Blackest Ever Black Vinyl & CDs

Review: Remixes of iconic New York no wave act Ike Yard by Regis and Konrad Becker's Monoton project feature on this joint release from Blackest Ever Black and Desire. Technically a complementary release to Desire's soon to drop reissue of Ike Yard's eponymous debut set from 1982, this 12" has the Downwards boss and Becker tackling tracks from that album. Led by Stuart Argabright, Ike Yard's brand of avant garde electro minimalism is not something you can easily digest, but both remixes here work as fine complements to the source material. Regis' take on "Loss" is a pattering, skeletal affair that develops ripples of uneasy analogue pulses without ever forgoing Ike Yard's paranoia inducing intentions, while Becker's Monoton Dub take on "NCR" is equally respectful, if much more foreboding in execution.

Review: British duo Raime are back with the first album since 2012's brilliant Quarter Turns A Living Line and their signature style of dark ambience and haunting imaginary soundtracks which incorporate jungle, dub and post-punk influences into the mix also. The album is said to be largely influenced by their side project Moin which incorporates rock and metal influences too. According to Blackest Ever Black "the DNA of dub-techno, garage/grime and post-hardcore rock music spliced into sleek and predatory new forms." Highlights include the moody subtractive rock of "Dialling In, Falling Out", the dub and post punk crossover of "Dead Heat" and the brooding mood-lighting of "Cold Cain".