Back catalogue: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


The third volume in the Future Sounds Of Kraut series delves deeper into the experimental realms of krautrock, blending its hypnotic rhythms with modern sensibilities. On this release, Fred und Luna lead the charge with their distinctive sound, drawing from the genre's rich history while infusing it with fresh, forward-thinking elements. The album's varied tracks are a journey through intricate loops, motorik beats and atmospheric textures, offering a dynamic exploration of electronic and psychedelic landscapes. A collection that pays homage to Krautrock's pioneers while shaping its own space in the genre, this release is a must-listen for both old and new fans alike.

Review: The third volume in the Future Sounds Of Kraut series delves deeper into the experimental realms of krautrock, blending its hypnotic rhythms with modern sensibilities. On this release, Fred und Luna lead the charge with their distinctive sound, drawing from the genre's rich history while infusing it with fresh, forward-thinking elements. The album's varied tracks are a journey through intricate loops, motorik beats and atmospheric textures, offering a dynamic exploration of electronic and psychedelic landscapes. A collection that pays homage to Krautrock's pioneers while shaping its own space in the genre, this release is a must-listen for both old and new fans alike.

Review: The good folks at Compost have put together a second volume of their Future Sounds of Kraut compilation and once again it is packed with exciting new takes on the age-old genres. Compiler Fred Und Luna features a couple of times including with the celestial synth charms and light electronic rhythms of 'Monotonikum' and elsewhere tried and tested talents such as Thomas Fehlmann with his widescreen cinematic cut' 'Permanent Touch' and minimal favourite Roman Flugel with his delightfully melodic and innocent 'Rules' bring plenty of class the adventurous and accomplished double album. There is plenty to get stuck into here for those who like their sounds sleek, atmospheric and star gazing.

Review: You can go one of two ways as an artist when you've had pop success early in life: you keep the wheel because the wheel isn't broken. Or you change the wheel and reinvent yourself and make music that's true to yourself and not guided by commercial expectation. David Sylvain has done the latter with aplomb. At the time of making this album, which is the companion album to Blemish (2003) and now on vinyl for the first time, he was free from the shackles of a major label and diving headfirst into improvisation. You can't even faintly hear echoes of the band that made his name - new wave icons Japan. For these remixes Sylvian worked with the likes of Ryoji Ikeda, Burnt Friedman, and Readymade FC, although some songs were re-recorded rather than remixed. 'Late Night Shopping', remixed by Friedman, is a great entry point to this work, with dark beats and eerie noises, making for an atmospheric triumph. This is an album that pushes music as an artform forward. Long may Sylvain continue.

Review: Renowned for his seminal work with acts such as The Moody Boys, 400 Blows, and The KLF, the incomparable Tony Thorpe compiles this astutely curated, meticulous collection of 16 rare and sought-after post-punk era cuts that the maestro would regularly spin at parties, making them his personal pile of niche gems. Featuring tracks from Public Image Ltd, Mark Stewart and The Maffia, Basement 5, 23 Skidoo, and African Headcharge, to name but a small handful, Post Punk Theory arrives spread out across 2xLP and includes a 40-page fanzine booklet written by Matt Annis with photographs by Simon Pyke and Ian Brodie. A unadulterated true post-punk time capsule for both lifers and studious newcomers alike.

Review: "Herd immunity" was certainly a phrase banded about during the pandemic, and we all know what it means, but what about if / when the phrase is taken figuratively? Cathy Lucas, Susumu Mukai, Elliott Arndt, Phil MFU and Valentina Magaletti make up the quintet that is Vanishing Twin, whose latest album The Age Of Immunology metaphorically attempts to answer this question. Today's tribulations, often of humanity's own doing, nonetheless require of us that we adapt, regardless of any long-term psychic damage this causes; whether one finds any sense of poetry in the literal reflection of this in the doling out of vaccines en masse remains to be decided by you, the listener. Psychopolitical ramblings aside, The Age Of Immunology follows up the band's yetmost experimental album Magic And Machines, and hears them emerge from the other side through dreamy post-punk cinematics ('KRK'), wahhing, whirling instrumental disco-kraut ('Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life'), and boinging, 'Ashes To Ashes' style summer psych balladry ('Magician's Success'). All ironically work as temporary salves for the soul, reflecting a surreal fantasy space that almost certianly works to simultaneously reflect and deflect the era we find ourselves in now.

Review: Despite the style's influence and enduring legacy, shoegaze has not been celebrated with a raft of compilations and retrospectives. Waves of Distortion attempts to set the record straight via two discs of classic (and occasionally overlooked) shoegaze gems recorded and released at different points between 1990 and 2022. It offers a neat overview of the sound and some its greatest practitioners, flitting between the glistening, reverb-laden dream pop of Slowdive, the bowl cut-sporting loved-up swagger of Ride, the densely layered country-shoegaze haziness of Telescope, the jaunty jangly-ness of AR Kane and Spirea X, the psychedelic heaviness of Ringo Deathstarr, the tactile bliss of Beach House and the slow-burn, post-rock majesty of Mogwai.

Review: Here's hoping you've got your super-weird hat on. As the title of this latest Soul Jazz compilation suggests, the tracks on here are anything but by numbers and cross so many genre lines it often becomes impossible to differentiate between the rock and electronic bits, simultaneously teaching us all something about the connectivity of everything, and how real creativity has never been siloed by style.

Of course the likes of 'Guten Abend, Leute' by Deutsche Wertarbeit are firmly in the synth end of things, a building track that uses phaser noises and accordions to create something that could definitely work on today's dancefloors. And next on the list, 'Wolf City' by Amon Duul II, is a strange rock brew of post punk and jazz. But elsewhere work such as 'Pink Sails' by Klauss Weiss, 'Ballet Statique' from Conrad Schnitzler and the heartbreakingly beautiful pianos of Roedelius' 'Halmharfe' make differences harder to identify.

Review: You could probably buy every Soul Jazz compilation known to humankind and come out on top of most other people's record collections. As a label, the crew's ability to track down, rediscover, unearth, and reappraise archive music, and package things up as part of a spellbinding collection of like sounds, is remarkable, and the imprint must be up there with the best curated on the planet. The output is so good, in fact, that here we are pushing a reissue of the 2002 compilation, In The Beginning There Was Rhythm. Pieced together by Stuart Baker and Adrian Self, it's a wonderful trip into the deceptively varied world of UK post punk during its nascent, formative years. Informed by dub, psychedelia, punk, synth, samples and more, it's a celebration of a genre that proves you could spend all day listening and not really hear the same type of tune twice.

Review: Out of print for over 15 years, the Soul Jazz distributed Do It Yourself compilation offers up a bevy of both essential and niche acts from the realms of punk, post-punk, punk-funk, dance-punk and even further afield electronic experimentations where the term "punk" becomes utterly redundant. All UK artists recorded between the late 70s and 80s, the collection sonically details the aftermath of the British punk movement in real time, complete with legacy names such as Buzzcocks, A Certain Ratio and The Last Gang to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and even Throbbing Gristle. Housed in a gatefold sleeve and spread across translucent orange vinyl 2xLP, the collection has been fully remastered and features extensive sleevenotes and photography as well as interviews with key behind-the-scene players, providing a unique insight into just how much the landscape of independent music changed after the advent of punk.

Review: If you're going to enlist artists to cover tracks by NEU!, then you best make sure they are of the caliber we see on this track list. The legendary, iconic, and groundbreaking West German krautrock group only gave us three albums, all in quick succession (Neu! in 1972, Neu! 2 the following year, and Neu!75 in 1975), but they made a huge impact in doing so. As such their output could only be retreated with similar aplomb. A quick look on the back of the sleeve here proves someone, somewhere has heeded those words. Yann Tiersen, The National, Fink and more all line up to pay tribute to, and attempt to redirect, the original material. The results range from the rousing chorus and propellant, celebratory rock of 'After Eight' in its They Hate Change Cover form, to the sublime, lo fi folktronica of '4+1=5' by Alexis Taylor.

Review: Skep Wax's first Under The Bridge compilation, released in 2022, reunited the bands, songwriters and producers who populated cult early '90s indie label Sarah Records. This hotly anticipated follow-up repeats the trick, presenting 20 recently recorded cuts from the Bristol-based imprint's original roster of artists. It too, is a hugely successful - and understandably nostalgic - exercise, with hi9ghlights including the bright-and-breezy indie jangliness of Action Painting's 'Just Who Are The Cockleshell Heroes', the shoegaze-influenced dream pop haziness of Soundwire's 'Everything Is Real', the near Balearic soft focus shuffle of 'Double Nine' by GNAC, and the saucer-eyed excellence of The Orchids' 'A Final Love Song'.

Review: Earlier this year, Bear Family set out to chronicle the formative years of Germany's heavy rock sound, offering up a killer compilation showcasing tracks released between 1970 and '76. This sequel focuses on the next chapter, as German heavy rock turned to heavy metal under the influence of global powerhouses such as AC/DC and Judas Priest. It's educational and entertaining in equal measure, with the two discs showcasing such delights as the bluesy fuzz of Bullfrog's 'Live', the heavy rhythm and blues of Prinzip, the elongated Black Sabbath riffs of Epitaph's 'On The Road', the organ-powered eccentricity of Requiem's 'Steven', the early metal headiness of Breslau ('Spinn') and the all-action excellence of 'Time Machine' by Beast.

Review: Under The Bridge was a compilation of work by artists who had, at some point or another, recorded on the cult imprint Sarah Records. It should already be on your radar. If not, we recommend digging for it. Now here's part two, a 2024 update which takes that idea much further, presenting a more expansive track list and platforming some brand new projects to boot. Timeless stuff comes thick and, quite often, pretty fast, with plenty of driving garage rock to feel propelled by. Old favourites are here, for example Even As We Speak and Secret Shine, Action Painting! and The Hit Parade. And there are also new groups, such as Michael Hiscock of The Field Mice leading an act called Gentle Spring, and a collaboration between Mark Tranmer and James Hackett, both usually of The Orchids (who also appear on here), but recording as Vetchinsky Settings. A feast, basically.

Review: Ambiances Ambigues shows off the breadth and depth of its talent pool with this new compilation of experimental post-rock, synth and ambient sounds. There is nothing poppy about them despite the title, and in fact in places these sounds bring to mind great composers like Ennio Morricone and John Carpenter, as well as the indie-breaks of UNCLE and plenty more references from the noise and abstract world. It's dense and intense, and a perfect go-to when you want to add something a little different to your rotation.

Review: Not just a clever name, then, this companion piece to the equally aptly-titled Nice Swan Introduces Volume 1 gives an overview of highlights from the exalted UK independent record label, based on releases between since spring 2022. Suffice to say, there have been many notable additions to the back catalogue in that time and the tracks have come as broad as they have thick and fast. As this incredibly varied collection proves, from the surreal antique balladry of Avice Caro ('End of the Day'), to the noise metal of 'Gmaps' by Cowboyy. Attempting to pick particular must hears isn't easy, or logical, then. But let's just say the raw garage rock 'n' roll twang of Shady Baby's 'Come to Life' and Splint's riff-happy '145' are definitely up there. As is the psychedelic-hued indie of Saloon Dion ('Hey Hey') and the Prima Queen's dreamy 'Chew My Cheeks'.

Review: Fantastic Voyage: New Sounds For The European Cannon 1977-1981 is one of the most grandiose titles for a record we have come across in a while, but we like it. Fortunately for those involved, the music on this new gatefold heavyweight double album stands up to scrutiny for lovers of sounds that collide electronic, post-rock and experimental with synth, new wave and even a touch of new age ambient. The track list is a big one with tried and tested names like Patrick Cowley, Cabaret Voltaire, the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, Peter Gabriel and more all featuring. It makes for quite the trip and a fine reminder of the magical newness of electronic music back then.

Review: Le Kiosque D'orphie was located first at 7 Rue Gregoire de Tours, and then 20 Rue des Tournelles, Paris. Not a label, nor a publisher, the facility would allow people to press their own vinyl, often with very short runs - say, somewhere between 50 and 500 copies - and release an album to the world. If that sounds exciting today, when where pressing plants are overloaded, wait times are huge and costs so prohibitive small batches shouldn't apply, it was similarly revelatory back then. Led by Georges Batard, a Neumann tube engraver was used to produce original acetates which were then sent off to actual production factories, a process that often appealed to provincial and experimental composers. The process of diving into this overlooked but pivotal part of French electronic and popular music history began around 2018, and continued in earnest until 23 tracks were chosen to represent the breadth of work produced and the gamut of styles and sounds. Now, here they are.

Review: To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Sonic Cathedral is releasing a limited-edition 4xCD box set titled Celebrate Yourself! The Sonic Cathedral Story 2004-2024, featuring 62 tracks, many of which are previously unreleased. This compilation includes rare remixes, standout live recordings, and a festive shoegaze collection. Notable contributions come from artists such as Slowdive, Andy Bell (Ride), Emma Anderson (Lush), bdrmm, Whitelands, and deary, along with remixes from renowned producers like Andrew Weatherall and Daniel Avery. The box set chronicles Sonic Cathedral's journey from its inception as a club night in 2004 to its pivotal role in the resurgence of shoegaze music today. This labor of love reflects the label's profound impact on the genre, showcasing classic singles alongside a collection of holiday-themed tracks. Nat Cramp, the driving force behind Sonic Cathedral, expressed pride in releasing this comprehensive anthology, which encapsulates the label's evolution and its central role in the shoegaze revival. The box set coinciding with a series of special live events and a unique exhibition in London, marking two decades of vibrant musical history.

Review: Alongside Gilbert Artman, Guigou Chenevier, Jean-Pierre Grasset and Cyril Lefebvre, Dominique Grimaud's new 1979 adventure along side Monique AlbaVideo is made up of instrumentals that recall Henry Cow, Suicide and John Barry. It is a hugely improvised record that makes use of the AKS synth and was the start of the agitation around the Rock in Opposition and saw Musique Pour Garcons rise to the higher ends of the NEW independent charts. Electronics augmented by lap-steel guitar, tuning pop and more all feature.

Review: The Virgin Prunes were masters of the uncanny, juxtaposing nightmares with lullabies, beauty with cruelty; combining gentle vocals and the spoken word with anguished wailing from purgatory itself. Their first album, A New Form Of Beauty (1981), powerfully laid out this terrain. Its themes ranged from mournful tales of unrequited love, frustrated sexuality, morbid eroticism and wasted youth, to yearnings for distant dreamlands, all of which were juxtaposed with macabre visions of dystopian societies, overpowered by dark forces and where demons run amok. Guggi's art work for A New Form of Beauty, which intimates a heartless transaction within a domestic setting, is in keeping with this sensibility. Now reissued by BMG, this 2024 deluxe edition features all four parts of the album remastered from the original tape, plus a trifold reverse board sleeve and a 16-page, 11-inch artbook with brand new sleevenotes.