Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: "The Next World Sound Series is a collection of work by contemporary sound artists working in long form instrumental composition and translated to the tangible medium of vinyl. These modern day offerings capture the analog quality and experience of last century electronic recordings, presented to you with today's technological advances in home playback, for your environmental listening pleasure." Or so say heads at the iconic and truly enigmatic label Dark Entries of this latest addition to their catalogue. A collection of work that spans the strangely frantic sci-fi tones of 'Oberenginen 0930' to the almost monastic drone of 'Soma', dubbed and muffled drums and vocals on 'Lixsm', club-ready broken beats of 'Destruct', and the evocative futurist refrains and samples of 'John Gore'. As expansive as it is exploratory and adventurous, you'll need to set aside some serious listening time for your first play here.

Review: The reissue of Moltitudine in labirinto, originally released in 2003, is a profound sonic exploration by ambient pioneer Gigi Masin and electronic artist Giuseppe Caprioli. This album merges Masin's signature subtle minimalism with Caprioli's raw electronic textures, crafting an intense and introspective experience. Moltitudine in labirinto draws listeners into a maze of sound that evokes hidden corners of the psyche, with low-frequency drones and looping motifs guiding the journey. Across nine movements, Masin and Caprioli create a cinematic symphony that feels simultaneously vast and deeply personal, channeling a 'harmony of the spheres' through restrained yet emotionally powerful soundscapes. The intricate structure and fluidity reflect a complex inner world, making each listening experience unique and meditative. For long-time fans, this vinyl reissue is a welcome revival of a work that remains a cornerstone of ambient and electronic music. Moltitudine in labirinto stands as both a historical document and a timeless exploration of ambient's expressive potential, an artful encounter of melodic finesse and electronic depth that feels as relevant and poignant today as it did upon its original release.

Review: This EP weaves a labyrinth of sound, where the absence of clear genre boundaries is the only constant. The opener leads with ambient pulses, before shifting into the hypnotic, bass-heavy swells of 'Infrasound Loop,' as if crossing into a parallel dimension. As it unravels, 'Submerged Reactions' builds a wave of evolving textures, quietly oscillating between glitchy abstractions and weighty drones. Throughout, the artists' mastery of subtle, complex layers remains apparent, each track a gradual immersion into its own sonic world. On clear vinyl, it's an intricate, immersive listen-complex yet fluid, intricate yet accessible, making it easy to lose yourself in the flow.

Review: Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow's soundtrack for the 2024 thriller drama Civil War is a triumph of atmospheric soundscaping. Known for their work on Ex Machina, the duo brings their signature touch to this film, blending ambient synths with subtle guitar to create an immersive auditory experience. The score, perfectly complements the film's intense narrative and striking visuals. Tracks like 'Body Pit' deliver a haunting, dissonant edge, while 'Flashback,' 'Aftermath,' and 'Moving Out' offer a poignant, minimalist theme that subtly underscores the emotional journey of the characters. The music's simplicity and repetitive motifs evoke a powerful sense of place and mood, making it an essential companion to the film's story. Now available on vinyl for the first time, this score is for fans of the innovative film music and those who appreciate Salisbury and Barrow's evocative style.

Review: Mille Plateaux and Raster hero Andreas Tilliander meets Fire! Orchestra's Goran Kajfes somewhere deep - and we mean DEEP - in the jazz cosmos. The farthest reaches of a universe far, far away, but one that still seems to understand how joyful vast can sound when pierced by the haunting yet strangely alluring sound of brass. But simply defining this as jazz misses a point, then throws us well beyond the pale. In Cmin would be nothing without the electronic tricks and gadgetry that first made us feel as though we'd space-walked off the edge of the known galaxy, out past the Milky Way's stardust. Echoes, tape delays, things that add mood and timbre without necessarily shouting their presence. There's magic at work here. And, contrary to the 21st Century's obsession with under-the-hood, not knowing the how is the reason why you want this.

Review: "One might thus regard the Welsh rarebit as a Machine in which a process is applied to the conditioning and perception of the world of bread and cheese." Suffice to say, John White might not have had the same ideas about what constitutes Machine Music back in 1976 as you do today. This is also the first time we've ever managed to get a reference to Welsh rarebit into the first line of writing about a record, so everyone is learning something today. "The Machines" White refers to are the individual tracks themselves, all recorded between 1967 and 1972 and all comprising different combinations of a thing. Six pairs of "bass melody instruments" made 'Autumn Countdown Machine', different permutations of "the articulations 'ging, gang, gong, gung, ho!'" comprise 'Jews Harp Machine'. And 'Son of Gothic Chord' is crafted from the sequential chord progression of four keyboard players, spanning an octave. Conceptual experimental and wildly imaginative stuff on the borderline of electronica, abstract, mathematical and something otherworldly.