Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Carla Dal Forno was once a member of a number of legendary Australian outfits. These days, the Melbournian resides in Berlin, which is presumably where she met Blackest Ever Black boss Kiran Sande. He loved her clandestine, atmospheric take on pop - think minimal wave, cold-wave and early Joy Division mixed with contemporary ambience, and leftfield synth-pop - and has decided to put out this debut album. Comprised of four songs and four instrumentals, You Know What It's Like has a timeless feel; the folksy, Scott Walker-influenced "Dry In The Rain", for example, sounds like it could have been recorded at any point over the last 40 years, while "Dragon Breath" has a genuine Radiophonic Workshop feel.

Review: Modern day Amsterdam is a bit of an oxymoron. On the one hand, the city proudly brandishes its reputation for alternative and sub cultures, pushing back against lawmakers and their incoherent policies to adopt approaches that are more realistic and levelheaded. On the other, its a place of such rampant commercial development the local government actively discourages visitors and new hotel developments. Look closely, though, and you can still feel the spirit of what, during the latter half of the 20th Century, made this place so special. Paradiso is one of those spots. A waterside cultural venue with a history first as a church, then an illegal squat, before becoming what it is today, the walls themselves seem to pervade a sense of brave, adventurous heritage. An ideal place to catch one of the most defining bands of the 1980s in their heyday, then, here Depeche Mode deliver an astounding set in a space with the atmosphere to match.