Bleep Update 31st August

New Release Round-Up
Once more we bring you a select roundup of the best albums to feature on the frontpage of Bleep over recent weeks and months, in a variety of genres and styles.
All of these releases come in standard drm-free MP3, iPod/Mac/PC compatible and encoded at the maximum quality of 320kbps. Clicking on a release will take you to Bleep where you can listen to the whole thing in full.

[Genre Tags: Electroacoustic / Electronic / Ambient / Avant Garde] Alva Noto is the operating alias of Berlin-based musician and composer Carsten Nicolai. Perhaps best known for his collaborative work with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto's music focuses on texture and resonance, ranging from serene, contemplative calm to abrasive abstractions. On this latest work 'Xerrox', real world recordings of muzak, advertising, soundtracks and entertainment programs that we hear randomly in everyday life are manipulated beyond recognition.

[Genre Tags: Electronic / Electro / Techno]
Two new albums from Luke Vibert released recently - this one on Planet Mu and the Ace of Clubs 'Benefist' album on First Cask. No radical departures from his trademark styles in either, but top notch analogue/moog-y/acid loveliness from Luke as ever, perfect for dancing, DJing, driving and everything else in between. We rate "Chicago, Detroit, Redruth" as his best since 2003's YosepH, and it features one or two out-take gems from that era. The Ace of Clubs album is harder, featuring more techno / bass / club tracks.

[Genre Tags: Electronica / Electro / Experimental]
This and Trojan Fader Style are two whole new albums of music from Rephlex Records mainstay Cylob, self-released through his own Cylob Industries imprint. Classic cylobian material that is up there with his best, already proving very popular amongst his hardcore fans who have bought this already.

[Genre Tags: Electronica / Electro / Experimental]
Also fresh out on Planet Mu is the new album from label boss himself Mu Ziq. The hectic gabba and chopped up breakcore of his last record have gone out the window, leaving crackling, woozy tracks that are rich with the sort of melody and musicality that hark back to his 90's landmark albums.

[Genre Tags: Folk / Electronic / Spoken Word]
Tunng's best album yet. Rattling, electronic folk-styled songs with a creepy undercurrent of League of Gentlemen/Monty Python-esque very British humour, and a seductive level of production and songwriting that lulls you in. A country mile away from the 'Scarborough Fair' whimsy of other nu-folk peddlers.

[Genre Tags: Pop / Indie / Electronic / Rock]
"Everyone's favourite Welsh psychonauts are back with a new album 'Hey Venus' and some of the most eye catching artwork I've seen for a while. If you're a fan of the band that just don't give a fuck then you will have nothing to complain about - shorter and sharper than the last couple of albums, 'Hey Venus' is still a beautiful mess of psychedelic riffs, tropicalia-esque melodies and inspired prog nonsense" HotSauce

[Genre Tags: Acoustic / Folk]
A must have record for fans of Gravenhurst - Robin Allender is a member of Gravenhurst, and this, his debut solo album, is released on fellow band member Dave Collingwood's excellent Dreamboat label. With clear influences like Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and Simon and Garfunkel, this beautiful album also is reminiscent of Chicago/Thrill Jockey artists like Iron and Wine and Jim O'Rourke.

[Genre Tags: Electronic / Ambient / Avant Garde]
Not much to say about this all-time classic Pixies album, except that here it is remastered, in 320kpbs MP3 for your convenience. If you don't have this already, then you know what to do.

[Genre Tags: Hip Hop / Electronic / Downtempo / Beats]
After his Brazilian/Tropicalia influenced intro album earlier this year, Jneiro Jarel drops this rap project with new group Shape of Broad Minds, featuring fellow Texan Jawwaad and Jneiro's own alter egos, Dr Who Dat?, Panama Black and Rocque Wun. A magical mystery tour of fat drums, synths and jazzier spliced beats and stellar guests Count Bass D, Q-Tip, and MF DOOM(!).

[Genre Tags: Hip Hop / Electronic / Downtempo / Beats]
Now signed to Warp Records, this is Flying Lotus's much lauded debut on Plug Research (whole label now added to Bleep). An engrossing excursion into hip hop experimentation, and a must for fans of Dabrye, Prefuse, JayDee and Madlib.

[Genre Tags: Soundtracks / Electronic / Downtempo / Beats]
Just added to Bleep is Mark Pritchard's first Harmonic 33 album, released on Danny Breaks' Alphabet Zoo label that introduced the superlative library music style of contemplative beats, moods and imaginary scores that he perfected on the later Warp album in 2005.

[Genre Tags: Electro / Hip Hop / Bollywood / Baile]
Not much to say about this one either - MIA can currently be found on the cover of every music magazine and newspaper around. Kala, her second album of rioutous Brazilian / African / Bollywood inspired beats, raps and electronic breaks has been rapturously received by the critics - read a roundup at metacritic HERE.

[Genre Tags: Electronic / Congolese / World / Avant Garde]
Live and direct via Kinshasa and Belgium, the remarkable 'Congotronics' group Konono No1 present this recording that captures the live energy of their unique music that incorporates thumb pianos modified with car parts and hooked up to resonators and huge walls of speakers.

[Genre Tags: House / Disco Funk / Electronic]
The Metro Area album that, alongside DFA and The Rapture kicked off the whole discofied indie/dance movement that we know today. Originally released through Virgin/Source, this has now been recently reissued by Morgan Geist on his own Environ label, and hence now available in high quality MP3 for the first time.

[Genre Tags: Electronic / Pop / Avant Garde]
Matthew Dear (aka Audion)'s most recent album that finds him combining vocals and varied song structures with his trademark, hammering beats that he is most famous for. "Three key things hold this bursting-at-the-seams record together (and it could easily have been one that fell apart): Dear's distinctive production style; his increased belief in his songwriting ability, and subsequently, the brevity of the songs: most clock in around the three-minute mark. And it fits perfectly: this is a pop record, and a very fine one at that." Resident Advisor

[Genre Tags: Techno / House / Electronic]
A compact album of big tracks that are total fun to play very loud at house parties and in the car while driving around town. Bordering on the downright cheesy, the album is nothing really new or particularly clever, but is a perfect mish-mash of classic classic hip-house anthems and early UK chart house (think Young MC, Bomb The Bass, LFO , Technotronic, Fast Eddie..) combined with modern production.

[Genre Tags: Space Disco / House / Electronic]
Collection of versions and remixes by the leading lights and original exponents of the space disco movement - wonderful dubby, sinuous, hypnotic tracks filled with analogue warmth that never deteriorate into deep-house jazz-doodle territory. Recommended.

[Genre Tags: Electronic / Electro / Techno / Ambient]
Just added to Bleep, James Holden's excellent album from the end of last year. Holden and Nathan Fake (also signed to James' Border Community label) are currently cream of the crop of the post-Boards of Canada/Ulrich Schnauss side of fuzzy-textured, pastoral electronic music.