Young Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Here it is: the long awaited second album from Mercury award winning, waif-like London trio The xx. The band have enjoyed a huge amount of success since their eponymous debut album dropped in 2009, and Coexist sees them subtly tweak their sound rather than wholly reinvent it, with their booming drums traded in for something less grandiose. There are some stunning moments on the LP (opener "Angels", "Reunion" and "Swept Away" all linger long in the memory) that will ensure it swats any "difficult second album" talk to one side; this is the sound of a band comfortable in their own skin. Caps doffed to Young Turks who present the LP on sumptuous heavyweight vinyl with included CD and booklet.

Review: Young Turks clearly believe that Tahlilah Barnett, formerly known as Twigs (hence the FKA Twigs pseudonym) is a star in the making. They plucked her from obscurity last year and have since released a number of highly regarded singles. This debut album expands on her EPs to date, showcasing her woozy, intricate take on post-R&B. Naturally, her vocals - fragile and evocative, sounding not unlike Kate Bush on occasions - take centre stage, riding a bed of layered-up head-nodding rhythms, post dubstep grooves, trip-hop soundscapes, fizzing electronics and bubbling synthesizers. It's an intoxicating brew, all told, and one that delivers further proof of Barnett's immense potential.

Review: Young Turks clearly believe that Tahlilah Barnett, formerly known as Twigs (hence the FKA Twigs pseudonym) is a star in the making. They plucked her from obscurity last year and have since released a number of highly regarded singles. This debut album expands on her EPs to date, showcasing her woozy, intricate take on post-R&B. Naturally, her vocals - fragile and evocative, sounding not unlike Kate Bush on occasions - take centre stage, riding a bed of layered-up head-nodding rhythms, post dubstep grooves, trip-hop soundscapes, fizzing electronics and bubbling synthesizers. It's an intoxicating brew, all told, and one that delivers further proof of Barnett's immense potential.

Review: In Colour is of course the long awaited debut solo album from The xx's in-house knob twiddler Jamie 'xx' Smith, arriving through regular home Young Turks backed with a whole host of guest appearances. The more obsessive Jamie xx fans out there (of which we wager there are many) will no doubt already have burned out their laptops and retinas basking in the all too colourful pre-release streams of In Colour, but it's always nice to grip an album in your hands. The eleven tracks on In Colours come across like a low key ode to the rave from Jamie and pals, with Four Tet, Romy & Oli xx, Young Thug and Popcaan featuring, and yes there is also plenty of steel pan. "Hold Tight", which sounds like Jamie's attempt at forest techno, is a definite highlight!

Review: The latest single from Jamie Smith's 2015 album In Colour, featuring The xx bandmate Romy Madley Croft, gets the remix treatment from a pretty stellar cast. Starting off, Hivern Discs boss John Talabot gets on board with his "Loud Synths Reconstruction" which definitely lives up to its name on this driving proggy take on the track. Ed Russell aka West Country bass techno auteur Tessela steps up and delivers a typically thumping and funked up rendition which is a real highlight on here. On the flip, Cologne's Barnt delivers yet another dark journey through the cosmic hole and the legendary Matthew Herbert offers us his take; sublime deep house and yet again; sampling everything but the kitchen sink!

Review: Having previously worked with SBTRKT, Kanye West, Drake, Jesse Ware and Frank Ocean, amongst others, Sampha is no newcomer. This, though, is the British singer, songwriter and producer's debut album, and it's something of an understated gem. One particularly enthusiastic reviewer called it "an R&B album for the ages"; while that may be pushing it a bit, there's no denying that Process is an impressive collection of tracks. The beats are inventive, the electronics crisp, the samples carefully chosen, and the musical touches pitched just right. At the centre of it all stands Sampha, delivering thoughtful, heartfelt and sometimes poignant lyrics in his wonderfully evocative voice.