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Review: The recent, untimely death of David Lynch from emphysema possibly inspired this new Cherry Red compilation, mapping the career of the equally late musician Julee Cruise, who died in 2022. This new 2xCD set compiles the first phase of the unique and enigmatic chanteuse's recording career, which really begun not long after the infamous Twin Peaks songster penned the theme tune 'Falling', which finally put dream pop on the map after many years of general incubation. Of course, said Angelo Badalamenti benchmark production features centrally, but many more rapid-eyed reveries - such as 'This Is Our Night', 'Floating', 'Into The Night' and 'Summer Kisses, Winter Tears' - also document the washout pop passions of Cruise outside of the Lynchian paradigm, with Wim Wenders soundtrack cuts to original lounge-classical dirges all following in tow. Stylishly presented, and complete with an insightful sleevenote essay, 'Fall_Float_Love' demands a long overdue rediscovery

Review: Following the runaway success of their Mercury Music Prize nominated 2014 debut album, Jungle moved to Los Angeles to record the follow-up. It didn't work out for a variety of musical and personal reasons, so they headed back to London and recorded "For Ever" instead. While some of the lyrics reflect on their musical and personal issues during that time, the resultant songs are as soulful, polished and jaunty as you'd expect. Check, for example, the sun-kissed disco-pop of "Heavy California", the sumptuous lo-fi soul shuffle of "Cherry", the head-nodding grooves and lyrical melancholy of "Happy Man" and the grandiose, bittersweet brilliance of "House In LA".

Review: Londoners Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland mix up funk, set soul, dance and nu-disco for a fourth album here in Volcano. They draw on some top-notch collaborators along the way - Erick the Architect, Channel Tres, Roots Manuva, Mood Talk and Bas - and wrote most of it while on tour to support their last album. They say it is the most honest album of their career to date and it is indeed a little more song-based and soulful. The sounds are free and the energy is still explosive so the tracks are sure to work just as well in the live area as at home.

Review: Kali Malone's The Sacrificial Code stands tall, meditating on the perception of time through the pipe organ. Originally released in 2019, the album was shaped by Malone's engagement with tuning systems, electroacoustic composition, and Sweden's experimental music scene. Following her apprenticeship with organ tuner Jan Borjeson, she embraced historical temperaments and archaic compositional forms, stripping them down to their starkest essence. Now reissued by Ideologic Organ, this 2025 edition features a newly recorded 'Sacrificial Code III,' captured on the 16th-century meantone organ at Malmo Konstmuseum. Malone's meticulous recording process, from close-micing techniques to the spatial placement of sound, enhances the organ's physical presence, creating an immersive, time-dilating effect. Each chord resounds with the breath of the instrument, as the record's restrained grandeur invites listeners into an amorphous, time-bending experience.

Review: George Michael's Careless Whisper 40th Anniversary Edition on CD is a nostalgic treasure for fans of one of pop's quintessential anthems. Released in 1984, the track's lush saxophone riff and Michael's emotive vocals made it an instant classic, topping charts worldwide and becoming a (slow) dancefloor staple. This commemorative CD presents four versions of the iconic song: the newly remastered original, an extended mix that amplifies its steamy appeal, a previously unreleased live performance from Madison Square Garden capturing its live charm and an instrumental version that highlights its exquisite musicality. While Michael himself was critical of the track's lyrical simplicity, viewing it as a minor achievement compared to his other work, the song's enduring appeal remains undeniable. This edition celebrates its lasting impact with a collection that offers fans both a trip down memory lane and a deeper appreciation of its musical legacy.

Review: PainKiller, the mythihcal trio formed in 1991, returns after a 30-year hiatus with a bold new album. Featuring the groundbreaking talents of bassist Bill Laswell, saxophonist John Zorn and Napalm Death's Mick Harris on electronics, the band has once again redefined the boundaries of jazz, metal and experimental music. Their original sound, which fused grindcore, ambient and dub, is now expanded with Harris's innovative electronic beats, creating a rich, immersive soundscape. Despite Laswell's ongoing health struggles, including diabetes and heart issues, the album captures a revitalized energy, showcasing the trio's unique ability to merge chaotic intensity with intricate, atmospheric textures. Zorn's impassioned sax and Laswell’s bass, shaped by his limited physical capacity, still bring the raw power and experimental spirit that made the trio so influential. The album blends abrasive sounds with moments of haunting beauty, remaining true to PainKiller’s ethos of pushing musical extremes. With a sound that pushes even further than their past work, this reunion record offers a fresh, electrifying direction, proving that the trio’s chemistry and creativity remain as potent as ever. PainKiller continues to challenge the boundaries of genre, delivering a riveting exploration of sound.

Review: Prince Buster, born Cecil Bustamente Campbell in 1938, was a key figure in the birth of ska and rocksteady, and infamously embodied the term "rude boy"; he'd come to enshrine a symbol of rebellious youth culture in Jamaica. A leading conspirator in early soundsystem culture, Buster's story stretches as far back as the days of systems such as Tom The Great Sebastian as well as variou Kingston-bound stacks operated by Coxsone Dodd. Now this eagerly awaited third volume from Rock A Shaka continues to compile Buster's best works, the standouts among them being 'A Tribute to The Toughest' from 1967 - believed to be a precursor to the long-loved 'Ghost Dance' - and his cover of James Carr's 'Dark End of the Street,' Ernest Ranglin's 'Come Get Me,' and Winston Samuels' 'I'm Still Here.'

Review: Hadley Roe is a UK-based artist whose debut album on peerless ambient label Past Inside The Present adds up to a healing sonic journey crafted with electric guitar, synths and software trickery. Themes are drawn from Roe's personal struggles with mental health, trauma and isolation so make for sounds that blend melancholy, bliss and moments of calm and comfort. Take the serene 'The First Day' or the evolving 'No One Ever Touched Me Before You' - both are hugely emotive and absorbing for the way they patiently unfurl. Roe's ability to express herself through intuitive, wordless music is truly standout.

Review: Nowadays regarded as the stuff of punk legend, the chaotic and ill-fated jaunt undertaken by the Sex Pistols across the US in January of 1978 was hindered by so many differing factors, it was almost as if they were set to fail. Plagued by poor management while trapped on a label with no real idea how to market such a tumultuous roster outlier, the band found themselves performing for those there out of mere curiosity more than their targeted audience or genuine fans, culminating in severe burn-out in real time, captured on these recordings. Finally, for the first time, several of these shows have been retooled to their correct sequencing with this collection reflecting the debaucherous live sets in all their feral glory that took place on January 5th at the South East Music Hall in Atlanta, Georgia, January 10th at the Longhorns Ballroom in Dallas, Texas, and January 14th at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California. Boasting all of the essential anthems from 'God Save The Queen' to 'Pretty Vacant' and 'Anarchy In The UK', behind the energy is the sound of a band imploding, while today not all wounds have healed with the surviving members currently enjoying a celebration of their iconic Never Mind The Bollocks LP with former Gallows frontman Frank Carter stepping in for MAGA man Jon Lydon, who continues to lob barbs at his former bandmates whenever given half the chance.

Review: A couple of years ago, on the back of putting out a fine compilation of his 1990s work, Rush Hour asked Soichi Terada if he fancied recording and releasing a new album. There was one catch though: the label wanted the legendary Japanese deep house producer to replicate the sound and spirit of his vintage work. Terada agreed and took their instructions seriously, dusting down his old equipment and MIDI set-ups. The results, showcased on Asakusa Light, are spellbinding, emotive, musically expansive, atmospheric, melodious and undeniably deep, with Terada's once trademark sound once again coming to the fore. The multitude of highlights includes the sunrise-ready tingle of 'Double Spire', the percussive and off-kilter 'Marimbau' and the luscious dancefloor soundscape that is 'Blinker'.

Review: While compilations of 1980s pop music are ten-a-penny, most tend to focus on the most celebrated hits and biggest singles. Spectrum's latest, Pop Gems: The 80s, takes a different approach, combining familiar numbers (Dexy's 'Celtic Soul Brothers', Roxy Music's 'Same Old Scene' and the Human League's 'Human') with forgotten treats and less-celebrated cuts from big names of the era (Tears For Fears, Ah-Ha, Shakin' Stevens, Adam Ant, ABC, Duran Duran, Boy George, Five Star, Bros etc). There's also a sprinkling of crossover American dancefloor hits too, from the likes of Chaka Khan, Womack & Womack, Sheila E, Cameo and Jakki Graham). It packs in plenty of three discs, as you'd expect, and even finds space for a dash of Fairground Convention!

Review: British producer Joe Thornalley aka Vegyn brings forward-facing, abrupt and clippy stylishness to Air's 1998 debut album Moon Safari, in a daring reimagining crossing both audio and English Channels. Vegyn's desultory dynamics prove a toothy match for Air's comparatively amniotic French downtempo pop sound, though we *can* hear the ways in which Vegyn might've always somewhat taken after Air's production, his dream-rap sound lent well John Glacier's album released not long ago. Of course, 'Sexy Boy', 'All I Need', and 'La Femme d'Argent' are synonymous with the vibe of an era, and Vegyn's LP-remix (an increasingly popular format in 2015) honours Air's e-steamed essence, reconditioning their turn-of-the-digital vibe in jerkier retrospective tones.