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REVIEWERS WANTED
Author: miri
If you're interested in writing reviews for Boomkat and are local to the Manchester area, we are currently looking for contributors.
Please send an email with an example of your writing and a precise idea of your musical tastes and preferences to :
admin@boomkat.com
Contributors would write reviews from our office in central Manchester for a few hours each week in return for staff discounts on purchases.
STARS OF THE LID IN LEEDS
Author: estelle
Forest of Sound present:
Stars of the Lid (www.myspace.com/starsofthelid)
The Declining Winter (www.thedecliningwinter.com)
At The Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6HW.
Sunday May 25th, doors 8pm.
£10 adv (tickets from Jumbo Records and We Got Tickets),
£12 on the door
MURCOF
Author: miri
Evolution Presents Murcof (The Leaf Label) and Mira Calix (Warp Records)
Saturday May 24 7pm
The Victoria Hall, Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow
Tickets £6/7 - Available from
http://www.jumborecords.co.uk
http://www.leedsconcertseason.com
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
STEPHAN MATHIEU - Radioland
DIE SCHACHTEL
CD //
£14.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: DSART06
*STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION TRANSPARENT CD - HOUSED IN AN ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS OVERSIZED PLEXIGLASS CASE WITH AN ACETATE FOLDOUT COVER* In recent years Stephan Mathieu has composed some of the very finest examples of what the microsound movement has to offer: most recently 2006's Hidden Name (Cronica) with Janek Schaefer, and before that 2004's Pieces Of Winter (Sirr) with John Hudak. Until now, the release of The Sad Mac on Japanese imprint Headz was the most recent solo recording from Mathieu, and deservingly, it found him a good deal of acclaim in the press, but Radioland sounds like a real step up for the composer and is without question one of the most beautiful albums you'll see and hear in 2008. The album takes shortwave radio signals as its starting point, meaning Mathieu instantly invites comparisons with Tod Dockstader and William Basinski, but while there's often a grainy, hazed over murk to those works, Mathieu somehow brings a luminosity and brightness out of his sources. The opening trilogy of pieces (each named after an archangel) makes for an utterly absorbing half-hour sequence, each composition spanning an immersive ten minutes of analogue-mastered, carefully processed signals. To some of the less ardent drone disciples out there, it might be difficult to accept that certain records ascribing to that format can be radically better than others, but Radioland really is. The detail, subtlety and physicality of this music transcends the norm by quite some measure, with the most involved, elaborate pieces sounding positively symphonic. Further to that, a special mention should be given to the presentation of this album: it comes in a beautiful, oversized plexiglass case with an acetate foldout cover, and the CD itself is transparent - I don't really understand what devilry makes that possible but apparently it is. In any case, this is a thing of luxurious, opulence and beauty, but doesn't nearly match the effervescent brilliance of the music it houses. Brought to you with the highest possible recommendation - "Radioland" is a real treasure that should not be missed.
- Tracks on STEPHAN MATHIEU - Radioland:
STEPHAN MATHIEU : 01- STEPHAN MATHIEU : 02
- STEPHAN MATHIEU : 03
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
MACHINEFABRIEK & MATT DAVIES - Onkruid (A Room Forever Limited Edition Box)
A Room Forever
DELUXE LP BOX //
£19.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: EVP-001
Estimated time of shipping: 7-14 days
*EXTREMELY LIMITED EDITION HAND-NUMBERED DELUXE BOX - 300 COPIES ONLY FOR THE WORLD* No sooner had we finished listing last week's amazing box from Svarte Greiner - and it sold out, so this second instalment in the amazing "A Room Forever" label/art project is unlikely to touch the sides. This time round the music comes to us from composer/improv master Rutger Zuyderveldt under his Machinefabriek moniker (there's an excellent piece about him in this month's Wire magazine - well worth checking out), with the b-side handled by Touch affiliate and artist Matt Davies who provides some incredibly immersive field recordings. Once again the record comes packaged in a custom made box adorned with high quality digital c-print covers and letter pressed insert - with each one hand stamped and individually numbered. With all of that out of the way, however, we weren't quite prepared for the almost overwhelming aural engagement of Machinefabriek's 'Onkruid' - a track so layered and haunting it really does feel like the most vital and important piece of music in the vast Machinefabriek canon to date. It opens with a submerged hum of strings and found sounds that immediately bring to mind Arvo Part or the more recent appropriations of Marsen Jules, but the way Zuyderveldt handles the material you're left with the sense that at any minute the individual layers will start to fold in on themselves and multiply, or alternatively - fall apart. This is music of barely containable proportions, demanding emotional involvement at an almost unnerving level - and eventually rewarding you with tension and catharsis in a subtle and barely perceptible sonic manoeuvre that will leave you breathless. It's just a truly remarkable piece of music from this hugely prolific artist - and impossible to capture fully in one sitting. Over on the flipside, Matt Davies carefully assembles field recordings taken at the Lee Valley Park Bird Sanctuary, the hum of found sounds joined by the distant, seemingly pre-ordained cascade of birdsong and fluttering wings, making their own subliminal kind of music in a way that seems to have been designed to fit in with these musical surroundings. It's a strangely reflective piece and indicative of the kind of emotional resonance the best kind of field recordings manage to achieve - you're left with a nostalgic and wondrous mental image of a beautiful moment in time captured for eternity on this age-old format. It's a moving and somehow inspirational end to this magnificent record - and exceptional package. Please HURRY if you want one of these - consider yourself warned!
- Tracks on MACHINEFABRIEK & MATT DAVIES - Onkruid (A Room Forever Limited Edition Box):
- MACHINEFABRIEK & MATT DAVIES : 01
- MACHINEFABRIEK & MATT DAVIES : 02
- MACHINEFABRIEK & MATT DAVIES : 03
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
OREN AMBARCHI - Destinationless Desire
Touch
7" //
£4.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: TS05
The 5th instalment in the Touch 7" series is for our money the most incredible of the bunch - with the always brilliant Oren Ambarchi delivering two exclusive new tracks recorded in Sydney between 2005 and 2007. Opening piece "Highway Of Diamonds" develops around a fluttering organ loop and immersive static, a radiant, sonically cushioned arrangement that leaves you unprepared for the stark organ transmission that breaks loose halfway through and takes the piece to a much more sonically daring environment. It's beautifully conceived and expertly realised at the hands of Ambarchi, interweaving textures and barely perceptible undulations in the most confident and original manner, once again stamping out a brilliantly unique niche for Ambarchi somewhere between the dense drones of sometime bandmates Sunn o))) and the more ethereal, processed beauty of his label contemporaries BJ Nilsen and Fennesz. Flipside track "Bleeding Of Shadow" is just breathtaking - features almost 7 minutes of electric guitar, samples, bells, percussion and a motorised cymbal in the most exquisite fashion, making use of some ghostly Fairport Convention recordings and creating the kind of re-working last heard on the mighty "Plays" single from Chrisitan Fennesz almost 10 years ago. With the record framed by another oddly moving image by Jon Wozencroft - it's a compelling proposition, and an utterly essential purchase.
- Tracks on OREN AMBARCHI - Destinationless Desire:
- OREN AMBARCHI : 01
- OREN AMBARCHI : 02
- OREN AMBARCHI : 03
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
ÓLAFUR ARNALDS - Variations Of Static
ERASED TAPES
CD //
£8.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: ERATP8CD
Sounding unreasonably mature for a 21-year old composer, Olafur Arnalds has already got one well-received album behind him (Eulogy For Evolution), and this follow-up EP can only add to his growing reputation. It'd be all too easy to compare Arnalds with fellow Icelanders Nico Muhly and Johann Johannssonn, so that's precisely what I'll do: in general there's a sense of very tangible, heartstring-tugging romance common to the work of all three (and for that matter Max Richter) but to be more specific, the weary, bereft-sounding intonation of a computer voice runs throughout the course of the record, something directly reminiscent of the singing CPU on Johannsson's Englaborn - no bad thing to be associated with. Beyond that, Arnalds supplies ample evidence of great things to come, and given how emotive and grandly melancholic these compositions are, you might earmark him as a future superstar of film scoring - indeed, Zbigniew Preisner is bound to be another name that springs to mind listening to these skilfully fashioned miniatures. In addition to the strings and pianos that form the foundations of his sound, Arnalds isn't afraid to embrace more contemporary instrumentation: a careful, sparing use of micro-beats further assists the young composer in the establishment of a distinct voice within the community of current neo-romantic composers, within which he should surely be regarded as a rising talent. Utterly lovely - highly recommended.
- Tracks on ÓLAFUR ARNALDS - Variations Of Static:
- ÓLAFUR ARNALDS : 01
- ÓLAFUR ARNALDS : 02
- ÓLAFUR ARNALDS : 03
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY - Lie Down In The Light
Domino
CD //
£10.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: WIGCD222
Sneaking up on you with all the stealth of a Raconteurs album, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy returns with a brand new album - not a covers album (like the recent Ask Forgiveness) and not a sketched collection of demos (like the even more recent Wai Notes), but a proper studio-recorded follow-up to 2006's The Letting Go. Musically, Lie Down In The Light is a lot less flashy and polished than its Valgeir Sigurdsson-produced predecessor, dropping the string sections and carefully sculpted electronic elements in favour of a more traditional country sound, the most recent precedent for which would be Master & Everyone. Overall you'd have to view this newie as a generally more upbeat affair than that 2003 LP, but both albums benefit from the bright, unfussy production of Lambchop's Mark Nevers. In addition to a core band comprising brother Paul Oldham, guitarist Emmett Kelly and new vocal partner Ashley Webber, the Bonnie Prince plays host to an extended cast of contributors, providing trad Nashville elements like pedal steel and fiddle, or less obviously country-compatible instruments like trombone and clarinet (the latter of which lends a slight ragtime feel to 'For Every Field There's A Mole'). It's oddly refreshing to hear an artist of Will Oldham's calibre shying away from any pressures to push his sound into unexpected directions, and instead return to such well-trodden territory as the articulate Western sounds heard on this album. He's just writing songs - and they're plenty good enough to not require any dressing up or twisting. Oldham actually sounds unconventionally chipper on the likes of 'So Everyone', which exudes a joyful classic rocking cheer, and based on first impressions there's really not much here to indicate Oldham's penchant for comically overstated grimness, as most famously illustrated on I See A Darkness. In some senses Lie Down In The Light is too crowded a record for introspection even, and only during a few rare instances (notably 'Missing One' and the album's title track) does Oldham sound sufficiently left to his own devices to establish a real intimacy with the listener. That actually might be a good thing: it's great to hear him stepping away a little from that cliché of the solitary singer-songwriter and embracing a more outward-looking music. Highly Recommended.
- Tracks on BONNIE PRINCE BILLY - Lie Down In The Light:
- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY : 01
- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY : 02
- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY : 03
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
AUDION - Billy Says Go
Spectral
12" //
£6.49
MICRO / MINIMAL
Catalogue Number: SPC60
The restless talents of Matthew Dear are put to good use again with three inimitable floor workers under his aerobic techno pseudonym Audion for his spiritual home at Spectral records. On 'Billy says go' Dear ruffles up a weighty rumble of bass driven kicks before deploying an earworm of haunting drones and a hazily opiated Middle Eastern tone to form the lead melody, it's seriously sick stuff and should work some real magic in the right situations. Finishing the A-side 'Snap into it' locks into a devilish acid-tech-house groove driven by a deceptively simple square bass riff that sounds like it's melting into the groove, purest uncut gear this. The 45 rpm A-side is reserved for the muscular and toned minimalism of 'Against all odds', bearing a defined resemblance to Marcel Dettmann's stripped and purist approach, any form of melody taken up by the bassline modulations, while the top line is formed from furnace blasts of distortion and uneasy swarms of white noise delivered with a horribly evil grin. Sophisticatedly nasty techno brilliance. Killer.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
LIQUID LIQUID - Slip In And Out Of Phenomenon
Domino
CD //
£13.49
FUNK / DISCO EDITS / BLENDS
Catalogue Number: REWIGCD34
Liquid Liquid, the no-wave band so good they named them twice, get their first three, groundbreaking EPs re-released as part of this great retrospective on Domino, which also compiles a number of previously unreleased and live recordings there are ten bonus cuts in total). The influence of the New York post-punk band can be heard throughout today's more rhythmically-oriented rock bands, from the DFA roster to !!! and The Rapture, but beyond that, as if the impact (however furtive) this band had on popular culture wasn't clear enough, a quick listen through 'Cavern' reveals the foundations of Grandmaster Flash's 'White Lines' which sampled and generally plundered the song for all its worth. Liquid Liquid were also one of the first bands to incorporate the percussion-heavy sounds of Afrobeat and more experimental drum manoeuvring: the treatments and production techniques bhind 'Lub Dupe' sound like a particularly odd piece of early radiophonic tape music, while a song like 'Bellhead' is equal parts gamelan orchestra and Rio carnival. Liquid Liquid could be the very archetype of a band who made a vast impact on the musical climate despite its minuscule discography, although the release of this hour-long collection means there's never been quite so much of it all in the same place before. Essential Purchase.
- Tracks on LIQUID LIQUID - Slip In And Out Of Phenomenon:
- LIQUID LIQUID : 01
- LIQUID LIQUID : 02
- LIQUID LIQUID : 03
BUTCHER THE BAR - Sleep At Your Own Speed
Morr Music
CD //
£7.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: MM082CD
After delivering one of Morr's most memorable 7" releases in recent memory (Getaway/Leave This Town), singer-songwriter Joel Nicholson has come up with a full-length for the Berlin label, compiling thirteen home recordings largely focussed on whispered vocal and softly plucked acoustic guitar. Former A-side 'Getaway' sets the album underway with a slightly more expansive palette than that, pairing lo-fi fuzztone guitar with simple percussion to e... READ MORE ABOUT: BUTCHER THE BAR, Sleep At Your Own Speed, Morr Music 
- Tracks on BUTCHER THE BAR - Sleep At Your Own Speed:
- BUTCHER THE BAR : 01
- BUTCHER THE BAR : 02
- BUTCHER THE BAR : 03
VARIOUS / SOUL JAZZ - Steppas' Delight
Soul Jazz
2CD //
£11.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: SJRCD178
If you're going to trust any label to give you th low down on a UK soundystem scene it's probably going to be Soul Jazz innit? Here the good people from the most knowledgable institution in the country compile a forward looking retrospective that fills the gaps between Martin 'Blackdown' Clark's 'Roots of dubstep' comp and their current charge with the Box of Dub series. Complete with the now standard booklet giving an informative and eye opening... READ MORE ABOUT: VARIOUS / SOUL JAZZ, Steppas' Delight, Soul Jazz
- Tracks on VARIOUS / SOUL JAZZ - Steppas' Delight:
- VARIOUS / SOUL JAZZ : KODE9
- VARIOUS / SOUL JAZZ : GOTH TRAD
- VARIOUS / SOUL JAZZ : SHACKLETON
VARIOUS / RINSE FM - Rinse 04 (Mixed by Skepta)
Rinse
CD //
£10.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: RINSECD005
Massive mix styles from grime don Skepta for the latest installment of Rinse.FM mix series. The Boy Better Know CEO brings a huge selection of grime, dubstep and funky to the mix with a ruck of Skepta classics and exclusives chopped with anthems from Coki and Benga's 'Night', Mr Bean's scene stormer 'Apple', Newham Generals and Jammer, Chipmunk, Wiley, JME, and a fully loaded barrel more. The mix neatly manages to contain the energy of a rinse.fm... READ MORE ABOUT: VARIOUS / RINSE FM, Rinse 04 (Mixed by Skepta), Rinse
- Tracks on VARIOUS / RINSE FM - Rinse 04 (Mixed by Skepta):
- VARIOUS / RINSE FM : SKEPTA
- VARIOUS / RINSE FM : BENGA
- VARIOUS / RINSE FM : NEWHAM GENERALS FT. JAMMER
QUIET VILLAGE - Silent Movie
K7
CD //
£9.99
MICRO / MINIMAL
Catalogue Number: K7225CD
Radioslave's Matt Edwards and Joel Martin have made a contemporary exotica, library-style record having invested time digging through all the right crates to find suitable source material to fashion their retro, soft focus sounds. It's to the duo's credit that you really can't tell where the sampling ends and the new recordings begin. While you'd presume that most of 'Victoria's Secret' comes from old soundtracks stitched together, it's far harde... READ MORE ABOUT: QUIET VILLAGE, Silent Movie, K7
THURSTON MOORE - Built For Lovin'
LOST TREASURES OF THE UNDERWORLD
LP //
£22.99
EXTREME / NOISE
Catalogue Number: LTLP006
**STRICTLY LIMITED PICTURE DISC** Thurston teams up with fellow indie heroes Mark Ibold (one-time bassist in Pavement and former Free Kitten associate) Sunburned Hand Of The Man drummer John Moloney and his ever-reliable Sonic Youth sparring partner Steve Shelley. Supposedly, somewhere on here is a rough demo of a soundtrack to an HSBC advert (which presumably never aired?) but you really wouldn't want to take out a mortgage with a finance house ... READ MORE ABOUT: THURSTON MOORE, Built For Lovin', LOST TREASURES OF THE UNDERWORLD
- Tracks on THURSTON MOORE - Built For Lovin':
- THURSTON MOORE : 01
- THURSTON MOORE : 02
- THURSTON MOORE : 03
INSTRA : MENTAL - Rogue / Sakura
DARKESTRAL
12" //
£5.99
DRUM & BASS
Catalogue Number: DARKESTRAL003
*LIMITED RED VINYL!* More badass D'n'B from the label that has caught everyones attention recently, with 2 super lush and modified tech steppers from label heads Instra:mental. We often bang on about the terrible state of drum and bass at the moment but it's labels like this that put our faith back into a genre that once upon a time gave us a hell of a lot of excitement. 'Rogue' once again harks back to the classic styles of Photek or Teebee with... READ MORE ABOUT: INSTRA : MENTAL, Rogue / Sakura, DARKESTRAL
SOUTH3RN - Fully Loaded
LO DUBS
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: LODUBS1208006
Gangsta leaning steppas from US producer South3rn for Lo Dubs. Fully loaded is a well skilled diversion from the usually tougher dubstep mutation on Lo dubs, based around a Loefah styled slouch beat South3rn brews some wicked dub chord progressions and snaking percussive lines for well useful soundsystem tool. 'Muslim dub' on the flip continues this fine form with a cracking dub variant, coming with some authentic echo chamber dub styles and beau... READ MORE ABOUT: SOUTH3RN, Fully Loaded, LO DUBS
TAKAHIRO KIDO - Fleursy Music
PLOP
CD //
£11.99
POST-ROCK
Catalogue Number: PLOP4
Japanese multi-instrumentalist Takahiro Kido might already be known to some for his work with Anoice, whose album Remmings was released via Important Records a couple of years back. Now stepping out on his own for the reliably wonderful Plop label, Kido has made one of the most convincing and rewarding hybrids of modern composition and micro-electronics of the year so far. In addition to his own performances across a variety of instruments (inclu... READ MORE ABOUT: TAKAHIRO KIDO, Fleursy Music, PLOP
ERIC CHENAUX - Sloppy Ground
Constellation
CD //
£13.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: CST052-2
Following up on his Dull Lights LP from 2006, songwriter and guitarist Eric Chenaux finds himself on Sloppy Ground, although that title probably isn't doing him sufficient justice. This doesn't sound particularly aligned with any other current threads within the singer-songwriter field, and Chenaux's peculiar, tangled up arrangements present his music in a slightly askew, very personal fashion with well-mapped out, yet slightly ramshackle full ba... READ MORE ABOUT: ERIC CHENAUX, Sloppy Ground, Constellation
D-BRIDGE - The Gemini Principle (ft. Calibre & Instra:mental)
EXIT
4LP //
£17.99
DRUM & BASS
Catalogue Number: EXITLP002
What's going on? Two utterly sick D'nB releases in one week! With the sort of credentials some producers would kill for including releases for everyone from Trouble on Vinyl to Soul:r, the man like D-Bridge counts none other than Burial amongst his biggest fans and it's clear to see why when you've listened to this album. Initiating itself as the best D'n'B album since Breakage's 'This too shall pass', 'The Gemini principle' comes laden with eigh... READ MORE ABOUT: D-BRIDGE, The Gemini Principle (ft. Calibre & Instra:mental), EXIT
- Tracks on D-BRIDGE - The Gemini Principle (ft. Calibre & Instra:mental):
- D-BRIDGE : 01
- D-BRIDGE : 02
- D-BRIDGE : 03
GOTH-TRAD / SILKIE - Genesis
Soul Jazz
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: SJR18412
The man from way out east comes on strong with two hardcore dubstep variations in his celebrated style. 'Genesis' cuts up the A-side with a generous lashing of brutal subs attacks and ornate rhythmic convolutions that are simply streets ahead of most of his peers, add this to any set and you're in for a treat. The flipside bears one of Silkie'ss finest tracks to date with a fwd>>steppin' motion and hi-end electronica sound palette that immediatel... READ MORE ABOUT: GOTH-TRAD / SILKIE, Genesis, Soul Jazz
PIVOT - In The Blood (Rustie / Clark Mix)
Warp
12" //
£4.99
POST-ROCK
Catalogue Number: WAP245
Much lauded instrumental rock from new Warp signings Pivot. The aussie trio slip into the current Warp roster very nicely with a succinct blend of math rock dynamism similar to Battles, mixed with the psychedelic freeness of say Four tet or even a Sunburned jam, mixing traditional guitars with squealing synths and a tight controlled ferocity that warrants their fanbase. The two tracks from Pivot are backed with a pair of remixes from heed of the ... READ MORE ABOUT: PIVOT, In The Blood (Rustie / Clark Mix), Warp
- Tracks on PIVOT - In The Blood (Rustie / Clark Mix):
- PIVOT : RUSTIE MIX
- PIVOT : CLARK MIX
- PIVOT : ORIGINAL MIX
HENRY & LOUIS - Increments
2 Kings
CD //
£9.49
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: 2KRCD05
Trailing in the success of the two recent 10"s, Bristol system rockers Henry and Louis drop a heavyweight 15 track Lp of primed roots rockers material for 2 Kings. The two recent 10"s are included here in dub and vocal formats, but it's the welath of new material that makes this album definitely worht a look in. Relying on old school dub production techniques gleaned from Bristol's fertile reggae heritage and with respectful nods to Scientist, Ja... READ MORE ABOUT: HENRY & LOUIS, Increments, 2 Kings
PLUXUS - Solid State
Kompakt
CD //
£8.99
ELECTRO
Catalogue Number: KOMCD65
What do they put in the water up there in Sweden? Maybe their's is really pure and ours is just holding us back? Either way Pluxus are quite an interesting proposition who have recently been picked up by the fine-eared crew at Kompakt who have done us all a service by reissuing their fantastic 2006 album 'Solid State' originally released on the bands own Pluxemburg imprint, also home to Andreas Tilliander, Jeans Team and Fibes, Oh Fibes! Pluxus w... READ MORE ABOUT: PLUXUS, Solid State, Kompakt
RAMADANMAN - Blimey / Drowning / Tak
HESSLE AUDIO
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: HES005
Hessle Audio make another step in the right direction with this tight selection of cuts from Ramadanman. In similar styles to this weeks drop from Instra:mental, Ramandanman pays some dues to the legendary riddim styles of Photek, with a considered and calculated rhythm construction formed from a rich percussive pallette and reduced atmospherics drawing in field recordings and delicate pads for a superbly immersive experience similar to the fines... READ MORE ABOUT: RAMADANMAN, Blimey / Drowning / Tak, HESSLE AUDIO
PEDRO - You, Me & Everyone
Mush
CD //
£8.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: MH255CD
Pedro has long been dogged by the 'a bit like Four Tet' tag, but hopefully this new Mush LP will finally cement the producer as a creative force in his own right. Well, if it doesn't the upcoming remixes for Radiohead and Foals should do the trick (mind you, remixing Radiohead? That's one of Kieran Hebden's regular gigs, isn't it?) You, Me & Everyone sounds a good deal more elaborate than previous efforts, and in production terms it's a culminati... READ MORE ABOUT: PEDRO, You, Me & Everyone, Mush
MUNDO - Fear No One / Hear Youts
DUB ASSEMBLY
10" //
£4.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: DA007
Latest drops from Texan badman Jason Mundo for his neat Dub Assembly imprint. Continuing to skirt the edges of the dubstep style in his usual fashion, Mundo works out a fierce bass gremlin on 'Fear no one', with a taut rhythmic infrastructure providing support for his rampant bass growl mista Mundo tweaks the riddim into dance driving shapes worthy of a big soundsystem. 'Hear youts' continues his winning formula with his syrupy screwed basslines ... READ MORE ABOUT: MUNDO, Fear No One / Hear Youts, DUB ASSEMBLY
JOHNNY CASH - The Complete Sun Masters
SNAPPER
3CD //
£9.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: SNAJ741CDX
**102 TRACKS ACROSS THREE DISCS** As a young man, when Johnny Cash first approached Sam Philips of Sun Studios, his gospel-heavy audition was dismissed with the comment "go home and sin", which is presumably exactly what he did, because by the mid-'50s Cash was in the country music charts based on his earliest Sun recordings. All those Sun sessions from that point onwards are featured on this exhaustive (not to mention incredibly good value) thre... READ MORE ABOUT: JOHNNY CASH, The Complete Sun Masters, SNAPPER
- Tracks on JOHNNY CASH - The Complete Sun Masters:
- JOHNNY CASH : 01
- JOHNNY CASH : 02
- JOHNNY CASH : 03
LIQUID LIQUID - Cavern / Optimo
Domino
12" //
£4.99
FUNK / DISCO EDITS / BLENDS
Catalogue Number: DOMLIQUID
LIMITED WHITELABELS!!! Completely essential remastered and recut classics from dancefloor alchemists Liquid Liquid ahead of the release of a retrospective collection for Domino records. Cut loud and proud for maximum club play the 12" includes the infamous classic 'Cavern', the rerouted funk of 'Optimo' and the uptempo jam 'Sank into the chair' all primed to do the business down your local discoteque. Highly limited white labels!
ANDRAS SCHIFF - The Piano Sonatas Volume VI
ECM
CD //
£14.49
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: 4766187
Six months or so since the release of his excellent fifth volume of Beethoven piano sonatas, Hungarian-British pianist Andras Schiff tackles a sixth instalment, with music spanning 1804 to 1810 including the famous Appassionata (No. 23 Opus 57) and the equally highly regarded Les Adieux (No. 26 Opus 81a). As ever, Schiff's articulation and expressive lyricism make him a key contemporary interpreter of this, one of piano music's greatest canons, a... READ MORE ABOUT: ANDRAS SCHIFF, The Piano Sonatas Volume VI, ECM
- Tracks on ANDRAS SCHIFF - The Piano Sonatas Volume VI:
- ANDRAS SCHIFF : 01
- ANDRAS SCHIFF : 02
- ANDRAS SCHIFF : 03
PORT ROYAL - Flared Up : Port-Royal Remixed
Resonant
CD //
£12.99
ELECTRONICA
Catalogue Number: RESCD027
You'll notice that "Flared Up" is a remix collection based not upon Port Royal's most recent album, last year's Afraid To Dance, but rather their debut full-length, Flares. This much-delayed project has been in the works since the summer of '05, so it'd be entirely reasonable to expect something pretty special as the end result. FS Blumm opens the album with what sounds like a brand new composition of his own, doodling eloquently through acoustic... READ MORE ABOUT: PORT ROYAL, Flared Up : Port-Royal Remixed, Resonant
- Tracks on PORT ROYAL - Flared Up : Port-Royal Remixed:
- PORT ROYAL : STAFRAENN HAKON MIX
- PORT ROYAL : MINAMO MIX
- PORT ROYAL : D_RRADIO MIX
ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN - Sunday At Devil Dirt
V2
CD //
£10.99
INDIE
Catalogue Number: VVR1050622
For a man who looks like he's been deceased for the best part of a decade, Mark Lanegan isn't half busy at the moment. Hot on the heels of his Greg Dulli collaboration as one half of the Gutter Twins, Lanegan gets back together with Isobel Campbell for a sequel to their acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated Ballad Of The Broken Seas. As suggested by Isobel Campbell's Daisy Duke makeover on the sleeve, this album is firmly rooted in Americana and cou... READ MORE ABOUT: ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN, Sunday At Devil Dirt, V2
- Tracks on ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN - Sunday At Devil Dirt:
- ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN : 01
- ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN : 02
- ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN : 03
SANTOGOLD - Santogold
Atlantic
CD //
£9.99
ELECTRO
Catalogue Number: 5144283082
Santi White stands at the very summit of the hype mountain, with seemingly all corners of the music press commending her as a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale musical climate. It could be argued that this debut album has less to do with freshness and invention than it does a schizoid approach to writing and production, one which only serves to obscure a potentially strong, individual voice. You'll notice an unusually high number of compa... READ MORE ABOUT: SANTOGOLD, Santogold, Atlantic
EL PERRO DEL MAR - From The Valley To The Stars
Memphis Industries
CD //
£9.99
INDIE
Catalogue Number: MI0116CD
Sarah Assbring's follow-up to her universally lauded debut album proves to be a worthy successor. Although there's not really anything quite so instant as the heavily blogged 'God Knows (You've Got To Give To Get)', the album as a whole finds Assbring raising her game considerably, achieving a more advanced, full-bodied production featuring choirs, French horns and sitars. The voice is still the main attraction though, and Assbring's weary, whiny... READ MORE ABOUT: EL PERRO DEL MAR, From The Valley To The Stars, Memphis Industries
- Tracks on EL PERRO DEL MAR - From The Valley To The Stars:
- EL PERRO DEL MAR : 01
- EL PERRO DEL MAR : 02
- EL PERRO DEL MAR : 03
ASS - My Get Up And Go Just Got Up And Went
HEADSPIN
CD //
£13.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: HEAD007
You may recall Andreas Soderstrom's work under the name Ass from a recent split 7" on Static Caravan alongside fellow Scandinavian artist, Blood Music. This album is the second Ass full-length... oh, it's no use. I can't make it through another sentence without addressing that dreadful pseudonym. It's bad enough that you're born with a name that sounds like a 1980s soft drink making appliance, but to then actually choose to be called Ass is simpl... READ MORE ABOUT: ASS, My Get Up And Go Just Got Up And Went, HEADSPIN