A monumental 150-minute attempt at tracking China's cultural transition from Mao-ish uniformity to the eccentricities of Deng Xiaoping's quasi-capitalism, Platform (1990) follows four wannabe performers from Fenyang over a long and turbulent decade (1979-1989). Unlike director Jia Zhang-ke's excellent 1997 drama Xiao Wu, Platform has a bizarre disregard for character and narrative coherence.

Electro duo Ariel Wizman and Nicolas Errera bring fun back to French avant-disco with help from Sparks

Sunny second album from Northampton four-piece

First Jesse Malin's solo debut, now Concussion—if anything, this is an even finer record than The Fine Art Of Self Destruction. Steve Earle described Ryan as "one of the best songwriters I've seen come to Nashville", and he's no bullshitter.

Blistering second LP by UK improv quartet

Incendiary debut from NYC electro-terrorists

Reformed punk icons' first since 1999's Modern

Remember Joe this way

Thirty-four tracks stretching from '60s pop to prog-rock pretension

Final trio of nine remastered reissues