PIAS Vinyl & CDs

Review: Released in 2012, the Canadian electronic punks' third album marked a darker, more introspective turn for the duo. While their earlier records thrived on chaos and confrontation, III dives into a colder, more mournful landscape, channeling despair through glitchy synths and submerged vocals. The album opens with 'Plague', a storm of distorted beats and Alice Glass' haunted wails, immediately setting a bleaker tone. Tracks like 'Wrath of God' continue this suffocating atmosphere, layering harsh noise over mournful melodies in a way that feels both aggressive and fragile. Meanwhile, 'Sad Eyes' is full of catchiness amid the gloom, with a pulsing rhythm and almost danceable beat, though it's drenched in sorrow. 'Affection' is one of the most emotional tracks on the record, with shimmering synths and a distant, aching vocal performance that feels like reaching for something already lost. Closing track 'Child I Will Hurt You' strips things back even further, ending the album on a ghostly, minimalist note. III isn't an easy listen, but that's exactly its power. A harsh, beautiful collapse into darkness, not to mention Crystal Castles' most cohesive and affecting album.

Review: Originally released in 1996, Endtroducing by DJ Shadow was a landmark in instrumental hip-hop i a moody, atmospheric collage built entirely from samples. This re-issue brings fresh attention to a record that still feels ahead of its time. The opener, 'Building Steam with a Grain of Salt', sets the tone with melancholic piano loops and chopped drums, while 'Midnight in a Perfect World' remains a standout i cinematic, soulful and haunting. 'Stem/Long Stem' drifts through shifting moods, showcasing Shadow's masterful sense of pacing and texture. What made the original so revolutionary was its ability to turn dusty vinyl into something emotionally resonant, and this re-issue serves as a reminder of its lasting influence. Not just a beat tape, Endtroducing is an album with real depth, atmosphere and intent i one that rewards full, uninterrupted listening. Nearly 30 years on, it still sounds like no-one else.

Review: Lost and Found is an instrumental hip-hop landmark that captures DJ Shadow and DJ Krush at the height of their powers. Originally a label-defining early release on Mo Wax, both sides of this split single set the blueprint for sample-heavy, cinematic beat-making that still resonates today. Shadow's layered textures and Krush's dusty groove sensibilities complement each other perfectly, both tracks blending eerie atmospheres with deep, off-kilter rhythm, bridging Tokyo and California in a haze of vinyl crackle and head-nod funk. Essential listening i not just for fans of Shadow or Krush, but for anyone curious about the roots of modern downtempo and trip-hop.

Review: By following in the footsteps of the mighty Giles Martin, who remastered The Beatles' Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios, Martha Wainwright has achieved a spine-tinglingly great sound in the fabled North London institution on this 20th anniversary remaster. The mixes are so strong that it leaves you free to listen to the majesty of the arrangements and undeniable beauty of her voice, without any pangs that you can get from bad sound design. There are some songwriters who will live on long after they're gone and this Montrealer is clearly one of them. 'Far Away' has gorgeous melodies plump in the song like a pineapple tree ripe for picking. 'Don't Forget' has a bit of a Laura Marling feel and it feels like it pays homage to bluegrass traditions where people would sit around a camp fire and intimately tell their most important life stories, whilst comfortably deflecting from any sadness with an uplifting musical passage. And if anyone was to hum their life story to us, few come higher up the bucket list than Martha Wainwright.