Back catalogue: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: Hull and Leeds-based band bdrmm finally follow up their acclaimed debut album Bedroom - which was instantly passed as a modern day shoegaze classic - with a new EP. It features the recent single 'Port' as well as fresh remixes by the ever more essential Daniel Avery, plus Working Men's Club, A Place To Bury Strangers and others. That single, 'Port,' took the band in a new direction with a darker sound fun of distorted drones and beats, with howls of anguish and manic guitar frenzies. That is carried over into the rest of the EP next to some radical reworks.

Review: Argentina born producer and DJ Born has been serving up some fresh sonic treats for three or four years now and here makes the natural next step of starting his own label. Desencanto will become a place to hear Sebastian Rosas Bruno's freshest tackle as exemplified by this first 12" which collides techno, new wave, electro and new beat. Text with the tunes says the EP is the first of many that will "deal with the disillusions of today's world: political, social, economic and also those left by old loves." Concept aside, these are innovative and impactful cuts.

Review: Acclaimed Japanese artist Cornelius is back with a new three-song EP, Bad Advice/Mind Train, featuring a collaboration with Arto Lindsay. The EP's first single, 'Mind Train,' is an epic nine-minute track inspired by Yoko Ono which blends ethereal space-pop with minimalist structures and bursts of exhilarating chaos. Cornelius describes 'Mind Train' as a symbol of spiritual and inner exploration that is designed to prompt self-reflection. The accompanying video, created by renowned visual stylist Keita Onishi, enhances this journey with stunning retro-futuristic graphics that allow you to explore your own interpretations.

Review: Newly signed to Ninja Tune, Ebbb debuts with a five-track EP that shows great intent. Emerging from the same London avant-garde live scene that birthed black midi and Black Country New Road, the band has quickly developed a unique sound in just a year. Their music blends pulsing rhythms, immersive electronic production, sparkling melodies, layered vocal harmonies, and beats that range from ambient to industrial. Described by the band themself as "Brian Wilson meets Death Grips," the EP is experimental and unpredictable yet deeply considered and precise with an idiosyncratic hybrid of sounds that showcases Ebbb's innovative and tightly crafted music.

Review: Omena once again calls on the superb sounds of Golden Retriever for this adventurous new EP that very much takes you away from the here and now and deposits you somewhere warmer. 'Part Lake' opens up with the joys of a spring day - acoustic strings rippling out as sun beams down. 'Andro Dunos' slows to a crawl and has a more star-gazing feel while 'Digambara' is a gentle rhythm that casts you out to sea. Two variations of 'Modulations' allows you to get lost in some lush synth tapestries and 'Kizuna Encounter' then ends with another lovely sonic day dream that empties your mind.

Review: The DFA debut of longstanding member Jayson Green also signals the revival of the classic DFA twelve-inch format, so you might playfully suggest it stands for Dying Formats Always. Jay has lent his vocals to various bands such as Panthers, Violent Bullshit, Cheeseburger, and the renowned hardcore group Orchid, always showcasing his wit and humor without veering into cynicism. Assuming a bandleader role, he presents a classic A-side here with the low slung funk of 'Local Jerk,' which was recorded during a lively party. It has tight disco drums, resounding claps and a groove-inducing bassline with big horns. On the B-side, 'I Need Love' unfolds as a darkly humorous nightlife satire.

Review: The words 'DJ Sotofett Remakes' is like catnip to lovers of obscure electric sounds. And here is the Allchival label with no fewer than six of them as the left-of-centre maestro adds his take to originals by Stano. His club mix of 'Room' is all spaced out and cosmic, then goes super slow and psychedelic with his snaking bass sounds on an Overdubble mix of 'Emma Wild & Whale' before Seance Of A Kondalike" (DJ Sotofett Newseance mix) picks up the pace but remains utterly psyched-out and intoxicating. There is still time for snaking dub techno and warped electronics on the remaining three sides.

Review: The Tetine trio started writing and composing together in the lockdowns of 2020 - no doubt observing all the arcane rules about hands, face and space as they did so. They have an intuitive style that now translates to this record which was written for cello, voice, piano, organ and electronics and was born as "a respiratory, meditative, and improvisatory piece of DIY tropical-mutant-punk "chamber music". They have succeeded in their mission to subvert here with plenty of subtle background sounds bleeding in from the nearby street as themes such as hearing loss, menopause, pollution and respiration all come up.

Review: A collaborative EP between 2 Australian rock giants, this limited one-sided collectors disc comprises the 19 minutes long 'Satanic Slumber Party' split into three sections. 'The Chairman's Portrait' intro is a dark, heavily distorted spoken-word piece backed by dark rumbling guitars that explodes into the head-banging electronic banger 'Midnight in Sodom'. The angry lyrics are paired with awesome melodic guitar solos and chiptune noises, before shifting into noise rock territory. 'Hoof and Horn' takes up most of the runtime at a hefty 12 minutes, in which ambient drone begets experimental sound effects that are reminiscent of the liquid bass and synths favoured by producer SOPHIE. The track evolves into a demonic lullaby that wouldn't feel out of place in an episode of American Horror Story, and fans of 2 Mello's 'Atmospheric Horror Music Vol.1' will greatly appreciate this track. The EP is all-in-all a camp experience. An Avante-Garde, quintessentially fun blend of two incredible groups.

Review: Yoo Doo Right's third album delivers a great blend of post-rock epics and emotionally charged sonic explorations. Opening with a droning guitar barrage, the album unfolds through mantra-like repetitions, abyssal tones and carefree saturation that all serve to cement their status as Montreal post-rock royalty. Inspired by themes of patience, art commodification, AI and unconditional love, this LP draws influence from Wes Montgomery, Rachmaninoff, Neurosis and Russian Circles and was written during a snowstorm retreat in early 2023 which meant the trio aimed for cinematic, experiential significance.

Review: The fables around this one are strong. To say the least. Corker & Conboy's album, In Leith of that Learnt Later was apparently recorded in a converted carpark in Battersea. Melding together cinematic post-rock, adult lullabies, dub-by folk, and new age, it's a marvel of escapist listening that transports you far from the brutality of the concrete London it was born into, out to some field in England or other, and then onwards to plains we are yet to become familiar with. On this two-tracker that sense of adventure remains very much in tact. Purelink steps up with a remix that could be the soundtrack to your next sensory depravation tank prep or cacao ceremony. All earthy bubbles and light, loose, tribalistic percussion. On the flip, find one of the originals from the LP - the lackadaisical guitar motifs of 'On The Dust and The Haze'.