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Review: The always adventurous Especial label is back on its world travels once more for another cultured EP, this time from Jonne Lyden aka 53X. This is a widescreen bass exploration with trance-tinged steppas looking firmly to the future from the Finnish-born artist. He has a background in punk bands but a trip to Berlin turned his ear and now he makes experimental fusions that draw on everything from industrial to Berghain to Detroit for inspiration. His tunes are mostly started out as live jams and then edited into what we have here - club-ready sounds, rich atmospherics, acid, breaks and hypnotic rhythms.

Review: (Emotional) Especial and Giraffi Dog join forces once more to offer up the second installment of their concept EP series. It is focussed on live and studio collaborations and this one comes in two halves: the first half kicks off with '6th Chakra' (feat DJ Deflektorschild) - a fully live deep house and hi-tek soul exploration with mind-expanding synths and Detroit drum sounds. 'King OTN' is a jack dup acid cut ripped with cosmic synth details and 'DX Metero' has sheet metal synths lashing about next to ethereal synths and busted drum breaks. 'Starfather' is a star-facing closer with elegant piano notes dancing over serene grooves. A vital showcase of this essential live artist.

Notes: Cutting Room Floor V3 Pedal

(Vintage Reel-to-Reel Tape, Echo, and Stutter)

The Cutting Room Floor has been updated and now has separate controls over the saturation of the input signal and tape delay signal. With this change, it's possible to have any amount of emulated tape saturation on the input signal and an adjustable tape delay level.

Housed in a smaller, compact footprint, the Cutting Room Floor V3 provides beautifully marred saturated tape tone and ethereal repeats. Imagine an abandoned factory with a fluttering tape machine left on infinite replay.

The Cutting Room Floor was designed to emulate the sound and functionality of vintage reel-to-reel tape overdrive and echo. This pedal reaches into the 21st century with characteristics that traverse the world of modulation and delay. Other features include a freeze button that traps a tone while still playing, and expression/CV control for time.

Designed and assembled in Seattle, Washington. Includes a limited 1-year warranty, if registered within 30 days of purchase.

- 150ma current draw

New in V3:

- Independent control of the tape saturation and tape delay levels

- High-quality knobs with textured grip

- Tape reel design lights up when the pedal is on

- Better layout of the knob placement

- Smaller 125B enclosure (4.77" x 2.6" x 1.39")

Review: Here is the third and final chapter of the 'Systema Naturae' series on Berlin-based 012, with fresh deep techno visions from newcomers such as Daniel(i) from Belgium (Whispering Signals) who ventures into foreboding and murky territory on the off-kilter journey of 'Carabus', and there's the return of Greek producer Alex Tomb who gets into some hypnotic minimal techno on 'Paradisaea'. Elsewhere, Leipzig-based Kontinum pushes into full mental overdrive on the strobing cut 'Octandria' and finally you have the collaboration between Mary Yuzovskaya and label head Claudio PRC titled 'Marmor' which perfectly nails that ethereal Sound Of Rome vibe.

Review: Netherlands-based 030303 Records is back with a fifth installment in its various artists series. As with the previous four editions, this is high-class electronic music pure and simple. Caramel Chameleon kicks off with a good time mix of cheery melodies and chattery drums, then Perseus Traxx brings his signature analogue murkiness to the lo-fi house trudge that is 'Something More Than This.' Elsewhere you will find quietly optimistic cuts like Raving Kid' restless 'Edgware Acid' or the dream house reveries of Kreggo's 'Hearthpulse' amongst many other varied treasures.

Review: Confounding critics (and, to a lesser extent, fans) has long been one of Dexy's calling cards, though even by Kevin Rowland and company's standards The Feminine Divine is a surprising set. The surprise lies not in the fact that it exists at all (Rowland publicly exclaimed that he was "done with music" back in 2016), but the sound of the music on show. Alongside the kind of horn-heavy 1970s soul that delighted fans in their early 80s heyday, The Feminine Divine also includes Serge Gainsbourg-esque spoken word vocals, Prince-inspired electrofunk, slow-motion breakbeats, hands-in-the-air house pianos and nods towards the kaleidoscopic, saucer-eyed rush of Ibiza-inspired Balearica. It's hugely entertaining and, for all the welcome musical surprises, still very much a Dexys album.

Review: Eight-piece soul unit Stone Foundation have been turning out their own distinctive brand of soul for a full quarter of a century now. They have dropped plenty of albums in that time and have a new one to mark the occasion on the way - Standing In The Light: 25 Years Of Stone Foundation, which features all of their greatest tunes, including some originals such as this one, which is also getting its own limited purple vinyl 7" release. As always this is all new but with an authentic vintage aesthetic that makes it impossible to date. The noodling guitar work and funky bass is irresistible with fat synths up top and the playful vocals add further layers of funk.

Review: .Named after the iconic stairs in the Bauhaus building, Dessau, Germany, designed by Walter Gropius, OMD's 45th anniversary record is worthy of that name: an inimitable piece of design. Musically, Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys have given us many landmarks over their near-half century making tunes (not something you get to write every day) and this is certainly up there. It's also very OMD to opt for a completely fresh addition to the burgeoning catalogue, rather than a series of reissues, to mark the event. That said, Bauhaus is new by definition but perhaps not really design. One of the most immediately captivating things about the record is the fact so much of what's here feels like it's OMD through the ages. Film noir-ish 'Veruschka', politicised numbers like 'Kleptocracy' and dramatic high energy pop aplenty ('Don't Go'), these have always been totems of the duo, and all are back again.

Review: Fresh from delivering a gorgeous and colourful album under his DJ Panthr alias, Hunter P Thompson returns to 100% Silk under his ambient and ambient techno-inspired alias, Akasha System. Dealing in waves of warming electronic colour, 90s ambient nostalgia, mid-80s 'new age' synth sounds, heady grooves and memorable melodies, the Portland-based producer delivers a set that's as sonically vivid as it is loved-up and unashamedly nostalgic. Standout moments are plentiful, with our picks including the delay-laden drums and delightfully drifting synth washes of 'Light Energy', the saucer-eyed Mr YT swell of 'Canopy Song', and the sunrise-ready wonder that is 'Life Cycle'.

Notes: Second-generation version of 1010's outstanding Bitbox sampler module, featuring improved processing power, higher-quality touchscreen and new effects.

Supplier's Notes:
Next Generation Sampling Module for Eurorack

The bitbox mk2 is a follow up to 1010's successful bitbox module. Do more with bitbox mk2's more powerful processor and improved touch screen. This module has all of the features of the original bitbox and adds effects and mixing capabilities that take advantage of the faster and more powerful processor.

Sample Playback

Play up to 24 polyphonic notes when your samples fit in the 64 MB of internal memory or up to 8 larger samples streaming directly from the microSD card
Configure 16 sample pads per preset as single or multi-samples, clips, slicers, granular or new recordings
Stream long samples from the microSD card with a max sample size of 4 GB, which can be many hours of audio
Trigger samples with the touch screen, CV gate inputs, or MIDI input
Use MIDI for polyphonic playback of samples or slices
Control how samples start and stop by choosing from one-shot, toggle, and gate launch modes
Tweak playback through a variety of sample parameters, including start position, length, pitch, gain, filter, loop mode, launch quantization, ADSR, Exclusive Grouping, clip synchronization, slice placement and sequencing, grain size, grain spread, grain count, and MIDI note and channel mapping

Sample Recording

Record Eurorack level audio straight into the module:

Record samples from a stereo audio input pair
Configure each pad for stereo or mono recording with the option to synchronize the start and stop times to clock inputs
Trigger recording via audio level threshold
Create perfectly sized loops by setting the recording length
Enable immediate playback after recording for live looping capabilities
Make recordings up to 4 hours in length
Store recorded samples as WAV files on the micro SD card then remove the card to transfer them to your computer
Sample Modes

Find creative ways of using your samples with our 5 sample playback modes:

Trigger one shots or launch loops using sample mode
Load a folder of samples into a sample mode pad to improve the quality of the pitch shifting when playing a sample chromatically or to trigger different samples with each note
Play time-synchronized loops with constant pitch time shifting in clip mode
Skip between slices of a WAV using slicer mode
Create rich textures and other worldly sounds with granular mode
External Control and Synchronization
Playback can be immediate or synchronized to internal clock, TRS clock in, or MIDI clock in and out
Trigger each pad independently through a dedicated gate input
Use MIDI to trigger pads via a note per pad
Play a single or multi-sample pad pitch shifted using MIDI notes or CV
Trigger different sample slices using MIDI notes or CV
Modulate a wide variety of sample parameters through the MIDI input and up to 8 CV signals
Quickly set up MIDI modulation using Learn mode - no need to look up CC numbers
Module Features
Use the 3.5" diagonal touch screen to intuitively explore the features of the module
Get more creative with double the processing power of the original bitbox
Fill out your sound with reverb and delay
Import or export WAV files with your Mac or PC using a microSD card
Save and recall multiple presets
Increase your capacity with larger microSD cards
Select Flipped UI mode to mount the unit with the screen on the bottom and use the screen, knobs, buttons, and CV jacks as you normally would

When you purchase a bitbox mk2, you will receive:

a bitbox mk2 Eurorack module
a microSD card with with a bank of demo presets and samples loaded on it
a Eurorack power cable
a bitbox mk2 Quick Start guide
a MIDI Adapter

Technical Specs

Supports 1 and 2 channel WAV files with 16, 24 or 32-bit resolution at any sample rate (48kHz preferred)
26 HP
Module dimensions including knobs: 5.25" x 5"x 1.75"
Depth behind front panel with ribbon cable: 1.25"
+12V: 400mA
-12V: 0mA
5V: 0mA
24-bit ADC and DAC

Inputs and Outputs

Connect up to 8 CV modulators to control numerous sample parameters
Trigger each of the 16 pads with a dedicated gate input
Record through the dedicated stereo audio input pair
Use CV to keep time through the dedicated clock input
Confidently connect with both TRS MIDI Type A and Type B, no adapter needed
Route the audio from each pad out to one of 2 stereo audio output pairs or any of the corresponding single channels
Inputs and outputs are DC coupled so you can record and play out CV signals

Notes: Eurorack version of 1010's superb Bluebox. Vast power in 30 HP, with the ability to mix, record and play back in mono and stereo, hook up to a computer over USB for stereo I/O and run effects, all with CV control.

Supplier's Notes:
The bluebox Eurorack edition is the new Eurorack mixer with effects and multichannel recording/playback based on the award-winning bluebox desktop mixer. With the Eurorack edition's USB-C EXT port, you can send 2 channels of audio to and from your computer. Plus, you can control up to 6 mix settings with the 6 CV inputs. Whether recording your Eurorack jams, using it to play stems as backing tracks, or a combination of both - bluebox Eurorack edition will rock your rack!

Connect your eurorack, sampler, drum machine, and synthesizer outputs to 12 mono, 3.5 mm inputs and map them to 12 mono tracks or 6 stereo tracks - all with independent control for recording and playback. Connect your computer to the USB C port to send and receive two channels of audio.

The bluebox Eurorack edition is the ultimate in compact mixing, effects, recording, and playback for Eurorack. Smack it in your rack and hit the road with a self-contained, electronic music powerhouse!

When you purchase a bluebox Eurorack edition, you will receive:

a bluebox Eurorack edition 30 HP Eurorack module
A microSD card with bluebox firmware and pre-loaded project files
two Eurorack power cables
a bluebox Eurorack edition Quick Start guide
two MIDI Adapters

Technical Specs

Dimensions & Power
30 HP
Module dimensions including knobs: 6" x 5"x 1.6"
Depth behind front panel with ribbon cable: 1.0"
Requires the +5V rail which may not be present
on some older racks.
Uses 500-850mA at +5V (depending
on screen brightness), 320 mA at +12V, and 82mA at -12V
Requires two power connections
Capabilities
12 mono tracks, 6 stereo tracks or something in between
Connect to TRS or USB C MIDI for beat syncing effects
Lots of headroom with support for Eurorack levels up to +/-5V inputs and outputs
3 effects: reverb, delay and compressor
Records and plays back 48k, 24-bit audio WAV files
4 band EQ per track
Durable aluminum faceplate
Stream 2 channels of audio in and out over USB C

Inputs and Outputs
12 mono 3.5 mm TS inputs
2 independently controlled 3.5 mm TS output pairs that can be used as 4 mono outputs
1 stereo 3.5 mm headphone output
6 CV Inputs
1 USB C MIDI Device port
1 TRS MIDI Input
1 TRS MIDI Output
1 USB C Ext jack for streaming audio
3.5" touch screen, 4 knobs, 8 navigation buttons and 3 transport buttons

Notes: A 4 ft Type B MIDI Adapter

This cable enables you to connect MIDI devices that use standard MIDI cables to the stereo minijacks that use the Type B standard. The adapter cable has a male stereo minijack at one end, and a male 5 pin DIN MIDI connector on the other, and is 1.42 meters/4' 8" long. It is also useful as a converter for connecting to other MIDI devices that use a different mapping of MIDI signals to the stereo minijacks.

Early 1010music music products use the Type B mapping of MIDI signals to stereo minijacks. Bitbox mk2 and bitbox micro can use mini TRS Type A or Type B for MIDI inputs. Bitbox micro uses Type B for MIDI outputs.

The diagram to the right shows the numbering of the pins on a MIDI connector and the labels of the connection components of a stereo minijack. Type B products are compatible with cables that use the following mapping of MIDI signals between female MIDI connectors and stereo minijacks.

Notes: The 1010music line of stereo breakout cables are designed to connect 2 mono audio signals to a single stereo TRS 3.5 mm minijack plug. The slim plug caps fit side by side with other cables in compactly spaced input jacks, like those on the 1010music bluebox. These cables may have been designed for the bluebox, but they have a wide variety of uses with other gear as well.

Each of these cables has a male TRS stereo 3.5mm minijack plug on one end and two female TS mono 3.5 mm minijack plugs on the other end. They are 15 cm/6 in long with the 1010music logo printed on the plug caps.

This stereo breakout cable connects two 3.5mm female mono TS minijack plugs to the left and right channels of one 3.5 mm stereo TRS minijack plug. Red and black end caps on the female end differentiate the left and right channels. Each cable is 15 cm/6 in long and has slim metal caps with the 1010music logo.

Specifications:
15 cm / 6 in long
One 3.5 mm male stereo TRS to two 3.5 mm female mono TS
Nickel / 24K Gold plated connector
Highly flexible PVC / TPE Jacket Materials
Rohs, UL, CE, and FCC approved

Notes: The 1010music line of stereo breakout cables are designed to connect 2 mono audio signals to a single stereo TRS 3.5 mm minijack plug. The slim caps fit side by side with other cables in compactly spaced input jacks, like those on the 1010music bluebox. These cables may have been designed for the bluebox, but they have a wide variety of uses with other gear as well.

Each of these cables has a male TRS stereo 3.5mm minijack plug on one end and two male TS mono 3.5 mm minijack plugs on the other end. They are 1.4 m/4.5 ft long with the 1010music logo printed on the plug caps.

This stereo breakout cable connects two 3.5mm male mono TS minijack plugs to the left and right channels of one 3.5 mm male stereo TRS minijack plug. Red and black end caps on the split end differentiate the left and right channels. Each cable is 1.4 m/4.5 ft long and has slim metal caps with the 1010music logo on all plugs.

Specifications:
1.4 m/4.5 ft long
one 3.5 mm male stereo TRS to two 3.5 mm male mono TS
Nickel / 24K Gold plated connector
Highly flexible PVC / TPE Jacket Materials
Rohs, UL, CE, and FCC approved

Notes: The 1010music line of stereo breakout cables are designed to connect 2 mono audio signals to a single stereo TRS 3.5 mm minijack plug. The slim caps fit side by side with other cables in compactly spaced input jacks, like those on the 1010music bluebox. These cables may have been designed for the bluebox, but they have a wide variety of uses with other gear as well.

Each of these cables has a male TRS stereo 3.5mm minijack plug on one end and two male TS mono 6.35 mm plugs on the other end. They are 1.4 m/4.5 ft long with the 1010music logo printed on the 3.5mm minijack plug caps.

This stereo breakout cable connects two 6.35 mm male mono TS plugs to the left and right channels of one 3.5 mm male stereo TRS minijack plug. Red and black caps on the 6.35 mm end differentiate the left and right channels. Each cable is 1.4 m/4.5 ft long and has slim metal caps with the 1010music logo on the 3.5 mm plug.

Specifications:
1.4 m/4.5 ft long
one 3.5 mm male stereo TRS to two 6.35 mm male mono TS
Nickel / 24K Gold plated connector
Highly flexible PVC / TPE Jacket Materials
Rohs, UL, CE, and FCC approved

Notes: Part of 1010's excellent Nanobox series, the Tangerine is a tiny powerhouse sampler. A fresh new approach to sampling, from one-shots to loops, all the way through to four-hour recordings.

Supplier's Notes:
Sweet and Tangy Sampling

The nanobox | tangerine delivers powerful sampling in an ultra portable form factor. With this nanobox, you can add recording, sample playback, clip launching, slicing, and musically intelligent looping capabilities to your desktop or travel rig. With an intuitive touch screen interface, nanobox | tangerine makes easy work of selecting, editing, and tweaking your samples. You can stream large samples of up to 4 GB file size straight from the microSD card. Interact with other musical components via MIDI. Load multi-sample banks with over 500 samples for amazing instrument reproduction. Tweak your configurations to get them just right, then save them to multiple presets for future reuse.

Top features

Play up to 24 stereo polyphonic notes when your samples fit in the 64 MB of internal memory or up to 8 larger stereo samples streaming directly from the microSD card

Play multi-sample banks with up to 16 velocity layers and 576 WAV files loaded in one preset

Configure 8 stereo sample pads per preset as single or multi-samples, clips, slicers, or new recordings

Stream long samples from the microSD card with a max sample size of 4 GB, which can be many hours of audio

Trigger samples with the touch screen or MIDI input as one shots or melodic notes

Control how samples start and stop by choosing from one-shot, toggle, gate and piano (New!) launch modes

Tweak playback through a variety of sample parameters, including start position, length, pitch, gain, filter, loop mode, launch quantization, ADSR, Exclusive Grouping, clip synchronization, slice placement and sequencing, and MIDI note and channel mapping

Quickly and easily use MIDI mapped controls for more tactile access to common parameters

Record up to 16 sequence layers per preset.

Get into the groove with a fast, fluid, and intuitive workflow

Make music anywhere thanks to a compact and nearly indestructible design

Recording Capabilities

Configure each pad for stereo or mono recording with the option to synchronize the start and stop times to clock inputs
Trigger recording via audio level threshold
Create perfectly sized loops by setting the recording length
Enable immediate playback after recording for live looping capabilities
Make recordings up to 4 hours in length
Resample the master output without patching
Automate recording of a multi-sample bank via MIDI
Store recorded samples as WAV files on the micro SD card then remove the card to transfer them to your computer

What is Included:
nanobox | tangerine - Compact Streaming Sampler
MicroSD card with 85 presets and over 1500 wav files
Colour matched USB power cord
Type B TRS MIDI To MIDI 5 Pin DIN adapter
Quick Start Guide

Technical Specs:

Power: USB-C connection 5V, 500mA
3.5mm audio input and output
Maximum input and output level: 2Vrms
DAC and ADC resolution: 24-bit
Internal resolution: 32-bit
Sample rate: 48kHz
MIDI Input: 3.5mm Type A/B auto sensing
MIDI Output: 3.5mm Type B
Clock Input: 1,2, 4, 8, 12 or 24 PPQ selectable
MIDI support: Note On/Off, Velocity, Pressure, Mod Wheel, Aftertouch, CC mappings to common parameters, program changes and clock
H x W x D: 1.5" x 3.75" x 3"
Weight: 0.25 lbs.
2" touch screen, 2 knobs and 4 buttons in a 3.75" x 3" x 1.5" package

Additional information

Weight: 0.65 lbs
Dimensions: 7.75 × 4.85 × 2.25 in

Notes: Use this cable to connect your Bluebox to a data source and a power source at the same time. This will allow you to stream audio over USB. The cable has a USB B male connection on one end and two USB B female connections on the other end: red for power and black for data.

Stream Audio Over USB with Bluebox

If you bought a Bluebox for desktop before September 2023, this handy adapter will make it easier to connect your device to a computer. New firmware allows you to send audio from the bluebox to the computer and back.

The adapter splits the power from the USB signal to help avoid noise from your computer. It also enables you to power the device separately in case your computer or hub is not suitable for the demanding power requirements of the Bluebox.

Connect the male end to the USB Power port on your Bluebox. Then connect your bluebox USB B power cable to the red female jack, and a USB B data cable to the black female jack and you are ready to stream audio.

Specs

Length: 3.25", 8.25 cm

Weight: 1.2 oz, 34 grams
Dimensions: 6.5 × 2.5 × 0.75 in

Notes: The 1010music line of stereo breakout cables are designed to connect 2 mono audio signals to a single stereo TRS 3.5 mm minijack plug. The slim plug caps fit side by side with other cables in compactly spaced input jacks, like those on the 1010music bluebox. These cables may have been designed for the bluebox, but they have a wide variety of uses with other gear as well.

Each of these cables has a male TRS stereo 3.5mm minijack plug on one end and two female TS mono 3.5 mm minijack plugs on the other end. They are 15 cm/6 in long with the 1010music logo printed on the plug caps.

This stereo breakout cable connects two 3.5mm female mono TS minijack plugs to the left and right channels of one 3.5 mm stereo TRS minijack plug. Red and black end caps on the female end differentiate the left and right channels. Each cable is 15 cm/6 in long and has slim metal caps with the 1010music logo.

Specifications:
15 cm / 6 in long
one 3.5 mm male stereo TRS to two 3.5 mm female mono TS
Nickel / 24K Gold plated connector
Highly flexible PVC / TPE Jacket Materials
Rohs, UL, CE, and FCC approved

Review: Whether it be his eighth mixtape or tenth album (as fans, journalists and the interweb often disagree on the categorisations of his myriad projects), endlessly prolific MC and producer Michael Jordan Bonema, better known by his succinct stage-name MIKE, returns with one of his most mature and clearly visualised works to date. Beware Of The Monkey owes somewhat of a debt to Bonema's mentor Earl Sweatshirt; particularly his 2018 album Some Rap Songs, with both projects taking a chopped n' screwed approach to boom bap, intertwined with warped soul and r&b samples, whilst subtly highlighting the modern form of avant-garde outsider hip-hop which is burgeoning from the inside out. Fully self-produced under his dj blackpower alias, the LP is an exercise in abstract simplicity, evoking MF DOOM at his most challenging, yet all the while retaining a welcoming warmth that prevents the material from ever crossing over into impenetrable territory.

Review: Ix3m and Denis Andreev made impressive debuts on their 123.ro label last year, and now they're back for volume three as they head deeper into their experimental minimal techno practice. There are steadfast grooves guiding the action on ix3m's A-side cut 'Perfesona', but the emphasis is more on evocative sound design which takes on a three-dimensional quality as it shifts and contorts around the hyper-minimal beat. On the flip, ix3m and Andrew's collaborative track 'Satanic' weaves a subtle invocation in the direction of the dark side, putting an unsettling, whispered female voice in the middle of the mix and creating something clandestine in the process.

Review: You've always been able to hear the West Coast in Monocoastal, but it's particularly present when you shut your eyes after 12 months of lockdown stopping you from visiting the region. Less active L.A., and more observing in Oregon, Fischer's career didn't end with this in 2011 and the multi-disciplinary artist has produced great things since, but the album is certainly one of turning points in terms of reputation and note.

The idea of slowly watching time unfold in un-rushed places is also highly appropriate. Among the washes of tape and the waves of refrain that make up this beautiful, meditative outing, you'll hear takes and half-harmonies from found instruments including a piano and xylophone. Overall, it feels like a place removed from linearity. A liminal masterpiece, if you are that way inclined.

Review: Corey Fuller and Tomoyoshi Date are the Illuha duo but for this new Tobira album they link with percussionist Tatsuhisa Yamamoto. He is a skilled drummer who has worked alone on Black Truffle but has also collaborated with Jim O'Rourke, Eiko Ishibashi, Keiji Haino, Phew and Oren Ambarchi among others. This new record focusses on electro-acoustic sounds that are run through with all manner of precise sonic details and are carried by Yamamoto's unique playing style and singular sense of groove which were recorded over two sessions. That playing style finds him playing very lightly with closely mic'ed drums so plenty of softness is captured and then interwoven with layers of Rhodes, piano, distant synths and metallic murmurations.

Review: Will Samson returns with a new album Harp Swells after more than ten years of crafting delicate sounds that are often led by his own tender voice. Now back on Taylor Deupree's experimental label, he fully immerses himself in the ambient world he previously considered only a side project. Thse record is a real meditation that sees him move away from the melancholy of his past and towards more bright and optimistic melodies. His aim is to heal himself through music and this record has six movements, each of which is based around his use of a 70s portable reel-to-reel tape recorder known as the UHER 4200. It makes for a widescreen and mesmeric work that stretches out in all directions around you with glistening melodies and slowly shifting energies that truly uplift.

Review: Scottish textural experimentors 12th Isle venture across the pond once more, with the label's founder Stewart Brown topping up its exquisite techno-tropical fold for an exclusive look-in to his music made between 2015-2020 (hence the name). A combo of hardware and live-drummed dribblings makes for what might classify as an electroacoustic album but without the usual pretensions, as each track from 'How's Life' to 'Westway' trudge through a million different disparate scrapes and clanks, which each nevertheless retain enough of a similarity to each other, within their difference, to form a part of the same soundbath. The album is also something of an allusion to London living, with many of its rhythmic luminaries (such as multi-rhythmic maestro Pike Ogilvy and fellow 12th Isle affiliate Vague Imaginaries) also in tow.

Review: ."Post-fluxos 'broken music'" is how the official release information describes this spellbinding outing from Miradasvacas. Made from fragments of recordings by Madrid's Pablo Miron and Juan Vacas, hence the artist name here, the two heads - who some will know from the Real No Real collective and Ediciones Fontenebro label - adopt a collage approach that stops some way short of musique concrete but, at times, is certainly barking up a similar tree. Taking influence from the likes of the Dieter Roth school, Anne Gillis, Leyland Kirby and Henry Krutzen, perhaps what's so technically impressive about this effort is the way tones and sounds and bits and pieces, when heard separately, don't always lay out their stall as complementary. But here, brought together as one, they create what can only be described as a magnificent whole.