ATA 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Rob Mitchell is a composer, leader and arranger with the Abstract Orchestra but now he adds remixing to his long list of skills. He does so by looking to MADVILLAIN for a new project that was conceived during the pandemic when he had more time to spend in the studio cooking up ideas, big beat sounds and plenty of dance effort allure there working as Ghostlife - a subtle hint at the one and only MF DOOM. The tracks he picked come with higher BPMs and include the likes of 'Fancy Clown', 'Curls' and 'Figaro' which will all appeal to different crowds.

Review: After an impressive first volume last year, ATA Records are back with more of their Library Archive sounds. Inspired by greats such as KPM and DeWolfe but with a raw Leeds twist, this collection was produced on an array of old analogue gear across a series of sessions. Opener 'The Glass Eye' sets a psyched-out 60s funk feeling from the off then there are more upbeat and prickly pieces with lush flute leads likes like 'Windie Man' and raw, break-driven joints like the deep cut 'Fight Or Fuzz.' Word is that more volumes of this are planned in future, which we're glad to hear.

Review: While initially inspired by some of the greats of Ethio-jazz, Leeds outfit The Sorcerers has recently expanded its repertoire to include sounds inspired by 1960s/70s soundtracks (particularly those by Ennio Morricone and Roy Budd), obscure Italian library music and Blaxploitation funk. The band's latest album riffs extensively on these vintage influences, delivering an "original soundtrack" to an imaginary film inspired by a headline in The National Geographic. It's a wonderfully atmospheric and evocative affair, with all 12 tracks sounding so authentically vintage and emotive that they could easily have been made and released 50 years ago. Whether you've checked their previous releases or not, this is well worth a listen.

Review: Leeds post-punk mystics The Sorcerers deliver their latest album-length aporia, I Too Am A Stranger. With the compositional vision and timeless lines of bassist Neil Innes, truly rare grooves from drummer Joost Hendrickx (Gott Street Park, Eddie Chacon) and a little cosmos of tones and melodies from reed, flute, vibraphone and keyboard player Richard Ormrod - with the up-and-coming Leeds trumpeter Olivia Cuthill chosen to augment the brass sections and regular collaborator Danny Templeman filling out the percussion palette - the overall five-piece lay down nine instrumental funk eccentrics, drawing on everything from classic Ethiopiques, to the chanbara soundtracks of Fumio Hayasaka, to the oddball genius of Moondog. An implicit dedication to cosmopolitanism in album form.

Review: Back in 2014, Here & Now Records released a sampler for an as-yet unfounded Leeds-based label called ATA Records. The compilation featured "rare soul, funk and Afro" tracks from friends and regular bandmates Neil Innes and Pete Williams under a variety of pseudonyms. ATA emerged a year later, so to celebrate the label's imminent fifth birthday, ATA chiefs Innes and Williams have decided to reissue the compilation under a tweaked title. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the sweaty, James Brown-inspired "The Flip" and the breezy, easy listening-influenced soul shuffle of "Brother Move On", to the deep funk hustle of "Cookie Jar" and the Mod-style soundtrack slowness of "Moscow Central".

Review: A slew of jazz has made it through our doors this week, but little of it toes the realm of the spiritual. The exception to this observation is Work Money Death's 'Thought Action Reaction Interaction', a four track spiritual jazz album fashioned after the release stylings and sound of the infamous Pharoah Sanders. Each track has its own mood ('Freedom As A Heartfelt Song' is our highlight), at once encircling senses of happy urgency, ¾ walztes, and sifts through peaceful unknowns.