Today, Canadian musician Michael Brook, Grammy-nominated film composer (Heat, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Into the Wild) and inventor of the ‘infinite guitar’, releases the first vinyl reissue of his 1992 4AD record Cobalt Blue and the vinyl debut of Live at the Aquarium.
These underrated gems from the 4AD catalogue have been newly remastered by Rashad Becker and are presented on Crystal Clear 2×LP and 2CD with artwork by Alison Fielding based on the original v23 designs.
Cobalt Blue is a timeless and quietly stunning collection of instrumental pieces and shimmering dreamscapes, featuring contributions from ambient music pioneer Brian Eno, composer & multi-instrumentalist Roger Eno, and Grammy-winning producer Daniel Lanois. Recorded later that year, Live at the Aquarium captures Brook’s rare solo performance in London, highlighting the hypnotic sustain and atmosphere that define his work.
Michael Brook’s Cobalt Blue & Live at the Aquarium is available from today, 10 July, digitally, on Crystal Clear 2xLP and 2xCD. To order, and for more information, head HERE.
Kyoto-born, Berlin-based composer and producer Midori Hirano announces The Juniper Tree, her new album recasting the score for the debut film by Nietzchka Keene, out October 2 via Viernulvier Records and Thrill Jockey. Originally commissioned by Kunstencentrum Viernulvier for its acclaimed Videodroom series, in which contemporary experimentalists reimagine the musical accompaniment of classic arthouse cinema, the score now receives its first standalone release.
A feminist retelling of the Brothers Grimm story and Björk’s first on-screen role, The Juniper Tree premiered to critical acclaim at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Shot in haunting black-and-white on location in Iceland, it follows two sisters who flee after their mother is executed for witchcraft, standing as a powerful allegory of misogyny and its consequences. “The film shows many raw aspects of human nature, such as madness, silence, loss, love, seduction, friendship, deception, self-preservation and innocence, but they are all expressed in a fantastically fragile way. The exciting challenge for me is to incorporate that fragility in the music while keeping its strength,” shares Hirano.
Coinciding with the announcement, Hirano shares two tracks: Take Me With You and Spell On You, which reveal two respective sides of the score—piano and synthesizer compositions, both imbued with the same sense of restraint as the film. On the former, Hirano explains: “This is a piece played in the scene where Margit (a medieval witch played by Björk) is searching for her mother on the shore. A simple ambient synth tone repeats at regular intervals, slowly changing in timbre, reflecting Margit’s quiet calls for her mother.” On Spell On You she adds: “A simple piano piece, evoking a sense of both eeriness and sacredness. This appears multiple times throughout the film whenever Margit’s sister Katla casts a spell.”
While composing the music for The Juniper Tree, Hirano drew on her own memories of touring Iceland, which included a stop at a waterfall featured in the film and rendered in sound on “Mother’s Path.” Folktales, like the origins of The Juniper Tree, are often attempts to contend with humans’ place in the natural world, and both the film and Hirano’s soundtrack draw their sense of breathless wonder in part from the sensation of being engulfed by one’s environment. Hirano captures the relationship between the transcendental awe that is felt as supernatural and the private feelings of being immersed in that experience, creating a musical dialogue between the self and what lies beyond.
In the final sentences of her liner notes, Anna Bogutskaya says, “what we call Margit’s witchcraft is maybe just her willingness to listen.” Just as Keene seems to break down barriers between binary poles, Hirano uses both electronic and acoustic means to communicate the film’s emotive cues. Through sound, we understand what lies beyond sight, beyond convention, and with this new soundtrack we hear the story anew.
Listen to “Take Me With You” and “Spell On You” above and stay tuned for more from Midori Hirano ahead of the full release of The Juniper Tree on 2 October via Viernulvier and Thrill Jockey.
by Ben Hogwood, using the Ninja Tune press release. Picture (c) Scott Hansen
2x GRAMMY® Award–nominated electronic icon Tycho has joined forces with acclaimed dreampop artist Sea Lemon for the oceanic new single, Anotherwave available today via Mom + Pop in the U.S. and Ninja Tune for the rest of the world.
As you will hear, it is another hot weather beauty from an ever-reliable source:
“I was driving late one night on a road trip through the California Central Valley when I first heard Sea Lemon’s music,” says Tycho’s Scott Hansen. “Eraser came on and immediately clicked; I think I listened to Close Up about four times in a row. I started imagining Natalie’s vocals on this new song I had been working on; the lush textures felt like a perfect match for the sound. So at the next stop, I reached out and sent some demos. I was really happy when she picked the particular song I had in mind; that’s usually a good sign. We started bouncing ideas back and forth, and pretty soon thereafter, Natalie tracked the vocals at her place. The track was originally a sparse, synth-driven piece, but once I got the vocals in place, I realized something was missing from the overall composition. So Zac came over and tracked some guitars, and it all came into focus quickly. This was one of those songs where I never really had to fight anything; it all just flowed, and those are the most fulfilling projects to work on. It was really an honor to work with such a talented artist as Natalie, and I’m very proud of what we created together.”
”When Scott (Tycho) reached out to me and shared this song, I instantly felt a connection to the underwater-like quality of the sounds and textures,” says Sea Lemon (a.k.a. Seattle, WA-based musician Natalie Lew). “I started writing lyrics about being ‘caught in another wave,’ which turned into sort of the anthemic lyrics that get repeated throughout the song. I’ve been such a fan of Tycho for years, and getting the chance to work with him on a track is a total dream. Scott has an extremely creative, collaborative way of working, which makes coming together on a track like this a huge joy.”
Anotherwave marks the latest in an ongoing series of diverse collaborations for Tycho, including previous alliances with artists spanning ODESZA, Maggie Rogers, Little Dragon, Leon Bridges, Death Cab for Cutie, and more. The track follows the release earlier this year of Forge, a compelling instrumental companion piece to 2025’s Boundary Rider, a collaboration with Interpol’s Paul Banks. 2024 saw Tycho continuing to expand the parameters and possibilities of electronic music with its engrossing sixth album, Infinite Health, co-produced by Hansen with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor with backing from guitarist Zac Brown and drummer Rory O’Connor.
published by Ben Hogwood from the press release. Picture of Jess Gillam (c) Robin Clewley
Amateur musicians of all ages will get the chance to rehearse and perform with award-winning saxophonist and CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam as part of ‘CBSO in the City’ which will bring free performances to iconic spaces across Birmingham this summer (27-31 August) for the third year.
The next generation of Birmingham’s musical talent is set to receive a vital boost this summer, with a new ‘come and play’ initiative launched by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). As part of the upcoming CBSO in the City, Birmingham-based saxophonists and clarinettists will have the chance to rehearse and perform with CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam. As she prepares to embark on her first season as a Collaborative Artist, Jess will lead amateur musicians in a rehearsal session on Saturday 29 August, before performing with the massed saxophone and clarinet ensemble in the city-centre’s vibrant waterside gathering spot, Brindley Place.
CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam said: “I’m so looking forward to my first season with the CBSO as a Collaborative Artist, alongside some amazing upcoming concerts, I’m also looking forward to deepening my relationship with Birmingham community. This event is the perfect way to do this, and it’s a great opportunity for aspiring musicians of all ages to boost their skills and get together for some inspiring ensemble playing. At a time when music education is so often underfunded and undervalued, this is our chance to show that the next generation deserves high-quality learning and performance opportunities – wherever they’re based.”
Keen musicians of all ages are invited to sign up on the CBSO website until midday on 20 July. Rehearsal sessions will take place on the morning of Saturday 29 August at the CBSO Centre, while the performance will take place that afternoon in Brindley Place.
The CBSO’s annual Birmingham-wide CBSO in the City festival returns for 2026 with five days of free music running from Thursday 27 to Monday 31 August across the summer bank holiday weekend. The 2026 programme will present performances from full orchestral spectacles to duos, quartets and free family concerts.
At a time when classical music is working ever harder to reach new audiences, the CBSO continues its mission to serve the whole city of Birmingham. Orchestral players will meet local audiences wherever they are: presenting music in stations and on local transport as well as in the city’s most iconic spaces (and beyond), from the Bullring and Botanical Gardens to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Black Country Living Museum.
CBSO Chief Executive Emma Stenning said: “Birmingham is a city that holds its cultural life with real conviction. The pride people feel in this orchestra, the breadth of what they listen to, the generosity with which they engage with music that’s new to them – that’s something Birmingham brings, and we celebrate. Everything begins here. And if we’re serious about being Birmingham’s orchestra – not just in name but in practice – then we have to bring music to the city, not as something separate from daily life, but woven through it.”
CBSO in the City is generously supported by John Osborn CBE.
While all events are free and unticketed, standard admission applies at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, RBSA Gallery and Black Country Living Museum.
published by Ben Hogwood, with text from the press release
Baxter Dury is happy to announce the Allbarone Versions on Heavenly Recordings with the track Alpha Dog (Paul Epworth Extended Version) out now. The digital release will be on 24 July with a double 12″ to follow on 28 August.
When is a record ever finished? Baxter Dury’s eighth album, Allbarone, seemed to be done and dusted after release last autumn, yet super-producer Paul Epworth (Adele, U2) decided it was a good idea to work on extensions of five of tracks from the album. Not just extensions but full on electro-disco mixes that take the tracks apart from the edges and reorder them into relentless dance floor tools built to perfectly soundtrack the small hours.
Each track finds a groove and takes its journey right through the middle of the original track, to create classic 12″ extended remixes, adding a whole load of echoing dub over flickering percussion tracks, madly addictive basslines and gloriously languid disco rhythm tracks. From Kubla Khan’s hefty low-end groove to Alpha Dog’s deconstructed nightclub dub via Schadenfreude’s Eurodisco bass and fizzing hi-hat pulse, Paul Epworth’s phenomenal new mixes lift Baxter’s tracks up to another level.
Finally, Allbarone‘s done, and it’s become the perfect soundtrack to whatever you’re doing this weekend.
Arcana.fm 