X-Press 2, Makeshift Feelgood

Balearic beat – an Ibiza-inspired mix of pop you can dance to and acid house – has been around since 1988. So have the DJs who make up X-Press 2: Rocky & Diesel and Ashley Beedle. Rather than repeat the … Continue reading →

DJ Shadow, The Outsider

One release date, two titans of turntablism, both releasing album number three. Don King might call it the Match of the Scratchers or the Vinyl Final. In the blue corner stands DJ Shadow, the Californian whose 1996 debut, Endtroducing, was … Continue reading →

Union of Knives, Violence & Birdsong

From Jesus Jones to Dirty Vegas, the term dance-rock has traditionally been a cue to flee for the hills. But Evil Has Never, the debut from Glaswegian programmer Dave McClean and singers Craig Grant and Chris Gordon, was one of … Continue reading →

The big chill

When you need someone to soundtrack your story set in the Arctic, who better than ambient king Brian Eno? Author Michel Faber celebrates a collaboration full of surprises.

Plaid and Bob Jaroc, Greedy Baby

Greedy Baby is an audio visual collaboration between Warp stalwarts Plaid and Brighton video artist Bob Jaroc – written as a surround-sound mix. Plaid provide a wonderful variety of music, at times sinister and dissonant but also warm and playful, … Continue reading →

Thrilling joke

The style-mag favourites walk the irony tightrope with their airy electro-pop. Paul Morley applauds from the stalls