Columbia US 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: This September 21st, Leonard Cohen hit 80 years of age, and what better way to enter his ninth decade on earth than with another reliably dark and insightful series of grave reflections on the human condition. And indeed, with his stark ruminations backed with skill and taste by arrangements from erstwhile Madonna collaborator Patrick Leonard, he arguably hasn't sounded better in around half that time. Popular Problems is as witty, as wry, and as eternally affecting as we've come to expect from this troubadour. Indeed, while Cohen continues to make records as fine as this one, balancing out taste and refinement with gravitas and humour, we'll be forced to agree with his assertion herein: 'The party's over, but I've landed on my feet'.

Review: Depeche Mode's 'Wagging Tongue' was first released in 2023 as the star number from the indelible synthpop band's comeback album and swansong, Memento Mori. Something of downtempo musical elegy, the original track is a crisp exercise in melancholy uplift, colliding the band's usual synthetic arpeggiations with grass-is-greener lyrical themes. Now, however, comes a new ten-track remix bundle, of which select remixes have been chosen for a set of limited releases on wax. Most of the artists enlisted for the job have done a stellar job, amping up the tempo to a neatly electrified 130-ish-bpm, while indulging the zeitgeist's penchant for well-rounded but beefy sonics. On this one, none other than Daniel Avery sticks out with a futureological cosmic electro take, while Hawtin Gaiser opts for knocking big-room techno, and Henning Baer cools things down with a cityscape-soaring 808 remix.

Review: The fifth edition of Depeche Mode's Memento Mori white label remixes series hears four new remixes added to the post-hoc vinyl selection, offered to the world after the release of the synthpop pioneers' most recent eponymous album. Beginning with the demure atmospherics of Chris Avantgarde's 'Before We Drown', then into two propulsive, audio-brut experimental downtempo versions by AC, but not before a brilliant pystrance B1 by Indira Paganotto, which makes for a squarely sagacious sendoff.

Review: First featured on Depeche Mode's critically acclaimed, James Ford-produced 2023 album Memento Mori, 'Ghosts Again' returns in remixed form. Liverpool-based melodic techno maestro Massano (real name Sam Rose) steps up first, delivering a raw, heavy and mind-mangling take that sits somewhere between darkened new wave, moody techno, and early noughties electroclash sounds. It's a fine remix all told that showcases the best of the Basildon band's original synths and vocals, while dragging the track kicking and screaming towards the dancefloor. Techno veterans Chris Liebing and Luke Slater take over on side two, predictably delivering a fearlessly fast, weight and intoxicating take that's as stomping as they come and twice as dirty.

Review: Much loved doom monger emo kids Depeche Mode have always been ripe for remixing by new generations of electronic music artists and so it is that there 'My Favourite Stranger' gets a series of re-rubs here on Columbia. Tech house mainstay Boris Brejcha remixes first and elongates the grooves with mournful pads up top. The Ela Minus remix of the same tune brings some extra textured and darker moods and the best is saved till the last if you ask us. The Lond Island Sound remix is high speed and tinged with electro synth work as the moody vocals echo about the mix to trippy effect.

Review: Depeche Mode's new album Memento Mori is a rather bittersweet one for fans - they are of course happy to hear fresh material from their favour electronic doom mongers, but it is also the last time they will hear music from the group featuring corer member Andrew Fletcher, who suddenly passed away at the start of the sessions. Remaining members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore wondered if they would carry on, but carry on they did. And we're glad they did, as this is one of their best albums in years with darkness abounding. Their progression in their latest years have heard them move into darker, peakier, sadder and more industrial themes while drawing on deathly topoi.

Review: Ooof! Two forever-scorching disco gems from the one and only Cheryl Lynn. This extended version of the screaming funklet "You Saved My Day" has only been available on rare promo, while the full version of her seminal party jam "To Be Real" enjoys pride of place on the B. 40 years young and still untouchable.

Review: Lucky is the debut album from Megan Moroney, who is fast becoming one of the brightest new talents out of Nashville. Her take on the country tradition is the perfect blend of classic and contemporary, but of course it's all about the star at the centre of the sound and Moroney's voice conveys heartbreak and fortitude in equal measure. Produced by Kristian Bush, the album more than lives up to her CMT award for Female Breakout Video of the Year for 'Tennessee Orange' and a swathe of other plaudits that ensure we're going to hear plenty more from Moroney in the years to come. This deluxe edition of the album comes across two discs, with the fourth side reserved for an etching making this an unmissable collectors item for Moroney's swelling fanbase.

Review: New Yorker Has is a hip-hop behemoth who will always be associated with his untouchable Illmatic album, but he has also penned plenty of other words that are almost as good. One of them is I Am: The Autobiography, which they say might be the greatest album never released. It is a connect double album that was originally meant to follow up Illmatic and It Was Written and it follows a superb plot line from the moment he is born during the intro to his death in the outro. The second half of the album then sees him reincarnated but before any of this saw the light of day in an official capacity it was leaked and bootlegged back when the internet was still young and infamous for these things. Now after all these years it finally gets the proper vinyl drop it needs.