Icons of goth and doom, Paradise Lost will release their long-awaited, 17th album Ascensionon September 19th. The band’s first album in 5 years, following 2020’s critically acclaimed Obsidian, was produced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh and mixed/mastered by Lawrence Mackrory. Ascension is a testament to the band’s longevity and relevance over their 35+ year career, encompassing their signature styles of gothic, death and doom fans have cherished along the way.
Ascension’s album cover fittingly features the painting The Court of Death (1870-1902) by renowned British artistGeorge Frederic Watts, which hangs in the ate Gallery in London. The painting depicts Death as an enthroned angel flanked by allegorical figures of Silence and Mystery guarding sunrise and the star of hope…

This is a release where contemporary pop grooves predominate, while her 1993 release, Maracanã, was a very delicate and swinging Brazilian music album. Jobim tunes coexist with songs by Caetano Veloso, Jorge Benjor, and Gilberto Gil, with international hits by Bacharach and Stevie Wonder providing additional support. Echoes of contemporary street music such as hip-hop can be caught here and there over a pervasive fusion treatment immediately reminiscent of the '70s. Anna Caram is a good singer. She chose to interpret a dance repertoire interspersed with romantic bossas in a straightforward pop album with no instrumental solos.

Australian progressive fusion-jazz-symphonic rock from 1975, influenced by the Santana hall mark of using rock over a Latin beat. Their music was an unusual hydrid of rock, jazz, Latin American, West Indian and even occasional Zappa-like tracks. Sometimes it sounds like a blend of Osibisa and Tasavallan Presidenti. Cool and funky, but highly infectious.

The two works on this album were commissioned by conductor Paul Sacher in the 1930s for the orchestra he founded in 1926, the Basel Chamber Orchestra. This orchestra was famous for its adventurous programming, often combining baroque repertoire with contemporary works. Bartók’s Divertimento nods at the baroque concerto grosso in its use of individual groups of players, and the title ‘divertimento’ recalls Mozart’s many examples of this form.

After the success of his album Apollo, Banco returns with Ollopa, a remix album that turns its source on its head: not only have the name and original track order been reversed, but the artwork is inverted too, with the sun becoming the moon and other symbols flipped upside down. The collection starts with Tripswitch’s sublime remix of Acquiescence, which builds slowly from an ambient opening into a downtempo delight, setting the tone nicely for both Antipodean duo, Deep Fried Dub, who add a cheeky dancehall lick to Oreia, and the high priests of sacred bass, Desert Dwellers, whose jittery yet soothing remix of All Sleeping is like sonic incense for the mind and body.
The sinewy melodies of Hu! are strengthened and complimented by some tough, bass-driven beats on the Unusual Cosmic Process Remix, while Kaya Project’s worldly ears (and added vocals)…

As if cosmically enacted, Neko Case breaks to the surface once again with the new album Neon Grey Midnight Green and reminds listeners that she is one of our greatest living songwriters - perpetually becoming more fearless and adventurous.

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of The Eastbourne Performance, Duke Ellington's final official recording, captured live at Eastbourne's Congress Theatre. To honour this historic moment, bassist Arnie Somogyi and pianist Mark Edwards have created The Ellington Piano Project, releases on Rubicon Jazz. The album features fresh takes on Ellington classics and new compositions, with contributions from Dutch saxophonist Gideon Tazelaar, drummer Matthew Holmes, and guest vocalist Sara Oschlag.