* Final pressing of 300 copies on 140gm black vinyl. * Of all the lost artifacts of 1970s electronic experimentation, few have remained as elusive and sought-after as Mike Ratledge's stunning soundtrack to Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen's avant-garde film Riddles Of The Sphinx. Originally composed in 1977, this groundbreaking work has lingered in the shadows for nearly five decades - a holy grail for collectors and enthusiasts of electronic minimalism. Now, following the long out-of-print 2016 edition, Mordant Music brings this remarkable document back into the light with a new vinyl reissue in an edition of 300 copies that feels nothing short of miraculous.

Following his departure from Soft Machine in 1976, Ratledge embarked on a radical creative journey that would lead him far from the progressive rock territories for which he was known. Working in collaboration with the mysterious Denys Irving - the enigmatic figure behind the controversial late 1960s underground group Lucifer and a true pioneer of computer music - Ratledge crafted a work of stunning minimalist beauty that stands entirely on its own terms.

Utilizing an arsenal of vintage Moog, ARP and VCS-AKS synthesizers, many modified or developed specifically for this project by Irving himself, Riddles Of The Sphinx unfolds across ten hypnotic sequences. Each is built from endlessly repeating patterns of notes constructed around small melodic intervals and precisely spaced rhythmic cycles, layered three or four deep to create a mesmerizing sonic tapestry. The result is a work of guileless purity - mechanical yet deeply human, repetitive yet constantly evolving.

While echoes of Terry Riley's organ works and early Philip Glass can be detected within Ratledge's repetitive structures, Riddles Of The Sphinx feels entirely removed from academic minimalism. There's a playfulness here, an element of naivety that manifests in unexpected pop melodies and moments of gentle syncopation. The synthesizer sounds lean toward plain organ-esque tones and simple sawtooth waves, occasionally punctuated by atmospheric washes that transport the listener to otherworldly realms.

The album's journey back to our ears is as mysterious as the music itself. With the original master tapes long vanished, this reissue has been painstakingly transferred directly from the film's audio track, discovered in the BFI archives. This archaeological approach has revealed hidden sonic details and textures, offering an even more intimate encounter with Ratledge's visionary work - a fever dream of trilling synth motifs and automatic composition that sounds like nothing else from its era.

For devotees of Delia Derbyshire's experimental works, the Ghost Box aesthetic, and the quietly hypnotic rhythms of projects like Rimarimba or Woo, Riddles Of The Sphinx is nothing short of essential. This is music that doesn't merely accompany - it transforms, creating a space where sound becomes sculpture and repetition becomes revelation. A lost marvel that reminds us why the experimental underground of the 1970s continues to yield such extraordinary treasures.

As essential as they come. Don't sleep on this one - copies won't sit around for long.