Reviews of Various Artists

As with most anthologies, this is a mix of hits and duds. Unfortunately, this season starts off wea…

This unlikely compilation reveals some cavernous new depths to The Cure’s already massive influence.

Sound in Silence’s 100th release is an excellent introduction to their curated ambient aesthetic.

I still think the first season was the best, but this was a solid improvement over season two. Ultr…

With the Sustain series, ambient artists repurpose old and unused material, with uniformly excellent results.

A Wave Blue World’s Maybe Someday is an anthology of sci-fi stories whose purpose is to “inspire re…

Not all of the remixers remain faithful to Makeup and Vanity Set’s sonic aesthetic, and thankfully so.

All in all, In Sea Remixes offers little new insight into Aarktica’s music or any of the remixers.

You’re struck by the thought that perhaps some higher power had always intended for the components to be mashed together.

Like much of Francesconi’s music, it can leave the listener in a nostalgia-soaked haze.

Featuring Aarktica, Robin Guthrie, July Skies, I Am Robot and Proud, Lowlife, and more.

Forgettable, obviously churned out to fill a niche, and reeking of assembly line workmanship.

Tales From the Oxygen Den is a pretty solid comp, and is quite inline with the label’s stated goal of respecting the past.

Full of examples of why Kranky is one of the most essential — and consistent — labels currently out there in indie-dom.

When taken on its own merits, the compilation has plenty of high points.

Featuring Printed Circuit, Sweet Trip, Entre Rios, Boyracer, Randomnumber, Manual, and more.

This comp, though far from comprehensive, focuses on a small slice of time from shoegazing’s heyday.

All in all, a very impressive collection that adds quite a bit of flavor to the Matrix world.

Simply put, Preserve, Volume One is a stellar comp, solid in every regard.

This probably kicks more ass than any soundtrack has a right to.