Five of the best Record Store Day 2016 releases

Image: Record Store Day

In the run up to this year's record store day, a study has surfaced  suggesting that seven percent of vinyl customers don't even have a record player. Imagine that? Leaving a limited record store day release to gather dust on your big fat triangular hipster wall. 

For those of you that prefer to utilise records for their intended use, record store day brings a swamp of new material, limited copies and re-issues that'll make your ears melt. 

Ahead of this year's coveted disc pilgrimage on Saturday 16th April, we've locked heads to bring you our essential picks from the entire prospectus. 

The Charlatans 'Trouble Understanding' (Norman Cook remix) 

A bit of a marriage made in heaven for mad for it mid-nineties heads, Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) delivers a stunning Balearic version of The Charlatan's 'Trouble Understanding', taken from the baggy veteran's latest album, Modern Nature.

With its piano led grooves and uplifting gospel vocals, there's something very much of the beach at sunset about this. The 12" is limited to 1,500 copies worldwide. 

Jamie Bowman

Clint Mansell featuring Kronos Quartet 'Requiem For A Dream'

Clint Mansell’s haunting score for Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream is one of the most influential and important motion picture soundtracks of the last 20 years, period.

Devastating and harrowing as much as it is beautiful and inventive, it’s set a modern day benchmark - Aronofsky’s striking imagery and the ominous strings of Lux Aeterna is a formidable example of how powerful the marriage of music and moving image can be.

Receiving its first pressing on double 180g vinyl and with gorgeous new artwork, it’s one of the best things you’ll lay your hands on this RSD.

Mike Warburton

J Dilla 'The Diary'

His sculpting of a jazzy hip-hop beat will forever remain unprecedented, but now Dilla's on the other side of the desk, shooting bars over productions from the likes of Madlib, Hi-Tek and Pete Rock to form his sixth and a never-heard-before posthumous record.

We've already been introduced to a cut featuring Snoop and Kokane while the illest recently uncovered 'The Sickness' (above) at SXSW recently to snapshot Nas and Dilla trading the mic over a sick Madlib beat. 

A rework of Gary Numan's 'Cars' chucks the record briefly left of field, before a return to Dilla's most notorious 'Fuck the Police' - which is finally given a solidified release to ensure his discography will keep on passing through generations.

Ben Smith 

Foals 'Rain/Daffodils'

You think you know Foals? Those Oxford lads who conquered math-rock and turned it into a snarling rock empire.

Quite alternative to What Went Down and anything they've ever released before, 'Rain' is a stripped back exploration of spectral sounds that opens up to Yannis' howling vocal. In addition they've covered a super-groovy version of Mark Ronson and Kevin Parker's 'Daffodils'. Whammy. 

BS  

Lush 'Origami'

Another hugely impressive RSD exclusive comes from the always on point 4AD camp - a beautifully rendered five LP box set of Lush’s back catalogue.

Featuring the band’s three studio albums Spooky, Split and Lovelife, as well as mini album Scar and EP compilations Gala and Topolino, each pressed on different coloured vinyl, it’s an essential package for lovers of the recently reformed shoegaze outfit.

And if 4AD’s fairly recent Cocteau Twins reissues are anything to go by, it’ll sound every bit as good as it looks.

MW 

Read our guide to this year's rock and indie festivals