Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' Placenta represents a deeply conceptual and collaborative effort and serves as their fourth album release under International Anthem. Inspired by NiNo's recent experience of fatherhood, the album reveres the essence of family, birth, and the marvel of new life. Each track embarks on a sonic voyage, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's eclectic approach traverses various sounds and textures, echoing his belief in the influential force of friendships in fostering creative endeavours. With an impressive lineup of collaborators, Placenta epitomises the resilience of community and the boundless scope of musical innovation.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' album Placenta is available in several formats including CD, translucent purple barbed double vinyl and plain black wax, which is what we have here. The record is their fourth release on International Anthem and was inspired by NiNo's recent journey into fatherhood. It pays homage to family, birth, and the wonder of new life as each track embarks on a sonic odyssey, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's diverse approach traverses a spectrum of sounds and textures, reflecting his belief in the influential power of friendships to nurture creative ventures.

Review: Carlos NiNo & Friends' Placenta is a deeply conceptual and collaborative album, marking the fourth collection of their imaginative music released on International Anthem in recent years. Inspired by NiNo's experience of becoming a father again, the album is dedicated to the spirit of family, birth, and the experience of bringing new life into the world. Each track is a sonic exploration, from the soulful 'Love to all Doulas!' to the ethereal 'Moonlight Watsu in Dub.' NiNo's refusal to confine himself to genres is evident in the diverse sounds and textures woven throughout the album, reflecting his belief that friendships drive the greatest creative collaborations. With contributions from an impressive list of collaborators, Placenta is a prime example to the power of community and the boundless possibilities of musical experimentation. It's a heartfelt and visionary work that invites listeners on a transformative journey of sound and emotion.

Review: This new one from our favourite US ambient outlet takes the form of a selection of long-form compositions from artists who are close to the label. As such it's a perfect reflection of its signature sound - deeply immersive soundscapes, slowly shifting synths and meditative moods made with a mix of hardware tools, guitars, pedals and even baritone vocals. It's named after a Norwegian term for warmth and intimacy, which certainly plays out from the evolving loops of 'A Whisper' to the textured melancholy of 'Canaan' and the reverberant drift of 'Coronation Ring'.

Review: Metal Gear Solid: The Vinyl Collection is a must-have for fans, featuring 53 tracks from the entire series spread across six discs. This comprehensive collection includes remastered versions of the soundtracks from Metal Gear 2 (1990) to Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Additionally, the sixth disc features iconic sound effects with 'Solid Sneaking' on Side A and 'Vs. Boss' on Side B. Released by Konami and Laced Records, this set provides a deep dive into the series' memorable music and soundscapes. With Metal Gear Solid back in the spotlight, this vinyl collection is the perfect way to celebrate its musical legacy while waiting for new game releases.

Review: It's not often you get to talk about a classical supergroup. It's debatable whether the term supergroup really exists in the classical realm, although Tar, or, to use the full title, Tar (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) is probably as close as you'll get to proving that it does. Evidence is coming, so don't worry.

The work of Academy Award, two-time Grammy Award, and Primetime Emmy Award-winning Icelandic composer, cellist and general shapeshifter Hildur Ingveldardottir Gudnadottir (who has recorded with Throbbing Gristle and Pan Sonic, and toured alongside Sunn O))) and Animal Collective), she's only gone and blown the bloody doors off/drafted the Dresden Philharmonic, London Contemporary Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra for this incredible outing, which not only offers sublime tracks but glimpses of the record process itself.

Review: The first in a series of solo piano compilations curated by section1 designed to celebrate the beauty and versatility of piano music. Blending contemporary classical, experimental and ambient styles, these pieces highlight raw emotions like joy, sadness, doubt and certainty. Artists were guided by two rules throughout the process: the piano was the primary instrument and no vocals. All 12 tracks are immersive and showcases the unique creative relationship each artist has with the piano while demonstrating how 88 keys can evoke drastically different moods. It works equally well for active or passive listening with calm and introspective results.

Review: You had us at hello. Or at least you had us at weird French sounds from the 1970s, a decade that played a pivotal role in modernising musical processes, techniques and instruments, among other things. With names like Gilbert Becaud & Christian Gaubert, Jean Schwarz, Jacky Chalard & Gilbert Deaez and Alain Goraguer, those more in tune with this era in Gallic sound culture will know this is going to be a varied ride. Hence we open on 'The Organization', a piece that nods to the classical heritage of screen scores and captures the laidback attitude of the late-1960s perfectly, before moving through a wealth of styles, including proto-New Wave, post-punk, Kraut and meditative moods. For want of a better description. Nothing you won't have encountered before, but certainly pushing in new directions at the time.

Review: One may easily shorten the Light Sounds Dark label name to LSD. So too does this new V/A compilation of dark industrial soundscapes by the label befit the bad trip. With minimal release info besides an ardent confirmation by an unnamed witness - "definitely a trip into a darker dimension" - the notion of ingesting LSD takes on a whole new meaning here. The otherwise absence of info motivates some detective work: a stained-glass design on the front cover; a title referencing Indo-European paganism and/or Zoroastrianism; intense cloud-sonics and glassy chamber spaces on the ensuing tracks; everything intuitively fits, though we're not quite sure how. Some way to a narrative revelation emerges on track four, though at best it's a speak n' spell numbers station voice, half-lost under the solemn, soily noise scramble beneath. The trip only grows weirder, with strange bird calls melding into gong sounds and pan flutes on the lossy eighth track, and the closing locked groove spelling ultimate doom for the more harmonically inclined.

Review: This a compilation that means more than just good music - 100% of label profits from the sales will be donated to Livyj Bereh, a group of volunteers based in Kyiv who are working in regions affected by the war. It is a superb collection of mellow sounds and ambient atmospheres with some surprising leftfield cuts and curious curveballs along the way. First up, curating the A-side, is Ukrainian Muscut who has turned to artists from his homeland only - Kavkazka Sound, Radiant Futur, Mlin Patz, Iury Lech and Ihor Okuniev all contribute while Estonian Mida then takes care of the flip with Portuguese trio Niagara in between Estonians Maarja Nuut, Rotrum, Luurel Varas and Terry Long Hermy.

Review: It's the first ever compilation from Do You Have Peace?, the celebrated Bristol label spearheaded by Jabu. Originally intended as a project that would link together disparate dream pop artists, things have naturally evolved into a far broader sonic spectrum. There are ties that bind, though, like the 'half awake' vibe running through every track here. On the list, then, you'll find DIY chamber music, cinema-worthy grand arrangements, intimate confessionals, and strange, otherworldly immersive love letters. Vocals dominate the early half, while the second allows us to escape into a mind unfettered by language, presenting sublime instrumentals without voices. Aside from a few half-heard utterances, motifs and fragments. Lush, engrossing and genuinely beautiful, it should be on everyone's list.

Review: Past Inside the Present, Healing Sound Propagandist and Fallen Moon Recordings mark an outstanding year with Past/Present 2024, a new three-hour compilation that spans serene ambience, deep drone and experimental sounds. Featuring scene legends like 36, bvdub, ASC and James Bernard alongside talents like Slow Dancing Society and Black Swan and rising artists such as Innesti and Angela Winter, the collection captures a rich blend of modern ambient music and showcases just how strong these imprints are. Opening with a 71-minute live mix by LA's Inquiri, this compilation has been curated by label founder Zach Frizzell aka zake and highlights like T.R. Jordan's 'Swapped' and Black Swan's 'Perhaps We Never Were' making a lasting impression.

Review: The latest project from Basic Channel pioneer Moritz Von Oswald examines the sonic relationships between human voice and synthetic tones. The initial outline of the album was shaped out in Von Oswald's studio on an assortment of synths, before Finnish composer Jarkko Riihimaki wrote the compositions out as sheet music to be interpreted by Berlin-based choral group Vocalconsort. Recorded in a nearby church, these austere compositions strike a neo-classical note, but they also naturally align with Von Oswald's accomplished legacy in the realm of minimal music while pushing the renowned artist and his listeners in challenging new directions.