Review: Actress released a mix for Resident Advisor in June and to everyone's surprise, it was filled entirely with new, unreleased music. When asked if this was a new album, Darren S. Cunningham, aka Actress, responded simply, "It's a collage - Braque." Call it what you likeia mix, a mixtape, a collage, or even an albumiit's unmistakably another bold statement from Actress. Cunningham's approach defies labels and formats, creating music that exists in its own space, evolving without concern for conventional definitions or boundaries. It's just pure, unfiltered Actress, doing what he does best.
Review: If you're familiar with imprints like Nous'laer Audio, AD93, Tikita, or Semantica, but haven't yet explored the galaxy of sound coming from Ahrpe Records, now's your chance. Amandra is one of two heads behind said stable, and here the French producer shows everyone what time it is with a space walk through acid warbles and tribalistic rhythms. Neither of which give a particularly accurate description of what's here, but both are defining features of the tracks and EP as a whole. Whether it's the jazz-imbued shuffle of 'Prorokini', the phat wobbling steps of 'Brera Som Som' itself, or the wall of distorted percussion on 'Fanfaron', all four originals are standouts and hard to compare, while the cherry-picked remixes show just how much can be done with what's here, if the right ears are involved.
Review: Bjork and Rosalia team up for the limited marble vinyl edition 12" double-sider, 'Oral', now coming packed with a stunning remix by Olof Dreijer from The Knife. The record is described by its releasers OLI as not just a single release but a "call to arms", with 100% of the profits being funnelled directly to AEGIS, the Icelandic charity dedicated to eradicating intensive fish farming in the country. 'Oral' itself is now a staple of the latest incarnation of Bjork's ever-mutant career, consummating her and Rosalia's recent rapport; a sabre-wielding, purblind aesthetic - befitting also of another of Bjork's collaborative contemporaries, Arca - fits seamlessly with the elegiac reggaeton of the song. Dreijer's remix is rabid and wonky by comparison, its draggy, morphemic rhythms belying Bjork and Rosalia's equally wetted vocals, producing a wacky litany of faunal electronics and whizzing FX.
Review: Senking and DYL reunite after their notable collaboration back on 2020's EP Uniformity Of Nature, this time going long on their first full-length, Diving Saucer Attack. This new work spans a total of six tracks, two of which have been produced individually and so highlight their shared passion for dub-heavy and adventurous electronic music while also bringing out the subtle differences in their styles. The album opens with 'Six Doors Down', a track featuring throbbing bass and haunting synths while subsequent cuts like 'A7r380R' explore intricate soundscapes before culminating in the sombre closing piece, 'Not Just Numbers.'
Review: This is the first of two EPs leading up to Future Sound of London's much anticipated 2025 album and it is a powerful powering as you would expect of the electric pioneers. Side-A offers a dark ambient atmosphere as it weaves choral mists and ritualistic beats that evoke an eerie, swamp-like world before landing in an unsettling suburban scene. Side-B opens with reflective tones but shifts into a baroque minimalism that merges modular synths, breaks and drum machines. Layered with ambient field recordings and meticulously selected samples, the EP showcases FSOL's unique way of blending atmospheric depth and electronic experimentation into a hauntingly immersive experience.
Review: Scale and Scope is a set of four 7" and one-sided coloured flexidisc records where each one contains "an instantiation of an individual microtonal designer scale" all developed by Stefan Goldmann. These experimental sounds pair wispy fragments of melody, the hiss of static electricity, twisted drones and only just audible details that add a range of moods from psychedelic introspection to cosmic wonder. 'Series Y (Gamma)' sounds like the internal thoughts of R2D2, while 'Series D (Delta)' is a futuristic symphony of melody and harmony.
Review: In the early 1980s, Britain had a vibrant cassette culture that now gets spotlighted through a limited edition 12" featuring multi-instrumentalist Kez Stone's project, Imago. He was a notable name in Cornwall and the West Country's music scenes with previous projects, Artistic Control and Aaah! which have come back via reissues many times in the last ten years. Imago was a new one-ff project that first emerged with one track on the Perfect Motion compilation curated by NTS Radio's Bruno and Flo Dill and now the full LP, originally released in 1985 on the local label A Real Kavoom, has been remastered and added to with three additional gems. Stone's teenage punk influences sit next to Imago's eclectic approach to sound that blends new wave and psychedelic elements into something irresistible.
Review: Andy Rantzen is an academic psychologist and former University of Sydney lecturer who has been a fixture in Sydney's underground music scene since his early work with Pelican Daughters when he was producing industrial-ambient soundscapes and experimental tape recordings. Recently, his music has gained renewed attention through labels like Kashual Plastik and Efficient Space. Now he joins Paesaggi Records for a special Halloween release on 7". This unique two-tracker includes custom screen-printed cover art by Fieldink Studio, while Rantzen's continued impact on experimental and ambient music shines through in the sounds.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Joe Goddard - "Neptunes" (8:28)
Joe Goddard - "Rapid Fire" (feat Laima) (6:33)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "Around You" (3:02)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "Around You" (Joe Goddard remix) (3:35)
Joe Goddard - "Rapid Fire" (Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith remix) (3:55)
Review: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Joe Goddard, two luminaries of electronic music, have united to create Neptunes, a celestial collaboration that defies genre boundaries. This EP is a sonic journey through a vast, ethereal soundscape, where intricate synth work, pulsating rhythms, and haunting melodies converge to create a truly immersive experience. The title track, 'Neptunes', is a mesmerizing exploration of the namesake planet. Smith's modular wizardry conjures up a cosmic soundscape, while Goddard's rhythmic prowess provides a driving force. The result is a track that is both hypnotic and invigorating. Throughout the EP, Smith and Goddard showcase their individual talents while seamlessly blending them into a cohesive whole. Smith's ability to extract haunting melodies from her modular synthesisers is matched only by Goddard's knack for crafting infectious grooves. Together, they create a sonic tapestry that is as beautiful as it is complex. A testament to the power of collaboration and a record that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers of depth and complexity with each play.
Review: Commissioned by Meow Wolf for their Omega Mart immersive art experience in Las Vegas, Amon Tobin delivers the kind of horizon-expanding epic you would hope for from one of the world's most respected living electronic music visionaries. Running at 20 minutes, give or take 40 seconds, this collection of movements worthy of an odyssey may have been designed for a specific context, but they don't have to be trapped there forever. While nothing will compare to diving headfirst into Meow Wolf's critically acclaimed installation piece, a kind of sci-fi takedown of advanced capitalism and blind consumerism in a morally bankrupt world, separating sounds from space still makes a big impact. Noises from the future, soundscapes from the depths of a truly astounding mind, this is nothing if not captivating.
Review: .In celebration of Tomaga's tenth anniversary, the 'Sleepy Jazz for Tired Cats' EP shows Tomaga's avant-garde sonic world in a refined, remastered format by Marta Salogni. Valentina Magaletti and Tom Relleen crafted Tomaga as a creative lab and this EP brims with the duo's raw, genre-defying ethos. The title track, 'Sleepy Jazz for Tired Cats', explores a droning, minimalist aesthetic with metallic instrumentation, inspired by the raw spontaneity of Congolese street music. Its slow, hypnotic rhythms evoke dark, psychedelic atmospheres, immersing listeners in its abstract yet entrancing flow. 'Sunday Ticket' captures an ancient, almost ritualistic essence with experimental collages that echo aboriginal sounds. Lastly, 'Platform Shoe' melds tribal and nu-jazz influences, forging a distinctly "spaced-out" sound that defies easy categorisation. Tomaga's relentless exploration and impact will have you on a journey that is both introspective and otherworldly.
Porter Brook - "Three Things You Can Watch Forever" (5:58)
Ayu - "Light & Reflection" (4:51)
Atavic - "Subconscious" (5:30)
Tammo Hesselink & DYL - "Accent Award" (5:10)
Plebeian - "Gowanus" (5:05)
Review: Aaron J's Sure Thing kicks on towards its tenth release with a superb new 12" packed with fresh techno jams. Myriad different mods, grooves and tempos are on offer here starting with the puling rhythmic depths of Vardae's 'Pahlevan' then moving on to Kick21's 'Bright Interface', a dark and haunting low-end wobbler. Atavic's 'Subconscious' is a heady one with ambient cosmic pads over deeply hurried, supple rhythms then while Tammo Hesselink & DYL combine to mesmeric effect on the carefully curated broken beat brilliance of 'Accent Award.' A forward-thinking EP for sure.
Review: Tristan Arp returns to Wisdom Teeth with his second album, 'a pool, a portal', blending modular synths, cello, found sounds, and spoken word. The LP, crafted between Mexico City and New York, continues where his debut 'Sculpturegardening' left off, creating an ambient soundscape where nature and machines co-exist. Featuring a collaboration with Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti, this record is a journey into a future where humanity and technology evolve together. The artwork, like the music, blurs the line between the natural and the digital.
Review: Steve Pittis aka. Band Of Pain shares his latest album, Uncle God's Pag Pag Banquet, though he daren't mention what exactly a Pag Pag Banquet is: you'll have to listen and intuit that one for yourself. Treading new ground not only in sound but in collaborative and material form, the new record hears Pittis cycle through a bevy of brooding post-punk and avant-garde arraignments, all while tabbing collabs with Steven Stapleton and Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound) and Jean-Herve Peron and Jeanne-Marie Varain (Faust), as well as bringing the record to a cheekily compact 2xCD set, backed up by an unplayable (yes, you read that right) 12" record with exclusive etchings thereupon by Stapleton. A macabre assemblage, this is a cannibalistic sonic banquet for sure, a Burroughsian nightmare of a third album.
Review: Science, Art And Ritual chronicles the musical journey of Kingsuk Biswas, known as Bedouin Ascent. Growing up in Harrow during the 70s and 80s, Biswas was influenced by David Rodigan's dub shows and the post-punk experimentation of the era. His eclectic tastes spanned punk, free jazz, noise, and Indian Classical music, which he fused with his ever expanding record collection. By 1987, his music prefigured what would become techno and gave rise to this album which was released in 1994 by Rising High Records. Science, Art And Ritual now celebrates its 30th anniversary with a deluxe 3LP reissue featuring restored tracks and some bonus new material.
Review: Irene Bianco's debut solo album, Kronblade, is a quietly mesmerising exploration of sound that encapsulates the essence of everyday life. Released on the wxmen-led label Permanent Draft, founded by Valentina Magaletti and Fanny Chiarello, the album reflects Bianco's commitment to highlighting the subtle intricacies of sound. Utilising a unique blend of idiophonic instrumentsisuch as metal objects, bells, shakers, and vibraphoneialong with wind-up toys, zither strings, and field recordings, Bianco captures the delicate interplay of ambient soundscapes. Each of the six tracks unfolds like a poetic narrative, weaving through the realms of lo-fi improvisation, ambient textures, and chamber-like classical elements. Standout pieces like 'Sussulti' and 'Hvid' invite listeners on a dreamy auditory journey, while the final track, 'Op, Ned', shows her impressive restraint, merging piano motifs with water sounds and resonant dub elements. Kronblade is a profound example to the beauty of spontaneity and whimsy, reflecting Bianco's artistic vision and her ability to evoke emotions through intricate layers of sound.
Review: Originally released in 2017, Phantom Brickworks by Bibio (Stephen James Wilkinson) was an ambient exploration of abandoned sites around Britain, blending improvisation and composition to capture the lingering human presence in decaying locations. Now, the sequel, Phantom Brickworks (LP II), arrives as a ten-track double LP, complete with an MP3 download code. Mastered by Guy Davie and cut by Hendrik Pauler, this new record shifts focus to more intriguing landscapes, both real and legendary. From vast scars on the terrain to memories buried in folklore, Bibio's soundscapes evoke spaces lost to time but still resonant in history.
Review: Lil Yachty and James Blake's Bad Cameo showcases their fearless creativity, blending Yachty's dynamic vocals with Blake's signature production. Tracks like 'Missing Man' and 'Transport Me' shine with captivating depth, while 'Red Carpet' offers a soulful, gospel-infused highlight. The album's experimental nature, especially on tracks like 'Save the Savior' and 'Midnight', reflects the duo's bold approach, pushing boundaries with each song. Even in its unexpected turns, Bad Cameo remains an exciting exploration of sound. Available on limited magenta vinyl, this release is a fresh, innovative take from two artists unafraid to try something new.
Review: Den Helder is the northernmost city in Holland, is surrounded by water and borders the North Sea. With a military history dating back to the 16th century, it is also the most bombed city in the Netherlands and was nearly destroyed during World War II. The Third of May was written and recorded in 2020 over six days in an old pumping station located in the dunes of Huisduinen near Den Helder. The story behind the album is set in this historic city, weaving its tumultuous past into a vivid, imagined narrative inspired by the area's rich and tragic history. It's as much of an emotional rollercoaster as you would expect given the concept.
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