Latest new releases on vinyl record, CD and cassette tape

Black To Comm is German producer and sound artist Marc Richter. 'Oocyte Oil & Stolen Androgens' follows hot on the heels of 2019’s highly-regarded album 'Seven Horses for Seven Kings'. This time out, Richter experiments with voice manipulation, piano and electronics, making an album that is unsettling and comforting in equal measure. Think James Ferraro.

A highly prized collector’s item since it was originally released back in 1970, Armitage Road was the sole studio recording from The Heshoo Beshoo Group. A critique of the apartheid regime in their native South Africa set to an inventive fusion of American and African jazz traditions, it now gets hugely overdue re-issue on vinyl via We Are Busy Bodies. 

I’m With You is the eighth full-length album from William Elliott Whitmore. He is known for his stripped back, earthy country-folk sound, but here he strips down to just a banjo and a bass drum. The theme of the album is the unity of family and friends.Something he knows about - he still lives on the Iowa farm where he grew up.

Flying yet again in the face of the public desire to not hear from him for a while, Ukranian producer Vakula drops another album. 'In Search Of Ancient Civilization' is an electronic album created from traditional folk instruments, field recordings and throat singing, which is certainly not the stupidest thing he's ever done.

Jim White usual approach is to write songs that ponder the darker side of life in the Southern States of the USA. On Misfit’s Jubilee, his 8th album, things seem a little more optimistic than usual -  as lead single Sum of What We’ve Been will attest. Don’t let that fool you though, his tales of misfits and outcasts are still lurking around the corner. On Loose.

Darlingside are an indie / folk band based in Boston, Massachusetts. Fish Pond Fish is their fourth album and follows their 2018 album Extralife. This album, thematically, seems to be concerned with going back to past lives. If you can imagine a perfect blend of Sufjan Stevens and Animal Collective, then that’s kinda what they sound like. On More Doug Records.

Shimmering Basset is the second studio album from The Green Child, a duo consisting of Grass Widow member Raven Mahon and recording engineer Mikey Young. Recorded in Australia (rather than by long distance as was the case with their 2018 debut) it’s a much more assured and thematically coherent work. 

Containing beautiful and evocative pieces of instrumental music from the likes of John Cameron, Alan Hawkshaw, Francis Monkman and Brian Bennett, the self-explanatory Bruton Brutoff – The Ambient, Electronic and Pastoral Sounds of The Bruton Library Catalogue is curated by genre expert Jonny Trunk. 

Just look at those keyboards! Oriental Music by Omar El Shariyi was originally released in 1976 and has become a much sought after LP over time. This album sees El Shariyi reinterpreting 6 pieces by Egyptian singer and Composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab using those beautiful keyboards - Farfisa and Steelphon S900. He mixes the traditional with the modern, introducing pop and jazz along the way. 

World's on Fire (Live at Milton Keynes Bowl) is the only live album recorded by The Prodigy, It was originally released in mid-2011. It sees the popular electronic troupe storm through hits such as Firestarter, Breathe and Smack My Bitch Up along with 14 other tracks. Remastered double vinyl LP on Cooking Vinyl.

The Abyss Within Us is the bleakly-named project of Italians Claudio Porceddu and Stefano Ferrari. The fact that it is on Astral Industries should tell you all you need to know here - the duo make mystical ambient textures and deep dub-techno on a two-part journey into elegiac soundscapes. Check out 'Life In A Circle' if you like Deepchord, GAS etc. 

I'd never come across German electronic act Extrawelt but they've been at it for fifteen years and are noted particularly for being a great live act (which is not always the case with such artists). This box set marks their fifteen year anniversary and covers each album they put out so far all newly remastered. A good place to start for people like me who have some catching up to do. 

Jazz keyboardist Roland Haynes made one album, 1975’s 2nd Wave. It featured drummer Carl Burnett and bassist Henry Franklin along with another keyboard player, Kirk Lightsey, whose wah-wah-fed Fender Rhodes faced-off with Haynes' playing. It’s high praise indeed to liken this album to Miles Davis’ ‘70s band that featured Keith Jarrett, Chick Correa, Herbie Hancock and Joe Zawinul - but high praise for 2nd Wave is necessary.

Taken under the wing of none other than dance music icon Giorgio Moroder, Montreal-based trio Le Couleur deliver a sleek second album in the shape of ‘Concorde’. Here the group have attempted to create an audio representation of the aeroplane after which the LP is named. A set of chic, danceable pop tunes, this pivots somewhat away from the vintage influences that informed Le Couler's early work.

With original copies trading on the black market for around £200, ‘Orphée 2000’ from the Chêne Noir theatre gets a reissue for France's Record Store Day 2020 via Heavenly Sweetness. The soundtrack to a play of the same name that attracted a cult audience at the time, it evokes a spiritual atmosphere based around jazz and spoken-word. 

If not Now When is a non-album single by British shoegaze / indie-pop band Jetstream Pony. The band are made up of musicians from bands such as The Fireworks, The Wedding Present, The Popguns and Trembling Blue Stars. The A side sees the band adding a touch of garage rock to their sound. It  is backed with a cover of Yellow Pills, originally by US power pop band 20/20. On Spinout Nuggets.

Faced with the imminent milestone of ten years together as a band, American shoegaze outfit Nothing get existential with their fourth studio album, The Great Dismal. Featuring guest contributions from (Sandy) Alex G and classical musicians Shelley Weiss and Mary Lattimore, it broadcasts a message of quiet hope from underneath the chaos of life as it stands in 2020. 

Waiting Out The Storm is the second album by Nashville-based singer / songwriter Jeremy Ivey. There’s some classic sounding songs here, rattling blues-tinged country and darker sounding alt. Country with Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen as clear influences.  Before recording his own songs Ivey wrote songs for his wife, fellow country singer Margo Price. Price has returned the favour by producing this album.

With ‘Attenuator’, techno music legends (not to mention close friends and collaborators) Carl Craig and Moritz von Oswald deliver the first products from a series of studio sessions they've booked in over the couple of years prior to the record's release. On this 12” single, Craig and von Oswald deliver their own separate takes on the same original track. Sure enough, Craig's take on 'Attenuator' has that stirring Detroit flavour to it while von Oswald dubs things out.

My brother once got a napkin signed by Mark E. Smith. I say signed, he got Mark's mum to ask him to put his mark on it and he ended up signing it 'From Wolfman'. Maybe it's something to do with the second track on this called 'Wolf Kidult Man'. Anyway, 'Imperial Wax Solvent' is the 26th album from the prolific Manchester post-punks, and it's one of their most celebrated of the 2000s decade for its different take on The Fall sound. It's rawer, more lo-fi, a bit more experimental. The record was also subject to humoured controversy when a pressing error led to audio landing on the initial shipment of X-factor contestant Faryl Smith's debut. Lovely.

All round talent Tom Misch originally released Beat Tape 2 in 2015. The South London producer began making sounds in the vein of J Dilla before finding his own sound, which incorporated influences from a range of genres. Beat Tape 2 includes spots from Jordan Rakei, Zak Abel, Loyle Carner, Carmody, Sam Wills and Alfa Mist. 5th anniversary gold vinyl reissue.

This live album from The Walkmen’s frontman Hamilton Leithauser captures him in his 2020 residency at New York’s Café Carlyle, a lavish Upper East Side venue that’s seen performances from jazz legends and rock icons alike. Live At Café Carlyle consists of ten live tracks, including covers of Big Thief, Lana Del Rey and Randy Newman. 

Featuring guest contributions from Corey Wilkes, Tomeka Reid and the late Hamiet Bluiett, 'America The Beautiful' is a heartfelt yet excoriating musical analysis of the divisions and crises besetting the U.S.A. by Kahil El’Zabar. Fusing various jazz modes - spiritual, Latin, post-bop - 'Kahil El'Zabar's America the Beautiful' is both urgent and melodic, hitting a new level of artistry for this immensely talented multi-instrumentalist. 

I'd better get on the blower to my dad as there's a new Bruce Springsteen album on the edge of town. A Letter to You is the first album he's made with his legendary E Street Band. It was made in just five days and contains nine new songs and three taken from his 1970s era of leaving his best work in the can. There's nothing like the E Street Band on full throttle so this should delight his fanbase. 

Holy Sons is the solo project of Emil Amos from Portland, Oregon. He is also known for his work with experimental band Grails, heavy metal group OM and Lilacs & Champagne. Holy Sons' music is informed by both classic rock and indie-rock but is also suffused by an indefinable quality that is sympathetic yet brooding. 'Raw and Disfigured' is Amos' sixteenth album, and if features Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth on drums. On Thrill Jockey.

If you’re kicking yourself for not subscribing to the Okkervil River album series A Dream in the Dark, then kick no more. A Dream in the Dark: Two Decades of Okkervil River Live is a whopping 4LP set crammed with the best of the series. It’s a chronologically sequenced album of live cuts that sees some of the songs taking a different shape, all under the guidance of frontman Will Sheff.

The first release from Californian experimental rock outfit Mr. Bungle in 21 years is a professional re-recording of their 1986 demo The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny. Including tracks written back then but never committed to tape, this line-up of the group consists of founders Mike Patton, Trey Spruance and Trevor Dunn as well as Anthrax’s Scott Ian of Anthrax and Slayer’s Dave Lombardo. 

Californian stoners Fu Manchu have dusted off a couple of classic EPs, combined them and added some previously unreleased early recordings. Godzilla’s and Eatin' Dust were two of the band’s most popular 10” singles due to fan favourites such as 'Mongoose' and 'Eatin’ Dust'. The four previously unreleased tracks include three tracks that were recorded for 1997’s The Action Is Go and a cover of 'Jailbreak', originally by Thin Lizzy. On At The Dojo.

Earth To Dora is the thirteenth studio album by Eels. Mark ‘E’ Everett is the only constant member of the band and this time his motley crew of musicians were Koool G Murder, The Chet and P-Boo. The songs were written pre-pandemic, but E hopes there still comfort to be found in them. Includes the single Are We Alright Again.

Consumer Guide: Special Edition is a re-print of the first book by experimental author Simon Morris which was initially published in an edition of 100 copies. It mixes a memoir type style with culture reviews and advice columns in a unique format that is here expanded and includes an introduction by his first publisher John Howard.

Baltimore power trio Dope Body split in 2016 after endless touring and recording, but now they're back! Here Dope Body return with 'Crack A Light', their first album in five years and fifth album in all. The band’s trademark energetic rock is all present and correct, a pounding sonic assault seasoned with guitar loops and effects. On Drag City.

Act Music are reissuing three albums by Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Along with Svensson on piano, the acclaimed Swedish jazz trio feature Dan Berglund on double bass and Magnus Öström on drums. 'Good Morning Susie Soho' was originally released in 2000 and was named Jazz Album of the Year by Jazzwise magazine - high praise indeed! The album blends darkness and beauty and is a prime slice of contemporary jazz.

'Shadow Forms' is the third album, and second for Soul Jazz Records, by Trees Speak. The Tuscon, Arizona brother-duo are heavily influenced by the motorik rhythms of Can and Neu!, the spooky prog of Italian band Goblin and the sounds of the New York no-wave scene. This all adds up to 'Shadow Forms' being a pretty good time. 

Devs is a sci-fi mini series written and directed by Alex Garland. The soundtrack has been composed by composer Ben Salisbury, film composer duo The Insects and Geoff Barrow of Portishead. The score reflects the show’s emotion and drama, dealing with moments of grief and horror. Salisbury and Barrow have worked together before on Alex Garland projects and the films of Ben Wheatley. Triple LP or double CD on Invada.

Suuns carry on looking to the future with their latest EP on Joyful Noise. This time around they looked back towards previous sounds and approaches as a form of musical recycling in order to re-imagine earlier work into a new EP. The initial sounds were live recordings which have been taken into isolated environments and turned into new sounds. 

Sam Burton is the newest name to join the Tomkins Square imprint (Ryley Walker, Hiss Golden Messenger etc). As you might expect it is deeply soulful and cosmic Americana with a finger in the Neil Young pie and Burton's keening voice drenched in reverb. Sounds kinda classic even on first play. He could well become the new singer songwriter guy. 

Teenanger make a brand of post-punk that’s flecked with elements of dub, art-rock and pop. 'Good Time' is an LP which lives up to its name - the Canadian band have upped the hook-level of their choruses and concentrated their sound so that there’s not a single note wasted. It's a winning record which should thrill fans of Tacocat and Mush. Telephone Explosion (Bruce Haack, Laraaji) are the label behind 'Good Time'.

We've had Peter Broderick, we've had Heather Woods Broderick then there was that record by their dad Steven Broderick. All that has been missing is their mum's recordings and as if by magic here they are. Selah Broderick was a yoga teacher and her gentle meditative musical evocations were used to soundtrack a CD of her teachings. Listened to with modern ears they fit very neatly into the new age recordings that are de rigueur these days. Enchanting. 

Off the back of his exhilarating soundtrack work for the Safdie brothers’ acclaimed films 'Uncut Gems' and 'Good Time', Daniel Lopatin announces another regular studio album as Oneohtrix Point Never. 'Magic Oneohtrix Point Never' is inspired by late-night soft-rock radio programming and is a highly hypnagogic listening experience - think Flying Lotus' 'Flamagra' for a point of comparison.

Austerity Dogs is the 6th album by Nottingham duo Sleaford Mods, but it’s the one that got them noticed. Since its release in 2013, the band have gone from strength to strength, being a necessary mouthpiece and cathartic outlet for many in the these austere times. They mix a punk snarl with pepped-up hip-hop beats and socially aware lyrics to make an original, energetic, angry and often witty statement that has become essential.

Divide And Exit by Sleaford Mods is the follow-up to their breakthrough compilation album, Austerity Dogs. I think it’s fair to say that the Nottingham duo of Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearns, mixing beats, samples with sharp, witty lyrics and punk delivery have come up with a bit of classic. Includes the single, Tiswas.

The Bitter Springs are an indie band from London who have been operating under the radar and against the grain of trends since the mid ‘90s. (Suburban Crimes Of) Every Happiness was the band’s fourth album and was originally released in 2001 on Dishy. This first vinyl pressing comes via Tiny Global Productions.

I know that feeling. This is the solo recordings of Jason Simon of Dead Meadow where he steers somewhat away from his parent band's exploratory psych rock and towards a singer-songwriter territory that never settles on one particular style.  Features guest spots from his Dead Meadow pals as well as members of the Black Angels and the Warlocks. 

Manchester post-punks A Certain Ratio made a surprise return in 2020 with 'ACR LOCO', their first album for twelve years. It appears they’re not stopping there, either - 'Berlin' is the second single to be lifted from the record. It’s a track that is typically ACR, a wiggling punk-funk sound honed over forty years.

English musicians and composers Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross and Claudia Sarne deliver a resonant, moving guitar-based score for Jason Segel’s anthology drama 'Dispatches From Elsewhere'. Representing one of the mutually opposed factions in the series, 'Music From The Elsewhere Society' is full of expansive, moving ambient post-rock ala Explosions In The Sky.

Visions of Bodies Being Burned is the fourth album by experimental hip-hop trio, clipping. The material for two, inspired by horror fiction as much as classic  hip-hop, was divided into two parts. The first, There Existed an Addiction to Blood, was released last year. Visions of Bodies Being Burned was supposed to follow pretty quickly but with the pandemic ruining everyone’s plans the release was delayed until now.

Impulse! presents Palo Alto, a previously unreleased live recording by legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, from a concert in October 1968 that came about in curious circumstances. Organised by a student at the Californian college town’s high school named Danny Scher and hosted in the school’s parking lot, it features Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums. 

If you want to catch up with what Manchester electronica label have been up to over the past five years then Age in Decline with give you a flavour alongside offering a smattering of new work for the pleasure of those already in the know. Artists include the likes of Prequel Tapes, Galaxian, Chrome Corpse and DJ Warzone. I've barely heard of anyone on this but isn't that part of the fun? 

Scottish musician Chris Thompson uses the name The Bathers to make a sweet brand of chamber-pop that has made him a bit of national treasure in his homeland. 'Kelvingrove Baby', the third Bathers album, originally came out in 1997 and runs with the sophisti-pop style of its two predecessors. The record features Thompson's pal, James Grant of Love & Money, on guitar and backing vocals. 'Kelvingrove Baby' is reissued via Marina (Der Plan, Josef K).

'Sunpowder' is the second LP by The Bathers and is the chamber-pop project of Scottish musician Chris Thompson. Originally released in 1995, 'Sunpowder' follows the lead of other Bathers albums by taking inspiration from a bunch of classic songwriters - Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie etc. Featuring the vocals of the Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser on two tracks, this 'Sunpowder' reissue is out via Marina.

The Bathers is the name that Scottish musician Chris Thompson gives to his chamber-pop project. He takes his inspiration from the likes of Van Morrison, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Tim Hardin and Leonard Cohen. 'Lagoon Blues' was the Bathers first album, originally released in 1993. Features Isobel Campbell on cello and comes reissued on Marina Records.

The debut LP from Savannah, Georgia's Baroness sent shockwaves through the extreme metal community upon its release in 2007. A stunning blend of gruff sludge-metal riffing and progressive rock, the group eschewed the belligerent, repetitive riffery of most groups in the sub-genre to offer a technical and psychedelic record. The guitar leads are buttery and smooth, the vocals are powerful and grizzly, the drumming is smart and intricate - fans of Mastodon, Kylesa, Red Fang, Torche and High On Fire will love 'Red Album'.

Continuing the theme of incredible sleeve illustrations from frontman John Dyer Baizley - and also that of naming their albums after a colour - 'Blue Record', the second LP from progressive metallers Baroness, picked up where 'Red Album' left off. It's a slightly more melodic affair than 'Red', with Baroness tightening up their sound and increasing the duel riffing and use of soaring vocals. It features many fan-favourite singles which they often play live - 'Jake Leg', 'A Horse Called Golgotha', 'The Gnashing' and 'The Sweetest Curse'. An essential sludge-/post-/prog-metal record.

A member of bands such as Acteurs, 90 Day Men and Bambi Kino Duo among others, Chicago-based artist Brian Case reveals his fourth solo studio album 'Parallel Voices'. Although it’s a fully instrumental work, 'Parallel Voices' is in some ways Case’s most revealing and personal album he’s ever released. The LP's haunted, shimmering drones land somewhere between Prurient and James Leyland Kirby.

Trumpeter Aquiles Navarro and  percussionist Tcheser Holmes have been friends and musical collaborators for many years, most recently collaborating as members of Irreversible Entanglements. Because of their friendship, they just seem to know how each other work and how to respond to each other musically. It is this telepathy that drives the latin and afro-carribean sounds that make Heritage of the Invisible II. 

Concerning his Catholic upbringing, 'The Hill' is the new album from Irish singer-songwriter Paddy Hanna. Backed by a band consisting of Adam Faulkner and Daniel Fox from Girl Band, Badhands’ Daniel Fitzpatrick and Jill Redmond, 'The Hill' uses the settings of abandoned railway stations and boatyards to give it a sense of time and place. Sonically it's got both the ramshackle energy of Fat White Family and harmonious craft of The Magnetic Fields.

The stated goal of new independent label SOS Music is to provide a showcase for forward-thinking electronic music by female artists from across the globe. With that in mind, 'SOS Music Vol. 1' presents fourteen diverse tracks from a range of international artists. It boasts an impressive lineup that includes rRoxymore, Violet, Nightwave, Umfang, LCY and Minimal Violence. 

Despite their long careers making groundbreaking ambient music, brothers Roger Eno and Brian Eno had never recorded a full album together until 2020’s 'Mixing Colours'. After that album they released a seven-track EP called 'Luminous', and now both recordings are available as Mixing Colours Expanded. On Deutsche Grammophon. 

The Moons are led by Andy Crofts - who, as well as being a singer / songwriter in his own right, earns his corn in Paul Weller’s backing band. Pocket Melodies is the band’s latest album, It features one track, Tunnel of Time, which was co-written by Paul Weller. Features the singles Riding Man and Today.

Singer / songwriter-turned-composer Keaton Henson has returned to his roots as a singer / songwriter with Monument. His gentle voice sings lyrics about grief and how to deal with it, whilst sparse electronic backing is fleshed out with a full band and, at one point, a full orchestra. Philip Selway of Radiohead, guitarist Leo Abrahams and composer and musician Charlotte Harding all lend a helping hand.

Dawn Chorus And The Infallible Sea are a US trio who make minimal music that blends guitar-led drone and modern classical music. Their influences include Windy & Carl, Auburn Lull and Stars of the Lid. Liberamente, their sophomore record, is an album that seems simple at first, but with repeated spins rewards the listener with depth and complexity.

After the global pandemic prematurely ended Big Thief’s tour the band's singer, songwriter and guitarist Adrianne Lenker decided to make some new music. 'songs and instrumentals' is two separate albums being released as a double-LP and double-CD. The 'songs' bit features - guess what - eleven new songs, whilst 'instrumentals' features - that's right - two instrumental pieces. Both records were written and recorded in April 2020, the early days of lockdown, and both exhibit the incredible balance of strength and fragility that has seen Lenker proclaimed as something of a modern-day Leonard Cohen.

Released across all formats and also in box-set editions, ‘Gimme Some Truth.’ marks what would have been the 80th birthday of John Lennon. Taken from his entire solo discography, including the posthumous ‘Milk And Honey’, the material here has been completely remastered from the original tapes, and shows off the thematic breadth and depth of Lennon’s timeless songwriting.

Highly innovative artist Wendy Eisenberg’s music has ranged from free jazz to experimental rock and off-kilter pop to metal. She is a guitarist of some repute, too. Inspired by Mark Hollis’ classic eponymous solo album and David Sylvian’s 2003 album Blemish, Auto sees her making her most soul-searching and cathartic album yet.    

Premiering in 1974 and released as a recording two years later, Ecuadorian composer Mesias Maiguashca’s innovative electro-acoustic work Oeldorf 8 has long since been a sought-after collector’s item. Re-mastered by Kassian Troyer at Berlin’s D&M, it now gets a second life on vinyl and CD. 

On Editions Mego so you should know what to expect by now. KMRU is Joseph Kamaru of Nairobi, a sound manipulator heralded as 15 East African Artists You Need To Hear by Resident Advisor magazine. Peel is is first album and is a blend of field recordings and electronics which do indeed 'Peel' in order to reveal rich tapestries of ambient sound. 

'Acoustic Storm' serves as an accompaniment to Elkhorn’s 'The Storm Sessions' from earlier in 2020, and represents a first-ever acoustic record for the New York duo. Recorded the evening before the aforementioned album, Jesse Sheppard and Drew Gardner are accompanied by fellow guitarist Turner Williams on two mesmerising, side-long compositions that hover between acoustic folk and psychedelia.

‘ashiato’ is one of two completely different-sounding solo albums from drummer Tatsuhisa Yamamoto, an accomplished and experienced percussionist who’s worked with artists as diverse as Japanese free-jazz legend Akira Sakata and American guitarist Jim O’Rourke - the latter of whom mastered this LP. 

As you might expect from the band name and the artwork, R.I.P. make sleazy grunge and doom metal that takes as much inspiration from the soundtracks of John Carpenter as it does from metal overlords like Black Sabbath. This is their heaviest work yet, faster and anxiety inducing with shards of guitar attack over the sludge/doom rhythm section. The faint hearted need not apply.  

Monolord have a habit of releasing their albums in instrumental format so you can either a) attempt to sing along or b) get a whole new listening experience. They've already done this with their debut Empress Rising to good effect now is the turn of Vænir. Once again it takes on a totally different shape to the original. This version was only previously released as a digital-only addendum to the album so now is your chance to get it as a standalone vinyl. 

'Your Card Has Been Declined' by Dangerwank is very much an album for our times. With song titles such as ‘Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area’, ‘When Will The Icecaps Melt?’ and ‘Rail Replacement Service’, Dangerwank is really tapping into the zeitgeist. Musically it arcs from melancholic ambience and effervescent IDM to catchy electronic pop songs.

Briefly a member of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds during their mid-Eighties blood-and-thunder period, Australian singer and guitarist Hugo Race now releases the first album in five years with his long-running backing band The True Spirit. A weighty double-album dealing with Australia’s bushfire crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, 'Starbirth' is an ambitious mix of post-rock, electronica and orchestral music.

Monolord are the boss of the low graveyard sound, thriving on destructive bass lines, or guitar riffs, with the guitars tuned in maybe drop-C so who really knows anyway. Vaenir has the killer nihilistic riffs, the warped vocals, the glorious emptiness that comes with repetition, and the slow whiplash-inducing-head-bobbing rhythm. Top tier doom metal.

Have you ever wanted to sing along to Monolord's debut Empress Rising then now is your chance. If your voice isn't up to it then there's still a reason to listen to this as taken as an instrumental album, the tracks take on a different hue  - it becomes more of an atmospheric stoner soundtrack that could be compared to classics of the genre such as Sleep's Dopesmoker. 

'Trash Heap' is a fascinating document of the creative process behind Portland-based psych/space-rock outfit Herbcraft. A collection of lo-fi four-track cassette recordings laid down by Matt LaJoie in late 2012, these tunes were lost in a forgotten box before being rediscovered earlier in 2020. Digitally transferred and remastered, 'Trash Heap's Spacemen 3-esque songs are now presented on vinyl. 

J.R. Bohannon, Ben Greenberg and Ryley Walker are a trio of guitarists who have collaborated to make the sprawling improvised album ‘For Michael Ripps’. Each artist brings their own style to proceedings - Greenberg is part of noise-rock band Uniform, Bohannon makes experimental rock in Gold Dime, and Walker is known for his jazz-flecked folk. Guitars intertwine here, breaking into riffs and repetitions that demonstrate how much the musicians are in tune with each others' ideas.

It's on Home Normal so you can guess at this being quality ambient music. The protagonist is one Brad Deschamps aka anthene who uses guitar and synth to create his dusty soundscapes. This is his second album following on from his debut Weightless which already garnered him some critical acclaim. Loving that sleeve art too  - I could look at that all day. 

The talented harp player Mary Lattimore isn’t slowing down after two great albums in consecutive years, 2018’s Hundreds of Days and last year’s collaboration with Mac McCaughan New Rain Duets. Recorded with Slowdive’s Neil Halstead, her unmistakable style now shares the spotlight with licks and flourishes of Halstead’s guitar, and the results on Silver Ladders are wonderful. 

'The Making of a Paracosm' is the latest album from Swedish production sensation Kasbo. This album features a range of collaborators, mostly with musicians from his native land (Noomi, Freja The Dragon and so on), and contains the sort of chart-friendly danceable pop that is all over the Radio 2 airwaves these days. With two-hundred-million streams he's certainly doing something right.

Gray were a band featuring celebrated New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who played his guitar with a metal file and filmmaker Michael Holman who played masking tape and ball bearings. Shades Of… is an anthology featuring songs from their limited self-release, previously unreleased tracks and remixes by the likes of Todd Rundgren, Hank Shocklee, Sal P of Liquid Liquid among others.

Elisa Ambrogio, Pete Nolan and John Shaw return with new Magik Markers music for the first time in over half a decade, at what seems like an apt time for them to bring their inspired noise-rock back. 2020 is heart-swallowingly urgent and ragingly loud, a perfect soundtrack for times of emergency and ignorance. 

Loma, a three piece featuring Emily Cross, Dan Duszynski and Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater, were about to call it a day following the satisfactory success of one album and various gigs, but  when Brian Eno got in touch and told them he liked them, things changed. This led to encouragement and an offer of mixing their new work and Don’t Shy Away was born. Includes guest appearance from Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak.

Guitarist in Ride for three decades, Andy Bell releases his debut solo album The View From Halfway Down to coincide with his 50th birthday. Produced with the help of former Oasis bandmate Gem Archer, work began over four years ago but was sidelined by the reformation of Ride. Completed under lockdown, it’s a precise presentation of all of the influences that have informed Bell’s style, from the Stone Roses to Spacemen 3. 

Holding On / Letting Go is the seventh album by Sophia - the post-God Machine project of Robin Propper-Sheppard. The album is a pitch-perfect blend of gentle acoustic music and massive, aggressive noise. Sax player Terry Edwards, who has played with Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, makes a guest appearance.

Alternative rock band Chavez are led by guitarist and vocalist Matt Sweeney, known for his work with Iggy Pop, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Zwan. 'Gone Glimmering' was their debut album and was released in 1995. It was produced by John Agnello, Bryce Goggin and Bob Weston, who between them have made records with Dinosaur Jr., Pavement and Sebadoh - so that’s the kinda territory you’re getting into here.

The beginning of a re-issue series that ought send some much-needed recognition the way of jazz/folk/new age/ambient singer and composer Beverly Glenn-Copeland after he signed to Transgressive. Transmissions is a new career-spanning collection of songs, which also comes with a 7” vinyl of previously unreleased tracks. 

Picard is the latest spin-off from Star Trek and features Patrick Stewart in the titular role. The soundtrack for season one has been composed by Jeff Russo, who also composed scores for Fargo, The Night of and The Umbrella Academy, among others. Russo has been nominated for several Emmy awards, winning once.

The William Loveday Intention is the latest project by Kent garage king and man of numerous guises Billy Childish. People Think They Know Me But They Don't Know Me is the first in what will be a series of four albums released monthly throughout winter 2020-21 to keep you warm and toasty. James Taylor of JTQ and The Prisoners and Dave Tattersall of The Wave Pictures make guest appearances. On Damaged Goods.

I like that car with the double headlights. It sleeves the new record from Commando which is a further stretch from the producer away from the recent 'Loan Shark' record. It's interesting stuff with some offbeat sampling and heavy beats  - kind of cinematic. This is a three track 12" that you should check out if you are into dubstep/bass music with new weird sounds. 

The latest in Dutch label Rush Hour’s series of releases focussing on Japanese music exhumes a long-lost house gem. An EP taken from the album of the same name originally released in 1990, Kino-Moderno’s music was used in the video game ‘Video Drug 2’. This EP includes remixes from British house DJ Frankie Valentine, and an unreleased version of ‘Into The Future’. 

The latest in Dutch label Rush Hour’s series of releases focussing on Japanese music presents two highly sought-after edits from Colored Music and their 1981 self-titled album courtesy of Tokyo’s Chee Chimizu. This 12” release also includes an alternative take on ‘Heart Beat’. 

As it says on the tin, Music From Memory's 'Music For Dance & Theatre' series presents EPs containing music initially composed for use in the dance and theatre worlds. On 'Music For Dance & Theatre's second volume we have work from Craig Kupka, Ray Lynch and Scan Lines that veers from the rhythmic to the more ambient and atmospheric. 'Music For Dance & Theatre' is sure to be a fascinating series. 

A fusion of established acoustic genres with modern, digital sounds and cutting-edge production values, À l'ombre des roches is the beguiling debut release from Lyon-based duo Organizatisya. Sounding like the score for a video game that never existed, folk and orchestral strains rub up against elements of IDM. 

Camry Horses by Free Range is an album where heavy techno meets melancholy and savage electronics meets pop. It sees the electronic duo’s bizarre and alien electronic creations travel even further out there than their previous release on Osàre! Editions. We must point out that there is also a blues rock combo called Free Range - this is definitely not them.

Recorded in 1959, 'A Música Século XX de Jocy' represents something of an outlier in the extensive discography of Brazilian experimental composer and pianist Jocy de Oliveira. Seemingly an innocuous embrace of the contemporaneous bossa nova fashions, the musical style actually houses a critique of Brazil’s conservative society and politics. Here, 'A Música Século XX de Jocy' is reissued on vinyl for the first time. 

Captain Sky recorded his debut album, The Adventures of Captain Sky in 1977 at the tender age of 21. He is highly regarded alongside the likes of George Clinton and Bootsy Collins for his Afro Funk stylings. His 12 minute epic 'Super Sporm' has been sampled by greats such as Public Enemy, Wu Tang Clan, Boogie Down Productions and De La Soul, to name but a few. Also, Captain Sky is a totally cool name.

Created using the instrument built by Casio Corporation, CZ-5000 Sounds & Sequences Vol II is unearthed from the archive of musical experiments and tests conducted by Satoshi & Makoto, two brothers from Kawasaki, Japan. Analysed by the Safe Trip Institute in Amsterdam, it’s a colourful and vibrant collection. 

Commercially, the reception to Captain Sky’s music was lukewarm. Other artists, however, have found him to be a rich source for samples with all sorts of rap and hip-hop acts from Public Enemy to De La Soul sampling his work. Pop Goes Captain Sky was his second album of Afro Funk grooves and was originally released in 1979.

Tommy Mandel’s main job was playing keyboards in Bryan Adams backing band. You’ve got to earn a living somehow, I guess. His real passion was for making esoteric synth music. Music For Insomniacs is an album-worth of such music, originally released on a private press cassette in 1984. Each track takes inspiration from waves of sleep. If you enjoy the work of Mort Garson, Woo, Brian Bennett, Angelo Badalamenti, Klaus Schonning or Bruce Haack then this is for you.

First-ever collaboration between Geins't Naït (aka Thierry Merigout and Vincent Hachet) and pretty-funny-on-Twitter-guy Scanner (who I once saw perform in the ladies glove department of a store somewhere in the Netherlands). Both outfits have a long history of works in the ambient/electronic/improvisation field, so it will be fascinating to hear what they come up with together on 'GN / Scanner'.