Juno Recommends Leftfield Best of 2021

Review: The connection between Dr. Atmo and Mick Chillage goes back to one of the finest labels to ever grace this planet, FAX records. Many will remember the defining collective for their deep, extended excursions into the far-reaches of ambient mysticism - a style that is still revered to this day. Ruhleben sees a welcome return for Dr. Atmo who, after appearing on some of the very first FAX releases under his own name and different guises throughout its tenure, has been somewhat elusive of late with side-steps into other genres. Now, partnering with another FAX alumni and a foundational figure within today's ambient music genre, Mick Chillage, the pair have returned to their roots and a defining style of ambient music.

Review: Lisbon's Groovement label returns to its Organic Series once again, taking a trip across outernational plains with the delectable touch of Kaoru Inoue under his Chari Chari alias. From the sitar lilting on "Meandering River" to the pattering chimes of 'PEsta Malam', this is an album brimming with real-world beauty even as it glides through synthetically sculpted spaces. Inoue's touch is patient and poised, but it's certainly no background environmental music. Powered by purposeful percussion and offering a spectrum of moods for your contemplation and delectation, Suburban Ethnology Vol 1 is a beautifully rendered EP once again affirming Inoue's spellbinding craft as a multifaceted artist.

Review: Dr Atmo and Mick Chillage have plenty of ambient accomplishments behind them. Atmo is a veteran of the German electronica scene, with a discography deeply bedded into Pete Namlook's imperious Fax universe and boasting collaborations with the likes of David Moufang and Ramin Naghashian. Dublin's Mick Chillage meanwhile has released swathes of material on labels like ...txt as well as via his own channels. This likely pairing find common ground in languorous, sweeping synth lines that roam free over extended run times. In many ways, this release on A Strangely Isolated Place feels like a natural extension of what both artists were doing on Fax when it was still operational, so if you're a fan of that classic ambient techno sound, this release has exactly what you're looking for.

Review: It Was is an appropriately-named album if ever we saw or heard one. Colin Potter was an enigmatic and hugely influential member of the 1980s cassette underground, and while much work came before what's presented here, the contents of this record represent close to the apex of his creative output - carefully chosen selections from the 1989 tapes Recent Histories Volumes 1 & 2.

It had taken seven years to return to the release schedule, and the gap between these tracks and the early-1980s output on ICR clearly paid off. Deftly combining sequencers, guitars, percussive accents, reversed synths and more, this is everything Potter fans fell in love with him for and then so much more besides. Definitely one of the best ways to get acquainted, or find your old obsessions reignited.

Review: RECOMMENDED
While everyone alive with working ears in the 1990s can remember the first time they heard 'Papua New Guinea', on the whole the work included on this, FSOL's second album, doesn't quite strike the same chords with non-obsessives. Nevertheless, give the LP one play and you'll realise this is seminal British rave on record, and arguably the finest moment in Garry Cobain (no relation to Kurt) and Brian Dougans' careers.

Which isn't to dismiss what came before or what would follow, more to say there's a reason why this is considered a landmark release by those in the know. Kissing frenetic breaks and chaotic sampling goodbye, Dead Cities ushered a new wave of lush tranquility into the band's formula, in turn helping establish a blueprint for the deep progressive tones that would come to dominate dance culture by the end of the 1990s. Now on vinyl for the first time, it's an essential investment.

Review: "I resynthesized some vocals that almost sounded human, but not quite. That's why I decided to name the track after a monkey." Depeche Mode mainstay, and one of the UK's finest modern musicians and songwriters, on his website Martin Gore cuts to the quick in explaining his latest solo release, which takes its name directly from Jared Diamond's book about the similarities between animal and human behaviour, The Third Chimpanzee.

It's certainly a pretty wild experience. Like the preceding lone wolf album, MG, here MG the guy gives us five tracks of synth goodness made on modular consoles. Visiting post-ambient, IDM and industrial noise, or rather luring those elements out of their natural comfort zones and into an atmosphere that almost feels as though you're lost in nature, it's a real opportunity for escapism at a time when many of us have never needed one more.

Review: 
After his surprise drop with music writer and producer Blackdown on the Keysound label last month, the enigmatic Burial is now back with a fresh new EP all of his own. It comes on his longtime home of Hyperdub and features two more of his deft designed, ghostly deep dubstep post-nightbus joints. 'Chemz' is a strict raver filled with rushed up sounds, plenty of dance floor love and big hooks that is many different tracks, moods and vibes all rolled into one. As always, these Burial sounds look back to go forwards and do so in thrilling fashion.

Review: This intriguing and predictably atmospheric album is the first collaborative full-length from experienced modern ambient producer Dennis Huddleston AKA 36, and Los Angeles duo Awakened Souls, whose full-length hook-up with Pepo Galan, Palettes, received plenty of praise last year. Between them the trio have conjured up a hugely evocative and emotion-rich collection of cuts, where heart-aching, slow-motion guitar laments stretch out across swelling synthesizer chords, meditative pads, distant-sounding vocal snippets, enveloping aural textures and soft-focus piano refrains. It's a wonderfully meditative and picturesque set all told, and one that could well turn out to be one of the most essential ambient albums of 2021.

Review: Of Wave Variations, British producer Dennis Huddleston aka 36 has said that ocean tides inspired his latest album for Indianapolis-based Past Inside The Present. Recalling the sense of longing and wonder when standing on a beach, while staring past the waves and into the endless horizon, he feels the album is one of the most minimal records he has ever made, as he had far less sound sources at his disposal. Huddleston intentionally created the tracks around the three minute mark, as he feels that a lot of ambient creations are unnecessarily long (we agree!) and as the label most succinctly put it 'take you straight to Elysium and then dissolve into the ether.' The moods throughout the album are quite varied, moving from sanguine, melodic affairs, into intoxicating shoegaze-ish soundscapes, haunting and introspective drones and film score-like cues.

Review: Emotional Response present something intriguing and oh so fresh from Cherrystones, who has most commonly been spotted recently lurking about labels like Bahnsteig 23, but in fact has a legacy reaching back to the late 90s. This new mini-album is reportedly the result of a pointed retreat to Scotland - a period of semi-isolation with minimal distractions from the serious business of analogue synths and reel-to-reel tape. There's a lot going on, from the slinky, boogie-licked groove of 'Amaziac' to the sludgy, wave tinted 'Rave Digger', but throughout the common theme is one of rough, upfront waveforms - maximal sounds with lashings of character, wielded with glee by an artist knee deep in their craft.

Review: This is the unreleased soundtrack from Bartleby, the British drama film from 1970 directed by Anthony Friedman. It was an adaptation of the short story Bartleby, the Scrivener; A Story of Wall-street by Herman Melville. The plot revolved around the young audit clerk Bartleby, who as a result of being overwhelmed by the pressures of modern life withdraws into his own world. 31 years later, there was another remake directed by Jonathan Parker, with Crispin Glover in the lead role. Sound wise, it is a' blissful mix of British pastoral jazz and serious drum, double bass and string action'.

Review: American ambient label Past Inside The Present has already assured its cult status and each new release only builds on that. This time out it is Distance As Power from UK producer Dennis Huddleston aka 36 (who already released his Wave Variations album on this label this year) and prolific Japan-based sound artist Duenn who join forces for some murky and lo-fi escapism. Their five painterly tracks come on slowly and build powerfully through foggy pads, arching chords and a nostalgic sense of warmth. This is warm, widescreen and abstract bliss.

Review: Dennis Huddleston's most recent album as 36, Wave Variations, promptly sold out in double-quick time upon its release in the summer of 2020. Because of this, The Past Inside The Present has decided to reissue it. If you missed out first time round, we'd recommend giving it a listen. It's a tighter and more focused album than some of Huddleston's sprawling epics, with most of the heavily melodic tracks clocking in around three minutes. He also composed them in sequence to guarantee a gently unfurling and flowing album, while his decision to rely on a relatively small palette of synthesizer sounds adds an extra layer of coherence. Basically, it's a wonderfully evocative, emotive and quietly tuneful set that we'd consider one of the best ambient works of recent years.

Review: Controversies surrounding 007 are well documented. Questionable sexual ethics and a drink problem that goes well-beyond borderline alcoholism are just two examples. Emotional trauma and mental health issues being one, or maybe two, more. In comparison, the soundtracks to the films we all grew up around are much less open to interpretation and subjectivity. Simply put, the scores - not least the main theme for each flick - are always huge.

Hence the sheer volume of albums that celebrate the sonic world of this super spy. This release is just one in a number that have come and gone over time, and it's hard to know what's left to say. Presenting the likes of Carly Simon, Shirley Bassey, Garbage, Madonna, Adele and - from the forthcoming flick No Time To Die - Billie Eilish, here's proof, if you needed it, that the studios always punt for on-point artists, defining of their era.

Review: Grand River's always-illuminating One Instrument label reawakens with a new album from Martin Sander and Michel Isorinne's Bandhagens Musikforening project. Having previously appeared on Northern Electronics and Semantica, now these two advanced synthesists place all their attention on a select few studio pieces to see how far they can take them. First up is the Roland System 100, which affords them plenty of tonal possibilities for the pulsing, kinetic 'Nedgravd I Naturen'. With the Yamaha DX-7 they create a towering ambient piece of FM synthesis, while the Roland SH-101 gets applied to a dense and detailed slice of obtuse leftfield techno. The Oberheim Matrix 6R becomes a vehicle for cinematic melancholy, and the Waldorf Microwave teases out an immersive swirl of ambience as you might well expect from the One Instrument series.

Review: The aural aesthetics of Flying Lotus go hand-in-hand with film scores. There was the original music contributed to the Blade Runner 2049 anime prequel, tunes for Carole & Tuesday, and the small matter of his label Brainfeeder's new film division. Now we have Yasuke, his first full score.

If you're unaware, Yasuke is the Japanese animated series that's been a hit among fans of Far Eastern cartoons since arriving on Netflix. So far so factual, what about the actual tracks themselves? Well, this collection of arrangements is at once very FlyLo, and then not that FlyLo at all. Yes, there's plenty of deep genre diving going on, nodding to freewheeling jazz, prog rock, trap and more. But here it's much more minimalistic than many might be used to - resulting in a thoroughly original approach to soundtracking a samurai story, void of stereotypes, while never fully breaking from tradition.

Review: Bandmates Peter Christopherson and John Balance were allegedly holed up in a Victorian mansion in the almost-forgotten English seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare, in the midst of a drug binge when they got cracking on Musick To Play In The Dark. Location aside, it's hardly the most original genesis of an album, but nevertheless the end product was a sign of just how talented the artists are - give the average person a bag full of powders and pills and ask them for a record. Then see what happens.

Coil's tenth album arrived in 1999, bookending one part of their story and beginning the next. It's here the players opted to embrace ambient, glitch, minimalism and 'kosmische musik' - experimental rock sub-genre 'cosmic music' popularised in West Germany during the late-1960s. Or, to use the outfit's own terminology, they invented 'moon musick', marking their transition to a "lunar group". The results are mesmerising.

Review: Burnski's Instinct alias has given rise to two full-length albums and a swathe of EPs in just the past two years alone, and now he's heralding spring with the launch of a new label, Abyla, and his most delicate, ambient record to date. Happening is a far cry from what you might know of Burnski or indeed the Instinct project overall, focusing as it does on orchestral ambience with a preference for plaintive piano lines at the front of the mix and ample drone matter backing it up. These short vignettes glide between moods, hovering in moments of tender minimalism or bursting with effervescence depending on the situation.

Review: Never one to sit still, Sasha used the change in mindset that came with the lockdown to inspire his approach to music. LUZoSCURA (which means light and dark) is the new compilation that has resulted having evolved from the playlist of the same name. It's packed with new music from the man himself as well as newer names and more established artists. There are floaty, synth heavy ambient pieces like the 'Yin/Yang' opener, lush melodic electronic grooves from QRTR, symphonic garage cuts from MJ Cole and crunchy old breakbeats with more than a hint of Renaissance from Because Of Art.

Review: It was a logical next step for the coveted Late Night Tales label and compilation-mix-back-to-ours-selection series. While the brand has been known for inviting some of the finest DJs, artists and acts from the loosely defined and unarguably broad world of electronic music to deliver a personally curated tracklist of hugely various music, At the Movies breaks rank and instead looks to bring together work connected on a thematic level. As the title makes very clear, this is all about cinematic scores.

While there are a million and one of those compilations out there already, this stab at celebrating great soundtracks certainly does stand out. Perhaps chosen by more astute ears than the average 'churn-it-out' cash cow efforts, you'll find some relatively obvious choices for the LNT generation ('Mad World', anyone?) alongside more surprising choices, such as foxtrot classic 'Midnight, The Stars & You' and Wendy Carlos & Mark Ayres vocoder'd up take on 'Ode To Joy'.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Without question, Space Afrika are among the most innovative and original electronic acts currently making sounds. A project that started close to dub techno, albeit in a barely recognisable form, has since sprouted wings, or at least donned its hoody and stepped out into dark, streetlight-hued avenues that the sounds seem to build as we walk down. Few outfits could be said to still be making music that you've not really heard anything like before, but the Manchester-Berlin duo are on the list.

Honest Labour is the culmination of everything that has come before it, and yet completely new. It's beguiling melodies, curious samples, and murky noises echoing into the infinite backdrop of purposeful silence beyond. It's born from the underground UK club scene, and raised on the streets, rooted in R&B, soul, and downbeat, and yet capable of turning all those on their heads to deliver what can only be described as Space Afrika.

Review: When Cabaret Voltaire returned to the release schedule in 2020 as the one-man Richard H Kirk show, fans were relieved to find that mind-bending meld of 1970s Kosmische, techno, dub, house and space-age experimental electro was as pure as it ever has been - the results being a typically fresh and forward-thinking record the man in question summed up as "no nostalgia... normal rules do not apply. Something for the 21st Century. No old material."

Less than six months later and the big CV has more next level business to offer us, coming in the form of Shadow of Funk, a new EP that offers something of a counterpoint or extension to last year's full-length, Shadow of Fear. Based on 'Billion Dollar' alone - an acid-driven big, dark room banger that closes this EP -this release looks set to make an equally heavy impact, but as with anything this man touches, the joy is in discovery. So, let's leave it at that.

Review: If life came down to 'Bar Solitude' then we'd at once be in a lot of trouble and a truly easy going place. Airports aside, drinking in bars on your own is a mixture of frustration and hope. Sean La'Brooy makes the very phrase feel like it couldn't do more to invite you in, and pick up the tab. A jazz-inflected slice of late night ambience.

In all honesty the rest of the EP doesn't let track four down. You can pick between the wet shuffles of 'Triplet Falls', the pseudo acid house beauty that is 'Northcote Winter Solstice', the deep and timbre-filled immersive dive that is 'Thank You For Everything' (in the running for best use of guitars with synth on a chill out track), or either the post-rock or glittering chimes of 'Splash'. The point being it's all going to go your way.

Review: Los Angeles based ambient husband and wife duo, awakened souls join with Reunion Island native, From Overseas to create Keep The Orange Sun. After hearing each other's individual music, a deeper conversation started about shared musical influences and inspiration leading to the creation of this album. Keep The Orange Sun guides the listener on a thoughtfully curated path. Starting with the certainty of life's changes (Certainty of Tides) to arising self-doubt (Release/Adapt) and celebrating immersion in the present moment as the gateway to deeper connection with nature and one's life (Keep The Orange Sun). The instrumentation present in each track channels elements of electronic, shoegaze & ambient with each artist's distinct musical fingerprint highlighted.

Review: The truly special thing about a track like 'Tainted Love' is its malleability over time. The original elements touch on New Romanticism, New Wave, electro, and synth pop, creating a twisted and mutated version of the crooning troubadour that smacks of sticky dancefloor heat in subterranean haunts.

With that in mind a remix collection could pretty much go anywhere, and in many ways this one does. Presenting several interpretations of this timeless and iconic tune, these range from the not-so-different instrumental and the strikingly powerful but simple acapella, through to DJ Hell's typically growly stomper, and the groovier, wavier Jack Ford and Jaimieson Hill cut. Oh, and don't forget the very DIY sounding bonus track, 'The Hungry Years', which is a whole different story in its own right, so we'll leave you to discover that one.

Review: It's not long now until the much-delayed new James Bond film gets released, so to mark the occasion - and Record Store Day - the good folks at Silva Screen have decided to offer up this seven-inch containing cover versions of theme tunes from the iconic spy series. On the A-side, the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra joins forces with guitarist Vic Flick on a fittingly excitement-packed take on Monty Norman's original 'James Bond Theme'. Flick reprises his 1960s spy-funk guitar licks from the original version, while the orchestra hits all the right notes on a familiar favourite. Arguably even better is London Sound Works' similarly authentic and luscious cover of 'Goldfinger', with Louise Dearman doing a rather good impression of Dame Shirley Bassey.

Review: Past Inside The Present marks the end of The Sky Trilogy by Purl with Holographic Prism. This triptych of works has sought to explore collective dreams of celestial origin. The ambient sounds are all deeply involving and here come remixed by SVLBRD, Lav, Slow Dancing Society, Coppice Halifax, Warmth, Deflektion, Innesti, & Svartholtet. There is lots to love, with the icy shimmers and late night chill of the opener to the more dark, dank and dubbed out version of 'Merope' by Lav. 'Celestial Entropy' gets two different but equally fascinating versions turned out to close this absorbing EP in style.

Review: Full marks to Light in the Attic for the title of their latest well curated compilation. Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds Of Japan 1980-1988 is both broad and undefined yet highly specific. It captures the various moods of the music within perfectly - gentle lullabies of retro future synth music, curious Far Eastern pop ditties and all out ambient experimentalism that is never less than intriguing. The double LP comes with special liner notes and treads a thin line between metro boogie and sparkling atmospherics that will keep you coming back to discover more with each listen.

Review: Talk about good things coming to those who wait. Lewis Roberts' finally unveils his first album, a decade after his debut single dropped under the Koreless moniker. Of course that time frame should really come as no surprise, because even those first tracks - '4D' and 'MTI' - sounded as though they'd been crafted over a significant amount of time, separating wheat from chaff to ensure only the finest elements and most complete finished products made the end cut.

Here we are then, ten years later, looking at another masterpiece, only this time in long form. Showcasing deft ability to playfully use samples - at times almost as though Todd Edwards has been dropped into a futurist rave ('Joy Squad') - and explore levels of musicality far beyond the range of most producers. Next level post-UK bass goodness.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The re-discovery and re-appraisal of Beverly Glenn-Copeland's work is one of the more surprising outcomes of the pandemic's great pause, which for some people at least meant having more time to dive into the archives of cultural history, from music to literature to movies. Not that the spotlight isn't wholly deserving. As this 1986 album shows, the artist was well ahead of their time, with this strange, heady brew of electronic exoticism, experimental ambient and percussive poetry easy to mistake for a contemporary record.

Glenn-Copeland's own story is also a pretty interesting one. Now 76 years old, the maestro spent years identifying as a lesbian woman, before investigations in gender discourse led to the revelation that a transgender man was a more comfortable identity for the music maker, who also lays claim to a catalogue of kids' TV scores, including Sesame Street and Shiny Time Station.

Review: Japanese imprint Endless Flight presents a reissue of the arcane and mystical opus Ancient Rain by Koss aka Kuniyuki Takahashi, originally released back in 2008 as a CD only. It was an attempt to meld old melodic traditions with textural layers of modern electronic frequencies, in the process creating a ''new oriental sound', translating traces of ancient Asian music traditions into modern realms. Featuring a variety of moods and tones, from the celestial new age beats of 'Jumoku', to the shoegaze tinged ambient of the title track, '78 to 2008' with its knackered house vibe and the neo-classical inspiration behind 'Dream' (Real World) are just some highlights on this highly mediative sonic journey through the veteran producer's mind.

Review: During last year's various lockdowns, Sasha spent plenty of time updating his Luzoscura playlists on streaming services, using them as a vehicle for material he liked that didn't quite fit into regular club sets. Now things are easing, he's decided to deliver a CD version, mixing together a handful of his own unreleased productions with all manner of deep, melodic, atmospheric and smile-inducing treats. While it's musically and rhythmically diverse - within the first handful of tunes you'll hear breakbeat, two-step, deep tech-house and electronica beats - and boasts more bass-weight than you might expect, the focus is on sofa-bound listening, with bright and breezy electronics, warming chords and lilting instrumentation catching the ear. Combine this with Sasha's impeccable track selections and you have a genuinely entertaining mix.

Review: On vinyl for the first time here is Tangerine Dream's soundtrack to the 1983 film The Keep, directed by Michael Mann and - as part of Record Store Day 2021 - receives an official release as part of the band's boxset Pilots Of Purple Twilight. Story has it that Virgin Records planned a world wide release for February 1984, but it was scrapped when it appeared that the movie was a box office flop. With no vinyl (including test pressings) having been made, the original master tapes were shelved for more than 35 years. Cosmic, psychedelic and absolutely neon-lit all throughout, this one is definitely a worthy addition to the collection of any of the revered outfit's many fans.

Review: This is what happens when acclaimed Los Angeline harpist Mary Lattimore enlists Slowdive's Neil Halstead fo production duties. A lush, and liquid listening experience that is as graceful as it is confident, blurring the lines between classical and ambient in a way that seems to echo centuries of traditional, almost Medieval tones and contemporary electronic adventures alike.

Lattimore's work has previously been described in terms of 'dreamscapes', and few have been painted more vividly than Silver Ladders. These are deep dive arrangements that expand and contract like breathing, allowing the artist's signature instrument to shine while submerging it in swells of refrain. Movement is constant, and yet the record feels mill pond still. Hardly par for the course, even in the fertile sonic ground she works in. Step inside and prepare to be captivated.

Review: Founding member of Depeche Mode and celebrated singer songwriter in his own right, Martin Gore's The Third Chimpanzee EP is up there with some of the best solo work he has ever put out, with a particularly unique type of dance-synth vibe that you can't escape from no matter how hard you try. Now we have the remixes, which have a lot to live up to but come with plenty of promise.

After all, the chosen producers involved are all heavyweights in their own right, and were certainly ready to step up to the mantle here. Opening with a pair of tracks made different by two of Brazil's most revered techno heads - ANNA and Wehbba - from there we get Berghain bass experimentalist Barker, the fury of Rrose, and percussive wonder of JLin, and that's before we come to the likes of Chris Liebing and Kangding Ray.

Review: The soothing sounds of 12th Isle, arguably Scotland's most consistent dance-not-dance music label, have rarely sounded so, err, soothing, enticing or mind-opening. Then again, when you're combining the kind of pedigree the art-electronica imprint has with Baltimore's Tarotplane, AKA underground music hero PJ Doresey, the results should be pretty impressive.

It's not actually been that long since we had our last from the man in question, 2020's The Feedback Sutras, and in many ways this picks up from there - the new school kosmiche musical blueprint laid out in the past is explored in even more depth. Committing everything to a futuristic fantasy world where possibilities are endlessly proposed through chimes, synths, echoes and waves, if you're not painting pictures in your mind get yourself checked out.