Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Cocteau Twins' musical mastermind Robin Guthrie has produced some terrific solo records over the course of his career, frequently delivering material that joins the dots between ambient, ethereal soundscapes, shoegaze and the more immersive end of the soundtrack spectrum. 'Astoria' is the latest volume in the Scottish multi-instrumentalist and producer's ongoing EP series (its predecessor, 'Mountain', dropped in September). It's another typically gorgeous and enveloping affair in which effects-laden guitar motifs, gaseous ambient chords, gentle rhythms, ghostly aural textures and slowly shifting melodies combine to create instrumental sound worlds of rare beauty (if not sonic clarity - Guthrie's use of reverb and delay is liberal, which adds to its atmospheric nature but adds extra layers of attractively wide-eyed haziness).

Review: Robin Guthrie's Atlas is a four-track EP showcasing new instrumentals that gently reintroduce listeners to his distinctive world. Known for shaping genres with his production and signature guitar sounds, Guthrie famously co-founded and produced for Cocteau Twins. With over four decades of musical influence, he's produced, remixed, and collaborated across various projects, from instrumental albums to movie soundtracks and Atlas serves as a tantalising preview of what's to follow later this year, namely more of Guthrie's evocative sounds that will no doubt continue his legacy of pushing boundaries.

Review: Canadian composer Mort Garson enjoyed an eclectic career, though in electronic music circles he's most celebrated for a string of experimental electronic albums he produced using early Moog synthesizers. "Mother Earth's Plantasia" is a bizarre but brilliant beast: a 1976 set that was designed to be played to plants to help them grow (really) and was given away free at a Los Angeles garden store. As this first ever reissue proves it remains a dizzyingly far-sighted set. Sometimes symphonic, occasionally spacey and always intoxicating, much of the material is far quirkier than contemporaneous synthesizer-fired sets. Highlights include the pulsing ambient spaciousness of "Ode To An African Violet", the twinkling, cascading beauty of "Rhapsody In Green" and the jaunty cheeriness of "You Don't Have To Walk a Begonia".

Review: Wolfgang Voigt's groundbreaking project Gas returns with a definitive reissue of its self-titled debut album, originally released in 1996 on Mille Plateaux and now reintroduced by Kompakt on CD format. This release marks a long-awaited return to the foundational essence of Gas, as initially envisioned by Voigt. Gas unfolds across six expansive, untitled tracks that drift seamlessly, each a captivating journey of ethereal loops and rhythmic undercurrents. Distant echoes of classical motifs add to the album's enigmatic allure. This debut stands out for its airy, evocative atmosphere and its exploratory nature. Gas not only revisits a pivotal moment in electronic music history but also underscores Voigt's enduring influence and avant-garde spirit, setting the stage for the techno and ambient genres to unfold from his influence. There is quite nothing like the first four Gas albums.

Review: We Have Dozens of Titles by Gastr Del Sol is a treasure trove for fans, offering a glimpse into the experimental post-rock pioneers' journey from their Bastro roots to their groundbreaking work as Gastr Del Sol. This collection, curated from their 1993-1998 recordings, shows their evolution into sonic explorers, pushing the boundaries of post-rock with influences from musique concrete and free improv. The unearthed CBC recording from Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in 1997 is a highlight, featuring ethereal versions of familiar tracks like 'The Seasons Reverse' and 'Blues Subtitled No Sense of Wonder.''The live rendition of "Onion Orange' is a revelation, with Jim O'Rourke's kosmische synth waves intertwining seamlessly with David Grubbs' intricate guitar work. Additionally, the inclusion of rarities like 'The Harp Factory On Lake Street' and tracks from various compilations adds depth to the collection. Each track, whether a live performance or a studio recording, has been meticulously mastered or remastered by O'Rourke, enhancing the listening experience. We Have Dozens of Titles not only fills in gaps in Gastr Del Sol's discography but also exemplifies their innovative approach to music-making.

Review: Two years ago, long-term musical collaborators Jules Maxwell and Lisa Gerrard, who first worked together during the latter's time with 4AD signed musical mavericks Dead Can Dance, joined forces with James Chapman to create Burn, a critically acclaimed exploration of "euphoric and inventive" sounds that blurred the boundaries between neo-classical, world music and ambient electronica. One Night in Porto captures the pair's performance - ably assisted by Chapman and a small pool of supplementary musicians - of the album's widescreen tracks at Casa Da Musica in Porto last November. With Gerrard utilising her voice to the full - one minute, soaring and operatic, the next singing more sweetly and soulfully in an entirely different language - and Maxwell playing a grand piano and synthesisers, it's a stunningly atmospheric, uplifting and entertaining affair.

Review: Given her length of service (her first appearance as a guest vocalist was way back in 1992), it seems extraordinary that The Love Invention is officially Alison Goldfrapp's debut solo album. It's a typically sparkling, colourful and entertaining affair, taking the synth-pop sound that marked out her long collaboration with Will Gregory as Goldfrapp, and injecting it with a big dose of dance-pop energy. It's hardly a radical recalibration of her sound, though the influence of some of her collaborators - most notably co-producer Richard X (who was involved in some of the album's strongest moments) - is certainly evident. Goldfrapp naturally stars throughout, channelling her inner Roisin Murphy, with highlights including the sub-heavy, house-influenced synth-pop strut of 'So Hard So Hot', the vibrant 'The Love Injection' and catchy opener 'Never Stop'.

Review: The impeccable Lithuanian label Greyscale is a real leader when it comes to dub techno and already they are racing into 2024 in fine style with a first full-length of the year from label head Grad_U! The sublime and immersive Sustain has eight larges ambient soundscapes that are detailed with field recordings from another planet. Each one is alluringly empty and beautiful, intriguing and unsettling to make for an escapist trip to another dimension. The way the producer manages to conjure up what feel like familiar emotions in such a faraway world is second to none and will leave you wanting to do it all over again the second it ends.

Review: It's hard not to be impressed by everything Grimes touches. From the moment this album's trippy downtempo titular opener emerges from submerged depths of sound you know the latest from the Canadian is going to be a special moment in pop. As if to accentuate our point, "Delete Forever", two tracks later, introduces acoustic guitar tips while still retaining deep timbre and utilising effects to hypnotic ends on those hummed vocal loops. "IDORU", which closes out the record, feels far more playful, simple keyboard and whispered choral lyricism introduced with a backing track of bird song, before broken club beats fall in. It might be most fitting to finish a write up on the aptly-titled "You'll Miss Me When I'm Not Around", its guttural bass guitars and EDM-leaning vocal stabs not the only things reminding us the world would be weaker without this one.

Review: German pair Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth rightly got plenty of acclaim for their 2023 ambient album Overlay and now it gets revisited with a top selection of remixes that breathe new life into the original compositions. Prominent ambient and experimental artists such as Hollie Kenniff, Rafael Anton Irisarri and Pole all show their class while newer names like Abul Mogard smears synths into a misty wonder on 'Scope', Galan/Vogt layer in angelic vocal tones to 'Valenz' and Leandro Fresco brings a lightness of touch that fills with optimism on opener 'Apastron. Guentner and Spieth themselves provide two alternate versions of their originals that bring new emotional and sonic depth.

Review: On her third full-length release, Brooklyn-based bassoonist, composer and producer Joy Guidry showcases the full range of her 21st century jazz repertoire. While her frequently haunting and emotionally resonant bassoon parts are naturally a focal point throughout, these distinctive and intoxicating musical movements come wrapped in deep-set ambient soundscapes (see sublime opener 'Psalm:138:7'), waves of special effects (the equally meditative 'It's Okay To Let Me Go'), the righteous release of gospel ('Members Don't Get Weary', 'Angels') and the cosmic, higher-level intent of spiritual jazz ('I Will Always Love You'). In other words, it's an impeccable ambient jazz album that deserves wider recognition.