Boards Of Canada Share New Track, ‘Tape 05’
Boards of Canada broke a 13‑year silence on April 16, 2026 by uploading a three‑minute track titled “Tape 05” to YouTube, accompanied only by the duo’s iconic Hexagon Sun visual. The release follows a cryptic promotional campaign that included mailed VHS tapes and street posters in major cities worldwide. The surprise drop reignited speculation about a full‑length album, their first since 2013’s Tomorrow’s Harvest. Warp Records shared the video across its social channels, signaling a coordinated label push.
Organic Intelligence LV: Dies Irae in Popular Culture
13th‑century plainchant *Dies Irae* has evolved from a medieval funeral hymn into a pervasive cultural signifier of death. Its first major public exposure came in Hector Berlioz’s *Symphonie Fantastique* (1830), where the fifth movement quoted the chant. Since then, the melody...
Thickened Moments: Life Day by Kristen Gallerneaux
Kristen Gallerneaux’s new album *Life Day* is an experimental soundscape that channels the ambience of a hospital ward through looping heartbeats, distorted birdsong, and haunted acoustic instruments. Across six interwoven tracks, the music blurs the line between living body and...
The Field Reveals First Release in Eight Years
Swedish ambient techno producer Alex Wilner, known as The Field, announced his first new release in eight years – the five‑track EP "Now You Exist." The record drops on 15 May 2026 via Stockholm’s Studio Barnhus label and follows his 2018 album "Infinity Now."...
Oneohtrix Point Never Shares New Track, ‘Dim Stars’
Oneohtrix Point Never (Daniel Lopatin) unveiled a new track, “Dim Stars,” and an extended version of 2025’s “For Residue.” Both songs drop on Warp Records as part of the audiovisual live show promoting his 2024 album *Tranquilizer*. Lopatin’s European tour...
How Big Tech Co-Opted DIY – and How to Fight Back
Darren Hemmings argues that Silicon Valley’s promise of a fully DIY music ecosystem has backfired, turning artists into algorithm‑chasing content factories. Platforms like TikTok reward initial spikes then starve subsequent posts, while agencies deploy fake fan accounts to game the...
Drass – On The Hill
British visual artist Eric Drass, known as Shardcore, has entered music with his debut solo album "On The Hill" on Death & Praxis Records. The record fuses glitchy Dadaist aesthetics with electronica, rave, and synth‑pop influences, drawing comparisons to Burial,...
The Strange World Of… Spacemen 3
The 40th anniversary of Spacemen 3’s debut album *Sound Of Confusion* has prompted a new vinyl‑extended edition and a curated Quietus Essentials playlist. Author Danny Passarella distills the band’s catalog into ten essential tracks, highlighting their minimalist, hypnotic approach that reshaped British guitar...
Gaswerk Music Days Announces First Acts Playing 2026 Edition
Berlin’s Gaswerk Music Days has unveiled the first wave of its 2026 program, featuring acts such as MC Yallah & Scotch Rolex, Holy Tongue, and Burnt Friedman & João Pais Filipe. The festival will run over two weekends from July 24...
Primal Scream to Play ‘XTRMNTR’ in Full on UK Tour
Scottish rock veterans Primal Scream announced a UK tour to perform their 2000 album XTRMNTR in its entirety. The seven‑date run kicks off with back‑to‑back shows at Glasgow’s Barrowland on September 3‑4 and concludes at London’s HERE @ Outernet on September 15. Venues include Newcastle’s...
Warp Records Hints at Boards Of Canada Return with Mysterious Posters
Warp Records has amplified speculation about a Boards of Canada comeback by posting images of cryptic posters in cities such as London, Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York. The posters feature the duo’s Hexagon Sun emblem alongside ghostly figures with...
Björk Reveals New Album to Be Released in 2027
Icelandic avant‑garde singer Björk announced her next studio album will be released in 2027, a five‑year gap since Fossora. She clarified on Instagram that the album will not be titled Echolalia, the name of her upcoming exhibition, dispelling fan speculation....
Radical Traditional: Folk Music for Spring, by Patrick Clarke
Patrick Clarke’s spring "Radical Traditional" column reviews the inaugural Folk Album of the Year Award and highlights ten boundary‑pushing releases. The award, organized by Sound Roots and the Folk On Foot podcast, honored Barry Kerr’s gritty Irish‑trad record "Curlew’s Cry"...
Squarepusher – Kammerkonzert
Squarepusher, real name Thomas Jenkinson, has released *Kammerkonzert*, his first album since 2024’s *Dostrotime*. The record abandons his signature drill‑bass for a multi‑layered blend of jazz, IDM and orchestral textures, performed entirely by Jenkinson himself. Each track feels cinematic, drawing...
Reissue of the Week: Scritti Politti’s Songs To Remember
Scritti Politti’s 1982 debut *Songs To Remember* has been reissued with a high‑fidelity remaster, spotlighting Green Gartside’s transition from avant‑garde dub‑pop to polished New Pop. The nine‑track LP fuses reggae, jazz, Brit‑funk and early hip‑hop, embodying a manifesto for pop perfection...
Melvins & Napalm Death – Savage Imperial Death March
The Melvins and Napalm Death have released a joint album, Savage Imperial Death March, reuniting the 2016 tour lineup of both bands. The record fuses the Melvins’ sludge‑rock heaviness with Napalm Death’s grind‑core aggression, punctuated by tongue‑in‑cheek vocal moments and unexpected...
Afrika Bambaataa Has Died, Aged 68
Hip‑hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, born Lance Taylor, died at 68 from cancer complications in Pennsylvania. He co‑founded the Universal Zulu Nation and helped fuse hip‑hop with electro, popularizing the Roland TR‑808 and tracks like “Planet Rock.” His career ended in 2013,...
Skaņu Mežs Adds Smerz and More to 2026 Lineup
Skaņu Mežs announced a second wave of performers for its 2026 edition, adding Norwegian duo Smerz, Ship Sket, Lithuanian sound artist Augustė Vickunaitė, and free‑jazz veteran Joe McPhee with his trio. The festival returns to Riga’s Hanzas Perons venue for a...
Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri Reveal Collaborative LP, ‘Where Light Pauses In The Silence Of The Sun’
Ambient composers Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri announce their second collaborative LP, “Where Light Pauses In The Silence Of The Sun,” set for release on June 26, 2026 via Black Knoll Editions. The six‑track record emerged from a three‑day Berlin residency...
Radiohead Unveil ‘Kid A Mnesia’ Touring Audiovisual Installation
British rock group Radiohead announced a touring audiovisual installation titled Motion Picture House, built around their 2021 Kid A Mnesia reissue. The 75‑minute experience will premiere in a 17,000‑square‑foot underground bunker at Coachella and then travel to venues in Brooklyn,...
Kinetic Energy: Seismo by Upsammy & Valentina Magaletti
Upsammy and UK drummer Valentina Magaletti released *Seismo*, an eight‑track album born from a commission by Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. The record fuses live mallet percussion with synthesized beats, creating a soundscape that shifts between club energy and ambient textures. Recorded in situ,...
Memorials – All Clouds Bring Not Rain
Memorials, the British duo formed by former Electrelane and Wire members, releases its second album *All Clouds Bring Not Rain*. The record fuses post‑punk, krautrock, and spiritual jazz, delivering cinematic soundscapes anchored by Verity Susman's warm, folk‑adjacent vocals. Critics note the...
Fan-Made SOPHIE Archive Launches Online
A fan‑built archive called WHOLENEW.WORLD has gone live, consolidating SOPHIE’s official releases, live recordings from 2010‑2020, and biographical material. The site invites collaborators, concert attendees, and anyone with undocumented information to contribute, though it will only host officially released tracks....
Björk Is Throwing a Rave in Iceland to Mark the Total Solar Eclipse
Icelandic icon Björk is staging a one‑day festival called Echolalia on 12 August in Hafnarfjörður to coincide with the total solar eclipse, which will darken the sky for just over a minute. The event, set in the Víðistaðatún sculpture park, will...
Loraine James, Laurel Halo and More Contribute to New Compilation Honouring Women Who Have Shaped Electronic Music
Mercury KX’s new compilation "Pioneers" honors women and gender‑expansive artists who have shaped electronic music. The 11‑track project is split into two releases, with the first part already available and the second slated for 17 April. Contributors such as Loraine James,...
Wendy Eisenberg – Wendy Eisenberg
Brooklyn‑based musician Wendy Eisenberg releases a self‑titled album that pivots from avant‑experimental collaborations to a finely‑spun blend of dream‑country pop and 70s folk‑rock. The ten‑track record celebrates the artist’s newly embraced queerness, self‑acceptance, and love, weaving memory‑laden lyrics with lush...
Ghosts in the Machine: Vince Clarke, Neil Arthur and Benge Talk Doublespeak
Veteran synth‑pop figures Vince Clarke, Blancmange’s Neil Arthur and producer Benge have released "Doublespeak", a covers album that reinterprets eleven songs from the 1970s‑2000s with warm analogue electronics. The project, which began in 2017, was assembled remotely over nearly a...
Wanderfal Festival at The Cornish Bank for April 10 – 11
The Wanderfal Festival will take place at The Cornish Bank in Falmouth on April 10‑11, featuring headliners Stealing Sheep, Opus Kink, The Golden Dregs, Nadia Reid and The Leisure Society alongside acts such as Oh Mr James, Voka Gentle and emerging talent...
The Shits – Diet Of Worms
The Shits release their third album, *Diet Of Worms*, marking nearly a decade of activity in Leeds’ volatile DIY punk scene. The six‑piece band expands its sound with three guitars, layered effects, and a surprisingly melodic bass line, pushing noise‑rock...
Inner Ear: Croatian Music for April, by Jakub Knera
Jakub Knera’s piece maps Croatia’s vibrant underground music scene, highlighting how artists blend indie, hip‑hop, electronic and folk influences while maintaining cross‑border collaborations with Serbian and Bosnian musicians despite lingering political tensions. Traditional instruments such as the tambura are re‑imagined...
The Yugoslav Psy-Op That May Have Given Us Laibach… and Inspired Rammstein
Bosnian satirist Dr. Nele Karajlić alleges in his new book *Solunska 28* that the Yugoslav socialist state deliberately engineered the 1980s rock scene to channel youth energy, suppress nationalism and create a shared cultural identity. He cites covert directives to youth...
Fishing for Pearls: Ghostface Killah in 2006
In 2006 Ghostface Killah dropped two landmark solo albums, *Fishscale* (March) and *More Fish* (December), solidifying his reputation as a hip‑hop auteur. Both records showcase dense, razor‑sharp lyricism paired with a kaleidoscope of samples from soul, funk and even European...
Reissue of the Week: Fall Heads Roll by The Fall
Cherry Red has issued a four‑CD deluxe reissue of The Fall’s 2005 album *Fall Heads Roll*, adding extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and a previously unheard “lost record” from 2006. The package showcases the band’s brief commercial upswing after John...
Iztok Koren & Raphael Rogiński – Nocturnal Consolations
Polish guitarist‑composer Raphael Rogiński and Slovenian multi‑instrumentalist Iztok Koren have released *Nocturnal Consolations*, an album that fuses banjo, balafon, gimbri and prepared strings into a dense acoustic tapestry. The record treats Central‑European folk traditions as a field of forces, weaving...
Actress and Suzanne Ciani Unveil Collaborative Album, ‘Concrète Waves’
Actress and pioneering synth composer Suzanne Ciani are releasing a collaborative album titled *Concrète Waves*. The record captures material from live performances commissioned by London’s Barbican Centre and Barcelona’s Sónar festival in 2025. Werkdiscs will issue the album on 27 March 2026 as...
Symphonies From Destruction: Kinshasa in Action by KinAct
KinAct, a Kinshasa‑based street art collective, released their debut LP *Kinshasa in Action* on Nyege Nyege Tapes, turning discarded city materials into a full‑blown industrial soundscape. The album was born from a 2022 residency in Kampala, where the group transformed...
Natalie Marlin on The Chemical Brothers’ Hanna OST
Natalie Marlin’s latest Low Culture Essay examines the 2011 film *Hanna* and its unlikely soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers, arguing that the score has become a touchstone for her evolving trans identity. The electronic duo, known for festival‑ready anthems, delivered...
EFG London Jazz Festival Announces First Acts for 2026 Edition
The EFG London Jazz Festival will run from 13 to 22 November 2026, spanning ten days and multiple iconic London venues. The first wave of announcements includes Malian singer‑songwriter Fatoumata Diawara headlining the Roundhouse and Samara Joy returning to the...
James K Unveils ‘Friend’ Remix Album
james K is set to release *Friend Remixes*, a 12‑track reinterpretation of her 2025 LP *Friend*. The album features reworks by notable electronic artists including Objekt, Drew McDowall, JASSS, Priori, Loidis and Roza Terenzi. Objekt returns to remixing after a decade, delivering a...
FKA Twigs Sues The Twigs Over Trademark Dispute
British singer‑songwriter FKA twigs has filed a new lawsuit against the 1990s duo The Twigs to secure exclusive trademark rights to her stage name. The dispute dates back to 2013 when the duo challenged her use of "Twigs," prompting a $15,000...
A Lot of Opportunities: Pet Shop Boys’ Please Revisited
Pet Shop Boys’ 1986 debut album Please sold roughly three million copies worldwide and delivered hit singles like “West End Girls” and “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)”. Produced by Stephen Hague, the record blended hi‑NRG dance beats with witty lyrics,...
The Leaf Library – After the Rain, Strange Seeds
London‑based Leaf Library releases its fourth album, *After the Rain, Strange Seeds*, a nine‑track record that marries spooky pastoral motifs with their signature indie pop sensibility. The album unfolds slowly, layering 1990s‑style mumblecore vocals, krautrock‑inspired drums, and wall‑of‑noise guitars into...
Neurosis Release First New Album in a Decade
Neurosis has dropped their first album in a decade, “An Undying Love For A Burning World,” featuring eight tracks. The record was recorded over three weekends in Seattle and includes new contributions from SUMAC’s Aaron Turner on vocals and guitar....
Reissue of the Week: Roland Brival’s Créole Gypsy
Roland Brival’s 1980 debut *Créole Gypsy*, a Pan‑Caribbean spiritual jazz masterpiece, has been freshly remastered and reissued by Soundway Records. The album fuses American spiritual jazz with Martinique’s bèlè and carnival rhythms, featuring multilingual vocals and a blend of sax,...
Leila Bordreuil + Kali Malone – Music for Intersecting Planes
Leila Bordreuil and organist Kali Malone have released the collaborative LP “Music for Intersecting Planes,” blending cello, feedback, organ, and sine‑wave drones. The record juxtaposes Bordreuil’s chaotic, feedback‑laden textures with Malone’s slow‑moving, ecclesiastical organ meditations, creating a push‑pull tension that...
Native Instruments to Go Into Full Insolvency
Native Instruments announced it is moving from preliminary to formal insolvency proceedings, confirming the Berlin‑based music‑tech firm’s financial distress. CEO Nick Williams said the company is in active talks with multiple potential buyers, indicating strong interest from parties rooted in...
Teerath Majumder – Dust To Dust
Bangladeshi composer‑producer Teerath Majumder releases the experimental album *Dust To Dust*, expanding his signature blend of traditional Bangla elements with avant‑electronic sound design. The record traverses starkly contrasting sonic worlds, from train‑like helium‑filled drones to dubstep‑driven guitar solos, echoing influences...
Organic Intelligence LIV: Psychedelic Porto
Lovers & Lollypops, a Porto‑based independent label founded in 2005, has grown from a niche underground rock imprint into a multidisciplinary cultural platform. The label now releases eclectic albums, curates concerts, runs festivals, and operates its own venue on Rua...
Retro Instinct Versus Future Fetish: Emperor Tomato Ketchup 30 Years On
By 1996 Stereolab faced a creative dead‑end despite commercial success, prompting Tim Gane to adopt a looping‑based writing method sparked by a modest Godz cover. This breakthrough, recorded with John McEntire at Idful Studios, produced *Emperor Tomato Ketchup*, an album that...
Kwes – Kinds
Kwes releases *Kinds*, an ambient‑electronic suite inspired by his daughter’s curiosity. The opening tracks, “Blue White Violet” and “Blue White Cyan,” offer serene, fluttering chords that induce a flow‑state calm. Mid‑album pieces such as “Brown Green Yellow” and “Violet” shift...