London 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: It's madness to think that Blancmange have been going strong since the late-1970s. And by going strong, we really, really mean going strong. Private View is their 18th studio album to date, and far from feeling like a band rehashing the same old tropes, this sounds like a group in their prime. Coherent, well-conceived, and expertly executed, with a truly individual personality that's hard to compare to many peers.

Of course, on the face of things, this is synth pop, with elements nodding to the big guns like New Order (circa early-80s) and Depeche Mode. However, Blancmange have far closer ties to cold and synthwave than those names, managing to create huge sounds fit for big screen dystopia while retaining an underlying feeling of humanism and romance.

Review: It's now 25 years since Echo and the Bunnymen reformed (the Liverpool-born band initially disbanded in 1993) and recorded 'Evergreen', their seventh studio album. While reviews were mixed at the time, there's no doubt that it's as jangly, timeless-sounding and sonically gorgeous as any of their more acclaimed albums of the '80s and early '90s. Given that it was released at the height of 'Britpop' (Liam Gallagher provided backing vocals on 'Nothing Lasts Forever', a by-product of Oasis recording in the studio next-door), it's sound is far baggier, looser and warmer than much of the music being made by their younger rivals. On this expanded anniversary edition, the original (if remastered) set is joined by a disc of live recordings, both from their own shows and promotional radio sessions, all of which were laid to tape between 1997 and '99.

Review: Echo & The Bunnymen came back with renewed vigour when they reformed in 1997 and recorded Evergreen. The album was headed up by 'Nothing Lasts Forever', which lodged in the UK's musical psyche as the Britpop wave receded and everyone was craving a little more maturity in their indie bands. 25 years on, the album ranks as of the band's finest, as vital to their story as the classic 80s records, and it's a welcome treat to see it pressed up once again, on fetching white vinyl with a yolky centre, no less.

Review: Goldie's incredible debut album Timeless celebrated its 25th anniversary last autumn, so to celebrate this landmark he's decided to deliver an expanded edition. The original two-disc album, a genuine game-changer that showed the musical potential of the then relatively new musical form of drum & bass, is replicated in full in fully remastered form. Those who are new to the set will be blown away by the 21-minute opener, 'Timeless' (a suite of three tracks including peerless D&B anthem 'Inner City Pressure', as well as other standouts such as weighty jungle workout 'Jah The Seventh Seal' and more soulful numbers 'Angel' and 'You & Me'. Confirmed fans meanwhile will love disc three, where remixes, rarities and unreleased material - mostly from Goldie's personal stash of VIP versions - take centre stage.

Review: Goldie must have known he had done something special when he made his masterpiece because he gave it the perfect tittle. Timeless is the sort of album that transcends genres, eras and scenes. A quarter of a century after it was first written it still has the same impact that it did back then. The man himself as gone on to become a genuine national treasure with appearances in Eastenders, conducting orchestras, making documentaries for Sky Arts and much more. But it will surely always this record that remains his greatest piece of work.

Review: Timeless is Goldie's most iconic and enduring album. In 2021, it is now an unreliable 25 years old. As well as it getting its own standalone reissue, the most famous single from it also gets a re-release alongside some big remixes from key contemporary players. The 2020 Remaster kicks off and immediately sends shivers down your spine. Binary State then go for a dark, twisted, deep version, DBridge's Sonic Nostalgia mix is a real stepper with a menacing bassline and he closing cut is a lush and lounge-y [Re:Jazz] that is pure perfection.

Review: After the game-changing success of his debut album, "Timeless", Goldie could have easily repeated the same trick and cashed in. Instead, he went completely the opposite direction and indulged himself in an hour long orchestral symphony (many years before the current trend for such shows became a thing). Collaborations with Noel Gallagher (the vulnerable "Temper Temper"), personal tracks that address his mother, and a long lost suicide note. Musically, the now 21 year old "Saturnz Return" is mostly dark and broody jungle that will re-wire your brain, though "Digital" and "Fury - The Origin" offer moments of soaring beauty.

Review: There is no more iconic figure in the world of drum & bass than Goldie. In fact, he has pretty much transitioned to natural treasure in the years since he operated at the genre's bleeding edge as a DJ, label boss of Metalheadz and producer. His Timeless album, now a hard to believe quarter of a century old, was his big breakthrough and took d&b into new realms. The epic title track will always be the benchmark by which all others are judged by the whole flow the record, precision beat work and lush synth sounds have rarely been bettered.

Review: A veritable time capsule of a bygone era that now seems enviably innocent - fallout of Thatcherite politics, economic crises, and wars in the Middle East aside. Perhaps not too dissimilar from today, then, irrespective of your personal feelings towards Happy Mondays the baggy Mancunian swagger-ers did contribute one of the most distinctive voices to the Madchester and indie-acid crossover era, and one that oozed an air of disassociation from mainstream politics of the day. Adding to the sense of this being a period piece, Balearic Beats comprises four remixes of Ryder et al's original work, three of which from one of the leading figures in the dominant narrative about house music arriving in the UK - Paul Oakenfold. The tracks are low-slung, hypnotic, and have an atmosphere that's as thick as the air on a Mediterranean evening.

Review: Happy Mondays remain one of the most cult bands in UK dance music history. few had the success and widespread fanbase of these misfits, and to this day their iconic tunes still carry power musically as well as potent messaging. For this year's special Record Store Day release, London has pulled together big remixes of their most famous tune 'Hallelujah.' Ewan Pearson's is all slow motion drum churns and patient euphoria, the club mix has beefier drums and the Maccoll Mix has a more textured and tense indie feel. Any of these are sure to do big things on the floor.

Review: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" , by Joy Division, is one of the few rock songs in which the lyrics genuinely stand up as poetry, the deeply personal and private revelations contrasting with a coldly robotic and metallic musical background that owes much to the vision of producer Martin Hannett. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was recorded just two months before Ian Curtis committed suicide. It was originally released a month after his death, reaching number 13 in the UK charts in April 1980. The song has received many music accolades over the years, including being acclaimed as the 'Best Single Of All Time' by NME in 2006, and reaching number 179 in Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time.

Review: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" , by Joy Division, is one of the few rock songs in which the lyrics genuinely stand up as poetry, the deeply personal and private revelations contrasting with a coldly robotic and metallic musical background that owes much to the vision of producer Martin Hannett. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was recorded just two months before Ian Curtis committed suicide. It was originally released a month after his death, reaching number 13 in the UK charts in April 1980. The song has received many music accolades over the years, including being acclaimed as the 'Best Single Of All Time' by NME in 2006, and reaching number 179 in Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time.

Review: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" , by Joy Division, is one of the few rock songs in which the lyrics genuinely stand up as poetry, the deeply personal and private revelations contrasting with a coldly robotic and metallic musical background that owes much to the vision of producer Martin Hannett. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was recorded just two months before Ian Curtis committed suicide. It was originally released a month after his death, reaching number 13 in the UK charts in April 1980. The song has received many music accolades over the years, including being acclaimed as the 'Best Single Of All Time' by NME in 2006, and reaching number 179 in Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time.

Review: A double CD celebrating the iconic award-winning UK electronic duo's 30th birthday, featuring reworks and remixes from the deep Orbital discography, as well as the well-known live improvisation tracks, featuring techno, acid house and electro contemporaries such as ANNA, Eli Brown and Shanti Celeste to name a few. With the actual 30th birthday delayed by the pandemic the duo concocted a physical compilation release with highlights all over the track list, especially Shanti Celeste's rendition of 'Are We Here?' and Eli Brown's update of the classic track 'Chime', lending the track more traditional house sensibilities. You can even find Professor Stephen Hawking lending vocals on CD1s hardcore techno banger 'Where is it Going?'. This compilation is a one stop shop for fans of Orbital's three-decade career, and the perfect starting point for those unfamiliar.

Review: Finally getting around to celebrating their 30th Anniversary, Orbital here serve up a whopping deluxe boxset of exclusives. Built around their fabled live show, this veritable cornucopia of material contains reworks, remakes, remixes and reimaginings of all your favourite tracks, including Satan, The Box, Impact and Belfast. Jon Hopkins, Logic1000, Yotto, ANNA, Shanti Celeste and - yes - Stephen Hawking all feature.

Review: The Redskins released just one studio album, their well received debut Neither Washington Nor Moscow in 1986. It came on London Records and now for the very first time since the first time, it reappears on vinyl and CD with new sleeve notes by bassist Martin Hewes. The album came just two years after the band formed but already their soulful songs were packed with passion and political undertones as a result of the band all being members of the Socialist Workers Party. Highlights include 'Bring It Down! (This Insane Thing)' which was the band's only Top 40 hit. The band split the same year this was rebased.