David Bowie - Lazarus

“Look up here, I’m in heaven.” ...Just wow. He’s literally speaking from beyond the grave. 

Tony Visconti, who produced many of Bowie’s albums, put it this way: ““His death was no different from his life – a work of art.” This is an unbelievable expression of art, taking his impending death and creating something so vivid, like a painter conjuring up a landscape in his death throes.

And come on, it’s a decent tune too. The jazzy vibe going on in a lot of his more recent work, continues, building to a haunting crescendo after we hear him say for the final time, “Oh, I’ll be free... ain’t that just like me?” Seriously, what a way to go out.

Björk - Vulnicura

It was going to take something special to get me to review an entire album, but Vulnicura is the best thing I’ve heard all year. Created in the midst of her breakup with long-term partner Matthew Barney, the result is at times harrowing to hear; but as a result, this Björk’s most personal work for ages, in addition to the usual sonic brilliance.

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.

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.

Various Artists - Inès (2011)

Engaging electronic compilation from up-and-coming trio

Nicolas Jaar is one of the most fascinating talents in electronic music right now. He gives us a short compilation of the works of himself and friends Soul Keita and Nikita Quasim (collectively known as Clown N Sun Collective) in the shape of Inès, a collection of deep, abstract tracks with a smattering of South American flavour, an organic feel to the music and a minimalism so profound that the craft of the producers takes centre stage.

Marc Houle - Drift (2010)

Few producers can claim to have a sound as recognisable as that of Minus' Marc Houle. And while his listeners will immediately recognise his fourth LP as his work, there’s been a real change from the 8-bit playfulness of his previous recordings.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs (2011)

Radiohead surprised the world when they announced that they were set to release a new album this February. More surprising was the news that the release was set for a few days after the announcement. So more than three years on from their last big release, what did they come up with?

The first thing of note is the length of the album. While previous effort In Rainbows was a tight, concise piece at 42 minutes, The King of Limbs is in fact five minutes shorter. Fine, you might think; shorter album, less filler. And first track “Bloom” is indeed a thing of beauty, giving you a taste of the harmonised vocals, broken beats and glitch electronic sounds that are to come.