Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Quinoa Cuts's fourth release combines some smart nostalgia with plenty of modern innovation. Side A opens with two analogue-driven tracks reminiscent of the 80s synth-wave era, so rich with electro-inspired nuances that evoke a bittersweet and rather romantic atmosphere. It transports you to a dreamlike, neon-lit past then Side B takes a darker, more introspective turn by exploring shadowy, progressive sounds. These haunting tracks come with deep, emotional layers and show Marvin to be quite the producer.

Review: Polytechnic Youth has been in hibernation for years and now is back with a run of killer releases. This limited 7" comes with fine artwork inspired by 70s era BBC design and is the latest offering from Masonic Kitchen, the solo project of Chris Walker. The music is sci-fi inspired experimental electronica with minimal synth boxes, sequences and drum machines all featuring to lend it a nice frayed hardware aesthetic. Human League and Cabaret Voltaire fans will surely find lots to love.

Review: German artist Martin Matiske's musical journey began under the mentorship of DJ Hell, who introduced him to the decks at Gigolo label nights in Munich in 1999. Inspired by pioneers like Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre, Matiske started producing for International Deejay Gigolo Records and later for Frustrated Funk, Bordello A Parigi, and the Central Processing Unit. His new EP has already had support from Dave Clarke and Helena Hauff, including for the standout track 'Moments', which blends ice-cold snares with celestial pads and retro-future synths. Legowelt's remix of 'Moments' adds an astral electro vibe, while 'Dimensional Space Travel' and 'Analogue Being' explore cinematic electro with nostalgic, playful tones.

Review: Modern Talking is the German pair consisting of Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen who were rather prolific back in the 80s and beyond. There has been a revived interest in their music of late and for that reason much of it is being reissued, including this new, limited edition and nice heavyweight 12" edition of 'Give Me Peace On Earth.' It's a three track disco odyssey that starts with the sentimental and syrupy sweet vocals of the title track, which is doused in loved up 80s chords. 'Stranded In The Middle Of Nowhere' is just as devastatingly heart broken with its slow, crashing drums and yearning vocals then bonus cut 'Sweet Little Sheila' picks up the pace for a lively dance floor disco workout.

Review: Hugely successful German disco duo Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen are Modern Talking, and they made lots of sentimental as well dance floor-ready disco sounds back in the 80s. Much of it is being reissued by the behemoth that is Music On Vinyl and next is a limited edition marble red and blue vinyl version of this three-track 12". There is a campness to this which fans of the likes of Erasure are sure to enjoy - 'Jet Airliner# (Fasten Seat Belt mix) has big 80s drum sounds and glistening synths while the vocals drown in reverb. The instrumental is a little more clean though the drums and arps still make for a big impact and the radio version is also included to close.

Review: Modern Talking was one of the most successful German disco-pop acts of all time. It's an alias for writers, composers, producers and vocalists Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen and they put out a busy run of music back in the 80s that is reconnecting today with modern audiences. As such much of it is being made available again thanks to the Music On Vinyl label, and on various different coloured slabs of wax, no less. 'Lonely Tears In Chinatown' has all the playful pomp and campness of a Eurovision song winner with its big synth stabs and cold drum machine grooves. 'Give Me Peace On Earth' is an over-the-top ballad that drowns you in more 80s nostalgia.

Review: 'Don't Worry' is a classic song by Modern Talking, the German duo of Dieter Bohlen and Thomas Anders which was released in 1987 as part of their fifth album, 'Romantic Warriors'. The song features the signature sound of the acclaimed duo, with catchy synth melodies, disco beats and harmonised vocals. The song is a classic example of the Euro disco genre that the West Berlin duo popularised in the 80s and has certainly stood the test of time.

Review: Pat Mahoney is no stranger to us - one of LCD Soundsystem's many creative tour de forces, according to the band's biggest spokesperson, James Murphy, Mahoney is a lyrical genius and born poet. Museum of Love, the latter's project with Dennis McNany, certainly makes a strong case for us to buy into that hype. Two tracks that pack their bags for the synth pop stratosphere, but don't forget to throw in some nostalgia for the trip. Opening on the title song, it's a deceptively simple and yet unarguably rousing single that focuses down on a minimalist buoyant bassline, tracking rhythm, and lets the words to the talking - as they usually do. A surreal vision of a disappointing future riddled with unhappiness and disaster, set to a light and airy slice of naive electronica. Flip it for the more David Byrne-esque 'Look of Disgust'.

Review: We thought they didn't make them like this anymore. Then they made four seasons like this, and we all remembered what it meant to combine fantasy, horror, coming of age, and stick the lot in the most nostalgic decade for many people aged between mid-20s and late-50s. An age that, even if memories are hazy or you weren't even born ye, still manages to reflect the way the world was and had been for some time. The culmination of half a century's progress in mechanics and engineering, the final hurrah before the tech revolution got underway and changed our lives for good.

A key part of what makes Stranger Things so evocative is the music itself. Each instalment is littered with great chart tracks from the year in which they are set - not least this time round, with Kate Bush rocketing to the top of the charts with 'Running Up That Hill' thanks to its use in the show. Nevertheless, the finest sounds on offer are the original tracks, which come in the form of these synth heavy masterpieces, which should be longer, but instead opt for a 'keep them wanting more' philosophy.

Review: Danish artists Niels Lyngso and Morten Sondergaard initially bonded over their mutual love of DIY electronic music experiments, before realising that they were both poets. On the same day in 1992, they both released their debut poetry books and this collaborative album - a now sought-after obscurity that has been remastered and reissued by brand-new imprint Sunny Crypt. It's a fascinating and surprisingly on-point collection that effortlessly flits between keyboard solo-sporting instrumental street soul (the deliciously loved-up 'Dromte Mig En Drom'), tactile, organ-sporting slo-mo synth-pop ('Variete'), beat-free synth-tango ('Tango Del Amor'), poodle perm-sporting Scandinavian metal ('Vagvisa'), music concrete ('Edektronika', 'Babylon Gebbesogt') and hard-to-pigeonhole electronic soundscapes ('No. 8').

Review: Following up great efforts by the likes of Van Bonn & Luis Baltes, Unknown and Shadow-Area, here is the debut LP from Hamburg's Achim Maerz on Berlin-based Freund der Familie. Relief features a wide selections of moods and grooves; from the cavernous and glacial deep house of 'Black Hole', the contemplative ambient journey of 'Dream', plus there's more deepness of the emotive variety offered up on 'Changing Weather', the understated late night mood of 'Memories' and the mesmerising closer 'On The Way' awash in dazzling layers of rich synth tones in the vein of classic Chicago sounds. Mastering by Sven Weisemann.

Review: If we tell you that's Marseille's new wave electronic heroes Martin Dupont have supported the likes of The Lotus Eaters, The Lounge Lizards and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but also been sampled by Madlib and Tricky, then we're beginning to get to the heart of their wide appeal. Now, after the success of 2018's The complete collection 1980-1988, the band have returned complete with original members (alongside some new additions) and their first new LP for 35 years. It's not hear to see their influence on electronic artists - the surging, dark DXS7 synths and programmed drums remain intact - as well as the goth appeal of singer Alain Seghir, with his shadowy voice clocking in somewhere between Scott Walker's doomy self-reflection and Billy Mackenzie's compelling histrionics, shown off to its best here via 'Nice Boy' and 'Your Passion'. Drama, death and tragically doomed love... What more do you need to liven up your lunch hour?!

Review: Cliff Martinez's soundtrack is a full realised musical world that is defined by eerie synths and pulsating rhythms, all of which perfectly capture The Neon Demon hypnotic and unsettling atmosphere. Martinez is well known for his work on Drive and Only God Forgives and here once more delivers a score that is both haunting and seductive while mirroring the neon-lit world of fashion and obsession. The soundtrack weaves dreamy, ambient textures with dark, throbbing electronic undercurrents that draw you in and highlights include 'Neon Demon' and 'Mine' which pulse with icy beauty and mean this one stands as one of Martinez's most evocative and chilling compositions.

Review: John Maus has been operating at the fringes of the US underground for the better part of a decade now, with one of the most enthusiastic live shows of anyone in his circle. Much like his prolific contemporary Ariel Pink, Maus has amassed a massive collection of tracks which reference 80s synth pop, easy listening, and even hair metal, all swathed in a muddy but warm fuzz of reverb and delay. For fans this is essential, but even for those yet to acquaint themselves with his unique genius, its well worth investigating.

Review: Italian-born, Berlin-based. These details alone are enough to mark Velvet May out as a product of location. Italy has long-been obsessed with a distorted futurism, musically at least, with a slew of hugely respected noise pioneers calling the country home, particularly in northern areas around Torino. Meanwhile, Germany's capital is all about those dystopian aesthetics and technophile attitude. Fusing together industrial, rock, and electronic in a visceral, mechanical, human-trapped-in-machine amalgamation of sound, the grit of production lines meets the unbridled raw energy of punk, the sex droid seduction of electroclash steaming headfirst into the forward momentum of techno. It's angry, frustrated, perhaps even desperate, voices calling out from behind wires and controllers. Yet, in other moments ('Haven of Thrill', for example) it's positively life-affirming and, dare it be said, owes something to the euphoria of rave.

Review: The Midnight's latest Heroes is a stark display of the musical evolution of the New York duo. A band that started as a synth heavy proposition, extensive touring across the globe (including a headline at London's Brixton Academy) and the desire not to repeat themselves in creative terms has led to the bigger vision and wider appeal of what their label calls "fully-realised, arena-worthy songs".
Heroes is the final part in a trilogy of albums that started with 2018's Kids, followed in 2020 by Monsters. "For me, Kids is self-knowledge, Monsters is self-love, and then Heroes is empathy," said singer Tyler Lyle. "I got into depth psychology and this idea of aetiology, the way a human forms. The world doesn't get better but we do. We grow into ourselves. We grow into our voice."
Still, Heroes remains definitely more a case of evolution than revolution - there's still more than a hint of the gorgeous synth sounds in evidence, but with a lyrical maturity and smartness that gives even its most pop moments an unexpected twist.

Review: Helene de Thoury and Amandine Stioui had been involved in the Parisian music scene for some time before Minuit Machine happened, but in the decade or so since they seem to have finally received the kind of props they had long deserved. As one scribe put it, they make "melancholic, sexy minimal wave. Four words that should be enough to give this band a chance." Even if that description doesn't appeal, we highly recommend getting involved here. The French duo owe as much to The Cure as they do Ladyhawke and Glass Candy, an air of electro-gothicism hanging heavily over everything they make. Synthesised operatics that are crying out for a movie soundtrack as much as a DIY venue in a dirty corner of town. Exceptional stuff.

Review: As one of the iconic partnerships from the electroclash era, Miss Kittin & The Hacker helped define seedy synth tackle at the turn of the century. Given the prevalence of minimal wave in this day and age, it feels like the perfect time for them to come back with a new album. Teetering between pop nous and the darkest of deviant nighttime dreams, this is everything you would want from a return of the Grenoble greats. Listening to 'Purist' and they could easily be taking on the charts, while a trip into 'La Cave' is like donning your finest leathers and sliding into the dungeon.

Review: Belarusian post-punk and synth-pop group Molchat Doma have always reflected a brutalist aesthetic in their music which has been marked by cold, grey, and industrial tones. Following their 2020 breakthrough, the trio faced significant changes from leaving Minsk to headlining global shows. Settling in Los Angeles, they crafted their fourth album, Belaya Polosa, which symbolises transformation during tough times and celebrates the digital pulse of the 90s. The album combines sombre dance floor anthems with vibrant reinventions and tracks like 'Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya,' 'Son,' and 'Belaya Polosa' showcase how they have moved their sound along to blend post-punk, synth textures, and melodic sophistication while maintaining their distinctive minimalist style.

Review: Planet Mu main man Mike 'Mu-ziq' Paradinas and Hannah Davidson AKA Mrs Jynx have long been friends, though it took shared grief (both had a parent who succumbed to cancer over the last couple of years) to finally get together in the studio and make some therapeutic music. The results, as showcased on Secret Garden, are nothing less than sublime; a set of highly emotive, picturesque tracks that mix bittersweet bliss and heart-aching musical melancholia with brief blasts of aural sunniness and rushing bliss. It's rooted in ambient and electronica, of course, but also includes a number of hypnotic, dancefloor ready excursions and rhythmic, soft-touch epics. Above all though, it's as melodious and colourful as it is poignant and thought-provoking, offering a surprisingly on-point musical translation of the grieving process.

Review: If you've been paying attention then Augustus Muller will be familiar thanks to the wonders of Boy Harsher. Here casting off the expectations that live act create to focus instead on a debut solo feature film score, those who really have been studying will also know this is actually his third soundtrack following music created for two experimental porn movies a little earlier. Focusing on My Animal, the flick itself is a genre (and mind-)bending romantic horror about a woman tormented by a family curse. Sonically, this translates as tracks which at once play out like an homage to the glory days of atmospheric synth sounds made for movies, from Phantasm to Assault On Precinct 13, while also feeling genuinely fresh and innovative. Suspense by the background refrain and curious key-load, you can listen to it with or without the visuals and still feel immersed.