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Notes: Big brother to the excellent MicroFreak, the MiniFreak is a hugely impressive hybrid synth, teaming dual digital sound engines with analogue filters for creative approaches to polyphonic sound.

Supplier notes:
MiniFreak is a 6-voice polyphonic hybrid keyboard that fuses two digital sound engines with analog filters, outside-the-box sequencing, and instant-access modulation in a playful, curious, and sometimes unpredictable way. MiniFreak encourages users to escape the ordinary and explore the unconventional with a 37-note velocity-sensitive keybed with aftertouch, weave intricate evolving performances with multiple modulation lanes, and discover endless sweet spots with a built-in digital FX engine - a wildly creative experience.

Unprecedented hybrid polyphony

With over 20 modes to choose from including Virtual Analog, FM, and Additive, the interplay between MiniFreak's two oscillators can result in truly unique compound sonic behavior. With 6-voice polyphony, analog filters, and the ability to process engine 1 through engine 2, MiniFreak puts premium polyphonic synthesis exploration into a compact & tactile instrument that's as addictive as it is powerful.

Customizable & experimental sound design

Embellishing the popular Freak modulation matrix, MiniFreak gives users even more control over shaping, transforming, and evolving their sound, with features like polyphonic ADSR envelopes, customizable multi-segment LFO shapes, FM & Ring Modulation, and the familiar Spice & Dice randomization.

Mix-ready stereo sound

MiniFreak comes with stereo outputs and 3 digital FX slots with 10 FX types to choose from. From stereo-enhancing chorus, to surgical 3-band EQ, to gritty 6-mode distortion, users will have everything they need to push their sound over the edge while keeping it mix-ready.

Expression, meet chaos

Despite its penchant for wild & exploratory sound design, MiniFreak is also built as a responsive instrument of expression. Its velocity-sensitive 37-note keybed with aftertouch and spontaneous Seq/Arp functionality makes it a dream to perform with, while its randomization features and modulation lanes put playfulness and sonic momentum immediately at users' fingertips.MiniFreak VMiniFreak comes with a dedicated VST counterpart, letting users totally integrate its unique hybrid sound into their DAW productions and vice versa. Using identical sound engines and architecture, it offers a like-for-like virtual experience of the synth itself, at no extra cost.

What's in the box:

Box content
MiniFreak Unit
Universal PSU - 12V 1A
USB A to USB 2.0
Registration card

Instrument dimensions
Size : 22.75 x 9.09 x 1.57 inches (578 x 231 x 55mm)
Weight : 6.48 lbs. (2.94 Kg)

Review: Fledgling boutique vinyl label Creative Soul continues to endear itself to soul lovers with this third lovely 7". It might be the best yet. It looks to 1979 album Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawd by a band from Alabama called Centaura. They were Budweiser Comp winners in 1983 and featured on the beer brand's Showdown singles as a result of winning. But before that came the album from which these tunes are taken. They were produced by Bob S Riley with the involvement of a then-prison co-inmate Johnny Bragg. The whole album got reissued in 2013 but Numero Group but this is the first time these two singles have been on one 7" and superb they are too.

Review: It looks like Damien Chazelle, the young, impressive director of Whiplash and the more recent La La Land, likes to surround himself with equally talented youngsters. For the latter film, he's chosen Justin Hurwitz to compose the score for his successful musical featuring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and we have to say that this is a real keeper. There's a bit of everything in here, a little vintage pop, some classical elements here and there, but jazz is what's at the core of this original score, and that's why we think it's great. What's more, you can listen to Gosling and Stone sing on your turntables. Check it out.

Review: Bassex Records emerged as a niche haven for electronica enthusiasts in the mid-90s, championing and, more importantly, blending genres like trance, breaks, acid and techno, the label's initial influence remained confined to the West Coast. However, as trancey breakbeats gained traction in Europe over the past 15 years, Bassex has ascended to cult status. Rebirth was label owner Mike Knapp and DJ Jason Blakemore (DJ Trance) and this compilation specifically gathers a few very desirable gems from three different releases by them and places them here. Bassex Selections is an important window into the label's enduring legacy and snapshot of the west coast scene circa 1994.

Review: A saxophonist at the pinnacle of his game, Shabaka Hutchings presents 'Afrikan Culture, on which he explores the rich musical traditions of the African continent and combines them with contemporary, self-affirming themes. Remarkably for how well-touted his name is, this is Hutchings' first ever solo LP, bringing it to the masses under the name Shabaka (following on the smash success of Sons Of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming). It's a stunning, existential album which not only pays tribute to the Afrofuturist greats who precede him, but which, of course, looks squarely into the eyes of Afroftuture that will come after him.

Review: This is an indie exclusive version of Heroes & Villains, the long-awaited new album from Metro Boomin that comes with a special insert. It is a widescreen and cinematic long player that will not leave fans wanting as big names like Chris Brown, Travis Scott, The Wknd, 21 Savage, John Legend and Don Tolliver feature. The 15 tunes flow well despite the many different names on it and intricate yet accessible beats define much of the rhythms. There are dramatic and dark moments next to moments of real hope with plenty of humility from Metro along the way.

Review: On their third LP, British-Singaporean singer-songwriter Nat Cmiel is moving in a new direction - not only with a move from Bayonet Records to Ninja Tune, but also favouring a guitar-led indie rock sound, a departure from the critically acclaimed 'Serotonin II' and Danny L Harle produced 'Glitch Princess'. Lead single 'sulky baby' is a bright affair, distorted guitars circling Yeule's brand of gloomy lyrics sang with a smile. 'dazies' gets off the mark with a killer electric guitar lead, giving way to a plucked ambience with a computerised Nat ringing off a word association of a person kicked to the curb. When Kin Leonn isn't working their production magic, Yeule's self-production breaks the space. 'fish in the pool' is an ambient piano interlude with light-as-a-feather vocal adlibs, something that wouldn't be out of place in a Studio Ghibli production.

Review: SZA's last album Ctrl in 2017 took the American vocalist into the stratosphere and so a follow up was always going to be a big challenge. But she rises to it and then some as the GRAMMY award-winning Top Dawg artist calls upon a top draw list of collaborators including Jeff Bhasker, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Dahi, Ant Clemons and Lizzo. The album went straight in at number one on the Billboard chart and was widely acclaimed by critics for its vocal performances and mix of r&b, pop and hip-hop styles. Plenty fo SZA's own innermost feelings are fully translated into this record, making it another absurdist, ambitious work.

Review: Two brothers recently reunited by their love of music, the Hermanos Gutierrez make beautiful instrumental Latin and Americana, tempered by the aesthetic of atmospheric Western movie soundtracks a-la Ennio Morricone and/or film director Sergio Leone. On their new album El Bueno Y El Malo, a give-and-take, equitable atmsphere - shared lovingly between two chordophonal kin - is established on every track. Soft, spatious and tinged with the analogous, skippy texture of the vinyl record, even the album's forays into pop structures ('La Verdad', 'Tres Hermanos') don't waver from their warmth, nor do they sacrifice an ounce of sweet listenability.

Review: Adeen Records is on a roll right now and this time out they welcome the Detroit hero that is Marcellus Pittman for a new and beguiling four-track 12". Known for his work with The 3 Chairs collective as well as his solo jams, this Motor City mainstay opens up with 'You Always Hank Bank One Time' which is a real mental maze of rickety loops and blurts of degraded synth. 'Another Spring Lover' is another rusty and lo-fi piece of archetypal Detroit house that is very clearly machine music but with a unique sense of human soul. 'I'm Gonna Be The Everything' is a raw drum track with sparse, heartwarming chords and 'Slick Nickle Pladium Investment' is a knackered downbeat hip-hop closer. Magnificent.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Styrax has the rights to a great reissue of some long-lost but enduring classic cuts from Merv here. Written in 1995 and 1998 they are archetypal dub techno rollers that draw as much from the European school of Basic Channel as they do the lo-fi depths of Detroit. 'Dust' opens up with warm and humid chords over elegant and rolling beats that cannot fail to sweep you up, then 'Melted Vein' offers a more driving but no less hypnotic sound, this time with sleek tech pads peeling over the airy hi hats and bouncing kicks to take you up amongst the stars. Perfect for those zoned-out, low-lit basement moments at 5am. Quality tackle.

Review: One of many of IRMA Records' jazz-funk compilations, Acid Jazz Funk is a sixteen-track compilation full of delights; but should not be confused with many of their prior, albeit similarly titled titles, including Acid Jazz & Funky Grooves and Acid Jazz Classics. Clearly, we're in the presence of connoisseurs; cuts from Black & Brown, Funky Destination, The Smoke Orchestra and Jestofunk appear as standouts on this as-ever supremely selected V/A on 2xLP, once more centring on the tasteful proclivities of the c.1990 Bolognan dance music fan; their preference for hard breaks and quiet-stormed funk calms overlaid.

Review: First released back in 2007, UR's 'Hi Tech Dreams' is widely regarded as one of 'Mad' Mike Banks' most perfectly formed EPs - in part because its blend of optimistic techno futurism with dancefloor darkness offers a neat summary of the 'dreaming of utopia, living in a dystopia' message at the heart of Underground Resistance's militant ethos. But analysis aside, it's simply a terrific record - as this timely reissue proves. A-side 'Hi Tech Dreams' lives up to its promise, with far-sighted melodies, tactile riffs and soulful vocal samples rising above a loose-limbed Motor City techno beat. In contrast, 'Lo Tech Reality' is a moodier and more melancholic chunk of breakbeat-driven techno, while 'Hold My Own' is a murky, hip-hop influenced downtempo head-nodder.

Review: One of the most crucial art-pop records of all time, 'Hounds of Love' was British legend Kate Bush's fifth studio album, her most commercial and most daring. "It was just a lot of work" Bush laughed on an interview with Richard Skinner in 1992, explaining the sudden resistance she felt following her polarising 'The Dreaming', the first album she also produced. Despite the fear, the pressure and the workload, 'Hounds of Love' is, without question, her most beloved, opening with one of the most treasured songs of the 20th century, 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)' that has been revived time and time again in the soundtracks of TV shows like 'Pose' and 'Stranger Things'. Steadily approaching its 40th anniversary, there's still so much to this record beyond its singles. The latter half of the album contains a concept mini-album, the 'Ninth Wave', a narrative suite of songs based on the Ivan Alvazovsky painting of the same name. It follows the psyche of a woman who is stranded in the ocean, confronted by the ghosts of her past, present and future. I could go on about this album forever, truly, and its constant relevance in the zeitgeist is a testament to the lasting power of these songs. This is the first time this record has been released in over 10 years, featuring the Fish People remastering on a purple 180gm vinyl, an obi strip tied over a spot finish sleeve.

Review: In keeping with other reissues from the Echospace archives, CV313 have revisited and remastered their 2010 classic 'Infinit-1'. The single leads with some quintessential immersion from Rod Modell and Stephen Hitchell, all metallic chord pulses billowing through steely ambience guided by deep-ploughing rhythms. The 'Remodel' takes a more subliminal approach as the chord becomes a low frequency sonic just below the surface. The B-side is given over to STL, whose singular approach to stripped and sublime dub techno is never better than on this beautifully hazy early morning twist on 'Infinit-1'.

Review: The Guesthouse label comes through with more irresistible house goodness from Joey Youngman who has been a master of this form for many years. His sound blends the best of funky, soulful grooves with raw house drums to light up any party. He kicks off in wild fashion with the big energy and chunky funk of 'Another Night' before 'Oakland' then layers up slinky drums and emotive vocal hooks into a bristling arrangement. 'Thankful' (JY remix) explores a deeper late-night sound with a more seductive vocal and low-slung drums then things close down with 'Elevate Me' (JY remix), a steamy sound with contemporary r&b vocals and melodies that bring the fun.

Review: Was anyone ready for one of the most talked-about albums of the year to be Andre 3000 going ham on the flute? Probably not, but in a post-reality world New Blue Sun just slots right in. Of course the legions of Outkast fans are going to be split when an artist of such prominence takes a wild swerve into experimental musical pastures, but for those with an open mind or a pre-existing appreciation of ambient and leftfield music, this album is an easy sell. Teasing the tension between acoustic and electronic, ancient and hypermodern, grounded and ethereal, Andre has been bold and honest in presenting this album to the world and his gamble has paid off.

Review: Ghost are sadly an easily confused band - doubly so, for the fact that there is now a wildly popular masked metal troupe of the same name, *and* because there is, uncannily, a 1984 film named Ghost, also rather well known. This confounding is apparently so prevalent that the obligatory Wikipedia entry on *this* Ghost is titled
'Ghost (1984 band)'. We wouldn't usually mention it, save for the fact that this perhaps not so wilful obscurantism actually works in their favour. With Drag City's reissue of Ghost's first album on griseous vinyl here, it's safe to say that this Japanese experimental psych/acid record's aura as a hidden gem feels rare to come by. It's almost as if Ghost (1984) is 'haunting' the other aforementioned cultural touchstones of the same name. Don't get it twisted, though: Ghost formed in the early 80s, but this debut recording didn't make it to the pressing plant until 1990. What explains the gap in their CV, you ask? Legend has it that the band led a truly nomadic existence - as a "band" should, in all senses of the word - roving, drifting from ruined ancient temples to disused subway stations near Tokyo. With that all checked, the album itself is truly free-spirited and eerie, and not what you'd expect from contemporary notions of space rock, with prepared tinkerings and strange readymade detritus seeming to fill each piece at every twist and turn.

Notes: The top cover story this issue: the Futuristic Sounds of the Yardbirds; writer Peter Stanfield explores their change of direction in 1965, their rivalry with The Who and lots more. Also featured: Detroit rock pioneers the Chosen Few, the band that spawned future members of SRC and the Stooges, the compelling story of UK '70s punk outsiders the Subway Sect as told by guitarist Rob Symmons; '70s power pop princes the Paley Brothers; Viennese proto-punk anarchists Novaks Kapelle; the sixties adventures of Matthew and Daniel Moore (the Moon, Colours, Matthew Moore Plus Four); and a fascinating study of the beat music industry behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Plus: Moby Grape, the Ascots, Cyril Jordan on Little Richard, and our meticulous review sections, covering all the latest vinyl and CD reissues, and rock 'n' roll-related books. (152 pages)

Review: The original Bridgit Mendler soundtrack to the citrine teen drama movie of the same name sees a full version on vinyl LP this spring. Notable not only for its inclusion in the contemporary musical film, but also for its chart-topping success, the ten songs that make up the many acts of this high-school drama were destined to charm the pubescent masses, coinciding with the film's overarching theme of the school's students transcending use of after-school detention to musical effect, in order to overcome their personal struggles. Imagine Glee meets The Breakfast Club; a cabal of songwriters including Ali Dee, Maria Christensen, Bryan Todd and Jeannie Lurie lay down an array of sure-to-be hits for Mendler to perform on behalf of the cast here.

Review: Sacred Medicine, the carefully-honed joint project and label of Joaquin "Joe" Claussell and Ron Trent, deliver the second instalment in the label's soon-to-be bulging discography. The much-anticipated 'Magic Carnival', a song heavily programmed and tested by repetitious inclusion in their many DJ sets over the years, has finally been completed here and comes finalized in the form of this single-sided record; the format suggests we marvel at its singular majesty, which should not profess to be comparable to any alleged counterpart or B-side. 'Magic Carnival' builds and builds in a musical crescendo with signature musical elements pulsating all over the song to full impact. A relentless spiritual groove, and a special single-sided 12"

Review: Texas-based trio Khruangbin returns with their highly anticipated album, A La Sala, blending Thai funk, psychedelic rock and world music influences. Laura Lee's funky basslines, Mark Speer's intricate guitar work, and Donald "DJ" Johnson's precise drumming define each hypnotic groove. Tracks like 'Farolim De Felgueiras' and 'A Love International' emit a laid-back aura, ideal for lazy summer days, while 'Juegos Y Nubes' adds Latin rhythms with a psychedelic twist. 'A La Sala' offers a rich journey through diverse musical landscapes, solidifying Khruangbin's mastery of genre fusion and their ability to create sonic euphoria.

Review: A selection plucked from Robert Smith and co's 1984 Washington show, with a neat collection of tracks from what many would see as the band in their prime. The contrast between raw, speedy new wave anthems like 'Boy's Don't Cry' and '10:15 Saturday Night', the epic gothfest 'A Forest' and the cuter pop idiosycracities of 'The Caterpillar' show how quickly the Crawley gang evolved in their early days. Obviously, they had a long way to go after this, but many would say this is The Cure at their absolute finest.

Review: Italy's finest sound-purveyors Slow Motion proffer a fantastic new release from CEO Fabrizio Mammarella in collaboration with Rodion, collaboratively recorded at the Marche Synth Museum (Museo Del Synth Marchigiano). A fully functional recording space, the museum houses several private collections of Italian electronic musical instruments, gathered over the many years since their creation; whether the artists actually got to use any of these classic machines remains to be uttered, but we can't deny that they were inspired. Both artists do thorough justice to their Marche region roots here, laying down eight slices of industrial dungeon-electro, mind-melting acid rollouts and spoken-n'-spelled ritual dances.

Review: Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's All of Us Strangers soundtrack is a superb trip through plenty of highly atmospheric landscapes that blend delicate piano melodies with haunting electronic textures. Each track paints a vivid portrait, evoking a sense of introspection and emotional depth that only heightens the scenes in the movie. Levienaise-Farrouch's narrative captivates and guides the audience through a range of moods from tranquil introspection to moments of poignant intensity, and as such this soundtrack showcases her exceptional talent for composition and storytelling.

Review: Latest on Mute Records' reissuing arm is this wonderful eight-track LP from These Immortal Souls, who in 1992 proffered a bold declaration of immortality, spiritual or otherwise, with I'm Never Gonna Die Again. An atmospheric post-punk gem, reissued alongside the earlier 'Get Lost (Don't Die)', is released just as it was in 1995, though it is soon set to be complemented by a brand new ten-track collection of unearthed and yet to be released live recordings. All three releases serve as a remembrance triad for the band led by Rowland S Howard, as they'd cease to perform in 1998; this one hears them at the height of their powers, snarling, riffing and drawling away into a graveyard-shifting musical night.

Review: Munir Nadir has been breaking through in the past few years with essential releases on 4Plae, Nuts On Board and Outcast Planet. Now he's minting a new label called Odd One Tape out of Italy, and bringing his playful, synth-rich sound with him. There's a nod to Italo and 80s electro in the sampling and throbbing, analogue groove of 'Rhythmistic', while 'Bass Jam' tips more towards the early 00s electro house boom a la Tiefschwarz and Tomas Andersson. 'Urban Whispers' has a more jackin' flavour with some low down sub freakiness thrown in for good measure, and 'Binary Technologies' brings the heat on the B2 with a powerful arpeggio and hard-slapping drums.

Review: After the success of Lextended, the mysterious Lex Wolf is back with a second volume of sweet edits of classic dance tracks. Highlights include the clean edit of Smokin' Gang's hip-house classic 'Just Rock', a Latin house remix of the classic 'Conceicao' and a huge mix of the legendary banger 'House Music' at Eddie Amador. All these edits succeed in focusing in on the grooves while keeping the soul and energy of the original. True and proper edits, primed to reign on the dancefloor.

Review: Reissued on Gondwana after an unexpected sea-change, Matthew Halsall's Bright Sparkling Light was originally conceived as a tour-only exclusive, its three exquisites, averaging seven to ten minutes per suite, serving only the most loyal and dedicated of fans eager enough to clasp their mitts around the limited edition at the time of his EU and UK tour in October-November 2023. Now, its rarefied airs get dropped; so too do the folk scramble to lend it a second listen, discovering Halsall's preference for hypnotic drones, tenor sax progressions crafted around lush flute loops, and portrayals of the artist's favourite rural location: Newborough Forest, both at daytime and nighttime. 'The Tide And The Moon' is the closing highlight, nicely closing the gap between dewey morning and crept-in crepuscule.

Review: Jim (James Baron) is a UK producer making his brand of Balearic, folk and rock music. Generally, pushing the boundaries of Balearic, this double pack compilation houses remixes of tracks from his most debut album 'Love Makes Magic'. The lineup of producers lending their talents to this double pack is quite impressive. Uk house music legends X-press and Chris Coco just to mention two. This release encompasses a wide array of styles including downtempo, dub as well as house music all keeping the folk and Balearic soul of the originals. A true remix packet that brings these originals to different heights.

Review: Japanese fuzzed out psych-tinged post-rock monoliths Boris never seem to rest on their laurels for long. Just last year, they repressed the first instalment of their three Heavy Rocks albums (originally released in 2002), and unveiled the grinding Bright New Disease collab LP with industrial hardcore outfit Uniform. That's before even mentioning the surprise Fade LP that landed at the tail end of 2022. Starting 2024 as they mean to go on, their latest endeavour is a years-in-the-making split album with Tokyo alternative space-rockers Coaltar Of The Deepers, featuring both re-recorded versions of older cuts as well as both acts covering one another's material. Boris member Takeshi has often cited COTD as a major influence, with the band even covering 'To The Beach' in 2019, which was, in turn, produced by COTD leader Narasaki. Now, finally arriving at Hello There, we have Boris providing an oppressive rendition of COTD's 2007 track 'Serial Tear', while the band return the favour with a more ethereal, aquatic re-imagining of Boris' 2014 single 'Melody'. That's before even touching COTD's cover of The Cure's 'Killing Another', which needs to be absorbed with as little outsider input as possible, so we'll shhh now and leave this long-gestating gem in your very capable hands and ears.

Review: Demon's 'Disco Discharge' series, originally released as 2CD collections from 2009 to 2012, is back in print. These compilations of extended disco originals were curated by the enigmatic "MrPinks" and featured detailed sleeve notes by disco expert Alan Jones. They have remained highly sought-after and here the revival begins with 'Disco Fever USA' in deluxe 2CD gatefold packaging. The album highlights 20 American Disco classics, including tracks from Fern Kinney, Gloria Gaynor, and Boys Town Gang. Notable rarities like an instrumental version of Earth, Wind & Fire's 'Boogie Wonderland' and Dennis Parker's 'Like An Eagle' are also featured, making it a must-have for disco heads.

Review: Three cuts of gauzy, cavernous dream pop from San Jose's premier fleeting shoegaze flagbearers Ozean. Opener 'scenic' is a much-loved anthem which has found a place alongside the more lauded proponents of the genre in the record bags of neu-ambient kingpins like CCL and the 3XL contingent. It's followed by 'Fall', a melancholic head bopper set to soundtrack the first strains of spring and the extra washy, ethereal 'Porcelain' which would've provided a perfect soundtrack to rolling credits in one of Gregg Araki's apocalyptic coming-of-age fantasies.

Review: While rooted in the quintessential sound of the late 1950s and early 1960s, UK jazz ensemble The Jazz Defenders explore fresh territory while honouring their jazz heritage on their third album, Memory In Motion. Tracks like 'Chasing Fantasies' and 'Fuffle Kerfuffle' showcase their swing jazz finesse, while 'Meanderthal' and 'Snakebite Playfight' infuse soulful grooves akin to 1960s jazz legends. Collaborations with UK rapper Doc Brown on 'Rolling On A High' and the uptempo funk of 'Net Zero' add modern flair, while introspective moments like 'Take A Minute' and the closing 'Enigma' offer a serene balance. Memory In Motion celebrates jazz's legacy and innovation, blending tradition with contemporary influences for an immersive listening experience.

Review: In the continuing re-recording process for Pennsylvanian singer-songwriter, Billboard artist of the decade, and international sensation Taylor Swift, '1989' is the latest on the hit list of masters Swift is reclaiming - and arguably the most important. 'Blank Space', 'Shake it Off', 'Style', 'Bad Blood'...these are just four of the 16 songs that unquestionably cemented Swift's status as an eternal icon. Her previous, fourth album 'Red' - the first to be re-recorded - may have been her true breakthrough into charting pop, but '1989' is easily what has catapulted her to the level she is at today. Not only does the original music have so much weight behind it, but so does this brand new package: Brand new alternate art front and back covers, two gorgeous tangerine discs, never before seen photos on the album sleeves and - most importantly - FIVE unreleased songs from Swift's presumably unending vault of shelved tracks.

Review: Throwdown Records throw down a fresh reissue of Ice Cube's stone cold classic 'You Know How We Do It', first released as a single from his fourth studio album Lethal Injection (1996). Emblematic of Cube's signature West Coast G-funk, this one's replete with the glissando'd whistles and smokey funk motifs we all know and love from the frozen rap hexahedron, who confidently assures us of us already knowing how he does it. There's no messing with Cube; the track appears alongside the original B flip '2 N The Morning', which ups the bombast to boomier, increasingly sexual nighttime ends.

Review: American composer and sound engineer Adam Wiltzie, may not yet be a household name in electronic music yet but it's a safe bet you have heard projects that he has been involved in. Adam is one half of the highly regarded ambient and drone project Stars Of The Lid for the past 30 years and also worked with many popular rock and indie bands as an engineer as well as done composing for film and TV. Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentathol is the name for his first all original material for a full album. Last year in 2023 brought the untimely death of Stars Of The Lid partner Brian Mcbride. However, Adam's relationship with Kranky records is as strong as ever and that's where his first solo album finds a home. The music is inspired by a recurring dream Adam had where the music he composes makes people die. The music blends heavy emotions from ruin to absolute beauty. A powerful album that has extreme depth and cinematic expansiveness. We hope this will be the start to a very productive solo career that will continue his excellent work that was done with Stars Of The Lid.

Review: Shabaka Hutchings' Perceive Its Beauty is a profound and meditative musical journey that celebrates the richness and grace of African culture. Through a diverse ensemble of renowned musicians, Hutchings invites us to immerse ourselves in a sonic landscape that evokes the beauty and bounty of the Motherland. The album's meditative quality stems from the restraint and collective nature of its creation. The instruments seem to float effortlessly, creating a sonic cloud that carries echoes of Afro-Asian music and the tranquil sounds of nature. Yet, within this understated atmosphere, individual brilliance shines through. The artistry of Jason Moran on the piano and the ethereal voices of Moses Sumney and Eska add layers of nuance and emotional depth. In an era often marked by division and disharmony, Perceive Its Beauty offers a refuge of unity and peace. It invites us to transcend superficial boundaries and embrace the beauty and grace that resides within and around us.

Review: BIG BRAVE's music epitomises what has been called 'massive minimalism,' with layers of textural distortion and feedback accentuating its weight and frayed edges. Their artistry blends traditional folk techniques with a modern deconstruction of guitar music, all of which is evident in the new album A Chaos Of Flowers, which is a follow-up to their fierce 2023 album Nature Morte. Lyrically, the songs delve into vulnerability, isolation, and co-existence in nature and guitarist and vocalist Robin Wattie drew inspiration from poetry by female-presenting artists, exploring alienation's impact on the psyche. This record is a testament to the band's ability to evoke intense emotions through minimalist yet powerful arrangements.