Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Barker's latest release is a masterclass in fluid experimentation, embracing unpredictability with a delicate balance of harmony and controlled chaos. Following his acclaimed previous work, this new collection of tracks finds him refining his craft while allowing for spontaneity to take the lead. Opening with 'Force of Habit', the project immediately sets a tone of shifting momentum, while Reframingithe serotonin-laced lead singleispirals through shimmering arpeggios, evoking echoes of classic trance before drifting into uncharted territory. Tracks like 'Difference' and 'Repetition' and 'The Remembering Self' showcase Barker's intricate layering, weaving together mechanical precision with an organic sense of movement. A deep dive into mechanical instrumentation lies at the heart of this work, with Barker exploring the possibilities of automation not as a replacement for human touch, but as a tool for new forms of expression. The result is a body of work that mirrors the uncertainty of its time, embracing change rather than resisting it. As the final moments of this LP fade out, Barker leaves us with a feeling of transformationimusic that adapts to the moment in which it exists.

Review: Since founding DiN in 1999, Ian Boddy has been driven by a passion for collaboration, particularly with artists connected to the pioneering German electronic scene of the 1970s. When a chance meeting with Harald Grosskopf at a Dutch music festival presented the opportunity to work together, Boddy eagerly embraced Grosskopf's ear; the latter's tutelage at the Berlin school spans decades, and he is most notably for his fellowship as a drummer with Klaus Schulze, whose influence looms large over Boddy's own work. But beyond percussion, Grosskopf's Synthesist album revealed his distinct melodic sensibilities, making him an ideal creative partner for Doppelganger. Blending Berlin-schooled sequencing with evocative grooves. Boddy's modular synth textures shine on tracks like 'Boulevard Horizon', while Grosskopf's rhythmic playfulness is evident in 'Livewire'.

Review: You know we're all in trouble if Daniel Brandt starts making albums about the Doomsday Clock - now closer than ever to midnight, and Armageddon - and whether or not the Earth will survive us. More than just a record, not only does this reflect the darkest of the Brandt Brauer Frick legend's oeuvre, thematically and in moments aurally, it also represents the latest in his long list of defining work and groundbreaking projects from the artist. The LP is one aspect, an apocalyptic live rave show another, where fans and masochists alike can indulge in a multimedia presentation of end times. Sticking to the sounds, though, Brandt again shows himself to be a true electronic maestro here, from the earthy wooded percussive loops of 'Resistance', to the droning string funnels on 'Addicted', 'Steady''s rolling post-club depth, and the opening alarm call future tech-step of 'Paradise OD'. So, if it does all come down to this, at least we're bowing out on a sonic high.

Review: An experimental dark folk group from Wurzburg, Germany, Brannten Schnure's 2017 release gets a well-deserved reissue, retaining its distinctive experimental dark folk essence. The duo, Christian Schoppik and Katie Rich, crafts immersive soundscapes where traditional instruments, eerie vocals, and looped, crackling recordings converge. Tracks like 'Das Jungfrauliche Ohr' and 'Die Milchlinse' set the tone, blending atonal elements with haunting, dreamlike atmospheres. 'Die Geschandete Venus' takes a darker, more melancholic turn, with its slow, creeping build. On the B-side, tracks such as 'Der Kleinere Mit Gefleckten Linien Umgebene Papillonsflugel' offer intricate compositions that evoke a surreal, almost cinematic quality. With influences from Nico and Novy Svet, their music pours out and creates a world that's both unsettling and strangely beautiful.

Review: BT Gate X-138 returns to Greyscale with Gravitational Grooves, deepening his relationship with the label following 2023's kV Pylon. Ten sousing sonorities hear him reshape his signature dub techno sound with growth-mental finesse, emitting foggy atmospheres and slicing percs. 'Inertia' leans into soft chords and faint crackle before giving way to the stripped-down shuffle and understated melodic turns of 'Gravity', while 'Orbit' builds over and delay-heavy phrasing; 'Float' offers a breather with its ambient drift, while an embossed 'Mass' sears the ears with churlish mood-texture. Touchstones such as Konigsforst and In Moll are alluded to most subtly.

Review: Brock Van Wey is bvdub, a towering ambient figure and venerated veteran who continues to find newness in his work. He's back on Past Inside The Present here with 13 (on vinyl for the first time) which, he says, "represent one edict or idea from chapter 13 of the Tao Te Ching" which are about putting focus on humility and freedom from desire as a way to lead a peaceful life. Flickering melodies and slowly shifting harmonies set the tone from the off with track two introducing pulsing keys and low-end distortion. Elsewhere, layers of propulsive patterns and dubby motifsweave together with soft distortion and tracks ten and 11 build to great intensity and the finale brings delicate strings. Listening is an easy way to ensure a peaceful escape

Review: Melancholy maestro Brock Van Wey aka Bvdub returns with more immersive and beautifully sad sounds on his latest album In Iron Houses. It is an ambient work that is far too evocative to serve simply as aural wallpaper. Opener 'Madness To Their Methods' for example has a vocal swirling about the synthscapes that is utterly arresting and conveys great emotional pain. 'The Broken Fixing The Broken' is another lament of epic proportions and 'Iron Houses At Night - Star Track' has a little sense of hope in the brighter melodies and another vocal, which this time carries love not loss. 'Perpetual Emotion Machine' shuts down with subtle celestial celebration.