Review: The good news is this isn't a glitch in the matrix, there is an actual new Pulp album out on cassette in 2025. Nearly three decades on from their generation-defining album Different Class and the love for Pulp is still potent. Cocker's kept his tools sharp with various projects and collaborations - including Jav Is... - over the past few years, but that's done little to dampen the yearning from around the world for new Pulp. When they released 'Spike Island' to get the ball rolling, a special tribute was made to late former bassist Steve Mackay, who died in 2023. Two songs on the record are said to date from when Mackay was around, which makes him feel part of this incredibly special project.
Review: With Heilun, Hyldipi makes a stunning debut on ambient powerhouse Past Inside The Present by presenting seven meditative compositions shaped by his native Iceland's raw, introspective beauty. Crafted entirely with guitar and minimal hardware, each track feels like a gentle conversation with nature, ephemeral and soul-soothing. From the delicate strums of 'Opnun' to the deep serenity of 'Hvild,' the album flows like glacial melt, patient and healing. 'Fadmur' blooms with aching emotion, while 'Kyrrd' closes the journey in subaquatic calm. This is ambient music for deep listening-an improvised, transcendental escape into stillness, where the ego dissolves and all that remains is presence and peace.
Review: The Smile's Wall of Eyes is a triumph in atmospheric experimentation, bridging the delicate intensity of Radiohead's later works with a more abstract, avant-garde edge. The album is filled with a sense of mystery, its drifting, formless compositions creating a pervasive feeling of unease. Opener 'Wall of Eyes' beckons with eerie folk textures and art-pop flourishes, setting the tone for the record's dark beauty. Bending Hectic' stands as the album's crowning achievement, its near-ambient build-up exploding into a cathartic, thunderous conclusion, balancing beauty and chaos. Elsewhere, 'Read the Room' and 'I Quit' bring rhythmic complexity, adding layers of groove and intricacy. Thom Yorke's vocals, as always, are haunting, tying the record together with familiar yet fresh emotional depth. Wall of Eyes confidently charts its own path, a significant step forward from A Light for Attracting Attention, cementing The Smile as more than a side project, but a vital voice in today's alt-rock landscape.
Review: This is a reimagined edition of Zach Frizzell aka zake's 2023 album B and expands on its monochrome, drone-driven soundscapes. It complements a series of chiaroscuro art prints and evokes a grayscale melancholy rich in texture and depth as the music conjures images of a weathered dock at dawn with fog and dense landscapes closing in on the horizon. New pieces like 'Betrayal' and reworked tracks like 'Burnt' reveal zake's signature restrained, simmering power and overall the vibes here range from the haunting 'Blight' to the reflective 'Barren'' which emphasise zake's open-ended, evolving approach to ambient music.
Review: Immerse yourself in the world of Ginger Root, where Cameron Lew's meticulous craftsmanship shines through. Since 2017, this Southern California multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and visual artist has drawn a dedicated following with his remarkable albums, films, and global tours. Ginger Root's soundia polished blend of synth-pop, alt-disco, boogie, and soulireflects Lew's Asian-American heritage and love for 1970s and '80s music, including Japanese City Pop and its Western counterparts like French Pop and Philly Soul. Lew's third LP, Shinbangumi, marks his debut on Ghostly International and is set for a 2024 release with an accompanying visual album. This album represents a new chapter for Lew, showcasing his confidence and intention in presenting Ginger Root's definitive sound. Tracks like 'No Problems' and 'Better Than Monday' highlight Lew's signature style, blending diverse genres into cohesive songs. With Shinbangumi, Lew masterfully weaves his influences into a modern and refreshing sound, creating an album that serves as both a nostalgic homage and a bold step forward.
If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some Of The Others (7:22)
18 Volcanoes (6:18)
Hammer Room (5:05)
Lion Rumpus (3:33)
Fact Boy (6:44)
Review: Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised the latest from Glasgow post-rock pioneers Mogwai adds a new ferocity. It was, after all, forged at a time of personal loss and family trauma for several members. The opener, 'God Gets You Back', weaves hypnotic vintage synths with Autotuned vocals, building into a thrilling crescendo that sets the tone for the album's expansive soundscapes. 'Hi Chaos' begins with a folk-like delicacy, evolving into a storm of ebowed drones, thunderous drums and towering riffs, offset by swirling sci-fi synths. The interplay between restraint and eruption continues on 'Pale Vegan Hip Pain', where cavernous guitar notes bloom into intricate melodies, offering a moody respite before the intensity of tracks like 'If You Find This World Bad You Should See Some Of The Others', which brims with ominous tones and a symphony of layered guitar noise. Tracks like 'Hammer Room' bubble with intricate synth lines woven into soaring melodies, while '18 Volcanos' evokes shoegaze grandeur with its vibrant oscillations. Each piece thrives on emotional resonance, eschewing words for pure instrumental storytelling - very much the Mogwai way, in other words, just sharper and more vicious than ever.
Review: Thee Marloes bring a fresh and unique sound to the soul music scene, blending elements of soul, jazz, and pop with their Indonesian roots. Hailing from Surabaya, the trio consists of Natassya Sianturi on vocals and keys, Sinatrya ("Raka") Dharaka on guitar, and Tommy Satwick on drums. Their debut album, Perak, harnesses their ability to craft deeply emotional and rhythmically engaging tracks. Opening with 'Midnight Hotline,' a vibrant dancefloor hit with jazzy guitar riffs and infectious piano, Thee Marloes immediately capture attention. The B-side, 'Beri Cinta Waktu,' is a soulful ballad sung in Indonesian, demonstrating their linguistic versatility and heartfelt delivery. Tracks like 'I Know' explore themes of deception in love with a mid-tempo groove, while 'Not Today' offers an uplifting, feel-good vibe perfect for any laid-back setting. 'True Love' dives into soulful jazz, creating a cinematic atmosphere reminiscent of a Tarantino film. The album closes with 'Over,' starting with a powerful drum break and evolving into a beautifully layered melody that encapsulates the intensity of a sudden breakup. Perak is a beacon of Thee Marloes' passion and creativity. Their music transcends cultural and language barriers, leaving a lasting impression.
Lia Kohl - "The Scene With The Void Full Of Choices" (9:13)
Daniel Wyche - "An Old Movie About A Dog, A Man, & Several Horses" (10:10)
Lia Kohl - "The Scene With One Tender Memory" (8:04)
Daniel Wyche - "An Old Movie About A Different Kind Of Artist Who Attempts To Visit The Place Where The Whales Go To Die" (10:18)
Review: Over the past four years and under his Tyresta alias, Nick Turner has been integral to operations at PITP's sister label, Fallen Moon Recordings. His meticulous curation for FMR showcases top-tier sound collages and experimental electronic music and that dedication shines in Lia Kohl and Daniel Wyche's latest release, 'Movie Candy. It's a captivating exploration of free-spirited electronic music that seamlessly blends cello, guitar, synths, voice, field recordings, and electronic treatments into a record that brims with both nostalgia and innovation. Wyche describes it as an homage to the obscure ephemera of films-like the allure of candy wrappers and the mesmerising cinema carpets-forging vivid memories that linger and evolve through time.
Review: Using a variety of tape stocks, Black Swan creates a haunting atmosphere that evokes the sensation of uncovering long-lost, sacred recordings hidden in time on his ninth album, Ghost. The New York-based artist reveals that he was inspired by musique concrete and ambient while making the record, which is made up of 20 pieces that all form a continuous suite. Each track varies in length and complexity from short and sweet sketches to more elongated studies and that are made from intense layering and harmonic surges using an array of tape stocks. The result is a haunting, unearthly atmosphere that sounds perfect in this cassette format.
Review: Hypnotism I is a new album from Foundation that the artist himself says has been a cherished part of his work since shortly after his previous work Mountain Ambient IV. We're told that its creation was a slow, immersive process that unfolded over months, with each layer evolving patiently. By composing intuitively, the album emerged naturally to reflect a glacial depth and subconscious growth. Its four pieces are all richly layered soundscapes with wispy melodies and dusty drones that sink you in deep and free your mind of all woes.
Review: Ontology II is a rather impressive 20th full-length from The Corrupting Sea, a well-regarded ambient project helmed by Jason T. Lamoreaux and one that takes the form of a profound exploration of personal experiences and emotions using sound to delve into philosophical themes of being and existence. The album's four carefully crafted tracks transform abstract metaphysical inquiries into tangible auditory experiences that make for a meditative journey. It is quiet and patient yet captivating in its artistry and is exactly the sort of immersive ambient that makes a lasting impression.
Review: Few labels are as idiosyncratic as Theo Parrish's Sound Signature. It deals in house and techno of an otherworldly sort with esoteric rhythms that blur the lines between the synthetic and the organic. And that is exactly the case with the label's magnificent 100th release, a new album from Howard Thomas that takes its cues from his love of 80s sci-fi films and beat tracks. It's a stark world of dance floor pressure with buzzing synths and clattering hits, raw beats and leftfield energy that brings utterly new ideas across seven spellbinding cuts. This is a cassette version of what is an immediately timeless album.
Review: Darren Cunningham, known for his work as Actress, continues to evolve with a striking, abstract mix of sound that blends fragmented beats, ambient textures and the odd burst of warmth. Moving away from his club origins, his latest album embraces a more experimental, collage-like approach, echoing the influence of Georges Braque. The music unfurls in unpredictable ways, weaving atmospheric elements like muffled techno pulses, gamelans and r&b vocal samples into an evolving tapestry of sound. Tracks shift from dark, granular tones reminiscent of Boards of Canada's more ominous moments, to bright, celestial glimpses of light. The juxtaposition of stasis and movement, dread and hope, is central to Cunningham's process, creating a unique sonic landscape of ebb and flow. The occasional playful moments, like the quirky synths of 'Dolphin Spray', add to the album's intriguing unpredictability. Fans of Aphex Twin, Two Lone Swordsmen and Boards of Canada will find familiar sounds here, though Cunningham's distinctive approach makes the experience feel like a scientific exploration of sound itself. With a subtle balance of tension and calm, the album draws listeners into a world of synaptic interplay, where every shift feels deliberate and rewarding.
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