Back catalogue: Library/Archive

Review: A new spate of Tele Music library classics reissues from the 70s houses this one from 1976. Once more, legendary composer and drummer Pierre Alain Dahan hears his timely work reissued - this time in collaboration with his eternal guitar colleague Slim Pezin, a many-timed collaborator with Dahan. Contrasting to Dahan's many more experimental works, such as the prototypical 'Rhythmiques' album (which is far more out-there, almost primordial-sounding) 'Neo Rhythmiques' is an absolute killer of scorching, uptempo jazzy soul-funk, demonstrating what humanity as whole has achieved since, by harnessing said rhythmic primordium for its own funky ends.

Review: One of Gil Scott-Heron's most renowned live performances gets a reissue here via BGP. Performing his then best-known musical poetry hits at the time - at an obscure venue on East 125th Street & Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York - Small Talk At 125th And Lenox was officially Scott-Heron's first album. It was received by a small audience, and contained such greats as 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised', 'Brother', 'Evolution' and 'Paint It Black'. Backed by hand drums and jazz piano, our favourite from this classic has to be 'Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?', a musical-philosophical masterpiece that nails the unquantifiability of psychic grief.

Review: Oscar 'Sholto' Robertson's album Letting Go of Forever prides itself on being an expansive musical journey, building on the momentum of his critically acclaimed EP 'The Changing Tides Of Dreams'. This 26-track double LP reflects Sholto's rich influences, from Mozart's dramatic 'Lacrimosa' to David Axelrod's eclectic productions. The album's initial tracks, including the evocative 'For The Love Of Stripes' and the atmospheric 'Ligurian Storm', are a signature blend of orchestral and instrumental artistry. 'For The Love Of Stripes' features lush strings and choral elements, interwoven with flutes and percussion to create a nostalgic, dreamy vibe. The track is inspired by the concept of stripes as both a visual divider and a symbol of individuality, which Sholto translates into a stunning musical narrative. 'Ligurian Storm' tells the story of a stormy journey through Italy, combining harp, vibraphone, and synths to evoke the beauty and drama of nature's transformation. Drawing comparisons to the Cinematic Orchestra and Surprise Chef, Sholto's work merges the soulful warmth of jazz and the experimental spirit of 60s and 70s soundtracks. This album should resonate with emotional depth and cinematic flair for anyone who listens.

Review: New novelty operations from Graham David Fellows aka John Shuttleworth, the hit-scoring, Radio 4-starring, organ-stroking Sheffield comic songster formerly known as "Jilted John", who returns with his first album in over seven years. The Pumice Stone & Other Rock Songs' title track sees Shuttleworth urging his new listeners to exfoliate at bathtime with a very particular brand of spongy, hard stone, rather than exfoliant lotion. Such trifles may be the only refuge of a South Yorkshire pop music duffer, whose comedy accent and Yamaha auto-accompaniment feature do seem to be more than enough to entertain the man for a lifetime. Including 'Berlingo', 'Blue Light Kettle', and 'Rapidly Downhill', you're in great, humdrum company here.

Review: Dive into the audacious world of exploitation cinema with the latest release showcasing the works of the legendary filmmaker The Mighty Monarch of Exploitation Cinema. This collection features adults-only radio adverts and trailers that exemplify Friedman's unique counter-culture compositions. Known for his tawdry trademark of bodaciously bare beauties and unabashed carnality, Friedman's films from 1964-1975 span a variety of genres including roughies, historical costume dramas, soft-X sizzlers, and perhaps the worst sci-fi movie ever made. What sets this collection apart is the ballyhoo - the catchy, alliterative taglines and stunning coming attractions that drew audiences into theatres. Friedman's collaboration with composer Billy Allen ensured that each film had a distinctive auditory experience, setting them apart from the competition. Included in this package is a DVD that offers a nostalgic look into Friedman's cinematic world. Despite the shift towards more explicit content in the 70s, Friedman remained loyal to his roots, dabbling only briefly in the XXX realm before retiring. This collection is a celebration of his legacy, providing an entertaining and insightful journey into the golden era of sin and skin. Get ready to have your ears spanked hard with these classic trailers and radio spots.

Review: There's a point in 'Awakening', about 2:15 in, when you realise how perfectly balanced the piece is. A sumptuous mixture of jazz, downtempo and drum & bass, just like Labour's election win, you have to ask yourself how hollow the track will turn out to be once it's actually front and centre. But regardless of the next four years, Sonic Weapon and KoolMFL's laidback afternoon bliss delivers in terms of depth and instance gratification. No mean feat, Sneaker 012 doesn't slip from thereon in. 'Suckers' is percussive opium, somehow both calming and compelling, 'K-Dub' belongs in all our hopes for hip hop instrumentals, and as we get further into things how about those warbling disco cuts ('KCAB') and organic house grooves ('I Thought It Was Lonnie')? Let's leave it there then.

Review: One of Giuliano Sorgini's finest and most sought-after titles, Scappo Per Cantare, is finally available as an official LP reissue, and the first ever to be remastered from the original tapes. Originally released in 1971 on the small library music imprint FAMA - which operated as a sub-label of RCA Italy - the record contains the original music written for Scappo Per Cantare, a small, pseudo-psychedelic 'musicarello' (musical comedy film) broadcast on RAI television. Despite this seemingly innocuous commission, the music - though he's uncredited, it was made in collaboration close confidant Alessandro Alessandroni - is incredibly surreal, and a psychedelic treat for anyone seeking crisp, chordophonal-compositional mastery distilled on record.

Review: Three years ago, Dutch multi-instrumentalist and producer Noam Offir unveiled his debut album as Soul Supreme, a vividly realised fusion of jazz-funk, jazz-fusion, hip-hop, soul and electrofunk flavours that boasted impeccable musicianship. Poetic Justice, the rising star's hotly anticipated follow-up, continues in a similar vein whilst aiming higher. The musicianship is, if anything, even better, with liberal use of horns, P-funk synth sounds, Clavinet, warming electric piano motifs, loose limbed drums (blessed with the swing of live drums, but - we think - MPC-powered). It's basically the same old super Soul Supreme sound, taken to the next level. As a result, Poetic Justice is even better than its lauded predecessor. Don't sleep on this one!

Review: Psychonauts, brace yourselves... A reissue of the classic track by artist Spacetime Continuum and ethnobotanist Terrence McKenna is upon us. The six-track EP 'Alien Dreamtime' was first released on Astralwerks in 1993, and came as the first ever release by Jonah Sharp, who played an instrumental hand in pioneering the sample-use of spiritually-enhancing spoken word segments as preludes to magnanimous, ambient electronica tracks. McKenna himself is credited as a collaborator; this EP documents the moment Sharp teamed up with the entheogenic pundit, alongside fellow didgeridoo player Stephen Kent, for an hour-long spoken word rave live in the psycho-breaks capital, San Francisco. "For your edification", McKenna intones and then continues, "the psilocybin mushroom is the catalyst of human evolution and language..." as the wildest possible atmospheric forms of take shape on the highlight dance-scapes 'Transient Generator' and McKenna's glossolalic 'Speaking In Tongues'.