Search results: Sounds United

Review: Little John was only nine years old when he first made his mark on the reggae world. That was back in 1979 in Jamaica and was in the form of an uncredited collaboration with Captain Sinbad on 51 Storm for Sugar Minott's Black Roots label. His epic Unite album saw him come good on his early talent with dancehall-style riddims that are raw, rugged and rough. They are authentic and represent the true sound of young Jamaicans. Almost 40 years later it is still a killer collection of cuts imbued with youthful energy and ready to rock your nearest sound system.

Review: Originally released in 2010, this album from Madlib's Medicine Show series saw him delving deep into the pocket of mother Africa for his source material, coming up with new slants on his unmistakable grooves. The samples centred around African records from the early 70s, from Afrobeat to funk, psych rock to soul, from all over the continent. Of course, Madlib is one of those artists whose signature is so strong, it all ends up sounding like him, but these high-life guitar licks and dusty drum beatdowns add an extra layer of vibe to one of the illest producers to ever do it. 37 beats taking you deep into the continent where it all began.

Review: Sometimes an album comes along that you would never have imagined would exist evening a thousand lifetimes. The Electro-Bossa Songbook Of Coldplay is just that. It is the newest installment in this series of bossa-nova-tinged albums and it finds the Brit pop-rock outfit's catalogue getting reworked by Groove Da Praia, Sarah Menescal, Freedom Dub, Ituana and Michelle Simonal among others. All the hits are here from 'Clocks' to 'Fix You' to 'Speed of Sound' and they all have a fresh new identity that brings some sunshine and good times into your life.

Review: Throbbing Gristle's second studio album is an essential work that conjures some of the most harsh and nauseating music you can imagine (not a surprise given "Hamburger Lady" is a piece about a patient burned from the waist up and forever contained in a hospital). It was pioneering in texture and technique, and mixes both live and studio recordings into one of the band's most stylistically varied works. Creeping and haunting, confrontational and challenging from front to back, the spoken word samples from children and mutated voices will probably haunt your dreams forever, so listen with caution.

Review: Highly sought after tracks by Dutch legends Unit Moebius, the godfathers of the Hague's techno sound, have been reissued here by Berlin's Sound Metaphors on SM23. All cuts like the dirty and cracking industrial of 'Sensor' and the contorted IDM of 'Radar' are taken from their 1996 Untitled EP on Spiral Tribe's Network23 imprint - which goes for large amounts on the secondhand market. Over on the flip, the mental overdrive of 'Antenna' or the minimal tool 'Probe' sound like something that Donato Dozzy or Mike Parker would play in their DJ sets. Essential!

Review: The most sought-after release from the entire Sounds catalogue, Gemini and Unit T's 1995 release, 'Sideburns', finally gets a much-needed reissue. A1 track, 'Trip', is a prime example of deep house if there ever was one. An infectious, encircling melody meets the deep groove of the bassline to create a finished product that is in equal measure sun-soaked and cosmic. 'B Trip', the A2 track, is a gloriously shifted, off-beat reimagining of A1, pummeling percussion reverberates across the track, left alone to enjoy moments where everything is stripped back, before the body of the track returns. On the B-side, 'Mystery Tones' arrives with the kind of groove that instantly makes its way across dancefloors - a unifying track that feels precise in its simplicity, whilst still retaining exactly the right degree of looseness to get a crowd moving. This is a must-have record for any deep house aficionados, and you can now save yourself the hefty Discogs price tag!

Review: The debut/second album from Los Angeles hardcore punk heroes Youth Brigade originally stemmed from the band rushing to complete their first LP before embarking on their infamous Another State Of Mind tour with Social Distortion in 1982. Opting to cease pressing at only 800 units and returning to the studio following the end of tour, the re-recorded re-imagined version of Sound & Fury that fans know, love and worship, only kept four of the original cuts while re-working the remainder of the material into the feral, angst-riddled beast that lifers have been pining over for a repress for a many a decade. Boasting timeless anthems such as 'Sink With California' and 'What Will The Revolution Change', while also serving as namesake for the annual hardcore festival held in California, this is a true circular slice of poignant, essential, iconic hardcore mayhem, available for the tatted bruisers and sparkly-eyed newcomers alike.

Review: Wes Montgomery's centennial was on March 6th 2023 and is marked by Verve and Uma releasing an acoustic sounds edition of his Smokin' at the Half Note album. Wes was said to be one of the best live performers in the game and this is real evidence of that - it finds him at the heights of his brilliant and influential guitar playing and is a record that captures him playing with more drive and confidence than ever. Smokin' Wynton Kelly does a fine job of supporting on this most accomplished and essential record.

Review: 80s Techno Tracks Volume 1 was originally a CD-only compilation put out back in 2019 by the ZYX Music label. It has proved so popular that it now comes on a special vinyl release that packs in eight of the best tunes to feature on the CD. It makes for a fun and throwback listen that very much chimes with the current trend for these sorts of sounds - hi-nrg, eurobeat, EBM, synth-pop, industrial and new beat with a bit of proto-acid house town in for good measure. It is the unmistakable characteristics of the machines that made these tunes that make them so instantly lovable and transportive.