Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Rambadu's self-titled label is young but already onto a good thing with a distinctly deep brand of techno. This time out the boss is back once more but in cahoots with Italian techno legend Claudio PRC. They cook up a trio of mind melters starting with 'Sai.' Warped lines menacingly roam about the stereo field over sparse kicks and deep abs. 'Matika' is just as paired back and atmospheric in a deep, dark way with slowly churning drums taking you deeper down the rabbit hole. 'Aqua' is a meatless blend of distant groans and wispy pads that keeps you in suspense.

Review: Yeah X 3, the latest single from David Holmes and Raven Violet's album Blind On A Galloping Horse, diverges from the overtly political themes of the record, instead offering a personal revelation. Featuring remixes by Panda Bear and Sonic Boom, as well as The Vendetta Suite's Gary Irwin, the single showcases diverse experimental approaches. For the A-side, the remixes are atmospheric and heady, creating a euphoric feeling with your head in the clouds. The second remix being the more beat forward version. For the B-side, massive amounts of sound heavily affected the remixes processing. The first being more of an ambient version while the last version is more straightforward and radio friendly. If you like the original song, then these versions will sit alongside them very well.

Review: Coming through in a limited quantity of 500 copies for Record Store Day 2015, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Christoph H. Mueller - two heavyweights of the German electronica tradition - offer up their tracks from the previously released Vienna EP for a bit of remixing action. "About Tape" features the great ambient master Brian Eno, but rather than just leaving it loose and hollow, Peter Kruder rewires the tune into a delightful blend of subtle tribalism and airy atmospherics; on the flipside Takamosky blends docile piano keys into more mechanical beat patterns with his remix of "Origami II", and Ken Hayakawa transforms "Himmer Uber Lima" into a laid-back, almost Balearic house cut. Wunderbar!

Review: Rafet's You Are In The Embrace Of The History is a thought-provoking debut released on Research Records, where Daniel Rafet Grima delves into ambient and drone music with a sense of reverence for ancestral memory. Side-1 begins with the title track, a piece that carries an air of longing and introspection. The atmosphere is rich with layers of ambient sound and chamber music depths. The next song featuring DGrima, adds another dimension with its haunting, immersive quality. On Side-2, Iti's remix introduces a delicate piano melody and a subtle beat, infusing the original with a fresh, creative energy. In contrast, Kuniyuki Takahashi's remix takes a more abstract approach, deconstructing the track into an intriguing exploration of sound and texture. You Are In The Embrace Of The History is a meditative and deeply reflective work that resonates with both beauty and depth.

Review: Verdant's tenth release is another meandering and mystic trip through ambient electronic sounds that leaves you a million miles away from wherever you started. All four artists here excel with electro producer Reedale Ris kicking off in languid, far-sighted fashion with their mournful synths and distant cosmic designs. Out.Lier's 'Track 2' is another one cast adrift on deepest space with smeared pads and floating aural details suspending you in mid air. Jo Johnson's cascading synth motifs are pure and innocent and cathartic and Romanticise The World's 'Track 4' is mellifluous and hopeful.

Review: Middlesborough musician Rees impressed with his last outing on the Bordello A Parigi label: 'Three Eyes' was a real dancefloor gem which he now follows up with three more gems that showcase the artist's eclectic style and versatile skills. 'Dream Wave' is a bright, busy, intense cut with glistening synths front and centre, dancing about a crunchy and rigid rhythm while 'The New Beat' ups the ante with eerie arps leading the way as more metallic drum sounds clatter away below. Last of all is 'Electric Body' which is awash with more incisive synths and guitar lines, all with a hypotonic lead synth and new wave techno drums powering it along.

Review: Lukid and Tapes are on a proper roll with Rezzett at the moment, following up on a knockout 2023 on The Trilogy Tapes with this self-released clutch of weirdo techno-not-techno nuggets from the outer reaches. There's distortion in abundance, and a laissez faire approach to soundsystem impact in favour of textural, atmospheric sculpting. It's dripping with intention even as it stumbles inquisitively from one lo-fi tweak to the next, sounding utterly inspired and delightfully unhinged in equal measure. What's most important is the melodic warmth which peeks through the noise, edging this above the usual murk associated with noise-doused electronics.

Review: Skeme Richards delivers a throwback to the golden age of funk with 'Hayes Turner On The Run'. Side-1 features the titular track, an epic 70s-themed piece with a powerful beat, a vibrant horn section and a funky bass and guitar riff, key moments punctuated by an electrifying sax solo, making it feel like the ultimate theme song of the era. Side-2's 'A Bookie Named Janice' offers a groovy blend of funk and soul, highlighted by scintillating guitar work reminiscent of the late 60s. With a hippie psychedelic West Coast slant and big drum fills, this track encapsulates the essence of that transformative period, capturing the spirit and sound of classic funk.

Review: The man, the legend. Well, to those paying attention, anyway. 20 years in the game, Ilija Redman only seems to get stronger, carving out a niche for himself as both one of the best 'cosmic' DJs and a master producer of throwback 1980s boogie, weirdo disco, proto-electro and psychedelic chug, having graced the likes of Bear Funk and Is It Balearic?, and presented work on his own imprints Red Music and Imogen Recordings. On Pulsar Diaries he turns his deft talent to a slightly curveball sound compared to the usual stomping grounds, crafting warm synth wave from drum machine grooves and spaced out melodies. Purposeful beats and pieces meet the kind of tones that make you feel as though the tether has broken and you are adrift, floating through deep space with only rhythms to guide you.

Review: Hania Rani has a knack for blending the ethereal with the intimate, and her latest offering, Nostalgia, captures that perfectly. This is her first live album, but it's much more than just a performance recording. Filmed at the Polish Radio studios in Warsaw, it feels like a love letter to a place steeped in history and meaning for her. The space itself, with all its ghosts and hidden stories, becomes a character in the album, lending an air of mystery and depth to Rani's signature mix of piano, voice, and electronics. Nostalgia moves through delicate melodies and cinematic arrangements, with Rani's touch feeling both familiar and experimental. She brings the studio's spirit alive, layering sound and memory in a way that feels both spontaneous and deliberate. This isn't just a snapshot of a live show; it's an immersive, intimate dive into Rani's creative world. With its mix of lush textures and haunting vocals, Nostalgia solidifies her status as an artist who can create both in the moment and with timeless grace.

Review: Mute began reissuing some classic albums from Recoil last year and already they have vanished so this is another pressing of one of their best - from former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. 2000's Liquid is thought to be one of his best works as he delves into dark and involving electronic worlds with its hypnotic and deeply charged charm. Its moods - desire, fury, and violence - are paired with self-reflection that encourages you to go deep inside yourself while listening. There are haunting and ghoulish moments of intensity like 'Strange Hours' next to more soothing trip-hop cuts like 'Breath Control'.

Review: Finish dub techno powerhouse Joachim Spieth welcomes UK artist Rhubiqs to his well-regarded Affin label for a debut appearance that sinks you into a widescreen world of ambient lushness. His Aegis of Silence album takes cues from divergent sounds like post-rock and soft ambient as well as drone and even modern classical. It's an ever-shifting soundscape with smeared pads and nostalgia dreams, half-remembered thoughts and a sense of mood that ranges from escapist and blissed out to more ominous and paranoid.

Review: Rosetta Stone, one of the most enduring bands from the influential second wave of gothic rock, returns with a brand-new studio album called Under the Weather. Known for their dark romance and chiming guitars, the new album stays true to form with lush keyboards and an undercurrent of sinister nostalgia, thanks to bandleader Karl North. Fans can look forward to pre-release singles and a significant media blitz to accompany this album, their first in 4 years. Formed in the 1980s by Porl King and Karl North, Rosetta Stone initially captured the jangly-guitar sounds of gothic rock. Their big break came after supporting The Mission on tour. The band later transitioned to a more electronic sound before disbanding in 1998. Now, gothic mastermind Porl King is back with an album that promises to transport fans back to goth's heyday. Like their namesake, British goth legends Rosetta Stone were pivotal in bridging the gap between the first wave of gothic rock and the emerging underground scene. Their music brought a romantic element to a dynamic era of black fashion and experimental freak culture.

Review: Roy Of The Ravers returns to his Acid Waxa stomping ground with a much needed vinyl pressing of last year's insanely good "Who Are Ya??" album. Keeping tracks these potent trapped on cassette would have been a crime, but fear not as they've been cut in all their squelchy, 303-baiting glory. There's a particular snappy appeal to Roy's style that makes it some of the most refreshing acid we've heard in some time, whether it's the proper naughty "Roy Shat Over Ref" or the slow-creeping acid of "All Aboard !!!" The vibe is raw and nasty throughout, just like how proper acid should be.

Review: Via their Rubbish Music project, Kate Carr and Ian Chambers use sound to, in their words, "investigate the journeys, transformations and impacts of everyday objects". In the case of their 2022 debut album Upcycling, that meant creating new experimental sound worlds from all manner of discarded things. On sophomore set Fatbergs, they turn their attention to the oily, greasy clogs that form in our sewage system. In practice, that means a mixture of ghostly electronics, gurgling and effects-laden noises of unknown origin, creepy and immersive soundscapes, echo-laden bells, dystopian new-age compositions and unusual - but surprisingly meditative and heady - ambient epics.