Ridiculously important collection of ambient recordings from Richard D. James aka APHEX TWIN. When this originally came out in 1994, fans were confounded by the lack of beats & uber minimalist approach. Time has been kind to these recordings though now in 2012, "Selected Ambient Works II" is considered a classic of the genre. APHEX TWIN fans already know it but if you're into stuff like ENO, STEVE REICH, TERRY RILEY, STARS OF THE LID etc... then you really need to check this out. WE CANNOT IN ANY WAY RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH!!

Hard to believe it's been five years since we last heard from Richard D. James, but "Blackbox Life..." picks up right where "Collapse" left off, with dry, bouncing analog-ish drum textures and playful pacing counter-balancing dark, ruminative synth tones. There are also nods to his early days, with ravey stabs and burbling acid basslines. Classic and yet also entirely new stuff from RDJ. OBVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED!

After a 13 year hiatus APHEX TWIN returns in 2014 with "Syro," a sprawling & inviting journey into Richard D. James' unique world. While many of the signature elements are present -- his unique melodic voice, his sense of humor, his boundary-pushing compositions -- listeners will find a new, more mature APHEX TWIN on this record. In contrast to his more in-your-face albums like "Richard D. James Album" or "Drukqs," this one finds Mr. James willing to take his time drawing the listener into his world. Each track seems to undergo a series of continuous transformations from one bar to the next, where the conclusions often end up in a completely different place from their inception. Yet the overall experience feels very organic, welcoming, groovy & at times almost verging into an Aphex version of pop. Listeners familiar with his output will be reminded of his "Analord" and "Tuss" records but this one offers something altogether new & refreshing. Included with the artwork is a gear list and one can't help but hear "Syro" as the seasoned APHEX TWIN's personal synth history, exploring the decades of technology and innovation he has grown up with & which he & his listeners have come to love. Equal parts funky & mind-boggling this record is VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

APPLESEED (the manga) was written by MASAMUNE SHIROW, who wrote the nigh-legendary what-it- means-to-be-human GHOST IN THE SHELL. APPLESEED features music by OAKENFOLD, BASEMENT JAXX, ADULT. SAKAMOTO and direction from the man who brought the world (re: upper tier nerds like you) BUBBLEGUM CRISIS.

Young bucks from Sheffield drop their third album, and enlisted Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age) to help with production. Breaking from their mold the Monkeys' tune is a bit more unencumbered by form and function. Perhaps under Homme's tutelage the band has branched into more abstract territories making for a raunchy, thunderous sound. "Humbug" has a couple storm clouds hanging over its head, but in our opinion, this fact will cause for some cross-over into new fanbases. Look out Dead Weather, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Libertines fans here comes the next layer of the Arctic Monkeys. On Domino Records.

Absolutely essential collection of recordings by legendary Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke featuring Fekade Amde Maskal. Most of these tracks have been released on the excellent Ethiopiques series & there's a few Mulatu-specific album reissues out there but this compilation is a great place to start if you're just getting into 60's & 70's Ethiopian music.