New releases last two weeks: All genres

Review: Originally formed in 1980 in Reno, Nevada, 7 Seconds are often credited as one of the most vital and criminally overlooked pioneering hardcore punk acts. Following on from their much-adored 1985 EP-cum-LP Walk Together, Rock Together, their 1986 follow up New Wind featured slower tempos and a notable imbuing of melody, with the project going on to be credited as an integral blueprint for the hardcore scene's eventual embracing and transition into pop-punk and indie rock. This long overdue reissue from Trust Records arrives complete with the complimentary Change In My Head, which is a totally new take on the classic album featuring tracks remixed in their entirety by Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) alongside Inner Ear Studios' Don Zientara. Restoring and reimagining unreleased cuts from the original LP such as 'Change In My Head' and 'Compro', these bonus tracks offer a fresh snapshot of 7 Seconds in transition, but still very much firmly rooted in their hardcore ethos (before literal U2 comparisons would arise with later output). This limited double LP also comes with a 24-page oral history featuring unseen photographs, flyers, and memorabilia.

Notes: MicroLab mk3 is designed for today's modern creatives. Its ultra-compact form factor, high-quality keybed, and intuitive controls make it the perfect MIDI controller for producers working in small studios, on the go, or just starting their music production journey.

With a durable, lightweight design and plug-and-play USB connectivity, MicroLab mk3 fits seamlessly into any workflow - empowering you to start making music instantly. Enjoy complete integration with leading software including Analog Lab Intro and Ableton Live Lite, and extend your creativity with features like chord mode and dual touch strips for expressive performance.

Small, lightweight, durable, and USB-powered - ideal for mobile music-making and compact studio setups.

With a high-quality slim keybed, MicroLab mk3 delivers a responsive and true playing experience that your music deserves.

MicroLab mk3 delivers big sound with 500 curated presets from Analog Lab Intro, intuitive control via four buttons and two touch strips, and instant music production with Ableton Live Lite.

Its plug-and-play USB connectivity and intuitive features ensures you can start creating music right away - no hassle, no setup.

Main Features

High quality keybed

25-note velocity-sensitive slim keyboard, responsive and expressive.

Controls

2 touch strips for pitch bend and modulation.
4 control buttons for octave shift and navigation.

Smart features

Chord Mode - Play full chords with a single key
Hold function
Octave up and down buttons
Semitone transpose

Software integration

Seamless compatibility with all major DAWs and soft synths.
Analog Lab & V Collection browsing - Explore 500 curated sounds instantly.

Included Software titles & services

Analog Lab Intro - 500 sounds from iconic synths and keyboards.
Ableton Live Lite - Essential tools for recording and producing music.

Connectivity

USB-C powered for instant plug-and-play operation.
MIDI class-compliant - Multiclient MIDI driver for Windows.
Compatible with iPads & Android devices (via adapter).
Sustain pedal input - Connect a sustain or expression pedal for enhanced performance.

Size & weight

Size (mm): 406 x 39 x 125 mm
Size (in): 15.98 x 1.54 x 4.92 in
Weight (kg): 0.62 kg
Weight (lb): 1.37 lb

Notes: MicroLab mk3 is designed for today's modern creatives. Its ultra-compact form factor, high-quality keybed, and intuitive controls make it the perfect MIDI controller for producers working in small studios, on the go, or just starting their music production journey.

With a durable, lightweight design and plug-and-play USB connectivity, MicroLab mk3 fits seamlessly into any workflow - empowering you to start making music instantly. Enjoy complete integration with leading software including Analog Lab Intro and Ableton Live Lite, and extend your creativity with features like chord mode and dual touch strips for expressive performance.

Small, lightweight, durable, and USB-powered - ideal for mobile music-making and compact studio setups.

With a high-quality slim keybed, MicroLab mk3 delivers a responsive and true playing experience that your music deserves.

MicroLab mk3 delivers big sound with 500 curated presets from Analog Lab Intro, intuitive control via four buttons and two touch strips, and instant music production with Ableton Live Lite.

Its plug-and-play USB connectivity and intuitive features ensures you can start creating music right away - no hassle, no setup.

Main Features

High quality keybed

25-note velocity-sensitive slim keyboard, responsive and expressive.

Controls

2 touch strips for pitch bend and modulation, 4 control buttons for octave shift and navigation

Smart features

Chord Mode - Play full chords with a single key
Hold function
Octave up and down buttons
Semitone transpose

Software integration

Seamless compatibility with all major DAWs and soft synths.
Analog Lab & V Collection browsing - Explore 500 curated sounds instantly.

Included Software titles & services

Analog Lab Intro - 500 sounds from iconic synths and keyboards.
Ableton Live Lite - Essential tools for recording and producing music.

Connectivity

USB-C powered for instant plug-and-play operation.
MIDI class-compliant - Multiclient MIDI driver for Windows.
Compatible with iPads & Android devices (via adapter).
Sustain pedal input - Connect a sustain or expression pedal for enhanced performance.

Size & weight

Size (mm): 406 x 39 x 125 mm
Size (in): 15.98 x 1.54 x 4.92 in
Weight (kg): 0.62 kg
Weight (lb): 1.37 lb

Review: Clifford Jordan's dynamic live set At Condon's was originally recorded in 1990 and is now reissued on vinyl for the first time. The tenor saxophonist's deep, bluesy tone shines through in this 16-piece big band setting and it has been captured by Maple Shade Records' audiophile-grade production. The session features standout performances from jazz luminaries like Dizzy Reece, Benny Powell and Junior Cook with classics like Ellington's 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore,' Gillespie's 'I Waited for You' and Jordan's 'Third Avenue' all adding up to an album that is a thrilling document of late-era brilliance. Jordan was truly spiritual jazz innovator and one of the most expressive saxophonists of his time.

Notes: Module A-119-2 is a Dual external input amplifiers with only 4HP module width. The module contains two amplifiers with separately adjustable amplification levels. Each channel is equipped with an overload display. The module can also be used for stereo signals, e.g. the stereo output of a smartphone.

Controls and displays:

Level 1/2: manual control of the amplification in the range 0 - about 45.
Overload 1/2: overload LED, begins to light up for output levels beyond about 10Vpp (+/-5V)
In 1: audio input 1 (monophonic or stereophonic, see technical details)
In 2: audio input 2 (monophonic)
Out 1/2: audio output (monophonic)

Technical Details:

For higher amplifications the two amplifiers can be daisy-chained
Different normallling options are available via the rear of the modules with jumpers.
All inputs and outputs are DC coupled. Thus the module can be used also for the amplifications of control voltages.

Power consumption: 20mA at +12V and 20mA at -12V
Depth: 30mm
4 HP

Review: Originally released in 1972, Dr John's fifth album is an upfront tribute to his inimitable hometown of New Orleans. A collection of covers, tracks chosen from the almost-endless archives of classic blues, jazz and creole tracks that have come out of the Big Easy over the preceding century or so. It also marked something of a character and stylistic sidestep for the legendary Louisiana player. Building a cult following and rather unique reputation for his eccentric stage performances and often pretty left-of-the-middle songwriting and arrangements, by comparison Dr John's Gumbo plays it much straighter, making this an authentic and respectful tribute to rhythm and blues as it has long been played. That's no criticism - the same masterful musicianship remains very much intact, while the personality still shines through. Simply put, the songs have been done again and again, but this album could only be Dr John.

Notes: Euphoria is a full analogue 8-stage phaser, delivering rich, vintage phase shifting with deep modulation capabilities.

A versatile phaser perfect for lush movement and evolving soundscapes in Eurorack setups.

Specifications & connections

8-Stage Phase Shifter
OTA-Based
1 Input for eurorack level (10pp IN)
1 Input for instrument level (500mVpp)
Built-in LFO
Current Draw: 58mA (+12V), 52mA (-12V)

Included in the box:

Euphoria Eurorack module
1x Ribbon cable
4x 3mm Screws

Requirements:

Eurorack case and power supply
Monitor or Amp.

Notes: ADSR (Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release) is a module designed to generate a voltage, which acts as the envelope with the adjustable stages. This envelope, generated in response to the incoming gate signal or manually pushed button, can then be used to shape the sound amplitude via VCA, modulate filter's cutoff frequency or any other parameters expecting CV control.
It features exponential Attack, Decay and Release stages, switch to select fast/slow operation mode, push button with led indicator to manually activate the envelope.

Notes: ADSR (Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release) is a module designed to generate a voltage, which acts as the envelope with the adjustable stages. This envelope, generated in response to the incoming gate signal or manually pushed button, can then be used to shape the sound amplitude via VCA, modulate filter's cutoff frequency or any other parameters expecting CV control.
It features exponential Attack, Decay and Release stages, switch to select fast/slow operation mode, push button with led indicator to manually activate the envelope.

Review: Producer and guitarist Yutaka Hirasaka enjoyed a peaceful career pitstop with Breath, one of many to top up the beatsmith and cassette artist's now towering discography, and which now comes released on vinyl for the first time. Hirasaka's approach to music covers ambient, beat-driven landscapes, a format which has led him both to immersive live performance work and commercial ends. The homely aesthetic of Hirasaka's sound is heard once more on the wordless, texturally unperturbed Breath, which clears our airways far better than any shop-bought nostrum ever could, be it via the deconstructed guitar pan-plays of 'Orion' or the marzipan piano maunders of 'Amaretto'.

Review: The Expanded Edition of Alan Howarth's They Live brings new life to the cult classic 1988 film's soundtrack. Howarth is well respected, not least for his collaborations with John Carpenter, and here captures the film's eerie tension and anti-consumerist themes with moody synths, bluesy motifs and minimalist sound design that is always hugely evocative. This expanded edition offers remastered audio and additional cues that heighten the mood and deepen the atmosphere. The music's hypnotic, slow-burning energy perfectly mirrors the paranoia and grit of the movie, so it's a landmark score in sci-fi and horror soundtracks.

Review: You don't sell 5.27 million copies of anything without doing something right. Winner of the E3 Game Critics award for Best Platform Game in 1999, to name just one of countless nominations and awards, Donkey Kong 64 was one of the best loved titles on the iconic Nintendo 64, and represented two years of programming, coding and designing on the part of legendary software house, Rare. Amazingly, considering this was almost three decades ago and cartridge-based titles are usually regarded as the stronghold of chip music, Grant Kirkhope's score is anything but and still sounds fresh. From aptly titled opener, 'DK Rap', to the meandering jazz closer 'Candy Kong', featuring David Leo Kemp on sax, via 'Angry Aztec' and its Indiana Jones vibe, and the John Williams-esque 'Mine Cart', it's all so enjoyable.

Review: Vick Lavander is a name that has always been a byword for deep house quality. His sound is couched in a classic template but comes with subtle tweaks and plenty of its own musical character. BEYOND is a bumper collection of beats which proves just that. There are silky and cosmically minded sounds like 'Time & Time Again' next to subtly jazzy dancers like 'Sunset BLVD' and dubby, elegant grooves like the life-affirming 'Grace'. The pace picks up with joints like 'Knights' but never at the expense of atmosphere and slows right down with swab-tinged downbeat delights like 'Good Timing'. A magnificently rich work.

Review: Last year, the Hartnoll brothers gave their debut album, 1991's 'Green Album' (officially simply titled Orbital) the deluxe reissue treatment, offering an expanded quadruple CD edition backed with a detail-packed hardback book. They've now moved on to its similarly superb sequel (the 'Brown Album') from 1993. It gets a similar treatment, with a freshly remastered version of the original album (CD1) being joined by two discs of single versions, B-sides, remixes and 'Peel Session' cuts (including legendary Underworld and Psychik Warriors Ov Gaia takes on 'Lush 3', and the duo's own originally US-only extension of 'Impact'), and a fourth CD containing a previously unreleased live recording from the Limelight in New York in 1992. Oh, and a fine hardback book telling the story of the album. An early Christmas present for Orbital fans!

Notes: Add 3 more V/Oct and Gate inputs to your Vector Wave with the Expander

The Vector Wave Expander module from RYK Modular allows you to use CV and Gate to control the Vector Wave as a 4 Voice multi-timbral synth module.

And it looks nice.

Features:

3HP

Review: Secret Garden is the Norwegian-Irish duo of Rolf Lovland and violinist Fionnuala Sherry and here they celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic debut, Songs from a Secret Garden. First released in 1995, the album won over global audiences with its blend of classical and folk, laced with Celtic and Norwegian emotion and some subtle new age undertones. It features the Eurovision-winning track 'Nocturne', which helped launch the duo into international acclaim. Elsewhere, there are whimsical melodies, ancient flutes, Lord of the Rings style Middle Age soundscapes, heartfelt emotions and plenty of clean, serene and timeless sounds that still offer great catharsis three decades on.

Review: When she started her career just over a decade ago, Cleopatra Nikolic AKA Cleo Sol was considered a singer-for-hire within the international deep house community. Now, with the assistance of beat-maker Inflo, she's decided to strike out on her own via a quietly impressive solo debut that re-casts her as a genuinely fresh and exciting soul talent. Beginning with the layered acapella vocals and deep, jazzy grooves of stunning opener "One Love", the album sees her brilliantly deliver heartfelt and thoughtful lyrics over hazy backing tracks that brilliantly join the dots between jazz, neo-soul and R&B. While she's undoubtedly the star of the show, Inflo's stripped-back, partially acoustic and largely soft-focus production is also worthy of high praise.

Review: To mark a decade since its original release, Carrie & Lowell returns in expanded double vinyl edition through Asthmatic Kitty, curated and designed by Sufjan Stevens himself. The anniversary release addends 7 unreleased tracks, as well as a full 40-page art book, and a newly unearthed Polaroid cover revealing the album's namesake, handwritten by Sufjan's sister Djamilah. The booklet contains family photos over four generations, as well as Sufjan's own landscape photography taken throughout the American West, all reflecting themes of loss, memory, and place. The second LP compiles forty minutes of bonus material, including demos of 'Death With Dignity' and 'Eugene', atmospheric outtakes of 'Fourth of July' and 'Wallowa Lake Monster', and the original version of 'Mystery of Love', recorded during the album's sessions before its reworking for the infamous Timothee Chalamet actor-debut Call Me By Your Name.

Review: American industrial kings Swans' latest offering unfurls across a sprawling 19-minute journey, building a tension that is as much about space as it is about sound. The first half, marked by 'The Healers' and 'I Am A Tower,' feels like an unyielding force, as if the music itself is evolving into something beyond human comprehension. Gira's voice, thick with grit, clashes with the deep rumble of guitars, creating a rhythm that seems to pulse from a primal core. The journey picks up momentum through 'Red Yellow' and 'Guardian Spirit,' where the sound bends and twists, its drone-like qualities alternately lulling and unsettling. By the time 'Away' takes hold, the track feels less like a song and more like an emotional release, with each successive wave stripping something away, leaving raw, exposed moments in their wake. A visceral experience that demands patience and reflection, with each track revealing layers of complexity.

Review: Techno is a misunderstood thing. Big stages and even bigger drums pounding out relentless and often unthoughtful loops really isn't where the genre is as a whole. One of the most varied sounds in the dance spectrum, defining the canon has always been pretty hard and zeitgeist counts for more than strict rules of arrangement, tempo and composition. Sixty is just the reassurance heads will need then. While some might argue we're closer to electro than anything, for the most part anyway, perhaps no more so than in the detailed and glitchy warmth of 'Micfrk' by Gherat, let's not get pedantic. Largely broken and off-centre beats of the deep, emotive and patient kind from innovators like Patricia and Fasme, frenetic and intense staccato snares via Oh Mr Jones, rave-y, hardcore infused emotive bombs via Novel 23 and James Shinra.