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.