Back catalogue: Library/Archive

Review: Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and electronic music pioneer Mort Garson just keeps on giving, even now, 15 years after his death. Archival releases since have come not-so-thick-and-fast, but occasional and well thought through, with Journey to the Moon & Beyond the latest example of this. Not, as the cover and title might suggest, the score to some forgotten 1970s animated classic, but instead a collection of stuff very few will have heard before, let alone had opportunity to buy, it's really something special. On the track list, then, you'll find the soundtrack to 1974 Blaxploitation movie Black Eye, or at least part of it. Similarly splendid, but in a very different way, are the grand tones of 'Zoos of the World', originally made to accompany a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name. Then there's the music he wrote for the 1969 moon landings, as used by CBS News at the time. History bottled, or rather pressed, get it while it's fresh (and in stock).

Review: Continuing Be With's library music reissues series is this latest callback to the rare 1979 album French composer and producer Michael Gonet, who, like many of his contemporaries, created futuristic and experimental sounds for TV, radio and film, working at the precipice of a new, transitional media age. Dripping from this bleeding edge comes twelve strange tracks for timpani, synth and odd time signature, occasionally dipping into styles ranging from synthpop, minimalism and funk. Choice weirdo segments include the forbidden-planetary 'Phasing Percussions' tracks and the dastardly instrumental-fonky 'Devil Dances'.