Leftfield Recommendations Best Of 2011

Review: The news that arch mystic sonic brewers Hype Williams had been signed up for single duties on Hyperdub might have seemed odd at first, but listening to the four tracks here proves that it was a sound move. There's a bewitching sensation that creeps over the hazed, lo-fi beatdown jams that ensures you keep flipping the vinyl over repeatedly to seek out the subtle sonics beneath. At times it sounds like Dean and Inga have been watching Akira on the reg, with the chimed melodies present on "Rise Up" and "Badmind" certainly reminiscent of the iconic anime's soundtrack. As with previous output from the group, Kelly Price W8 Gain Vol II is likely to split opinion but for those ardent fans this is an essential purchase.

Review: Secret Rhythms + is the latest instalment in Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit's long running Secret Rhythms project, and here the present two reworkings of their fluid, rhythmic patterns. First up is Shackleton who turns in a rare remix. Taking "255-6", Shackleton arranges a new rhythm based on a different time signature, weaving a delicate organ melody and rougher metallic tones around the intricate percussion. On the B-Side, Nonplace's mastering engineer Rashad Becker provides his own mix of the original piece. Keeping the original arrangement intact he instead treats each instrument track with different compression to the point of rendering them unrecognisable. Highly recommended.

Review: Given the previous success in the soundtrack sphere of fellow old skool dance music heavyweights Daft Punk, Orbital and David Holmes, it was perhaps inevitable that the Chemical Brothers would one day follow in their footsteps. That it would be for a film like Hanna - a slightly odd thriller about a teenage girl raised to be a cold blooded killer in Scandinavian wilderness - is perhaps more surprising. Musically, Hanna is certainly one of the most interesting things Tom and Ed have done. While many of their familiar themes are present - the spiralling psychedelics, dark atmospherics and bludgeoning beats - they share equal space with off-kilter ambience, music box melodies, yearning vocal freestyling and creepy special effects.

Review: Throbbing Gristle's album 20 Jazz Funk Greats, originally released in 1979, is often cited as the recommended introduction to the band and the various side projects its members have been involved in over the years. Filled with several classics of the Throbbing Gristle canon ("Convincing People", "Walkabout", "Hot On The Heels Of Love") 20 Jazz Funk Greats still sounds remarkably ahead of its time and should be considered an album any self respecting collector has in their possession. This 30th anniversary reissue was originally released in 2011, made all the more enticing by the fact it had been restored and remastered specifically for each format by Chris Carter from 24bit 'baked tape' digital transfers. A timely repress of this reissue has now arrived thanks to Industry!