Embracing the Opposite of Desperation
Adrian Sherwood, vinyl LPs, spooky red curtains, and a calling to participate in the global current of creativity.
Needle Drops
This week's essential listening includes a military drummer's debut, a memory-seeking Scot, an Australian trumpeter's electronic-classical fusion, and a Belgian's Vietnamese audio travelogue. Each creates its own climate regardless of the calendar.
Rhythm and Echo — Adrian Sherwood and Style Scott's Dub Revolution
As Sherwood returns to Dub Syndicate's multitrack tapes a decade after Scott's tragic passing, he uncovers new artifacts within familiar terrain—the resurrected albums documenting how the partnership of two sonic architects continues to cut through space and time.
Be Generous With Your Expertise
The first edition of of our new email newsletter comes with a mission statement.
Six Strings to Software — The Reinvention of Greg Lisher
After decades as guitarist with Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom, Lisher embraced "the beginner's mind" through piano lessons and software manuals. His latest album 'Underwater Detection Method' documents this creative rebirth.
Needle Drops
From AI-inspired large ensembles to midnight Tokyo sessions, this week's electronic explorations chart new territories in sound, featuring fresh works by Jon Irabagon, Tim Hecker, Oksana Linde, and Benjamin Fulwood.
The Imagination Asks Questions — Inside Giacomo Pedicini's Hard Boiled
The Neapolitan bassist and composer discusses how volcanic landscapes, artistic heritage, and the conscious abandonment of structure shaped his daring latest album.
ETHEL's Dorothy Lawson — From Downtown Streets to Uptown Symphonies
The co-founder of string quartet ETHEL discusses Carnegie Hall, Ron Carter, and why classical music needs to shed its sacred robes and return to its role as cultural glue. Her journey through New York City's musical landscape mirrors the evolution of contemporary classical music itself.
Verse Into Music — Jamie Baum's Fluent Jazz
A conversation with the renowned flutist about her latest album, 'What Times Are These,' and the creative process of reimagining verses from Adrienne Rich, Tracy K. Smith, and others through contemporary jazz.
Needle Drops
A cosmic journey through the latest, most compelling underground releases reveals unexpected collaborations and sonic discoveries, including Wolf Eyes meeting Anthony Braxton and Animal Collective's Geologist transforming Instagram clips into experimental gold.
Cry for Revolution — The Transformative Pedal Steel of Susan Alcorn
From her roots in country music to her embrace of avant-garde experimentation, Susan Alcorn transformed the pedal steel guitar into a voice of revolution and possibility. Her passing leaves behind a legacy that changed how we think about the instrument's role in modern music.
A Whisper to a Scream — The Clarinet Languages of Anat Cohen
Born in Tel Aviv and shaped by Brazilian choro, Anat Cohen has turned the clarinet into an instrument of possibility. Whether leading her acclaimed Tentet or exploring intimate spaces with Quartetinho, she creates music where different cultures dance together in perfect time.