Back in stock: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Last year, regular collaborators Ian Boddy (a Sunderland-based electronics wizard who founded the ambient-focused DiN imprint years ago) and Erik Wallo (a long-serving Norwegian guitarist primiarly known for his experimental and ambient releases) performed their first joint concert for a decade. It's that performance, where they jammed out extended and much-changed versions of tracks featured on some of their prior studio sets, which forms the basis of their latest full-length, Transmissions. As you'd expect, it's a wonderfully atmospheric and evocative affair that gets the most out of both artists, with highlights including the wonderfully creepy 'Uncharted', the krautrock-style hypnotism of 'Aboena', the icy and ethereal 'Ice Station' and the slow-burn bliss of 'Salvage'.

Review: 'Quartet' is the sixth studio album by the British new wave band Ultravox, released in 1982. Infamously produced by George Martin in London and Montserrat, it made for a smash synth pop hit and decade-defining record, owing to its more polished, sophisti-pop-oriented sound compared to their previous albums made with Conny Plank12. Quartet's last reissue was in 2009 as a deluxe edition, and this brand new one essentially duplicates that version, once more sharing a slew of bonus tracks and a live DVD for the world at large.