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Genuine treasures unearthed
Kampire is universally regarded as one of East Africa's best contemporary DJs, so this compilation of pan-African pop from the 80s – featuring music that often irritated her as a child – is something of a handbrake turn. However, as Martin Guttridge-Hewitt points out, it's a glorious affair that only goes to further cement her reputation as a selector, musicologist and sonic historian
Outliers in the thriving Ukrainian underground during the last days of Soviet rule, a long overdue compilation surveying the career of Cukor Bila Smert provides a complex mosaic of anxiety, surrealism, cabaret, paranoia and darkness, says Jakub Knera
Back in 1974, Richard Pinhas’ Heldon took musical inspiration from Eno and Fripp in order to become France’s Buzzcocks and Throbbing Gristle all rolled into one. The country’s first modern DIY group laid the foundations for electronic music outside of the snobbery of academia and the restrictive practices of the French music industry, says Jeremy Allen
Beautifully intimate home recordings made by an Ethiopian nun reflecting on the idea of exile in the 1970s and 1980s, probably never intended to be heard by anyone but herself, have taken on an astounding universality in 2024, says Jakub Knera
Brilliant film director Peter Strickland has long flown the flag for psychedelic, eccentric and disconcerting European music but on latest film Flux Gourmet he put his money where his mouth was by including his own very curious group, The Sonic Catering Band. Will Salmon celebrates a singular soundtrack and vision
Luke Turner appraises Cherry Red's reissue of The Fall's Real New Fall LP, arguing that Mark E Smith's decision to remix the original version showed his judgement was correct as it paved the way for one of the best periods of the group's operation
At the beginning of the millennium, Khanate created a twisted and challenging new form of sonic torment. Dan Franklin revisits the band’s reissued back catalogue and explores the harrowing context of their existence. CW: contains graphic discussion of torture and war crimes
As the state51 Conspiracy reissue Donovan's double-album box set on mono vinyl, Ben Graham looks back at the artist's most ambitious statement and finds a post-psychedelic message that's still relevant today
This reissue of the 2014 debut album by Ellen O, says Irina Shtreis, celebrates the life of the late dream wave artist, and reminds us there is much more to her story than the tragedy of her death. C/W: this article contains discussion of suicide
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