Brain of the firm: This week at South

A varied week of new releases, moving from intricate experimental rock and post-punk landmarks to psychedelic oddities, classic soul and expansive live jams. Horse Lords return with Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!, their most ambitious record yet, blending microtonal guitars, hypnotic rhythms and new vocal textures into something both cerebral and immersive. Alongside it comes a welcome reissue of This Heat’s astonishing self-titled debut, the 1979 classic that fused tape loops, improvisation and fractured rock into a blueprint for countless experimental bands that followed.

Elsewhere, Marlena Shaw’s magnificent The Spice of Life returns, pairing the timeless ‘California Soul’ and ‘Woman of the Ghetto’ with rich arrangements from Charles Stepney and Richard Evans, a soulful blend of jazz, funk and gospel that has become a goldmine for samplers and crate diggers. Cult duo Angine de Poitrine bring their driving microtonal guitars and surreal take on rock music to vinyl, while Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade revisit their acclaimed 2023 tour with a new live set featuring Sean Lennon and Harry Waters, capturing the psychedelic spirit and virtuoso playing that has made the project such a favourite.

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Few albums create a world as complete as Disintegration. Released in 1989, it found The Cure balancing immense emotional weight with some of their most beautiful music, Robert Smith surrounding songs of love, loss and longing with shimmering guitars, vast synths and unforgettable melodies. Home to the classics "Pictures of You", "Lovesong" and the towering title track, it's both the band's commercial peak and their artistic masterpiece, a gothic pop record that somehow feels bigger and more affecting with every listen. First pressing right here.