New releases last four weeks: Library/Archive

Review: A release that honours the centenary of Alessandro Alessandroni's birth with a collection of previously unreleased tracks from the iconic composer and multi-instrumentalist. This album uncovers a hidden chapter of Italian film scores and library music, featuring Alessandroni's lesser-known work between 1969 and 1978 for war documentaries and films. Paesaggio Bellico isn't just a military march through battlefields but a deeply nuanced exploration of war's human and existential facets. Alessandroni expertly balances sweeping, cinematic themes with moments of tension and unease. His compositions juxtapose stark, unsettling imagery with softer, more hopeful tones that has a poignant counterbalance to the brutality of conflict. The maestro's signature whistle floats over gentle 12-string guitar melodies, while his fuzz-laden Fender Stratocaster electrifies more intense passages. The Cantori Moderni, Alessandroni's trusted vocal ensemble, contribute haunting vocals that delve into the psychology of warfare. An elegant string section adds layers of drama and sentiment, enhancing the album's orchestral weight. With 18 tracks in total, the release is visually enriched by Eric Adrien Lee's cover art, which reimagines the bold design of 1970s Italian war-themed records. With a tip-on hard cover and a unique inner sleeve, the vinyl is a fitting tribute to Alessandroni's enduring legacy, blending sonic and visual storytelling into a truly special release.

Review: When it comes to hunting the very of best library music cuts out there, De Wolfe's discography is likely the best place to start, and finish. The British music production company were the first to license such music exclusively for film and TV and thus single-handedly popularised the now DJ's favourite genre. Here on this reissue, Aussie producer, musician and double bassist Johnny Hawksworth (one of two famous library musician "hawks", only once removed from the perhaps more eminent Alan Hawkshaw), prizes open both falcon's eyes and auriculars: 'Bite Hard Breaks', the star, makes for an unfathomably cool piece for the playing of seductive games. Unsurprisingly, but with this fact not known to many, this record has been much sampled by hip-hop titans, from Beyonce to Drake to Jay Z to Madlib.

Review: Marie Guerin, or maybe you know her as Marie de la Nuit, is a sound artist who has explored field recordings, radio archives and "hertzian ghosts" for almost a quarter of a century since her debut in 2001. Her work blends voices, textures and ambient sounds that examine sound heritage and its preservation. Transportees is an electroacoustic composition that connects archaic and electronic trance and in doing so weaves a musical thread from Brittany to Tunisia. It follows a trance-like journey through recordings and oral traditions, all rooted in Guerin's passion for archives. The album reflects her fascination with capturing and preserving songs and transforming them into a soundscape that bridges past and present.