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Review: Kintsugi is the Japanese art of fixing broken stuff in beautiful ways and thus embracing the item's history. It is also in part the name of this new Kintsugi Soul Stepper's album that mirrors that concept by "celebrating the beauty found in piecing together diverse fragments to create a harmonious whole." Filipino Canadian collective seekersinternational and beat-maker jjuwanstockton lead the charge, on a record that celebrates the fusions of many diverse sounds from dub to soul to nostalgic 1980s Japan, as well as many different cultures, and identities.

Review: Mysticism's Dubplate series has got a couple of great drops lined up at the moment and this is one of them - a boule pack from German digidub pioneers TVS aka Trance Vision Steppers. This was a project that never made it out of the studio but still cooked up some brilliant sounds, which in the case of this collection come from their earlier period between 1995 - 1999, all of which land on vinyl for the first time here. Fans of Adrian Sherwood, Dennis Bovell and Mad Professor will be head over heels of these dub delights - they are deep and atmospheric, with lush ambient pads, downtempo vocals and stoner synths next to more twisted rhythms.

Review: Tides is the brand-new studio album from Hybrid Minds; a veritable challenging of the status quo and drum & bass orthodoxy with the best-produced, most pristine sonic vanguard yet. Presenting 13 incredible tracks, including the hits 'If Love Could Have Saved You', with venbee and 'Lights', with Charlotte Plank, get ready to sit back and enjoy the sonic journey that Tides takes you on, transcending listeners beyond the genre's more typical environments with their own unique Hybrid Minds take on the drum & bass style. This edition is primed for the tuntable, coming to a shortened 2xLP splatter-vinyl edition.

Review: Tides is the latest album from Hybrid Minds, whose efforts have landed him at the forefront of the contemporary pop/drum & bass race of late. Hot off the heels of an initial LP release, this CD edition of Tides tops up the album's format-ography. The album sounds as huge on optical-digital as it does analogue; every track is effortless in its glossy command of space and bursting vocal synergy, calling attention to Hybrid Minds' collaboration-heavy approach to creation (every track bar one is a feature track, the best of which include Tom Walker, Grimm and Charlotte Plank).

Notes: ***B-STOCK: Box opened, product in perfect working order***


The Wireless PRO is the ultimate wireless microphone, packed full of powerful features that offer incredible flexibility for recording pristine audio for your content. Never lose a take with 32-bit float on-board recording, keep all your video and audio flawlessly synchronised with timecode, and capture incredible-sounding content effortlessly with intelligent GainAssist technology. The Wireless PRO delivers everything you could possibly want from a compact wireless microphone system, and much more.

State-of-the-art Wireless Audio

RODE pioneered the ultra-compact wireless microphone category with the original Wireless GO and this legacy carries on with Wireless PRO. Utilising state-of-the-art Series IV 2.4GHz digital transmission and proprietary near-zero latency codec with 128-bit encryption, it delivers crystal-clear, incredibly stable audio with a range of up to 260m. Wireless audio you can rely on in almost any recording application.

Never Lose a Recording

There's nothing worse than pulling your audio into your editing software and realising your recording clipped and can't be used. With the Wireless PRO, this is a thing of the past. 32-bit float on-board recording means your audio is safely backed up every time you record, with the ability to recover any recording in post-production that was too loud or too quiet. Never worry about setting your gain perfectly again. Gamechanger.

Audio and Video, Perfectly in Sync

With the Wireless PRO's timecode capability, you can perfectly synchronise your audio and video with ease - no need for complex and expensive external timecode systems.

Pristine Audio in Any Situation

In addition to its 32-bit float on-board recording, the Wireless PRO offers a plethora of features that promise pristine audio in any situation. Ensure your audio is smooth and balanced with intelligent GainAssist technology. Precisely match your mic to your camera with flexible gain controls and tailored presets. Add an extra layer of protection with the safety channel. Perfect recordings, every time.

The Ultimate Pro Recording Kit
The Wireless PRO comes with everything you need to get set up and recording wireless audio right out of the box. Included are two professional Lavalier II microphones that are perfect for recording on-screen talent, as well as furry windshields for outdoor use, a pair of MagClip GO to attach your transmitters anywhere, a smart charging case and a handy accessory pack to store your lavs, cables and clips.

Connect to All Your Devices

Thanks to its analogue (3.5mm) and digital (USB-C) outputs, the Wireless PRO is universally compatible with cameras and other audio devices, both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and Windows and Mac computers.

Easy Configuration and Control

Check your audio levels at a glance with the bright LCD display and configure settings on the fly with dedicated controls for everything from gain adjustment to triggering recordings. Customise the system to your needs anywhere using your computer or smartphone with the RODE Central app. Complete control over your setup, so you can be ready for any recording situation.

Monitor and Record

Monitor your audio in the field with the Wireless PRO's high-power headphone output, complete with on-board level control, or connect a headset or narrator microphone such as a lavalier to capture a third audio track. Ultimate versatility.
Specifications Acoustic & Electrical (Wireless PRO)

Acoustic Principle: Pre-polarised pressure transducer
Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
Frequency Range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Maximum SPL: 123.5 dB SPL
Equivalent Noise (A-Weighted): 22 dBA
Signal-to-noise Ratio: 72 dB
Analogue Inputs: 3.5mm locking TRS (TX)
Analogue Outputs: 3.5m TRRS (RX)
Transmission Range: 260m (line of sight)
Digital Connectivity: USB-C
Operating System Requirements: macOS 10.15 above, Windows 10 and above, iOS 14 and above, Android 11 and above
Power Requirements: In-built rechargeable lithium-ion battery, charged via USB-C (5V, 0.4A)
Operating Time: Up to 7 hours

Acoustic & Electrical (Charge Case)
Mechanical
Battery Capacity: 4200 mAH
Power Requirements: 5V/3A via USB-C
Charging Time: 2.5 hours
Charge Current: 2A (maximum)
Total charges (TXs and RX): 2 complete charges
Connection Type: USB-C (SuperSpeed USB-C cable required for optimal data transfer speeds)

Mechanical
Weight (grams)
TX: 35RX: 36
Charge Case: 177
Total: 284

Dimensions (millimetres)
TX: 46.5 (W) x 44 (L) x 20 (H)
Charge Case: 101 (W) x 82 (L) x 70 (D)

What's in the Box:

Wireless PRO TX
2 x Transmitter
30cm USB-C Lightning Cable
1 x SC21
30cm USB-C to USB-C Cable
1 x SC22
Premium Lavalier Microphone
2 x Lavalier II
Magnetic Clip for Wireless GO
2 x MagClip GO
Furry for the Wireless Go II
3 x Furry
Wireless PRO Receiver
1 x Receiver
Wireless PRO Charge Case
1 x Charge Case (PRO)
Wireless PRO Accessory Case
1 x Accessory Case
SC34 USB-C to C SuperSpeed Cable
1 x SC34
3.5mm TRS Patch Cable
1 x SC2

Review: Andre 3000s 87-minute flute epic makes it onto a double CD courtesy of Sony. One of the most intriguing, enveloping and therapeutic LPs of 2023, New Blue Sun sees the Outkast veteran drop the mic in favour of myriad flutes, both digital and acoustic, creating a loose, patient album which sounds somewhat like the lovechild of Jon Hassell and Ras G. The whimsically named tracks unfold in a languid dream sequence, feeling improvised but focused, sparse yet dense, and deeply emotive throughout. 3000's far-from-virtuosic flute performances add to the charm and unpredictability of the album, and ensure that the overwhelmingly gentle music doesn't veer too far into vapid new-agery. One for yer pensive off-days!

Review: Four years after the untimely death of her husband John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane held a special concert at Carnegie Hall. This was planned to be released by Impulse at the time but somehow this legendary concert recording stayed dormant until this year. This release is to kick off a release tribute that will continue through the year that joins Verve and Impulse in tribute to Alice and her work. This double CD included two transcendental tunes from Journey in Satchidananda (Which Alice released just the year before), followed by two compositions by John Coltrane and served as a sign of things to come. These two pieces that showed a sign of what was to come from John Coltrane as he entered into the 1970s. Make sure to pick up this special concert!

Review: Mother is Logic1000's debut album. An alias of Samantha Poulter, the Berlin-based DJ and producer explains it has been insured by her becoming a parent. "I felt so much love and inspiration entering into motherhood that I just needed to create something really powerful," says the producer who hails from Sydney and has collaborated on the lad single 'Grown On Me' with her husband and long-time creative partner Thom McAlister. It is an album that runs that gamut from broken beats to smoky soul, shuffling basement grooves to heady and hypotonic, dubbed-out rollers.

Review: 'Beehive Breaks' is a new curveball from the Numero label, pitting together 15 'feminine funk' fixtures for your listening pleasure. All sourced from the label's back catalogue, we're met with an impressive array of funky-drummed, double-X'ed ditties, from Sandy Gaye's Cruella-synched 'Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone' to James Brown's soul sister #1 Marva Whitney; from teenage girl gangs The Trinikas and Promise, to Miami's queen of soul, Betty Wright; and to top it all off, there's even a previously unissued belter from Chicago's Sonics Band on there.

Review: Julia Holter has subtly shifted focus on new album (her sixth in total) Something In The Room She Moves, moving away from exploring memory and dream-like states to instead focus on (in her words) "the complexity and transformability of our bodies". To create this rather distinctive (and rather good sound world), she added her own ethereal vocals to self-created backing tracks rich in electric fretless bass, warming wind and reed instruments, and distinctive synth sounds plucked from a Yamaha CS060. The results are predictably immersive and soul-enriching, with highlights including stunning opener 'Sun Girl', the percussively inventive 'Spinning', and the pastoral, dreamy 'Evening Mood'.

Review: Greater Manchester art-rock auteurs Elbow return with their highly anticipated tenth full-length Audio Clarity. Known for their "one for the masses, one for the few" dynamic that saw 2019's experimental Giants Of All Sizes offset by 2021's lush, intimate Flying Dream 1; their latest venture appears poised to recapture the avant-garde post-rock machinations of their earliest work, pre-dating the Mercury Prize winning success of 2008's The Seldom Seen Kid, and harking all the way back to their more challenging Cast Of Thousands days. Described by vocalist/lyricist Guy Garvey as "gnarly, seedy grooves created by us playing together in garagey rooms", the mathematic, slow burn of lead single 'Lovers' Leap' twists odd time signatures around interlocked grooves while building towards a post-funk finish, sonically and compositionally highlighting their more involved, frenetic approach as opposed to their recent output's more minimal set-building. In short, Elbow are back for themselves and whoever else cares to follow them yet again down their labyrinthine tapestry of artful ruminations.

Review: Pale Jay's latest LP Bewilderment spawns two more treasure here on this new and essential 7" from Karma Chief Records. Up first is an Afro-beat tinged cut, 'In Your Corner' with a subtly uplifting rhythm although listen deeper and you'll get locked in to the lyrics which detail an internal struggle for self-acceptance. On the flip is the album title cut which showcase Jay's signature sounds - silky falsetto over soulful harmonies and dusty hip-hop beats. This one also tell a story, this time about the breakdown of a family and the journey into self that ensues.

Review: Tyla is an already hotly-tipped South African singer and songwriter but the release of this new self-titled album is sure to take her to the next level and be one of 2024's biggest and best. It's a fusion of r&b and amapiano - a mix of house, jazz, downtempo and rich melody from her native South Africa - that is topped with her seductive and soft vocals. Channeling the likes of the great Aaliyah, it's been proceeded day the captivating lead single 'Waze' and is full of heart melting moments of tender r&b beauty. It has been two years in the making and was recorded in Jamaica so is pulled with subtle sunshine that makes it all the more perfectly timed.

Review: Cali soul supergroup Thee Sinseers premiere their next album Sinseerly Yours, strutting down the proverbial red carpet with ten new, contemporary rerubs of classic soul standards. Fronted by bandleader and son of East Los Angeles Joey Quinones, the group has quietly chipped away at the sounds of r&b and soul for the last half-decade; he and his crew are heard at the polished end of an extended studio session held in Rialto, California, the ineluctable Second Hand Sounds. Making unprecedented use of a converted studio space which used to be a dentist's office, the unique acoustics of which lent them a fuller sound than formerly heard, we hear the band expertly toggle between 60s pop vis-a-vis early Beatles records to obscure Jamaican dancehall here.

Review: British soul singer Dee C Lee started her career singing backup for Wham and the Style Council, before embarking on a solo career that included an early release on Mo Wax. By the late 90s, she'd pretty much stepped back from music though - making this new album for Acid Jazz a genuine surprise (it's her first new release for over a quarter of a century). It's rather good, too, with Lee's sublime and emotion-rich vocals soaring above 'heritage soul' style tracks that variously offer nods to bossa-nova ('Don't Forget About Love'), disco/jazz-funk fusion ('Be There In The Morning', with its excellent horns and fluttering flutes), and Motown-style stompers (the uplifting excellence of 'Walk Away').

Review: Experience the brilliance of Dennis Brown's late 70s roots vocal cut with this crucial reissue from Joe Gibbs. This new 45rpm features captivating harmonies by the acclaimed USA singer Dhaima, who is a frequent Brown collaborator, and here they combine in superb fashion for a deep roller with buttery vocals. On the flip side, indulge in the mesmerising dub version crafted by The Mighty Two. This is another great reggae release from the tireless folk at the Joe Gibbs imprint.

Review: Novi Orbis is a label that has said before it is on a journey into outer space and that sonic mission continues here with a new EP from Elias Sternin. He is a fresh new school soundsmith with who impresses with this one from the off: 'Musica Interminable' is all bendy bass and driving, swampy synths with thudding kicks that sound like a future rave in the stars. 'Magnetismo Inexplicable' is another nice and elastic mix of drums and bass with bright progressive chords and 'Three O'clock' (rework) then gets loose and tripped out. 'Portamento' closes down with a gurgling baseline and snappy drums to get you marching.

Review: A relative newcomer to the scene, MAKEZ is fast spreading its wings. This duo finds itself back on the soulful house label Heist Recordings out of the Netherlands. "Closer" (feat AVA LAVA) gives us memories of classic Naked Music back in the last 90s. An ideal balance between jazzy house and deep house. "Running From The Noise" (feat Life On Planets) isn't far behind. Another upbeat gem where the vocal suits the deepness perfectly. 'The Answer' on the flip side amps things up with a more 90s techno approach that MAKEZ has the touch to still work in a great vocal on. Things get a bit deeper and darker with the more serious 'Gratitude' that completes the EP. Overall, 'The Midnight EP' has a terrific combination of soulful, uplifting and serious house music that never forgets the fun aspect. You would be glad to be a part of this party!

Review: Frame Of Mind has been one of the best techno and house labels in the past couple years hailing from the Netherlands. This is the second appearance for Synaptic Voyager on the label in total. 'Epoch Ten' exhibits a premier example of the quality ambient techno the label has released in recent years. Fans of As One, FBA, Stasis and Sensurreal are sure to gravitate toward this track in particular. The 90s Detroit vibe is here in many respects. 'Ne Plus Ultra' and 'Reverie' are perfect tributes to the lineage there. The robot funk in 'Milestone' is particularly exciting with this early 90s styled foray into UK techno while 'Parallax' gives off a heavy Innovator and early Warp label impressions. If you are a fan of ambient techno then this is a quick and easy pickup.

Review: Nat Birchall is a prolific artist and someone who has proven he can do all forms of jazz from spiritual to contemporary to dub styled. This newest album from him finds him join with an expanded Unity Ensemble to cook up six original compositions featuring the likes of cult UK tenor saxophonist Alan Skidmore and guest percussionist Mark Wastell. They all came together initially at a John Coltrane tribute concert at London's Cafe Oto last year and soon found they had a common creative group so decided to get in the studio together. That early synergy shines through here on a lush five track record that is expansive and uplifting and rich in celestial melody.

Review: Sawteeth's Growing Sprout EP is a captivating journey through the vibrant and energetic world of jungle music. The EP opens with the title track, a jungle anthem that seamlessly blends Eastern melodies with a mysterious and mystical atmosphere, transporting listeners to ancient and otherworldly realms. 'The Silk Road' continues the journey with a hypnotic old-school vocal jungle track that weaves enchanting melodies around a pulsating beat. The EP closes with 'The Missing Link,' a melodic and spacey breakbeat track that showcases Sawteeth's versatility and takes listeners on a soaring sonic adventure with its fast amen break. Overall, this album delivers upon the roots of the genre and the future aspirations of the style all mixed into three heaters.

Review: The Take It Easy label returns with a red hot one and limited edition one-sided 12" that features a Bugsy 'ReDrum' of Wema's 'Kiherehere' cut. The original artists are a five-piece Tanzanian outfit founded on community and they have a global approach to sound that plays out here. In Bugsy's hands, it becomes a club-ready cut that fuses house and techno with the original's traditional Tanzanian instrumentals and Afro-Latin rhythms. Add in a fiery vocal and the sort of unrelenting drum funk that sends crowds mad and you have another standout from this fledgling label.

Review: Offenbach upstart Tom Ries has been impressing with his playful take on minimal since debuting in 2017, and he's on especially fun and funky form for this first release on Inadequate Audio. Every track is a winner, but 'MM Swimsuit' is a particularly deadly cut thanks to the combination of swinging, sizzling drums, pinging sound design and warm, smudgy chords cast in a jazzy tone that only adds to the grooviness. Every track has its own distinct character, making this a must-check for anyone who likes their shuffling minimal to play out with flair.