12th isle’s stock in trade is the deeper, sometimes darker side of the musical world. Its releases straddle the space between the twin moons of the experimental and the left side of the dance floor. Stray too close and its orbit pulls you in.

Rain and Cymbals is the latest release from the label by Material Things/Pike and provides a suitably climactic bookend to 2025. Listening on headphones whilst gazing out of an early morning train window, burning red and ochre sky outside, with this music playing….It’s all encompassing atmospherics coming like a halo of metallic and organic mysticism. It made a perfect soundtrack to the dawn as it emerged blinking a new day into life.

Fluttering drum patterns and twisted synth noises abound across these tracks, pulling the listener in divergent directions. ‘Two Lanes’ grabs the attention from minute one, driving forward with an irresistible force. ‘Those Days They Say’ throws some glitchiness into the mix with a hint of acid franticity. Then ‘Walk the Plank’ comes more heavy, throwing a Bassy blanket over everything and submerging again with those drums. ‘Coastal Town’ switches pace to somewhere a little more ambient, perhaps almost folkish in its delicacy. ‘Drums for Menelik’ retains that atmospheric edge but flitting more to a subtle and lighter feel. ‘Wee Guys’ layers the chug and skins work with a slow build to an electronically crushing conclusion. Critical music.

Material Things is available now via Bandcamp