Back catalogue: Leftfield

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: Ace Records continue their series of compilations from Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, tapping into unique niches of British music culture under titles like English Weather and The Tears Of Technology to arrive at this latest joint, Fell From The Sun. This is a specific trip into the downtempo, after hours sounds prevalent in 1990-1991, as the acid house wave broke and Balearic selector ethics seeped into studio practice. The selections are absolutely on point, from The Orb's majestic remix of Primal Scream's 'Higher Than The Sun' to Saint Etienne's own moody roller, 'Speedwell'. It's bouncy and boundlessly optimistic as well as being supremely chill, absolutely of its time but still ringing with an eternal charm that feels ready for a revival. Let this compilation be your guide.

Review: Platform 23 reunites once more with Vox Man Records to dig deep into their archives and shine a new light on. In the past they have done some mega well loved Alternative Funk compilations which got the label off to a fine start and now they dig into an array of cult cassette releases to bring us treasure from Audiologie N-4 - The Independant Psychedelic Trip and Audiologie 5 et 6 - Ethniques Urbaines. This is music from the avant-garde and post punk scenes that draws on wave, spoken word, dark dub and industrial for its eerie yet alluring charms, all with a real edge. Ethnic, idiosyncratic and psyched out, this is another great overview.

Review: There's an awful lot going on here, and as such plenty to talk about. Alternative Funk: Volume 1 is both a compilation and reissue, with the original outing landing on cassette in the early-1980s on VP231, a label set up by Pacific 231, AKA Pierre Jolivet. The albums were the brainchild of Axel Kyrou and Francis Man, founders of the legendary Vox Populi!, and their aim was to showcase far out sounds, at least som of which were their own.

What we have in the modern iteration is a snapshot of that expansive and often hallucinatory aural odyssey, with seminal and lesser known artists resting side-by-side on the track list. Stylistically broad, running the gamut from dub percussion to cold wave and industrial, it's yet more evidence of just how fertile a decade the 80s were.

Review: Since launching way back in 1996, Trunk Records has become one of the world's most reliable outlets for odd, interesting and overlooked gems from across the musical spectrum, with Jonny Trunk doing a terrific job in curating a catalogue packed to the rafters with bizarre-but-brilliant library music, oddball British film soundtracks, early electronica, exotica and much more besides. This 25th anniversary collection offers a small snapshot of the label's story so far and features a mixture of back catalogue favourites and previously unheard cuts. Equal parts Radiophonic Workshop style electronic experiments, library music oddities, quirky TV theme tunes and smile-inducing easy listening jazz, it's a fittingly quirky and entertaining affair that should make newcomers want to dig deeper into Trunk's eccentric and esoteric catalogue.

Review: Cult French outfit Vox Populi! have already put out a subversive and superb album this year back in April on Touch Sensitive. Here it is the good folk at Emotional Rescue who snap up another one in the form of Aither, which has been remastered and repackaged 30 years after it first landed. We're told it is the first of many to come in 2022 and that's good news because it's class - numerous musicians played as part of the band and traditional instrumental paired with folklore vocals make for a majestic melting pot of sound from the world of dub, funk, soul, psyche and oriental.