Leftfield charts

Review: When it comes to a reissue such as this it can't be understated just how arresting the work of Boards of Canada can be in the right situation. This EP, that came to light in between Music Has The Right To Children and Geogaddi, represents the enigmatic duo at their most powerful, channeling their energy into four long-form tracks that draw on all of their combined strengths. "Kid For Today" is haunting and dark but utterly heartbreaking, whilst "Amo Bishop Roden" heads into more mysterious territory. "In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country" is eerie in its titular invitation to join a cult, and "Zoetrope" tips its hat to Terry Riley et al in its looping phrases, but really there's no describing the magnificence of these gems, pleasingly reissued on vinyl to beat the Discogs chancers.

Review: It's rare that an electronic album is the biggest album of the year, or at least the most hyped. That's certainly the case with Syro, Richard D James first official release under his Aphex Twin moniker for some 13 years. So, is it in any good? For starters, it sounds like an Aphex Twin album. Listen through to the 12 tracks, and many of his familiar staples are present - the "Digeridoo" era rave breakbeats, the mangled synth-funk mash-ups, the intoxicating ambient-era melodies, the warped basslines and the skittish drill & bass style rhythms. There's madness, beauty and intensity in spades. In other words, it's an Aphex Twin album, and - as so many have pointed out since the album's release was announced - there's no-one else quite like Richard D James.

Review: Warp's Boards of Canada reissue campaign reaches Geogaddi, perhaps the duo's most expansive (if not their most popular) record, presented here on a 3LP gatefold edition. Considerably darker than its predecessor Music Has The Right To Children, the claustrophobic sounds of "Gyroscope" and sampled spoken word in tracks like "Dandelion" and "Energy Warning" present a somewhat dystopian setting, filled with unsettling sounds, such as the light but eerie melodies of "Alpha & Omega" and "1969". Undoubtedly one deserving of reappraisal.

Review: Some 25 years after delivering his debut 12", Richard D James hasn't lost the ability to thrill or inspire. By his obtuse standards, the material that makes up the surprise Cheetah EP is actually rather laidback and melodious. "Cheetah2 (LD Spectrum)", for example, sounds like a slow house jam written by robots, while the even deeper "Cheetah7B" shuffles along in a metronomic fashion, seemingly oblivious to the increasingly aggressive World at large. Of course, those trademark skittish IDM rhythms are present - see the B-side's lead cut - and the Cornishman has thrown in a couple of hazy ambient cuts for good measure.

Review: You wait three years for a new Arca album and then two come along at once. The Barcelona-based, Venezuelan artist has already dropped 'Kick I' and 'Kick II' on his standard XL stomping ground this month, and has now decided to remind us why we fell in love in the first place. &&&&&& is the producer's seminal debut album, and it still sounds fresh today.

Occupying a space somewhere between techno, the proto-footwork and juke popularised by the likes of Addison Groove at the turn of the last decade, IDM and ambient, it's a difficult thing to get your head around, from the strange piano discordance of 'Mother' to 'Feminine''s suggestion of intense 140s and the submerged liquid downtempo of 'Anaesthetic'. A seminal moment in recent dance history.

Review: Dan Andrei is arguably one of the finest selectors of this generation and a master minimal producer who makes electronic music of the highest order. His latest outing sees him inaugurating his own brand-new label alongside Claudiu Stefan. Rainbow Hill is a platform for their more personal ideas and starts with four more of Andrei's brilliantly deft yet dramatic tracks. 'Numan's Touch' kicks off with rolling drums and bass and a fine eco-system of cosmic pads, twinkling keys and fizzing synths that are theatrical and involving. 'What Else?' then gets darker and more intense with heady loops and wispy pads, and again the ante is upped and the darkness pervades once more on the tense and taught dub-tech roller 'This Is What I See'. Last of all, 'Bluer Than Ever' floats above the floor with airy pads and radiant chords. A perfect 5am vibe.

Review: Matthias closes out 2024 with 'Life Among Nightmares', a three-track EP that dives deep into the techno-synth wave spectrum. Kicking things off is Global Thunder, a mind-bending track that crescendos into an epic blend of nostalgic synths and cinematic tension. On the B-side, Living Nightmare delivers a moody fusion of eccentric analog sounds, acid sequences, and swinging percussion, creating a dark yet hypnotic atmosphere. Finally, Sunfall rounds out the EP, where sinister synths and shadowy pads pull listeners into a haunting, techno-wave journey.

Review: Ruben Benabou marks out and identifies another sonic constellation; this is a rapid indie trance-dance four-tracker of galactic ambition and scale. Drawing inspiration from sci-fi soundtracks, and the warmer currents of electro, leaders 'Message To Nowhere' and 'Words In A Void' also recall the gladdened awe of space disco, with twinging leads skirting about the stereo like passing shooting stars. The Hacker's version of the title track plays back like an 8-bit minigame version of the main mission, with its pocket-generated drums, while 'A Thousand Nights' is a prime exercise in retro synthwave, and the perfect closer.

Review: Italian-born but longtime Brooklyn-based Madteo stands at the crossroads of gritty, industrial grooves and experimental sound exploration, continuously challenging the boundaries of electronic music with his genre-defying work. Known for his love of cheap vinyl and uniquely odd records, Madteo's production style mirrors this raw, unfiltered approach i like sketching sound on a dirty napkin. Just as he seeks out imperfect, worn-out records, his music embraces the rough edges and unpredictable textures, creating a sound that's as spontaneous and unrefined as a hurried, chaotic doodle.Tracks like 'Cans People' tap into an archaic rave energy, while 'To Know Those Who' delves deep into fragmented dub techno, its non-linear structure a testament to his ability to twist familiar forms into something completely new. As the album progresses, 'Nocturnal Palates' expands the filter house universe with deep, evolving textures, and 'Rave Nite Itz Alright' surprises with its subtle yet intense chaos. The closing tracks, including 'Luglio Ottantotto' and the 15-minute odyssey 'Emo G (Sticky Wicket)', showcase Madteo's knack for manipulating time, space, and sound, offering a disorienting yet mesmerising journey into the unknown. As an artist and conversationalist, Madteo's work remains bold, unpredictable, and captivating, further cementing his place as one of the most inventive voices in modern electronic music.

Review: Schlammpeitziger gets some loving remix treatment here by a superb array of artists, many of whom will all be familiar to lovers of the famous Kompakt sound. Ada is first with a remix of 'Loch Ohne Licht' that is high in exotic melody and tropical bliss. Elsewhere a Wolfgang Voigt Megamix is dreamy and zoned out for the moments when you want to get lost in your own thoughts, and Andreas Dorau and Zwanie Jonson team up for a remix of 'Parzipan' that brings indie sleaze and underlapping groves to some skyward synth invention.

Review: Not-so-simply put, Green Monster is what might happen if Ennio Morricone, Weezer, The Beatles, Oneohtrix Point Never, Jaga Jazzist, Massive Attack, Jimi Tenor, Hans Zimmerman and Aphex Twin got together to celibate the movies of Wes Anderson, David Lynch, Dziga Vertov, and Andrei Tarkovsky. Swerving the ridiculous question - is all that clear enough? - let's cut to the chase. Jempere's fourth studio LP sees the enigmatic visionary welcome a cast of more than 26 collaborators across 14 tracks. Together, they run the gamut from dark hip hop to light operatics, electronic balladry to sticky evening aired R&B-jazz, electro-trap and (other)world building soundscapes. Something that Jempere clearly takes very seriously, with the record itself packaged alongside booklets of lyrics and objects from the imagined visual realm of the green monster. A vivid, eclectic and diverse place packing as many surprises as rewards, overflowing with possibilities, big, bold ideas, and unique identities.

Review: Vodkast Records continues to put a focus on Georgian musicians here with a new EP composed and performed by Tedi, while Zesknel also offers up three remixes. These are experimental sounds from the word go: 'Peru' is all fizzing textures and live jazz drums with moody spoken words, 'Upper Manuality' is a raw techno stomper with a sense of dystopian menace and 'Saturn' is a lithe, dubby and deep space techno interlude. 'Detunator' brings curious, clean synth modulations and shuffling rhythms. The remixes all bring dark energy and otherworldly motifs.