Worm' evolves from harsh noise to a more structured electro-industrial sound. Tracks like 'Pattern Screamers' are dynamic with a strong vocal performance amid corrupted, mechanical noise. 'Jawline' and 'Weaponised Dysphoria' flow seamlessly, with 'Jawline' transitioning from choral elements to harsh electronics, and 'Weaponised Dysphoria' reversing this progression. 'Sleep Hygiene' contrasts intense noise with reflective breaks, portraying the struggle with illness and recovery. Overall, Uboa's capacity for blending darkness with hope, making it a poignant and essential listen. This version comes on coloured vinyl.

Review: Uboa's Impossible Light marks a significant shift from the ambitious darkness of previous work. Xandra Metcalfe's latest release merges otherworldly sounds with raw human emotion, creating a captivating blend of intense darkness and poignant beauty. Throughout Impossible Light, Uboa explores a heightened sense of urgency and directness, particularly in addressing themes of trans experiences and societal marginalisation. Tracks like 'Endocrine Disruptor' contrast serene melodies with explosive beats, while 'The Puzzle' immerses listeners in heavy synths and impactful percussion. 'Gordian Worm' transitions from harsh noise to a more structured electro-industrial sound and 'Pattern Screamers' delivers a powerful vocal performance amid distorted, mechanical noise. The seamless flow between 'Jawline' and 'Weaponised Dysphoria', alongside the emotional depth of 'Sleep Hygiene', underscores Uboa's skillful talent at balancing it all.

Review: In March, Izabel Caligiore decided to launch a label named after her superb Lullabies For Insomniacs show on Redlight Radio, with its debut release coming from the excellent Sugai Ken. Lullabies For Insomniacs now returns, proffering a debut LP from the impeccably obscure Unearth Noise. Full of clandestine mood pieces, droning textures, unsettling pitched-down IDM rhythms, mutant wind chimes and deep space explorations, Prayer & Resonance does a fine job balancing dark and maudlin material, with tracks that feel more gently positive. At 17 tracks deep, it takes a little time to fully take root in your consciousness, but the musical rewards are more than worth the effort.

Review: Although technically James Lavelle and company's sixth studio album under the UNKLE alias, "The Road: Part II (Lost Highway)" is more of an odds-and-ends compilation than a straight-up studio set. According to the former Mo Wax chief, it was designed to sound like a free-flowing mixtape and makes use of tracks recorded during "The Road" sessions that never made it onto the main album. He also described it as a "road trip soundtrack", and it does feel a little like that, as Lavelle and collaborators flit between beats, soundscapes and different styles over the course of three action packed slabs of wax accompanied by an expansive booklet full of never-before-seen artwork.

Review: Upsammy's 2023 stonker Germ In A Population Of Buildings now comes to vinyl via PAN. Continuing in one very particular aspect of the Amsterdam musician's craft - her interest in architecture and environmental design, and how that plays into and informs on sound - this LP evinces ideas of a rewilded modernist edifice, avoiding static textures in favour of a 'constantly shifting' sound. An IDM record teeming with electroacoustic textures, all of which sound "alive" - wood, brick, steel, ceramic, concrete, you name the building material - it seems that Upsammy's intent is to physically model almost every possible foley impact on the planet and arrange it into a single whimsical symphony. A digital audiophile's dream.

Review: This sophomore album from Istanbul-born, Berlin-based electronic composer and sound artist Huma Utku explores psychological phenomena through a series of sonic essays. Drawing on her background in Psychology, Utku combines her academic and artistic practices in this ambitious release and includes recordings from her Elektronmusikstudion residency in 2020. The album also features synth intrigue, electroacoustic, experimental techno, industrial and spoken word all brought to life with piano, strings and vocals. Utku creates a dramatic, unsettling soundworld here while exploring themes of grief, consciousness, dream analysis and psychological symbolism. It's a truly intimate exploration of the human condition.