Sound Records

New Release of the Week:

Muse - Origins of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX

Muse celebrate the 20th anniversary of their seminal release this month - one that shot them toward stadium stardom, by returning to their original recordings and pulling out something new.

Well sort of.

Front-man Bellamy has said they wanted to offer a more open, dynamic and less crushed sound than the original.

So instead of bringing out a completely new remixed album where each song is unrecognizable; they have managed to add some epic elements to their huge hits with the help of producer Rich Costley and some Abbey Road recordings.

The most noticeable improvements can be found where of the harpsichord has been lifted through on track ’Micro Cuts’ and where the strings have been added to ’Citizen Erased’, ’Megalomania’ and ’Space Dementia’ - lifting the record with a new-found warmth.

Another huge bonus is the addition of ’Futurism’ to the tracklist, originally only found as a bonus track on the Japanese release.

Sound Records

Pick of the week:

Laura Mvula - Pink Noise

Straight out of your 80s synth-pop dreams, Pink Noise feels like an ethereal explosion, a warm neon sunset.

Laura Mvula’s voice soars above the heavy synths with ease: she makes even the most clichéd choices ã?¼ successive key changes, bubbly dance beats ã?¼ sound effortlessly cool.

Though certainly more vibrant than her previous records, Mvula doesn’t let the grit and pain be lost amongst the Pink Noise.

Remedy, for instance, manages to hit as both a dance pop banger and a protest against institutionalised racism: ’Render me dangerous human in your eyes / Suck out the air inside me yet STILL I RISE.’

After a very public split from Sony which left her ’frowned upon’ within the music industry, Mvula is thriving once again; here, her vocal, songwriting and production talents are sharper than ever through the dreams, the haze and the Pink Noise.