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Seeland's sophomore album kicks off in spectacular fashion with 'Black Dot, White Spider'. Like hitting the ground running, the percussive krautrock rhythms set the pace for much of what follows.

Which isn't to say How To Live is a krautrock album, sadly it isn't - for 'Black Dot, White Spider' easily stands out as the highlight. But what How To Live does carry from those opening moments is the manner in which it fully embraces melancholy, wrapping itself up in it like a warm blanket.

Electronic music that genuinely captures emotion is relatively rare, that which captures the doldrums even rarer. And Seeland manage it with aplomb. 'Afterthoughts' is a delicious cruise through the uncontrollable feeling that is the wonder of hindsight. Title track 'How To Live' feels like an instruction manual for the lost that proves that, ultimately, none of us really know.

This could all be too much. The album's closer 'Been So Long' ends things on a pean to someone who clearly got away and admittedly if it went on any longer How To Live would be in danger of being suffocatingly down. But this isn't proper depressed music, it's just mildly fed up. And at 35 minutes it actually feels like a perfect little Autumn wallow: put on, get bummed out, then man-up and move on.

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How To Live is released on LOAF on 13 September, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on CD and MP3 [affiliate links].

This neat little cover version of Arcade Fire's opening track from new album The Suburbs dropped into the BlackPlastic message box this week. Normally messing around with Arcade Fire would be close to sacrilege but in all honesty this slightly darker take on the original is pretty tasteful. The video itself was made by filming a bike journey - the result is nicely in keeping with the feeling of the original song.

More over at the Huski site.

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Out on German label Musik Krause and distributed via Kompakt, Vulgarian Knights marks a contrast to anything Kompakt would normally get involved in and is a long way from the German minimal you may be envisaging. Whilst there is a swagger in the sound this is about as far from Kompakt's minimal and ambient goodness as you can get.

Vulgarian Knights is actually a collection of funk and soul jams, albeit laced with a slighty dubby and acidic undertone, and is likely to appeal to fans of Jazzanova. At times it feels close to hip-hop but there is always enough pace for this to be an album that will still get people moving. Feindrehstar have actually existed for ten years as a seven-piece acoustic live act - despite this Vulgarian Knights marks their debut album release.

And ultimately it is slightly beard-y exoticism, which is all well and good, but things are at their best when Feindrehstar mix things up a little. Where opener 'Knochenbrecher' feels just a little too formulaic the more playful sound and samples of 'Fete De La Kita' shine much brighter, the break boasting a lovely warm jazzy brass moment. In terms of a modern take on Fela Kuti, it actually reminds BlackPlastic of Common's tribute to Fela, 'Time Travellin'', which in our opinion is high praise indeed.

And Fela is clearly an inspiration - he gets his own dedicated track here in the form of 'Fela Fresh' - and the adventurous freeform approach and use of Afrobeat works well in combination with the uptempo, dance floor friendly sound.

Just short enough that it leaves before it out-stays it's welcome, Vulgarian Knights goes out on a high note - the much more laid back, contemplative lounge jazz of 'Happy Hour'. Letting the music really breath over the first five minutes before diving into a faster tempo. It proves that, actually, Feindrehstar can do it all in one track when they feel like it - and it is a shame they don't a bit more often.

Download Vulgarian Knights (Maxi Version) on MP3 for free [right click, save as].

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Vulgarian Knights is out on Musik Krause on 6 September, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on CD, LP and MP3 [affiliate links].