Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: Maestro Argentinian producer Kevin Fingier returns with a brand new 45 on his Finger Records imprint, this time lifting the curtain on Santa Fiebre, the newly tipped red-hot rhythm & soul outfit from Buenos Aires. Forged in the fire of the Argentinian capital comes this rip-roaring band, debuting a rootsy, double-clapping, firebrand form of Latin soul. Fingier's in-house production backs up the band's taseringly tasty performances, as 'That's Where We Go' is heard to riff highly on brasses and bombast, and 'Earthsplosion' predicts a future detonation beneath our shared subterranean mantle, producing a bubble-bursting, Hammong-hummingl, bongo-banging funk stank of cosmic proportions.

Review: Soul Junction revisits the Scot-Tees Capri master tapes here to unveil two previously unreleased tracks. First is 'My Sweet Polly' by The Scott Brothers, a late 60s dance tune inspired by Howard Scott's former girlfriend. Coupled with this is a studio version of Judson Moore's "Everybody Push & Pull," a crossover hit influenced by Rufus Thomas. The Scott Brothers evolved from the 'Elpeccios' in 1958 to the Scott Brothers Band in 1963 and were instrumental in Chicago's music scene. Their label, Capri Records, produced hits like 'We Like Girls' and worked with legends like Garland Green. Judson Moore was a veteran singer who thrived under their mentorship and went on to leave a lasting legacy.

Review: Anyone who has followed Emotional Rescue knows it has always does a fine job of documenting pock punk and UK punk dub's early years, in this case showcasing the previously unheralded work of Skinbat Scramble, who emerged from the mundanity of the Home Counties to converge on London during the early 80s. Core members Mark Eason and Fergus Crockford were simultaneously inspired by the speedy punk thills of the Roxy Club and the Two Tone scene of ska and reggae which ran alongside it, as well as counter cultural heroes of the generation before like Gong and Velvet Underground. They got to work distilliing slow tempos, experimental sounds, dub and much more into leftfield rhythms, and while the likes of 'Basement Voltaire' - all echoing electronics, high frequency blips and merciless drum machines - or the Clash-in-dub workout 'North By Northwest' are rooted very much in the Cold War/Thatcher years, their individuality and experimental vibe mean they've endured remarkably well. Scramble to get yourself a copy.

Review: The tireless work of Funk Night continues here more steamy late-night sounds. This time it's Sunday Papers at the helm and first off comes 'Smoke.' It's a dense, busy cut with sleazy guitar riffs, plenty of sonic grit, raw, edgy drums and vocal stabs as well as some hints of psyched-out soul. On the flip, the rather horribly titled 'Greasy Meat Pocket' is actually a lovely sound with pensive piano chords and signature Hammond organ grooves that make for a nice late night jaunt.

Review: A soulful 45 reissue from the Swan Silvertones - a band from America's deep south who bridged the gap between doo-wop's close harmonies and rock 'n' roll in the 1940s and 50s - delivering two powerful tracks that will resonate with fans of gospel, funk and blues. Side-1 features a high-energy, gospel-infused funk track with a strong vocal performance that channels the spirit of James Brown. Its catchy rhythm and bold message make it an instant standout. On the flip side, this one has a more laid-back vibe, blending soulful blues and gospel influences for a deeply emotional and smooth listening experience. A perfect balance of intensity and tenderness from the band said - by the man himself no less - to have inspired Paul Simon to write 'A Bridge Over Troubled Water'.

Review: A remastering and reissue of the Jack Frost recordings, a collaboration between two acclaimed Australian songwriters: Grand McLennan from The Go-Betweens and Steve Kilbey, the lead singer and bassist in The Church. The Church are well-known for their hit 'Under The Milky Way', which made the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Included in this set is their two studio albums: The Snow Job (1995) has never been on vinyl before and the self-titled debut (1991) has been out of print for more than 20 years. There's also bonus material tucked in. This release comes as The Go-Betweens have been enjoying a renaissance recently, thanks to a successful reissue campaign, and The Church have been touring. Despite this being a side project, there's no sense it's an afterthought as the pair clearly thrived in each other's company and wrote melodic, wistful and affecting songs of the highest order. Noel Gallagher would likely have been proud to write the reverb-y love song 'Thought I Was Over You' and 'Every Hour God Sends' is up there with Echo & The Bunnymen's best stuff. Meanwhile, 'Ramble' has a stark arpeggio-laden beauty to it, building from its sparse beginning into something more textured and darkly atmospheric. There's an embarrassment of riches to delve into here and it cements the pair's reputation for being among Australia's greatest ever songwriters.

Review: Arriving almost exactly three months after its predecessor, HiFi Sean and David McAlmont's third collaborative full-length is lightly a conceptual flip side to 2024's Daylight - a "dusk till dawn" night drive sequel, as they put it. To provide a distinctly different sonic sheen to the album that preceded it, the duo has reached for slow, soft-touch grooves, dreamy textures, bubbly electronics, strobe-lit synths and musical motifs forged in darker, if still colourful, tones. Add in McAlmont's honeyed, effortlessly soulful vocals, and you have another genuine gem from the 1990s survivors. Highlights include Blessed Madonna collaboration 'The Comedown', the tactile bliss of 'Goodbye Drama Queen', the huggable wooziness of 'High With You' and the heartfelt sweep of 'Star'.

Review: Bridging the gap between guitar-driven rock and ambient techno - they would later become the first artist to bring guitars to Warp Records - Seefeel skillfully blended electronic loops with post-psychedelic basslines, mermaid-like vocals from Sarah Peacock and intelligent percussion. Their debut album for Too Pure in 1993 was both ahead of its time and timeless, offering a quiet revolution of repetition and downtempo somnolent soundscape, a record that remains beautifully undated. Tracks like 'Imperial'. 'Industrious' and 'Charlotte's Mouth' demonstrate Seefeel's knack for using guitars as electronic complements, layering hypnotic smears of feedback with Peacock's intimate whispers. The eight-minute opener, 'Climatic Phase No. 3', floats with barely-there percussion and a lazy, dreamy melody, while 'Filter Dub' delivers a sublime, drowsy bass line perfect for slipping into sleep. The album's structure leans into drone and quirky ambience, creating an experience more akin to a dream state than a traditional rock record. Quique feels proto-IDM, a precursor to the ambient-motorik noise-pop aesthetic that artists like Tim Hecker and Mouse on Mars would explore. Seefeel's early work remains a blueprint for electronic experimentation, demonstrating that the band's forward-thinking approach helped define a genre that continues to defy easy categorisation. Quique is not just a product of the 90s - it's a sonic vision that still feels fresh and boundary-pushing today.

Review: Sessa's Grandeza, his debut album, marks a fresh, minimalist approach to modern Brazilian music. Released in 2019, the album blends the rich textures of Brazil's musical heritage with a stripped-back aesthetic. Sessa's songs, sung in Portuguese, evoke the sensual lyricism of Caetano Veloso and the melodic grace of Tom Jobim and Arthur Verocai. Yet, the music's sparse arrangement draws comparisons to Leonard Cohen's bareness, enriched by hints of tropicalia, psychedelia, and the spiritual jazz of Moondog and Pharoah Sanders. Grandeza is an intimate exploration of love, the human body, and the vibrant hues of Brazilian music. Recorded between Sao Paulo and New York City, the album's delicate production emphasises Sessa's deep connection to Brazil's musical tradition while pushing into new, understated territory. Sessa is an amazing songwriter, known for his enigmatic and sensuous style. With Grandeza, Sessa solidifies his place as one of Brazil's most promising voices, weaving together a timeless yet refreshingly modern sound.

Review: Infamous, ill-fated and iconic all in equal measure, the Sex Pistols US tour of January 1978 has gone down in the annals of punk history as a chaotic state of affairs. Mismanaged by their team, stuck on a label only interested in their prowess for generating headlines and performing night after night to crowds more curious than engaged, the resulting jaunt would eventually lead to the band's total implosion. After years of these live recordings being distributed in piece-meal form, the recordings from this tour have finally been accurately sourced, re-sequenced and now delivered as individual live LPs with this pressing coming from their show at the Longhorns Ballroom in Dallas, Texas. The sheer exhaustion, frustration and oncoming burnout are evident through these feral performances, almost as if hearing the once youthful pioneers imploding in real time. Currently undertaking a costly world tour accompanied by former Gallows vocalist, Mr. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes himself standing in for the now MAGA touting John Lydon, it's the closest fans will likely ever get to experiencing the Never Mind The Bollocks era, with these authentic real thing recordings coming in at a close second, delivered from the familiar comfort of your turntable.

Review: The 40th Anniversary edition of In The Studio by The Special AKA celebrates one of the most unique and politically charged albums of the 1980s. Originally released in 1984, the album fused an eclectic mix of reggae, jazz, soul, and Arabic rhythms, with Jerry Dammers leading the band's bold shift in sound. Despite its modest commercial performance, In The Studio has since gained recognition as an underappreciated classic, thanks to its deeply reflective lyrics and innovative arrangements. The album's standout tracks, 'Free Nelson Mandela' and 'What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend', blended infectious energy with serious political messages. This newly remastered, half-speed mastered edition, overseen by Dammers, gives the album the sonic depth it deserves. With its themes of social unrest and global awareness, In The Studio feels as relevant today as it did four decades ago, a testament to its enduring power.

Review: Konrad Sprenger, as any real heads will know, is a moniker of Jorg Hiller, who works in many fields including composing, producing and instrument building. His work seamlessly blends scientific exploration of sound with pop sensibility and humour. From the diverse instrumentation of albums like Miniaturen and Versprochen to the electric guitar explorations of Stack Music in 2017, Hiller's evolution is ever-captivating. Here he unites these elements into a playful, infectious epic performed by Hiller and the enigmatic Ensemble Risonanze Moderne with guest Oren Ambarchi weaving swirling harmonics into its vibrant soundscapes. These two side-long pieces feature polyrhythmic frameworks blending shimmering guitar harmonics, horns and synthetic bursts into a mix of avant-garde and techno wonderment. Hiller doesn't release very often but when he does, it's worth taking note.

Review: Berlin-based synthwave and dark disco band Dina Summer return with a sanguine new seven-track record, continuing their reputation for making 80s nostalgist music fans ever more ravenous for their distinct take on EBM and its adjacent styles. Following 2022's acclaimed Rimini LP, this freak zone of a record brings gravely detuned, yet DJ-ready instrumental backings and stiffly but passionately delivered vocal recitations to a modern production palate. This approach reaches its ultimate conclusion on the natural midpoint 'Alien', a track perhaps best describable as a hi-NRG number made in a cryoponic chamber and lent an extraterrestrial theme.

Review: Sunfear is a project from Turkish multidisciplinary artist Eylul Deniz who now returns to Dark Entries with her sophomore album. Deniz has been making waves in sound since 2017 when she debuted her blend of ambient and experimental music using piano, guitar, voice and synths as tools for storytelling and self-expression. Inspired by Dante's Love That Moves the Sun and Other Stars, Pessoa's poems and Turkish poet Lale Muldur, this darker follow-up to Octopus channels some of her own personal loss and grief. Tracks like 'Above' pair sparse guitar riffs with swirling electronics, 'Bright and Wild' contrasts lush drones with jagged feedback and there are also hints of hope in the likes of 'Form Changed.' A great return.