Wu Lyf - Live at The Ritz, Manchester (4th February 2012)

Maybe, just maybe, the pressure of a homecoming gig was getting to Wu Lyf. A voicy Mancunian crowd failed to have their enthusiasm dampened by the quite bizarre New Romantic singer on warm-up duty. Immediately after his departure, choruses from the main act’s best-loved songs could be heard ringing around the infamous Ritz. Then the protagonists walked onto stage; then launched straight into “L Y F”. Smooth as.

The Dø - Both Ways Open Jaws (2011)

7/10

Does originality really matter so much?

In the current music scene, the quickest way for an artist to get noticed is by bringing something new to the table. It’s pretty much impossible to whip up something completely unheard of, from a musical tabula rasa, but even a new twist on an older idea or an amalgamation of older influences feels fresh.

Air - Le Voyage Dans La Lune

8/10


Back on soundtrack duty, Air return to form

If getting Air to do a soundtrack for the restoration of 1902 silent movie A Trip To The Moon sounded like a good idea, that’s because it was. The duo from Versailles have a number of excellently spacey, cinematic songs in their back catalogue, so their production fits the theme perfectly. Not only that, but this is some of Air’s best work for years.

Keep Shelly In Athens - Our Own Dream (2011)

7/10

Greek outfit Keep Shelly In Athens have managed to stand out amidst all the emerging outfits trying to combine the band concept with current trends in electronic music. It’s hard to pin down a single factor which makes them so appealing, but an endearing eclecticism to their songs is certainly part of it.

Darkside - Darkside EP (2011)

8/10

It’s remarkable to think that, so early on in his career, Nicolas Jaar has really managed to nail a sound as his own. Fans of his previous work will easily recognise the rhythms, atmospheric build-ups and manipulation of vocals that has made him the premier minimalist of the moment. But for this project, he’s teamed up with guitarist Dave Harrington.

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

5/10

I didn't want to like this at all, but...

Even before the release of her debut album, Lana Del Rey had taken a lot of criticism. While it’s probably fair to say that she’s not the most natural of live performers, many of the snipes aimed in her direction haven’t really focused on her music. Which, in fact, isn’t all that bad.

L-Vis 1990 - Neon Dreams (2011)

7/10


Sparkling debut LP which occasionally crosses the line between eclectic and unfocused

L-Vis 1990 certainly doesn’t hold back with his first full-length album. Among the styles which can be seen to influence Neon Dreams are house, electro, ‘90s dance, UK funky and the bass music scene which L-Vis seems to be lumped into right now. So how do these elements combine over a 56-minute record?

Sepalcure - Live at Fabric (4th February 2012)

In all honesty, seeing Sepalcure wasn’t the overriding motivation to go to Fabric on this Saturday night. Even before their 1.30am slot in the second room, taken over by Hotflush for the night, there had been some treats. George Fitzgerald was at work laying down his usual melange of house/garage/whatever. The main room was even better; Nina Kraviz providing techno of the highest order, driven by basslines both menacing and groovy, delighting a truly up-for-it crowd.

But Brooklyn’s Praveen Sharma and Travis Stewart provided the highlight of the night with a superb live set, showcasing the talent that has grabbed a lot of attention since first collaborating over a year ago. Much of this acclaim came about as a result of their recently-released LP, and some of the best tracks from it really stood out; “Breezin” was a delight to hear on a big system, while an extended version of lead single “Pencil Pimp” was the cause of much skanking and a few hands in the air.

Nicolas Jaar - Don't Break My Love EP (2011)

7/10

Things are going well for producer Nicolas Jaar right now; so much so that he’s seen fit to give us his latest EP as a free download. This is his first release since the much-acclaimed Space Is Only Noise and these two tracks have gone some way to appeasing his growing number of followers.

Trentemøller - Reworked/Remixed (2011)

7/10


Too little source material means that this anthology tires quicker than it should


In 2007, Anders Trentemøller released the much-loved Trentemøller Chronicles, a collection of his own tracks and remixes. Reworked/Remixed can be seen as the successor to that release, with some differences. The first disc of Chronicles consisted mainly of Trentemøller’s own work, a few of them being re-edited by the Dane. Meanwhile, the second disc contained some of his superb remix work, mainly of music by fellow Scandinavian artists.

Jamie Jones - Fabric 59 (2011)

8/10

House's own Welsh wizard provides a top set for home grooving

Jamie Jones had an excellent 2011, being crowned Resident Advisor’s top DJ of the year in addition to his Hot Creations label putting out several successful records. As if that wasn’t enough, Jones also put together one of the mixes of the year in the form of this Fabric CD.

Gui Boratto - III (2011)

  8/10

With a few tweaks to his sound but not his direction, the minimal maestro continues to please

2011 was a good year for Kompakt Records, with their two biggest artists releasing well-received records. Following on from The Field’s Looping State of Mind comes Gui Boratto’s third full-length effort, with the Brazilian continuing the fine form that’s endeared him to those of a minimal persuasion.

Kele - The Hunter EP (2011)

6/10


In spite of his detractors, Kele's newest release has its moments

It’s fair to say that Kele Okereke’s flirtations with dance music have earned a mixed reception. There’s been negativity towards the general sound, the quality of songwriting and of course, there's been pining for another Silent Alarm... well, you can save that one for Bloc Party’s upcoming fourth album. For now, Kele’s out to prove his credibility as a solo artist and happily delves into new territory for this new release.

Radiohead - TKOL RMX 1234567 (2011)

5/10

Too many average remixes spread over two discs becomes hard to enjoy

As perhaps the vaguest, hardest-to-grasp Radiohead album released, The King Of Limbs might seem like a prime candidate to be remixed extensively. And with Thom Yorke’s increasing presence in the electronic music scene, this made perfect sense; a compilation of remixes, hand-picked by the band, of songs from their last release.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2011)

8/10

The Chief shows them how it’s done

Fans of Oasis, and specifically of Noel Gallagher, will have been eagerly anticipating this moment; when the brains behind Britain’s biggest band of the 1990s would move out of the shadow of his little brother to show the world how he could front a band. Doubts over whether Noel could fulfil a lead role persisted, but a strong solo debut will have silenced most of those voices. 

Björk - Biophilia (2011)

7/10

Björk continues to innovate, sometimes at the cost of listenability

With all the hype around iPad app-songs and a complex live show featuring newly-invented instruments, you could almost forget the simple joy of anticipating a new Björk album. While the apps (designed to relate to the themes and sound of each song on the album) aren’t necessary to enjoy Biophilia, an appreciation for the craft behind the music does help.