Young Turks At Juno Download

Review: As if anticipation for their second album wasn't already high enough, The xx have delivered a surprise in the form of "Angels" to further whet your appetites, a typically dub shrouded piece of high concept balladry from the trio.

Review: The XX have wisely taken their time to conjure up a follow-up to their all-conquering debut album, and they start very tentatively on the sparse tones of "Angels", allowing Romy's fragile vocals to dominate. Things are not much rowdier on "Chained", although Jamie gets a chance to work a subtle ticking beat into the mix. Coexist is a blue-tinted record that revels in its own languid demeanour, from the tender guitar picks to the broad space in the production, not least on as downbeat a reflection as "Try". With the subject by and large that of heartache, it's little wonder it's such a melancholy journey.

Review: Following in the trend set out from their first album, The XX let their resident beatsmith take the reins for a couple of indulgences into more electronically-minded versions of cuts from Coexist. "Sunset" gets worked into a simmering house groove that comes on with a distinct post-punk vibe, all live, unpolished drums and prominent bass, while the vocals get brought raw and close in the mix. "Reconsider" gets into a stripped down, steppy groove played out on found sound percussion immaculately produced with staggering attention to detail, while the original structure of the track drifts in and out of focus as though shot through a dream-fuelled filter.

Review: The XX can do no wrong it seems with recent second album, Coexist, debuting at number one and receiving a Brit Award nomination. Here we have album track "Sunset" plucked from its tracklisting and given a going over by Kim Ann Foxman of Hercules & Love Affair fame. It's a match made in heaven as Coexist was inspired by the kind of dance music that Foxman and co make; as a result of this we get a lovely melancholy slice of breathy and deep Chicago house that's in no rush to go anywhere, which is no bad thing!

Review: Comprised of Koreless and Sampha, the Short Stories venture makes its debut appearance on Young Turks amid a sweltering blend of modern synth acrobatics and miniscule beat science. With a whisper of juke filtered into an R&B mincer and splayed across a multicolour tapestry, "On The Way" captures the spirit of James Blake et al with aplomb and concocts a sugary-sweet brew from it. "Let It Go" continues down much the same path, although paring down the elements to a more staggered template focusing on the drums more than the wobbly chords.

Review: Aaron Jerome dons his favourite tribal mask for another outing under the increasingly high profile SBTRKT moniker. The effortlessly soulful "Hold On" was one of the highlights of last year's debut SBTRKT full length - a slick, broken beat throwback with enough deep future garage chops to keep contemporary dancefloors happy. Here, the excellent original is joined by the more obviously dancefloor-centric Sisi Bak Bak remix (an alias of none other than Thom Yorke!), which chops up the beats, vocal and melodies in classic future garage fashion. Also worth a listen is bonus cut "Ride To Freedom", a glorious starburst of MDMA-rich synths and shuffling broken beats.

Review: It's already been flagged up as Zane Lowe's "Hottest Record In The World" and mask-wearing, bass music pioneer SBTRKT's new single "Living Like I Do" does not fail to disappoint. Joining the dots between grime and funky with a soft, soulful vocal from the equally hot talent Sampha, it's a sumptuous slice of future garage with catchy, swinging beat and velvety bassline. Accompanying it is the Machinedrum remix of "Look At The Stars", which continues the themes set up in the first track but takes things on more of a stripped back, sultry tip with sparse, slow-building layers of sound.

Review: Since donning the SBTRKT mask, one time broken beat producer Aaron Jerome has become far more famous for the booming intensity and restless rhythms of his productions than the sweet soul he was previously most famous for. It's something of a pleasant surprise, then, to see Jerome returning to his musical roots on this SBTRKT debut LP. While the trademark shuffling dubstep rhythms, future garage grooves and hurried broken beats remain, they're underpinned by a thick vein of sassy soulfulness - thanks in no small part to the fragile vocals of Sampha - and an overriding atmosphere of melodic beauty. It's a wise move on Jerome's part, because SBTRKT is a far better album than many would have expected; in fact, it's a bit of a belter.

Review: Young Turks continue their assault on releasing good music, paying no heed to genre politics in securing some all too rarely seen original material from Barcelona resident John Talabot. The tracks on Families really provide further evidence of the somewhat mysterious producer's endless progression into a musician of real talent, perhaps most notably on the title track collaboration with Glasser's Cameron Mesirow. "Families" is in a word sublime, a perfect melding of pop sensibility and glorious electronic production. It's obviously going to add to the reputation Talabot has amongst the music press glitterati, but crucially could see him gain wider appreciation. This is not a one track EP though, with Talabot indulging in some crazed digi horrorcore boombap business on "Lamento", all jagged vocal edits stretched over a sea of white noise and click clacking percussion. "Lovers Tradition" occupies similar territory, aping the hip-hop trend for chipmunk vocals and sinking them deep beneath twisting Eastern melodies that worm their way into your cerebral cortex with far too much ease. The final track sees Lonely Club rework "Families" - adding more club meat to the beat and laying down some hypnotic melodic qualities before slowly bringing in the vocal refrain. It's a perfect end to an excellent release.

Review: Part of the Hoya Hoya collective along with Lone and Krystal Kleer, as well as gracing the likes of Brownswood, 3024 and Tectonic in his short career, Illum Sphere has made a name for himself with his individual brand of music that runs the gamut between garage, funk, and smudged out techno. This new single for the esteemed Young Turks should ensure his status continues to ascend; opening with an atmospheric intro that calls to mind the textured electronics of Young Echo member Vessel, "Birthday" soon gives way to a combination of warped vocal samples, decayed house strings and elastic bass, while the brilliantly named "H808er" is a brilliant piece of dark arpeggiated techno which switches from its unfiltered rasp into a melodic piece of melancholic pastoral electronica.

Review: New from ultra hip London label Young Turks, "Novias" sees Spanish tropical house producer El Guincho revisit a track from his previous Pop Negro album by asking singer Javiera Mena to lay down vocals over the customarily emotive and swirling beat. The result gives the track new life, as Mena's vocals soar through a slew of warm stabs and vital half-step claps.