Back catalogue: Experimental/Electronic

Review: Sure Thing presents Well of Sand, its second compilation. Six tracks from the label's friends and favourites, each new to the roster, offer bold, untempered explorations of tempo and weight, a concise yet expansive collection recalling the deliberate cadence of rippling sand and the sheen of shimmering oases. From Command D's subtly groundswelling, but snappy 'Half Blue (Violet Mix)', to Foreign Material's alarmingly alien 'The Living Planet' and Third Space's supremely stereoized, lowercase opus 'Push (Part 2)', this is a release for that large intersection of audiophiles and techno-philes.

Review: The first anyone heard from Robert Fleck was an early drop on Well Street back in 2018, and it's been quiet since then. Anyone following Well Street knows it's a hot tip for upfront artists in the fractured fissures of the UK underground, and Fleck makes a welcome return to prove the point. There's a lot of different touchstones you could point to on this release, from nimble-footed broken beat and a whiff of nu jazz orchestration, not to mention a bass music sensibility and an appreciation for deeper strains of UK techno. But more than all that, Fleck merges his unique spread of influences into something fresh and unique, comfortably slipping between conventional genre markings with the kind of flair we've come to expect from Well Street.

Review: Established as a record label some four years ago, Live At Robert Johnson have really come to the fore as representing the best of contemporary European deep house alongside the likes of Dial and Running Back. Here, the Frankfurt institution returns to their recent triumphant Lifesaver compilation with this addendum 12" release featuring the productions from Roman Flugel, Lauer, San Laurentino and Tuff City Kids. Flugel opens proceedings with the rough and moody "More Is Not Enough" which brandishes a beat that can't help but get in your face. This is complemented by the calmer, sumptuous New Beat stylings of Lauer's "Hector" and the richly colourful "Final Landing" from San Laurentino. "People Is A Crackhead (Tuff Hamlet Riddim)" is not only the best track title in a hot minute but yet another original dancefloor slayer from Gerd Janson and Lauer's Tuff City Kids, opting for the Germanic digi dub meets tuff house route.

Review: Queeste welcomes FMVEE with a hugely singular collection of sounds. Though this is idiosyncratic music with its very own lexicon, the feelings of which the artists speaks are familiar to us all even if the methods are not: love songs, rueful reflection and heart ache are things we can all relate to. 'EverythingUneverKnewUwanted' is a particularly dense track of abstractions that reveal more beauty with each listen. 'Seed Perfuming' is all broken bass and reflected melody that shimmers and shines in a post-dubstep fashion and 'Sobbing' is avant-pop gem with a soaring vocal from Rosie Ruel amongst heavy as you like hits and bass.

Review: Burnt Friedman and Joao Pais Filipe's collaborative efforts began back in 2018. The former using synthesis and electronics to paint subtly but incredibly specific aural pictures, the latter focusing on the drum and rhythmic end of things. At times their music feels entirely designed for the dancefloors of underground electronic clubs, in other moments it's something very different indeed.


This latest EP lives up to those broad brushstrokes. '21-30' is a lush, almost tropical sounding workout that offers a complex percussive pattern, and combines these with gentle shades of melody, harmony, hook and distorted note. '22-105' brings elements of glitchiness and robotics into the mix. Meanwhile, '18-140' would work well as a brooding building tool (or section) of a 'proper techno' mix, with '23-130' bridging gaps between the lot.

Review: The first of two EPs leading up to The Future Sound of London's much anticipated 2025 album only serves to build anticipated cause they're as good as you would hope. Side A is a dark ambient odyssey that drifts through ethereal choirs into ritualistic rhythms before landing in a surreal suburban dreamscape. It's immersive, haunting and unpredictably brilliant. Side B begins with a more introspective tone but gradually shifts into unease with baroque minimalism with modular synths, breakbeats and drum machines coming totters with ambient field recordings and meticulously curated samples. It's as intricate as you would expect of this pair and is a masterclass in an atmosphere full of depth and surprise.

Review: A collaborative new single by sampletronic master Kieran Hebden (aka. Four Tet) and guitarist and composer William Tyler, two acclaimed musicians and both longstanding friends. Part of a recent spewing-forth of Hebden-adjacent material to hit the shelves after the artist's oft-reported-upon "agent of chaos" phase, these two tracks, pressed to a furtive 12", provide a neat counterpoint to that assessment. Rather than a pair of riddim bangers, the record flaunts Hebden's signature electronic textures and Tyler's guitar into a hypnotic, nominally dark soundwhirl, reminiscent of the earliest days of Text, but with a unique edge - a sonic corner never quite scoured before by either artist.

Review: Los Angeles-based The Black Lodge began as an intimate gathering place and ritual organised around exploring, sharing and experimenting with diverse forms of electronic music. This is the fourth collection of cuts from various artists of The Black Lodge multiverse. The Poetic Painter M, an alias of Nation chief Traxx, opens up the A-side with the dark late night acid of 'Elusive Clarity Of 1 Mind', followed by Pablo R Ruiz from Detroit providing the spooky lo-fi/sci-fi groove 'El Rey De Amor'. Over on the flip, Michigan's Fashion Flesh serves up a harsh experimental soundscape on 'Kisses' and closes with the tunnelling industrial funk of Fauna53's 'Jam1' (Asymmetrical weirdo orchestra edit).

Review: Melodies International is a real favourite label here at Juno HQ, headed up famously by Floating Points and finds including Mafalda. The third volume of their Melodies record Club is as good as anything the label has put out to date: it features a trio of jazz cuts selected by the one and only Hunee. First is Digital Justice's 'Theme From "It's All Gone Pearshaped"', a 13 minute live jam packed with synth action. On the flip is a spiritual piece from harpist Dorothy Ashby and Frantz Tuernal's 'Koultans'. Says Hunee, "these three distinct pieces of music tap into different layers of my memory."

Review: Lina Filipovich's Music for an imaginary dancefloor is an exploration of the boundary between club music and the abstract, guided by analogue synthesizers and a vivid imagination. Composed from improvisations between June and December 2022, the LP delves into ethereal realms with nervous energy and atmospheric textures that evoke imagery of surreal landscapes and otherworldly experiences. Unlike her previous works which focused on deconstructing existing sounds, Filipovich collaborates with the machines themselves in this album, allowing their aesthetics to intertwine with her creative vision. The result is a collection of tracks that pulse with intensity, drawing listeners into a dreamlike state where reality blurs with fantasy. The album's sonic landscape is rich with atonal drones and intricate delays, creating a sense of unease and wonderment. It's as if the music is speaking a language of spirits, beckoning listeners to explore the allure of the dark and the unknown. Miles Whittaker of Demdike Stare lends his mastering and additional mixing expertise to enhance the album's sonic depth, further immersing listeners in its hypnotic embrace. Overall, Music for an imaginary dancefloor is a stunning trip that defies traditional categorisation. It invites listeners to step into a realm where the boundaries of reality dissolve, leaving only the pulsating rhythms and haunting melodies to guide them through the darkness. Lina Filipovich's vision is realised with remarkable clarity and depth, making this album a standout release in the realm of experimental electronic music.