Search results: Cromo

Review: A cult Brazilian band at their peak in the 1980s, Finis Africae represent the pinnacle of what post punk and its experimental offshoots reached for in South America. A lot of this compilation focuses on sprawling tracks that feature distant shapeless vocals, lightly pattering percussion and languid guitar, but cuts such as "Radio Tarifa" shimmy with the upstart angles of disco-not-disco at its finest, shot through with a salsa flair. Twisting and turning from child-sung folk to industrial-tinged instrumentals, through slow-pumping indie jangle and so much more besides, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised at many turns discovering one of the hidden gems of the other side of the world.

Review: For those that enjoy the more accessible, melodic end of ambient and deeper, gentler explorations of electronica, Kompakt's long-running Pop Ambient series has always been a must-check annual treat. The Cologne label's latest edition undoubtedly lives up to the quality of its many predecessors. Beginning with the spacey swell of T. Raumschmiere's 'Eternal', the collection attractively sashays between delicate, new-age influenced aural bliss (Mikkel Metal), immersive sunrise soundscapes (Yui Onodera), birdsong-smattered beatless beauty (Triola), enveloping sound design epics (Thore Pfieffer and Niko Tzoukmanis), crackling ambient transmissions from another dimension (Sono Kollektiv), nods to the Orb's FFWD collaboration with Robert Fripp (Blank Gloss) and cavernous explorations of slowly shifting audio textures (Umit Han).