Albums
April: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Thundercat, Talaboman, Kingdom and more
Various 'Soma 25' (Soma Recordings)
Soma calls on both heavy hitters and newer, forward-thinking talents for its 25th anniversary compilation, resulting in a collection that reflects the Scottish imprint’s uncompromising ethos. Robert Hood’s charging ‘The Bond We Formed’ sets the pace, its heaviness matched by Jonas Kopp’s dark edit of Slam’s ‘Stepback’. Jeff Mills’ ‘A Tale From The Parallel Universe’ fuses bleeping synths with atmospheric touches, while Blawan’s ‘Clipper’ starts minimally before introducing sharp, piercing synths. Adam Beyer’s ‘Just Things’ matches Drumcode’s pounding aesthetic before Kobosil gets even spookier, overlaying Slam’s ‘Visions’ with eerie howls and hisses. Ben Jolley
8/10
