Few artists possess the rare ability to transform their primary instrument, bending it entirely to their will and pushing it beyond its natural limits. The pedal steel guitarist […]
Experimental
A burning new record by the great Ugandan label Ngeye Ngeya Tapes. Last year, Ale Hop and Titi Bakorta convened in Kampala, a city near the northern edges […]
The Australian jazz trio is one of the most consistently brilliant groups of the past 35 years. The Necks are a trio consisting of Chris Abrahams on piano, […]
And Thomas Brinkmann drops a new post-election track called ‘Deep Trouble.’ Music can help lighten dark days. Can’t it? This morning, German techno genius Thomas Brinkmann issued a […]
When in doubt, put on something by Eiko Ishibashi. It’s a mantra that will serve you well when looking for new and old sounds. The Japanese multi-instrumentalist, composer, […]
Let’s talk about Roberto Musci, the Milanese experimental composer whose work both alone and with kindred spirit Giovanni Venosta starting in the 1980s has been gaining attention and […]
In conversation with Small Medium Large, a new quintet from the burgeoning new West Coast jazz & improvised music scene. In 2018, LA-based jazz and post-rock guitarist Jeff […]
New music discoveries can be particularly potent while traveling. Case in point: I recently picked up a small stack of obscurities from Chee Shimizu’s revered Physical Store that […]
Temporarily shuttered to improve accessibility, Pioneer Works has more than enough footage to tide you over. If you’ve got a few minutes to experience something deep and grounding, […]
“Let’s say that this was already inside us, but we were busy doing pop,” Portuguese musician Carlos Maria Trindade said of making Mr. Wollogallu, his brilliant 1991 collaborative […]
You only need read the opening sentences of the liner notes to get a sense of the Habitat Ensemble’s world. Deep in the south of the Czech republic, […]
And: Mazzacane Connors live performances with Darin Gray, Jim O’Rourke, and David Grubbs. Few guitarists approach their instrument with the delicacy of Loren Mazzacane Connors, and fewer still […]
A lost gem from NPR classical critic Tom Manoff and master vocalist Jill Talvé. Jill Talvé was in her late teens when, in the early 1980s, she moved […]
The late composer co-founded “a kind of musical version of the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, with every entry registering like a report from some farflung orbital station.“ […]
So much Zorn! The Tzadik Records catalog is now available on streaming… Last week, more than 25 years after it launched, the crucial New York label Tzadik released […]
Carmen Villain shares five recent favorites in anticipation of her live performance next week at In Sheep’s Clothing HQ. One of our favorite artists performing at the upcoming […]
Enter the world of Planet Q, a “beautiful, secluded safe space” lovingly hand-crafted by artists Kyoko Takenaka and Tomoki Sanders. A little over a year ago, Pure Person […]
Planet Q is available for pre-order now via In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi Selects and Pure Person Press! To explore and absorb Planet Q, the new record by artists […]
Epic concerts and excerpts that illustrate why the Boredoms’ mesmerizing tribal explorations are unlike anything else on the planet. We’ve celebrated the Boredoms before, and recently added DJ […]
Don’t miss Eli Winter this Sunday, June 25th at the Lodge Room in Highland Park. Over the past half-decade, the Houston-born, Chicago-based instrumental guitarist and writer Eli Winter […]
Ritualistic soundscapes from one of the leading figures in Mexican ambient music. As ambient music continues to rise in popularity in the United States and around the world, […]
A look at the experimental musician and video artist’s work and influence (and featuring a Peter Brötzmann cameo) This week the renowned American Masters series on PBS premiered […]
A sonic trip through Latin America with selections by El Marchante’s Osmar Romero. Last Friday on Cinco de Mayo, we presented a special listening session at the Japanese […]
Recent favorites from Chicago, Brooklyn, New Zealand, Basque, Amsterdam, Munich, Tokyo, and Sweden. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues and restocks. As […]
Folklorist Derek Piotr speaks with Austrian experimental electronic producer and guitarist Christian Fennesz. I am pleased to tidy up my “Heroes Series” with a fifth and final entry […]
Past & present sounds from LA-based saxophone player Patrick Shiroishi. The Los Angeles saxophone player, improvisor, composer and inexhaustible creator-collaborator Patrick Shiroishi doesn’t seem to stay in the […]
“Cute” space age healing music from Dr. Yann Tomita’s Audio Science Laboratory. It’s Doopee Time! Here’s an essential listen that’s been posted about quite a bit online, but […]
Improvisational Turntablism, Meta-Concert, Hypermobility, and more key performances from artist Christian Marclay. The visual and sound artist Christian Marclay is best known for The Clock, his 24-hour film […]
Deep cut anime and video game soundtrack selections from Motion Ward’s Ura. Los Angeles-based experimental electronic label Motion Ward continues to be on a roll, albeit at a […]
This is a film about listening. Documentary filmmaker Sam Green invites us into experimental composer Annea Lockwood’s world of listening. Highly recommended for anyone interested in “deep listening” […]
Featuring hurdy-gurdy, harp, voice, and Bruno Menny’s arrangements. In 1977, when much of Western music culture was being upended by both the distorted aggression of the global punk […]
As the remarkable series approaches its 10th anniversary, a look at the musician-producer’s online project. In 2013, the musician and producer Jim O’Rourke started releasing a series of […]
Recent favorites from Los Angeles, Detroit, New Zealand, Melbourne, and North West England. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues and restocks. As […]
The experimental guitarist’s latest album Shebang! has arrived on Chicago-based independent label Drag City. To discover Oren Ambarchi’s discography is like coming upon a shimmering labyrinth in the […]
Dive into seven essential tracks from Melbourne’s CS + Kreme ahead of their LA debut at ISC HQ on June 25th. The weird tunes world is more accessible […]
Recent favorites from the Bay Area, Indonesia, London via Shanghai, Berlin, and Hungary. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues and restocks. As […]
Before he died at 44 in 1998, the brilliant experimental player was a central figure in ‘80s and ‘90s New York avant-jazz scene. Next year will mark the […]
Though only a 7-inch single, the 1991 record offers a primal primer on the New Zealand experimental scene. Nearly 35 years ago, experimental guitarist Bruce Russell founded a […]
Celebrate the release of “Recordings from the Åland Islands” tonight at 2220 Arts + Archives. Out now via Chicago’s International Anthem, electronic musician Jeremiah Chiu & violist Marta […]
An overview of one of the greatest drummers you’ve (likely) never heard. Let’s talk about Susie Ibarra, perhaps the greatest percussionist you’ve never heard. Across three-plus decades, the […]
The lost 1984 follow-up to ‘Kakashi’ and ‘Utakata No Hibi’ will be released on NYC label Palto Flats. Japanese experimental saxophonist, producer, and composer Yasuaki Shimizu needs no […]
Five mesmerizing tracks by the Austrian experimental electronic producer and instrumentalist. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hotel Paral.lel, the first solo album by Austrian experimental guitarist […]
Nearing the holidays with more great new music from the UK, France, Switzerland, and Bay Area. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues […]
Dive into a singular artist whose beautifully chaotic energy inspired us during the pandemic. Last year as the pandemic forced us all inside to isolate, the fantastic speaker […]
Multi-instrumentalist, drummer (CMON, Drugdealer), and NTS radio host Josh da Costa shares five gems. CMON (Confusing Mix Of Nations) is the studio project of Josh da Costa formerly […]
“Not exactly a sporting selection” from hero Chee Shimizu. For anyone looking for some musical inspiration today, here’s a perfect playlist from our friend Chee Shimizu. Selected for […]
Smiling C shares an intimate documentary on Mexican experimental jazz artist Germán Bringas. For the past few years, the Santa Cruz-based archival project (and one of our absolute […]
Maximalist experimental jazz from four heroes of the genre. For eight years starting in 1986, the searing free jazz quartet of Sonny Sharrock (electric guitar), Peter Brötzmann (sax), […]
Music from the 12th Isle via Glasgow’s underground. Glasgow’s 12th Isle has been steadily releasing some of our favorite genre-bending electronic works since 2016. The label takes a […]
A timeless synth played by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Alessandro Cortini, and Wendy Carlos. Introduced by Bay Area synthesizer innovator Don Buchla’s company in 1973, the Buchla Music Easel […]
Experimental musician Keiji Haino sat down with Vice Japan in 2016 and shared the secret behind his enigmatic reputation. Keiji Haino has been making wildly unexpected music since […]
A primer on Japanese experimental masters EYE, Yoshimi, Seiichi Yamamoto and the hypnotic mess they’ve made. The Boredoms aren’t an easy group to nail down. One of the strangest-ever […]
