New releases today: Library/Archive

Review: Demon Records marks 55 years since Jon Pertwee first stepped into the Tardis with a four-record tribute to his time in the role and beyond. The Jon Pertwee Collection abridges two vinyl readings - Doctor Who And The Curse Of Peladon and Doctor Who And The Planet Of The Daleks - adapted respectively by Brian Hayles and Terrance Dicks from their early 70s TV scripts. Pertwee lends his classic voice to both, accompanied by BBC Radiophonic Workshop's unmistakable theme. Alongside the audiobooks are a string of rarities including a 1972 novelty single, radio interviews, sketches, and later-era tributes, all reflecting the breadth of Pertwee's post-Who cultural footprint.

Review: London-based producer Sholto (Oscar Robertson) teams up with Melbourne pianist Finn Rees for two collaborative pieces recorded in a short session at SFJ Studios. 'Love In Memory' and 'Bluebell' were laid down over consecutive days using analogue equipment, including mellotron, Wurlitzer and ribbon mics and mixed through a 70s Studer desk. The result is a measured blend of jazz-inflected composition and cinematic texture, leaning into the soft-focus feel of Italian film scores and 70s library music. 'Love In Memory' is the more stripped-back of the two, built around glissando keys and lightly arranged strings while 'Bluebell' adds bass from Matthew Hayes and develops in longer arcs, with warmer low-end and more defined structure. Both tracks avoid excess, favouring tone and pacing over virtuosity. String parts from Clementine Brown further the record's focus on texture rather than drama. The collaboration doesn't aim to be definitive but lands confidently as a quiet, well-formed experiment between two artists working with a shared vocabulary.

Review: Ohio-based producer Leroi Conroy finally steps into the spotlight with his debut LP after years behind the scenes running Colemine Records and producing for others. Drawing heavily from golden-age hip-hop textures and 60s/70s film scores, this instrumental release imagines a parallel Jungle Book narrative, flipping the script on man vs. nature. Tracks like 'Shere's Theme' and 'Snowcat' evoke that blunted, cinematic mood, full of Hammond organ swells, vibraphone motifs and dusty Tascam tape grit. Elsewhere, wah-soaked guitar and lo-fi drums lock into grooves tailor-made for sampling. Contributions from Kelly Finnigan and Jimmy James reinforce the familial Colemine vibe, but it's Rob Houk's drumming that anchors the record throughout. Having previously been sampled by DJ Premier and Raekwon, Conroy now serves a full suite of material for beatmakers and soundtrack heads alike. It's a cohesive, dramatic record that bridges funk, soul and hip-hop, packed with storytelling and smoked-out rhythm. Expect these tracks to live on through samplers for years to come.

Review: Leeds-based group The Sorcerers expand their palette with eight new compositions that draw on spiritual jazz, minimalism and vintage electronics. The material continues their dialogue with the Ethiopique sound, though here it acts more as foundation than frame. 'Echoes of Earth' opens with slow, circular phrasing and a loosened rhythmic centre, setting a subdued tone. 'Ancestral Machines' and 'Abandoned Satellites' layer Mellotron, Jen 73 and Farfisa textures over sparse percussion, edging closer to early synthesiser music without abandoning their core ensemble dynamic. The Great Bell' and 'Beneath the Dunes' both sit lower in tempo, the former driven by low brass and negative space, while the latter hints at ambient structure. 'The Ghosts of the Black Drift' and 'The Infinite' stretch the harmonic language slightly further, with electronics used atmospherically rather than melodically. 'The Last Transmission' closes the set on a more resolved note i slightly brighter, but still understated. The group's refusal to lean into retro stylisation keeps the project grounded, and it's not a radical departure but a carefully measured step into expanded terrain.