Leftfield Recommendations February 2011

Review: Minimal Wave is dedicated to resurrecting lost and priceless electronic gems from the 80s, and the latest from Shedelvreter is just near unfathomable for the time it was made: "Best" opens with off-putting crackles and distant screams, whilst "Sounding Heaven" is just the perfect incarnation of organised noise - precise, conceptual but utterly chaotic. "Effigy" is another chest-burster, with its low-slung percussion dicing away to the sound of a weird but irresistibly fantastic modular framework.

Review: Given the involvement of dark electronica stalwart Andrea Parker in this collaborative album, it's perhaps unsurprising that parts of Private Dreams & Public Nightmares are decidedly bleak. If you're looking for jolly electronica, this isn't the place to start. That's not to say that it's particularly uninviting, because there's something weirdly appealing about the droning ambience and shiver-inducing atmospherics employed throughout. In many ways, it's minimalism taken to its logical conclusion, with delay-laden pulses, discordant synth washes and symphonic urges battling for breathing space with gentle, wistful melodies. File under "sci-fi hallucinations".

Review: Nonplace is and always will be one of the most important outlets fro electronic music and it 2012 was an important year for the label. After a long hiatus, Mr.Friedman returned with two spectacular LP's, ranging from bizarre African rhythms to dubbed-out jams. Even the opener, "Uzu" is so packed with funk and grittiness that you'll be wondering if the rest is as incredible. The answer is a simple "yes". From the cascading drum breaks of "Sendour" to the funky cacophonies of "Tom Tom Keppo" or the slow and sparse plains of "Mura", the LP encapsulates all the things wonderful about Burnt Friedman's music and secured another valid addition to his label's already stunning catalogue.