Following their successful album Overtures from Finland (CHSA 5336), Rumon Gamba and Oulu Sinfonia present another programme of works from their native land. The album takes its title from Selim Palmgren’s four-movement suite, written in 1904, offering richly atmospheric character pieces celebrating the changing seasons. Several of the works here take inspiration from the natural world, not least Kurkikohtaus (Scene with Cranes) which Sibelius composed as incidental music for a play by his brother-in-law, Arvid Järnefelt. Robert Kajanus is often considered the father of Finnish music.

This programme brings together composers who, for the most part, were compelled to flee their homeland. In 1920, Ivan Wyschnegradsky took refuge in Paris, where he wrote for a quarter-tone piano at a time when, in Russia, the slightest dissonance was considered a political provocation. Andrzej Panufnik left his native Poland in 1954. Alfred Schnittke settled in Hamburg in 1990, eight years before his death, having spent most of his life in the Soviet Union. Although Schubert never moved away from Vienna, the pain and solitude of his inner exile are palpable in his music.

Celebrated clarinettist Julian Bliss is joined by conductor Taavi Oramo and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to perform concertos by Magnus Lindberg and Kalevi Aho. “In my opinion, the Lindberg and Aho clarinet concertos are two of the greatest of the 21st century. These works demand everything from the performer—one moment navigating passages of extreme virtuosity and precision, the next exploring the most beautiful and breath-taking writing. They require total commitment; there’s no holding back, making them both thrilling to perform. Recording these concertos with the incredible BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the brilliant Taavi Oramo was an absolute privilege” - Julian Bliss

Orbit Culture is a band poised. The Swedish quartet’s Century Media debut, “Death Above Life”, is not merely a statement of how far the band has come, but it is the sound of metal in the most modern sense. ”This record represents change, a new beginning,” says Orbit Culture guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Niklas Karlsson. “It brings up a lot of good and bad emotions but it’s a big change for the better. It feels like a rebirth.” From the album’s scorching opener, “Inferna” to its clench-fisted title track to the elegiac closer, “The Path I Walk”, It’s clear: Orbit Culture is at the top of their game. Aside from their DIY ethos and their uncompromising, disturbing dark-on-dark visuals Karlsson credits his love for soundtracks and cinematic soundscapes for fleshing out Orbit Culture’s sound and vision…

Band on the Run is generally considered to be Paul McCartney's strongest solo effort. The album was also his most commercially successful, selling well and spawning two hit singles, the multi-part pop suite of the title track and the roaring rocker "Jet." On these cuts and elsewhere, McCartney's penchant for sophisticated, nuanced arrangements and irrepressibly catchy melodic hooks is up to the caliber he displayed in the Beatles, far surpassing the first two Wings releases, Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway. The focus found in Band on the Run may have to do with the circumstances of its creation: two former members quit the band prior to recording, leaving McCartney, wife Linda, and guitarist Denny Laine to complete the album alone (with Paul writing, producing, and playing most of the instruments himself)…

Deluxe re-issue of Girls At Our Best!’s seminal Post Punk album ‘Pleasure’. Including additional A and B sides of their singles, two unissued 1981 live concerts plus legendary 1981 BBC sessions for John Peel and Richard Skinner and a 1981 interview. And a previously unreleased 1978 demo ‘Atribute’ by James Alan and Judy Evans’ band The Butterflies who metamorphosised into Girls At Our Best! plus ‘Boys At Our Best’, a demo from their final recording session.

Saxon, those seminal British Heavy Metal Heroes hailing from Barnsley release Carpe Diem through Silver Lining Music. Ten titanic tracks bristling with still-clad riffery and proud intent, Carpe Diem is the statement which reminds heavy metal fans worldwide who the true masters of British Metal are, drawing on a variety of ingredients from their career to forge what is Saxon’s most dynamic release in many a year.

The Zigzag Manoeuvre might be the description of Ping in 2014, navigating their way out of the ashes of their studio/rehearsal room for thirteen years. When the dust had settled, most of the instruments were immolated, but crucially, all unpublished pieces of music survived. The song “A Hammer Falling from the Sky”, which can be heard on the album, was recorded just two days before the studio went up in flames. A long and arduous process later, with a slight change of personnel, Ping now re-emerges with a roller coaster record, destined to inspire or dull the masses. Expect hiccups and downs, mental order and disorientation, out-of-tune harmonics, as well as motivating and unsettling lyrics.

Part of a refreshing series of two-fers from major vocalists of the '60s, British EMI issued this compilation pairing Sarah Vaughan's 1963 LP, Snowbound, with 1964's The Lonely Hours. As could be expected, the two work well together, both being sets of nocturnally oriented standards. The former is a cozy collection of romantic ballads arranged by Don Costa, while the latter is more isolated, with arrangements from jazzman great Benny Carter. Though both LPs aren't among Vaughan's more famous releases, they're nearly as good as a classic like Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi or Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown.