Back catalogue: Modern Classical

Review: Katia and Marielle Labeque's latest album, Cocteau Trilogy, celebrates operatic works by Glass inspired by Jean Cocteau's films. This highly anticipated release completes Glass's operatic triptych with transcriptions from Orphee, La Belle et la Bete, and Les Enfants Terribles, arranged specifically for the Labeque sisters by Michael Riesman. The album continues the sisters' long-standing tradition of transcending musical boundaries, blending power and subtlety with remarkable precision. From the opening notes of the Orpheus Suite, the Labeques captivate with their dynamic control and signature flair. Their interpretation of Glass's complex harmonies and rhythmic structures is both intense and nuanced, offering a fresh perspective on the composer's work. The sisters' ability to transition seamlessly between forceful, vibrant passages and moments of delicate restraint brings a new emotional depth to these compositions. Cocteau Trilogy is a compelling tribute to Glass, showcasing the Labeque sisters at their best. It's a multifaceted album that not only honors the legacy of the composer but also cements the Labeques' status as masters of their craft, making it a standout release of 2024.

Review: Percussionist and singer-songwriter Mami Kakudo returns with her latest album, Contact. A graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts' Department of Instrumental Music, Kakudo has gained recognition in Japan and internationally for her expressive use of marimba, percussion, voice and music boxes. Four years after her debut album, Oar (featuring covers of Maki Asakawa's 'My Friday' and Fishmans' 'Ikkareta Baby'), Contact showcases her signature sound again here in all its glory. Recorded with a talented ensemble-including Mugi Furukawa on guitar, Akita Goldman on bass, Wataru Mitsunaga on drums, and Yumiko Iwao on cello-Contact highlights Kakudo's ethereal voice, poetic lyrics and whimsical arrangements.

Review: It was in 1998 that pioneering Canadian musician levin Key released his solo debut Music For Cats. Artoffact Records reissued it on vinyl back in 2014 and now they do so again but this time on gatefold pink and blue splattered vinyl double album. It's a unique work that blends classical, glitch, and noise-driven pieces, featuring collaborations with artists like Dwayne Goettel, Genesis P.Orridge, Philth, and Mark Spybey. 'Music Fur Cats' showcases Key's songwriting depth, followed by 'Wind On Small Paws' with its electro-industrial sci-fi vibe. 'Meteorite' offers glitchy beats. Familiar tracks like 'Bird', 'Blotter', and 'Greenhouse Gasses' provide accessible listening, albeit experimental. 'Music For Cats' is gritty and against the grain, yet melodic. While not mainstream, it's an intriguing, well-crafted release, appealing to experimental electronic enthusiasts and completists alike.

Review: A selection of fifteen pieces from the soundtrack of the cult anime Dragon Ball Z, on a limited 2xLP edition, fully licensed, including the main opening track 'CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA'. This soundtrack accompanies the anime's key moment in which Dragon Ball Z resumes five years after Son Goku's wedding. Radditz, a mysterious warrior, arrives on Earth to find Goku, who learns that he comes from a planet of warriors from a planet of warriors, of which only four remain. The plot is based on a succession of increasingly strong opponents to be fought, but there's often a quest or travel motif that adds interest beyond the duels. All this, and more, is bolstered by this electrifying soundtrack edition.

Review: Jesper Kyd may not be a 'household name', but once you've encountered the Danish composer and sound designer's work you're unlikely to forget who he is or what he is capable of. Largely self-taught, he began exploring composition at an early age, by 14 was composing on a Commodore 64 and then an Amiga, and later became a member of the audio-visual computer-based artist collective Silents DK, a demogroup. Soon after that, he was collaborating with the Crionics coders. Seemingly born into the world of video game development, but from a staunchly artistic perspective, to date he's created some of the most accomplished game scores we've encountered, and 2006's Hitman: Blood Money is among them. Recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, it's tense, building, grand and, even without the on-screen action, thoroughly captivating contemporary classical stuff.