Parlophone US Vinyl & CDs

Review: American singer-songwriter and rapper Ashnikko dropped their much-anticipated debut album this August through Parlophone and Warner Records and has been teased with no fewer than fine well-received singles. It is a concept record based around "a commentary on environmental disaster and the rapid evolution of technology" which honestly seems not so much a concept as just a statement of our current reality. The artist displays plenty of rage both lyrically and in terms of delivery here, with industrial hip-hop and rap, nu-metal and trap all distilled into something confrontational yet triumphant.

Review: The original album artwork, designed by Tony Hung, features an ice cream in neon lights against a black background. For this special edition, Hung has reimagined the design, adding gold foil and embossed details. It's a beautiful reworking that goes well with the gold disc and shows a deeper connection to the music. The audio has been spruced up using a technique that is the holy grail of vinyl cutting. And in terms of the music, you might consider the tracks more deep cuts as they don't tend to decorate their live sets. But that ought to change as there's moments of pure genius. To name a couple: 'Lonesome Street' could have made any of Bowie's albums. And 'There Are Too Many of Us' sees Albarn dabble in Roger Waters-esque observations beautifully. Time has been very kind to The Magic Whip as it's aging really well.

Review: Dance pop's dynamic duo Pet Shop Boys bring out their 15th studio album Nonetheless, still showing that the group has what it takes to keep their fans wanting more. Neil's songwriting is clever and to the point, as always, and, expressive as ever, he croons about love that is lost, jealousy and excess. Chris Lowe's underrated ability to make techno pop is always the underlying reason for this band continuing on. Together, in perfect harmony, they can hit anthemic peaks like in their lead single 'Loneliness'. The band's ability to update the disco sound and infuse it into today's dance music trends is where they shine.

Review: French producer St Germain laid down a pretty untouchable deep house blueprint with his debut album Boulevard, then managed to go one better with Tourist a couple of years later. It had even more instrumental magic and jazz class to it, over the deep, driving yet cuddly house beats with plenty of spoken word tributes to house legends, hummable top lines and iconic flutes that have endured for more than 20 years since its release. The whole thing has been remastered and now arrives on translucent orange vinyl. A true classic that will never go out of fashion and works both at home and in the club equally well.