Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: X-Ray Pop play live at Rockomotives Festival in 2020. The cult band was first formed back in 1984 by Didier Doc Pilot and Zouka Dzaza and are said to be inspirations for the likes of Beastie Boys and Stereolab. Their set at Rockomotives marked a triumphant return to the stage for the group with Charlotte Barfuss and Zouka Dzaza providing vocals, Doc Pilot on space guitar and Olivier Gicquel on drums amongst others. The setlist takes in tunes from four albums - Surrealistic Pilot, Fuzzy Soundtracks, All that Jazz and The Dream Machine - with psychedelic jazz mixed with novo beatnik overtones.

Review: Xeno & Oaklander's Via Negativa marks their eighth venture into the realm of retro-futuristic synth-pop, blending meticulous electronic craftsmanship with emotional depth. Recorded in their modernist Connecticut home, which doubles as a two-story synthesiser lab, this album balances visionary ambition with technical precision. The duo, Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride, translated embryonic piano sketches into intricate modular systems, layering harmonics, tuned percussion, and spectral devices that create rhythmic textures. Yet, despite its complexity, the music resonates on a human level. The title track opens the album with shimmering synths and a sleek vocal interplay, setting a cinematic tone for what's to come. Each track plays with mood and persona, capturing the band's fascination with theatricality and drama. It's a collection of widescreen anthems that feel both timeless and firmly rooted in the cybernetic present.

Review: X Mal Deutschland formed in Hamburg 1980 into the post punk era. Most well known for being signed to 4AD records but are slowly being discovered and enjoyed by more fans in recent years. One of the top indie labels in recent years, Sacred Bones is an ideal home to house this early compilation of their work. This package takes all three tracks from their first two singles Schwarze Welt and Incubus Succubus plus adds two other compilation only tracks in 'Allein' and 'Kalbermarsch'. The music is raw and powerful; blending a German punk sound while sprinkling in some avante-garde electronics and atmosphere. You can hear the evolution and growth in the band in just the two years this release covers. Growing from a raw band experimenting with sound and structure to a powerful goth rock band. This version is presented on beautiful purple vinyl. If you are big fan of Minimal Wave discoveries then you will be happy to add this great sounding vinyl to your collection. Thank you Sacred Bones!

Review: Xylitol is the alias of producer and DJ Catherine Backhouse, also known as DJ Bunnhyhausen. Building on her slowly snowballing status as a co-host of the radio show Slav To The Rhythm, which focuses on vintage central and eastern European pop and electronica - as well as co-writing a book on Yugoslavian pop culture - Backhouse's debut album 'Anemonies' is the essential musical component for aiding the task of stomaching her many multifarious outings. Taking as her cue the art of illustrating molluscs, anemones, cnidaria and other aquatic creatures, Xylitol uses Anemone as an album-form outlet for the exploration of fizzing, extrambient jungle missives; tissued, papillary hardcore. The name Xylitol is an indication of what's in store for you here: impeccably reasoned intellibreaks, and piqued, pitched-up samples, both of which invoke childhood pelagic fantasy; virtual underwater verde. The whole record is an odyssean island hop, and we thoroughly recommend it.

Review: X.Y.R.'s latest offering delves into the depths of human experience, exploring themes of escapism, introspection and the search for meaning in a world that often feels chaotic and unfair. The album opens with the expansive 'Lost Horizon', setting the tone for a journey into introspective soundscapes and contemplative melodies. 'Melting Shapes' continues the exploration of inner worlds, with its shifting textures and ethereal sounds evoking a sense of fluidity and transformation. 'Despair' confronts the darker side of the human psyche, its melancholic melodies and haunting sounds reflecting the struggles of those who feel lost and disconnected. The B-side features the epic 'Invisible Lifeforms', a twenty-minute odyssey that delves into the hidden realms of consciousness. With its blend of ambient textures, tribal rhythms and meditative sounds, it creates a truly immersive experience that invites deep listening and introspection. X.Y.R.'s music is both calming and unsettling, offering a sonic reflection on the complexities of human existence.