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Review: First released in 2012, this highly acclaimed second full-length album flaunts the unique musical style of the German artist Thomas Bucker, the mastermind behind Bersarin Quartett. II is a mesmerizing blend of ambient, electronic and classical music, making for a classic example of the solo-artist-masquerading-as-a-group subversion. Proving that the sonic expressions of classical music that are normally connoted with ensembles can be pulled off by an individual, titles like 'Zum Greifen nah' and 'Alles ist ein Wunder' reflect the sublime feel of epic film music, while evoking every influence from The Flashbulb to Bohren & Der Club Of Gore. Now reissued on vinyl by Denovali, the Quartett can be heard once again, in all their crescendoing glory.

Review: Given the hype that surrounded the release of the first Moderat set back in 2009, we can surely expect more of the same for this second outing from Apparat and Modeselektor. Those familiar with the first album's woozy blend of IDM, Thom Yorke indebted vocal dreaminess, porchlight techno and post-dubstep rhythms will immediately feel right at home. Online reviews have focused largely on II's atmospheric warmth, and the way in which the Berlin-based trio seems to have refined their sound. Both are valid critiques; certainly, there's a maturity and musical complexity to the album that betters much of their previous works. It's not much of a dancefloor set, but that's entirely the point; this is locked-in headphone listening for the wide-eyed generation.

Review: Three years on from the release of their eponymous debut album, Danilo Plessow (AKA Motor City Drum Ensemble) and Marcus Worgull once again join forces as Vermont. Like that acclaimed opus, II sees the duo exploring the worlds of ambient and electronica, along the way incorporating elements of 1970s kosmiche, and the kind of cyclical, minimalist compositions made famous by Steve Reich and Terry Riley. The results are uniformly excellent, with highlights including the Manuel Gottsching inspired "Nordeney", the Tangerine Dream style movements of "Gebirge", the Namlookian spaciousness of "Hallo Von Der Anderen Seite", and the hushed analogue creepiness of "Chemtrails".

Review: It's been six years since the release of Portuguese combo Gala Drop's acclaimed, self-titled debut album. In that time, there have been line-up changes, subtle changes in style, and a surprise meeting with Detroit legend Jerry The Cat. The latter makes a big impression on II, their long-awaited sophomore set, contributing hazy vocals throughout. The real genius of II, though, lies in Gala Drop's new-found sound - a deliciously Balearic mix of heavy dub influences, loose Balearic rock, picturesque electronics, and a curious-but-brilliant fusion of cheap drum machines and dense live percussion. As a result, the album effortlessly swings between enveloping, sun-kissed wooziness (see "Slow House" and "All Things"), and psychedelic, Balearic dub-rock ("Let It Go"). Happily, the sun shines throughout.

Review: Apparently not content with making an album that floored classic rock fans old and young - last year's solo psych-glam masterpiece 'Redeemer', Ty Segall here deals out his second heavy-ass power-trio masterclass with a band who effortlessly transcend any notion of being a 'side-project'. Whilst certain ingredients are audible from Segall's other work, such as his sparky and infectious knack for melody and love for the seamier sonic landscapes of the early '70s, 'II' is no less than a timeless blast of garage-birthed intensity, a double album brimming with gusto and chutzpah, yet with an expansive approach to match their hard-rocking drive, proving there's more to this band than distortion boxes and ruptured eardrums.

Review: Aaron M. Olson's CV expands in a myriad directions, with L.A. Takedown being his purely instrumental project, and one that invites natural comparison with soundtrack work owing to its yacht-rock stylings and sci-fi synth, not to mention taking his moniker from a 1989 movie. The vision here however is one of a land where sun-scorched urban vistas are seized by dystopian dread, and Olson's sleight-of-hand and atmospheric prowess render him a dab hand in creating evocative soundscapes that unite retro and future alike. Lovers of M83 and Johnny Jewel take note.