Close Voices, Moving Lives: Oblivion Seekers by Ben Vida
Ben Vida’s new album *Oblivion Seekers* marks a decisive turn from his earlier tech‑abstraction toward warm, analogue soundscapes anchored by spoken‑word duologues. Across four extended tracks, human voices weave abstract poetry while saxophone, vibraphone, and subtle jazz‑inflected rhythms create a lush backdrop. The work nods to avant‑garde predecessors like Robert Ashley and draws on downtempo aesthetics reminiscent of Air and Boards of Canada. Collaborators such as Nina Dante, Felicia Atkinson, Matt Bauder and Will Epstein enrich the sonic palette, delivering a cohesive yet disorienting listening experience.
Aja Ireland – Moult Mouth
British electronic artist Aja Ireland drops the six‑track EP “Moult Mouth,” released on Mexican label Infinite Machine. The record fuses hyperpop, techno, and Brazilian baile funk, echoing SOPHIE’s legacy while pushing into industrial‑bass territory. Visuals for two tracks were created...
Quentin Tolimieri – Monochromes II
Quentin Tolimieri’s new solo‑piano series *Monochromes II* abandons melody, harmony and rhythm to focus on pure tonal colour. Each piece repeats one or two pitches for minutes, allowing acoustic saturation and micro‑tonal overtones to emerge. The collection references minimal‑process pioneers such...
The Melbourne Legacy: Season 2 Interviewed
Melbourne’s new indie quintet Season 2, formed in 2024 from members of Phil & The Tiles and other local acts, released their debut album *Power Of Now* after recording it in just a weekend. The record mixes serrated post‑punk with breezy jangle‑pop, featuring layered...
David Byrne Shares New Track, ‘¿Cuál Es La Razón?’
David Byrne has issued a new single, “¿Cuál Es La Razón?”, an alternate version of his 2023 track “What Is The Reason For It?” from the album Who Is The Sky?. The rendition replaces Hayley Williams with Mexican singer‑songwriter Natalia Lafourcade,...
Hyperspecific: Electronic Music for April Reviewed by Jaša Bužinel
Jaša Bužinel’s April roundup spotlights a wave of fresh electronic releases, ranging from dub‑infused deep house to minimalist sound‑collage experiments. Highlights include Karl Primo’s vinyl‑only "Guardwatcher Pt. I," GbClifford’s emotive "Love, Diskito," and Alex Dickson’s genre‑spanning "Found Sound." The piece also flags...
TQ’s Highlights of Supersonic 2026
Supersonic 2026 returned as a stripped‑back, limited‑edition festival, compressing its traditional three‑day, multi‑venue format into two days at a single site – The Crossing on a Birmingham college campus. The beloved Zellig marketplace also made a half‑weekend appearance, preserving the...
Ricardo Villalobos to Release Remixes of Goat (Jp)
Renowned Chilean DJ Ricardo Villalobos is set to release three new remixes of Japanese experimental outfit goat (jp) on French label Latency. The collection, titled "Without References/Cindy Van Acker (Ricardo Villalobos Variations)," features a rework of the track "Orin" and...
A Definitive Rant: Happy 45th Birthday to The Fall’s Slates EP
The Fall’s 1981 Slates EP marked a decisive shift, marrying raw post‑punk energy with high‑brow literary allusions. The record solidified Mark E. Smith’s anti‑intellectual intellectualism, using working‑class slang to reinterpret modernist ideas. Its defamiliarising lyrics and abrasive sound influenced a wave of...
Low Culture Essay: James Bailey on The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
James Bailey’s subscriber essay revisits Muriel Spark’s 1970 novel *The Driver’s Seat*, describing it as a “spiny and treacherous masterpiece” that fuses giallo horror with stark corporate settings. He notes Spark wrote the book in a few weeks from a hospital...
Maramfa Musick Pro: Serokolo 7 Resurrects the Frenetic Pulse of Mapanta
South African producer Serokolo 7’s new album, *Maramfa Musick Pro*, resurrects the hyper‑local Mapanta genre from Limpopo’s Ga‑Sekhukhune district. Issued on the Kampala‑based Nyege Nyege Tapes, the record embraces lo‑fi, cassette‑tape grit and field‑recorded village ceremonies, positioning traditional Bapedi chants alongside...
Bali Gamelan Sound – Topeng Semar Pegulingan
The Bali Gamelan Sound project, led by Argentinian researcher Agustín Oscar Rissotti, has recorded around 50 authentic Balinese gamelan performances since 2020, preserving the music’s ritual context. Its latest release, *Topek Semar Pegulingan*, captures ambient sounds, conversations, and the spiritual...
Tricky Unveils New Album, ‘Different When It’s Silent’
British trip‑hop pioneer Tricky announced his 15th studio album, Different When It’s Silent, slated for 17 July 2026 via False Idols. The record, his first full‑length under the Tricky name in six years, features 15 tracks recorded in France and Bristol and...
Boards Of Canada Detail New Album, ‘Inferno’
Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada announced their first studio album in 13 years, titled Inferno. The record comprises 18 tracks and is slated for release on May 29, 2026 through Warp Records. A cryptic teaser campaign featuring mailed VHS...
The Vanishing Twin: Tricky’s Nearly God Turns 30
Tricky’s unofficial sophomore album *Nearly God* turns 30, marking a pivotal moment in 1990s British music. The record fused trip‑hop with post‑punk, ska, synth‑pop and R&B, featuring a roster of collaborators including Martina Topley‑Bird, Björk, Neneh Cherry and Terry Hall. Its...
Gnod – Chronicles Of Gnowt Vol.1
Gnod’s new album *Chronicles Of Gnowt Vol.1* kicks off a planned three‑part series recorded in just under a week. The record mixes sparse folk‑ambient pieces with the heavy, riff‑driven rock the band is known for, showcasing new vocal approaches and...
Combustible Material: Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Tinderbox at 40
Siouxsie and the Banshees released *Tinderbox* in 1986, an album they produced themselves after rejecting external producers. Though the band never embraced the goth label, the record’s dark, texturally rich sound reshaped the genre’s direction during a period of stagnation....
Graham Dunning – Quern
Graham Dunning’s new album *Quern* showcases his signature mechanical techno, built from turntables, electric motors and found objects. The record blends 90s techno, acid, dub and global‑south rhythms while embracing deliberate analog imperfections. Dunning’s PhD‑level research underpins the experimental sound‑art...
Naná Rizinni – Epiblast
Brazilian drummer‑producer Naná Rizinni is set to release her new album *Epiblast* through Bridge The Gap. The record, co‑produced with London saxophonist Mark Cake over two years, reflects her move from São Paulo to London, new parenthood, and the grief of...
Portraits of the Artist: Künstlerromane in an Age of Uncertainty
The piece surveys three recent novels—Anika Jade Levy’s Flat Earth, Brandon Taylor’s Minor Black Figures, and Stephanie Wambugu’s Lonely Crowds—as contemporary künstlerromane. It shows how these works transplant the 19th‑century self‑invention narrative into today’s precarious art market, foregrounding financial instability, identity politics, and the performative pressure of...
Kraftwerk Lose Long-Running Copyright Dispute
The European Court of Justice has ruled in favor of German producer Moses Pelham, finding his two‑second drum loop from Kraftkraft’s 1977 track “Metall auf Metall” lawful under the EU’s “pastiche” exception. The dispute, sparked by Pelham’s unlicensed sample in...
Djrum, Laurel Halo and More Remix Lyra Pramuk on New Release
Lyra Pramuk is set to release Hymnal (Resung), a six‑track remix EP arriving in June that reimagines songs from her 2025 album Hymnal. The project features contributions from electronic luminaries Djrum, Laurel Halo, John Tejada, and Verraco, among others. Pramuk...
Abigail Snail – Rad Berms
Abigail Snail’s debut album “Rad Berms” unites members of Reciprocate, Sly & The Family Drone, and veteran reed player James Allsopp in a spontaneous, genre‑defying jam. Tracks such as “Soul Berm” fuse avant‑rock, free‑jazz skronk and garage‑rock vocals while keeping...
Reissue of the Week: The Beastie Boys’ To The 5 Boroughs
The Beastie Boys’ 2004 album *To The 5 Boroughs* gets a 2026 deluxe box‑set, featuring a remastered three‑disc collection, rare B‑sides, and new artwork that nods to the city’s skyline. The original record, recorded entirely in New York after 9/11, topped...
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...
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...