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Review: Einsturzende Neubauten's description by label Potomoak - as a band that constantly evolves - is accurate enough. Over forty years on from their debut album Kollaps in 1981, Rampen appears as the latest and most unruly incarnation of their sound yet. Here, Blixa Bargeld, N. U. Unruh, Alexander Hacke, Jochen Arbeit, Rudolph Moser and Felix Gebhard present their least predictable and conventional sides: APM is described as alien pop music; the songs therein have been specially crafted not only for our universe but for every adjacent parallel universe to ours, with every slight multiversal variation in humanity's collective tastes held firmly in mind. The album fully lives up to its billing as anti-pop as alien pop, its challenging twists and turns fully sating the difficult whims of society's outcasts and cosmic punks.

Review: Renowned saxophonist and flautist Chip Wickham has his 2022 album on Gondwana reissued by P-Vine here and it is fair to say that Cloud 10 is his most soulful album yet. Hailing from Brighton and honing his craft in Manchester, Wickham blends the spiritual jazz influences of Roland Kirk and Yusef Lateef with British jazz legends like Tubby Hayes. Having collaborated with diverse acts from The Pharcyde to Nightmares On Wax, his debut for Gondwana Records offers a timeless fusion of soulful, spiritual jazz and hard-hitting modal hard-bop. Wickham's dynamic flute and tenor work drive the album, reflecting his passion for connecting deeply with audiences and leaving a lasting musical legacy.

Review: The 1985 boxset is a comprehensive collection of The Waterboys' musical endeavors during that year. It features a diverse range of materials, including unreleased tracks, demos, outtakes, and live recordings. The set also includes a remastered version of their acclaimed album This Is The Sea. The boxset offers a glimpse into the band's creative process, with numerous alternate versions, song sketches, and covers. It also showcases the band's eclectic musical influences, ranging from traditional Irish folk to experimental rock. Despite its length, the boxset is a cohesive and engaging listen. The remastered This Is The Sea is a highlight, with Tom Verlaine's guitar playing adding a new dimension to the classic album. Other standout tracks include the previously unreleased instrumental 'Meridian West' and a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Sweetheart Like You.' Overall, the 1985 boxset is a valuable addition to the collection of any Waterboys fan. It provides a comprehensive overview of the band's creative output during a particularly fertile period. The boxset also offers insights into the band's musical influences and their commitment to their craft.

Review: A comprehensive reissue campaign of the key albums by Creation Rebel, the original On-U Sound house band. The series encompasses out of print and much in demand UK dub reggae albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s, all highlighting crucial early production work from the mixing desk of Adrian Sherwood. The band's post-reformation, 2023 album Hostile Environment, is thrown in for good measure. This mammoth 6xCD edition houses five dozen tracks of indelibly experimental dub and reggae tracks, many of which tend towards the spacier and more cosmically-intoned ends of the dub tradition, which was above alive and kicking at the height of the genre's fame from the late 1970s onwards, and spearheaded by none other than group members Clifton Morrison, Eric 'Fish' Clarke and more.

Review: This massive anthology box set compiles all five volumes of the Stereolab Switched On series: 94 non-album tracks and sought after deep cuts by the group. Beginning with the original Switched On compilation LP from 1992, the series that ensued - though entirely comprised of deep cuts - still makes for a comprehensive jaunt through the Anglo-French auteurs' oeuvre, which never once lets up on quality. Every track here could've appeared on a full-length, so it's a testament to the band's work ethic that they simply had this much material to follow up with. Warp's comprehensive new 8xCD includes experimental highlights such as the original weirdo-chanson 'Plastic Mile', an Autechre remix of 'Refractions In The Plastic Pulse' and the stripped back 'XXXOOO', among many other gemstones.