New releases last four weeks: All genres

Notes: The TMA-2 Studio Wireless headphones provide a seamless wireless functionality for music creators seeking freedom of movement, cable free recording, and a light, comfortable build with exceptional performance for versatile use. Free yourself from cables with ultra-low latency wireless audio.

Connect wirelessly to all of your gear: Cable-like performance with under 10ms of latency via W+ Link technology, featuring 20+ hours of playback time.

Hear all the details: Detailed and balanced sound representation with strong frequency separation reveals the subtle details in your music.

Control your sound profile: Use the AIAIAI app EQ to shape the sound to your preference, whether that be flat and accurate for mixing or dialing up the bass for creative sessions.

Stay in the zone for hours: Over-ear cushions and padded headband using high grade memory foam covered in soft PU leather, for enhanced comfort during creative sessions or live performances.

Go beyond the studio: Use W+ Link for live performance or switch to Bluetooth mode for everyday listening and making calls, or plug directly in with the detachable cable.

Customise, replace and upgrade: The modular nature of TMA-2 Studio Wireless allows for endless customisation and easy upgrades or replacements of individual parts.

Review: Hotly-tipped South London newcomers Ain't release a limited edition 7" featuring two singles produced by Theo Verney, who is one of Brighton's most celebrated guitar music producers, having worked on records by the likes of Traams, Blood Wizard and Lime Garden. As a group, Ain't cleverly weave shoegaze guitars with emo vocal cadences to create a sound that's likely to do just as well within the burgeoning new wave of American shoegaze scene as it is on the London indie scene, where they are currently among the most talked about new bands.

Review: Ladbroke Grove favourite AJ Tracey's highly anticipated third album arrives after a three-year hiatus and reaffirms his place at the forefront of rap. The record explores themes of ambition, resilience and living life to the fullest, reflecting AJ's journey from humble London beginnings to UK rap's pinnacle. Featuring viral hit 'Joga Bonito' and chart-topping track 'Crush' with Jorja Smith, who contributes two very different, equally stunning parts to that single, this is the sound of an artist who is still growing and joining his craft. His wordplay remains sharp and with and fuelled with fun cultural references and is sure to be heard banging from car radios, Bluetooth speakers and plenty in between all summer long.

Review: German mainstay Johannes Albert returns after a six-year hiatus with his third club album, Private Dancer, and it's worth the wait. As expected, it is a deep dive into refined house music full of maturing production, warm textures, subtle grooves and emotive undertones. The standout title track features longtime collaborator Iron Curtis, and together they craft a hypnotic blend of classic deep house with modern minimalism. Highlights include the gentle grooves and percussion of 'L'Chaim', the steamy nocturnal soul of 'The Night (Moves On' and 'Follow The Strings', which is a more punchy heater. It's the sound of a seasoned producer delivering understated dancefloor gold.

Review: Fusion five-piece Aldorande are no fustians when it comes to full-length LPs. These self-styled groove adventurers remain radically open to the sound, thanks to their stylistic touchstone, 70s funk, and its diachronic conduction of future styles. Recorded on tape in a top Parisian studio, their third record Trois brims with trifect textures, bold phrasing, and soaring choral waves. Mathieu Edouard's precise drumming is glued to the spot by Erwan Loeffel's plaited percussion, all the while Laurent Guillet's fingertips and Florian Pellissier's splayed hands make the best uses of Fender Rhodes, axe and Minimoog.

Review: Montevideo mainstay Alejo steps up for his debut on System Error's Flow series with the '1984' EP , a sharp, floor-feeling statement from an artist who both stands out in and defines the Uruguayan figure-ground. As co-founder and resident of the long-running Emile Club, Alejo's instincts run deep, and here they come sluiced though a new channel: four tracks, from '4to En Discordia' to 'Rkr1', offering snarling low-end pressure opening out to estuaries of wiry electro wades. Raw, punchy and tightly engineered, it's music that speaks with the verve of someone who's lived the scene from inside and out the booth.

Review: Alektra is a new project featuring the combined talents of long-serving European nu-disco and house hero Daniel Monaco and rising star John Noseda. As debut singles go, 'Shake Your Body' is a genuine treat - a throbbing, high-octane trip into mid 1980s Hi-NRG hedonism rich in sequenced, arpeggio-style bass, heavy machine drums, razor-sharp synth riffs, glassy-eyed female vocal samples and oodles of sweat-soaked male muscularity. It's basically a peak-time dancefloor anthem in the making. As well as the original mix (side A), we're also treated to a handy instrumental take shorn of the distinctive female vocal samples, and an effects-laden acapella for DJs who like to get imaginative in the mix

Review: Following the success of his 'City Smile' EP, Aleqs Notal is back with more ear-piquing goodness in the form of this latest boundary-pushing vision. The EP is said to be unified by a central theme of self-acceptance and covers plenty of ground, from the deep and meditative essence of Chicago-inspired 'Pain Of Truth' to the more loose 'Talk' Em Down' with its snaking bass and eerie chords. 'Crushin'' sits somewhere between the two, with analogue textures and a firmly rooted groove forming the foundation for percussive and synth layering. 'Instant' has brilliantly pinging 909s and humid chords. This is Aleqs Notal at his most expressive.

Review: Ross Alexander debuts on Yore and brings with him a more tech-leaning sound that you might expect of this traditionally techno-centric outlet. It still calls on plenty of Motor City signifiers, however, such as warm synth soul, machine grooves and a dusty depth. 'Soul Roots' has all that and a cosmic melodic air, 'Cycles' gets more twisted with a pressurised baseline and drums full of rebound while 'All I Need' sets off on freewheeling, psychedelic pads and serene grooves that carry you away in a reverie before 'Reflections' shuts down with twinning cosmic pads and gurgling low ends. A classy and escapist EP of futuristic bliss.

Review: Lempuyang is a label you will know and respect for its high quality stream of immersive dub techno and now the man behind it, Alastair Kelly, debuts a new label with none other than revered UK techno mainstay Ibrahim Alfa Jnr. He opens up with 'Component A' which is a moody melange of slow, broken dub beats and fizzing synths. There is further experimentation on 'Untitled B2 1' which pairs a churning dub rhythm with naive and innocent melodies and lots of li-fi static. 'Entangled' ups the ante with the suggestion of a fast paced rhythm through a skeletal groove and the flip brings broken beat dub weight, meaning and percussive bass with a 2-step swagger then deep introspection on the closer. A classy EP that suggests this label is one well worth watching.

Review: Alien D is the NYC-based producer Daniel Creahan, and he's back with a debut on Theory Therapy that taps into widescreen worlds of techno immersion. Departing from the ambient abstraction of his previous work, this album as a subtle kinetic pulse with tracks like 'Soil Dub' and 'Sleepy's Gambit' propel listeners forward with dubwise rhythms crafted for deep dancefloors. The album builds on an infectious, steady groove with repeating phrases and subtle shifts that keep the music in constant motion. Conceived in the first days after the COVID lockdown, these sounds exude a hopeful quality and capture the transcendent moments of early-morning parties when the moment is full of unbridled hope for what might come.

Notes: Great value from this compact filter module. The Pip Filter is a 12dB/oct resonant design with built-in normalled VCA and a trigger input for pinging. Lots of functionality and creative potential packed into 4 HP.

Supplier's Notes:
Compact Low Pass Filter and VCA

The 'Pip Filter' is a compact 4HP voltage controlled 2 pole low-pass filter with resonance, a 'pingable' trigger input and built in VCA.

Filter cutoff is controlled via both knob control and dual CV inputs with a built in attenuverter.

Resonance is manually controlled and will reach into self oscillation with rough V/Oct tracking.

A trigger input allows the filter to be pinged for percussive plucked type sounds. Finally, a built in VCA (normalled open) allows for additional independent amplitude control of the filtered signal.


Technical Specifications

Size: 4HP
Power: +12V 25mA / -12V 25mA
Depth: 32mm (approx)

Notes: Compact Analogue LFO & VCO

The 'Pip LFO' is a compact 4HP all analogue low frequency oscillator with a wide frequency range, voltage control, numerous outputs, reset input and a VCO mode.

LFO speed is set via a manual control and voltage control input. There is a unipolar square wave output along with both bipolar and uni-polar triangle, saw and sine waveform outputs.

When VCO mode is activated, the frequency jumps to audio range and will track V/Oct for approx 5 octaves. A reset input allows the LFO waveform cycle to be reset and produces hard sync functionality in VCO mode.


Technical Specifications

Size: 4HP
Power: +12V 40mA / -12V 20mA
Depth: 32mm (approx)

Review: Dorothy Tennov's tenuous concept of "limerence" has fuelled many an artistic outing and project, most notably in recent times an Yves Tumor star cut from the ineluctable PAN compilation, Mono No Aware. But it's UK rising indie star Jacob Alon's new and debut album, In Limerence - wuthering on the bloodied tips of his last 10" 'To Selene' and forerunning 7" 'Liquid Gold 25'- that perhaps really does the most thoroughgoing justice to the erotomanic, smitten concept of impossible, obsessive love. Bold electric modern folk reimaginings and wambling blears are brought out lovingly by speedy hothouser producer Dan Carey, ensuring Alon's ethereal vocals effuse over evocative storytelling on 'Fairy In A Bottle' and 'Confession'.

Notes: Excellent value as always from Alto, the TX412B is a battery-powered PA speaker offering fully wireless performance, including Bluetooth streaming from devices. Easy to use and reliable, with excellent sound quality and power.

Supplier's Notes:
The Alto TX412B is a dream come true for any busker or performer tasked with bringing audio to any space where power is limited. This battery-powered 600-watt speaker is a cable-free solution to high-quality sound without an outlet in sight. Thanks to an impressive battery life, the TX412B can handle playlists and sets up to 10 hours long. For those looking to use the speaker to project two different sources of audio such as a DJ who might need to make announcements during their set or a Wedding MC introducing the bride and groom over music, look no further-the TX412B can run two different inputs simultaneously with grace and clarity.

Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, the Alto TX Series ensures users can get their PA system up and running completely cable-free. This feature is perfect for any application that requires two simultaneous sources of audio-a Wedding MC announcing the bride and groom's first dance over music, a fitness instructor leading a spin class while energetic tunes pump in the background, a busker playing along to a backing track, etc. In addition, the Alto TX Series' powerful Bluetooth True Wireless connectivity allows users to run multiple units in conjunction with one another without having to purchase any extraneous equipment or cables.

Thanks to an entirely metal grille and sturdy enclosure, you can be sure that these speakers and subwoofers can handle whatever unexpected twists and turns that may lie ahead. As if that weren't enough, users can expect all of this durability with the added bonus of tremendous portability. Not only are these units equipped with ergonomic handles, but they are conveniently lightweight, making setup and transport easier than ever.

The TX412B provides solid and reliable performance in just about any situation. Whether it is mounted on a pole or used as a floor wedge, this powerhouse of a PA Speaker is optimized to deliver rich and crisp sound in any configuration. In addition, the back panel of the TX412B is outfitted with easy-to-use and pared-down parameters that give users control over EQ without weighing them down with a confusing array of knobs and sliders.

Review: From Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with another simmering display of his self-styled Simigwa-funk-part highlife, part jazz, part proto-rap, all unmistakably his own. Still sharp at 77, Ambolley commands a tight ensemble through groove-led declarations like 'Wake Up Afrika' and 'U Like Or U No Like', riding swung basslines and crisp horn arrangements with the flair of a master bandleader. 'God E See You' finds him slipping into a smoky, Afro-soul register, while 'New Simi Rapp' stretches out into hypnotic territory, led by flutes, baritone sax and rhythmic mantras. 'Ochoko Bila' and 'If You Want To Know' are more playful cuts, full of bounce and quick-fire wisdom. The production, split between Ghana and the Netherlands, balances live grit with rich detail-everything breathes, nothing is wasted. As ever, Ambolley's voice is both storyteller and instrument: loose, commanding, and deeply rooted in diasporic sound. This is music that moves and means.

Review: Turin-born and raised artist Andrea has explored plenty of different genres across his wonderfully experimental sounds, but mostly they are couched in techno with hints of 90s breakbeat and IDM. "Living Room is his third album and finds him tapping into an introspective sound with reflective melodies and a cosmic sense of travel. Right from the off, you're cast adrift in a world of shimmering melody and plucked strings, cascading arps and widescreen synthscapes and it is there you stay for the whole absorbing duration, though sometimes lithe rhythms bring more propulsion. A magnificently accomplished and detailed work.

Review: Whenever DJ Dez Andres drops new heat, you have to tune in. The man is a beat-making machine, extraordinary DJ and avid record collector who distils all that house and hip-hop knowledge into his always stylish cuts. 'No 1' opens up this latest jam on GT Flips and has a boogie-fried lead synth line, deep drums and chopped vocals that amp up the party but also have plenty of heart to them. 'Doobie' is the flipside offering and it finds Andres sampling another 80s soul classic and reworking it over some of his textbook and textured drums that perfectly straddle the house and hip-hop divide.

Review: GT Flips is proving to be a superb home for the music of Detroit mainstay and former Slum Village man DJ Dez aka Andres. He is turning out plenty of it, all of it quality, and all of it steeped in his signature blend of deep house, hip hop and the Cuban rhythms of his personal family heritage. Opener 'Take Your Time' is blissed out beat perfection with mid-tempo drums and heady pads next to gorgeous vocal hooks. 'Saturday' brings the party with a classic vocal sample made famous after being used in a Levis ad, and 'The Candle' closes with jazzy horns and flutes over more dusty drum breaks.

Review: Motor City legend Andres is back with another superb run of 12"s on the GT Flips label. The latest edition is another smoking hot three-tracker that opens up with 'She Spoke To Me', a laid-back blend of live drums and dusty snares with neat little sax motifs and a soothing vocal coo. 'Head Over Heels' finds Andres looking to a classic 80s sound for the main vocal hook and reworks it over what sounds like live MPC beats. 'Spoof' is the third and final gem here, this time with some erotic vocal pleasures and sensuous pads.

Review: The UK's Robin Lee is one of the members of much-loved disco gang Faze Action but also he's behind Andromeda Orchestra who return here with an album that offers a cosmic fusion of jazz-funk and disco. It's been put together with Moogs, clarinets, Rhodes and rich analogue textures that make for a mix of nostalgia and sonic richness that sinks you in deep. Blending nostalgia with innovation, Lee creates deep, immersive soundscapes. There are widescreen odysseys like 'Mythical', loved-up bunkers such as 'Thinking About Your Love' and a rare Nick The Record remix of 'Get Up & Dance' that overflows with cosmic melodies and lush, life-affirming strings.

Review: Deko reconsecrate Angel's debut LP on the band's formative 50th anniversary, coinciding with a fresh wave of tour dates from the theatrically inclined glam-prog rockers. Originally signed to Casablanca after being spotted by then-A&R Gene Simmons, the Washington, DC band's first album leaned heavily into lengthy, keyboard-drenched pomp, a sound more progressive than the tighter glam stylings that followed on On Earth As It Is In Heaven and Sinful. The lineup at the time included Frank DiMino, Punky Meadows, Gregg Giuffria, Mickie Jones and Barry Brandt, building stage staples like 'Tower'. On this limited blue-black swirl vinyl edition, we've liner notes from journalist Dave Reynolds and a small selection of bundles signed by the four surviving original members.