Back catalogue: Leftfield

Review: Since the glorious synth pop years of Japan, David Sylvian has journeyed into many other realms as a musician. The experimental nature of his formative band set the tone for a career of genuine intrigue, demonstrated wonderfully on this compelling album from 2009, reissued as a double vinyl release to foil some astronomical second hand prices. Manafon centres around pieces of free improvisation, experimental rock and chamber music, with Sylvian's eloquent voice guiding your ear through all manner of fascinating soundscapes and story scenes. With contributors including Christian Fennesz, Evan Parker, Keith Rowe and Toshimaru Nakamura, this is a widely hailed piece of leftfield art that ranks as one of the brightest jewels in Sylvian's glittering career.

Review: Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, John Cale, Doug Yule, Maureen Tucker and - a little later - Nico broke the mould with their efforts as The Velvet Underground. The Andy Warhol-managed and produced cult rock icons helped lay the foundations for New Wave and punk about a decade before either sound really started to make inroads in any circles, let alone commercial ones. And, listening back to any of their records now, the music itself isn't just a significant bookmark theoretically: it all still sounds incredible today.

Todd Haynes' highly recommendable documentary charts at least some of that story in a commendable way, more so when you consider it arrived around 50 years after the original lineup disbanded. Using interviews with surviving members Cale and Tucker, alongside archive footage, music and other material, it paints a vivid portrait of an equally vivid band. With tracks by them in question, Bo Diddley, The Primitives and The Diablos, this OST helps colour that picture, and era, properly.