A Radical Faith in Permanence
Walking as an idea machine, allergy as accent, democracy with strings, and a bunch of friendly recommendations — this can only mean another installment of Talk Of The Tonearm.
Ripple Effects — Chaz Underriner's Immersive Water Music
The experimental composer draws from the landscape of the American South to create a multimedia experience. His five-year project. 'Moving,' transforms environmental field recordings and modular compositions into hypnotic soundscapes that document our fragile waterways.
Focused Technology—The Deliberate Practice of Craig Mod
Discussing his latest work, 'Things Become Other Things,' the writer and photographer reveals how walking thousands of kilometers across Japan generates the mental space where his ideas develop.
This Cloud of Lights All Blinking
Look! Up in the sky! It's Tamiko Thiel, The Vernon Spring, and Sam Sadigursky joining hands for this week's jam-packed newsletter.
The Virtual Gardens of Tamiko Thiel
By blending her mechanical engineering background with her father's theories on spatial perception, digital artist Tamiko Thiel creates immersive digital environments that communicate emotional truths about displacement and ecological crisis.
Pop Goes the Sonic Bubble
This week's topics du jour: The Ramones at City Gardens, Ukrainian hair styles, the history of the Walkman, and jazz's history of resistance. Spicy recommendations, too!
Electric Dreams Made Real — Tamiko Thiel on the Connection Machine
Before touchscreens dominated our technological imaginations, there was a mysterious black cube with pulsing lights that became the physical manifestation of artificial intelligence—and Thiel realized its visual story.
How to Boogie Down to the Avant-Garde
Okay. We don't necessarily tell you how, but we'll point you in the right direction.
Wild Sonatas — Pianist Hunter Noack's Scenic Concert Hall
Drawing inspiration from Depression-era WPA outdoor concerts, Noack's "In a Landscape" series creates musical experiences where the natural world becomes part of the performance itself—a thousand-pound Steinway serving as both instrument and artistic statement among the great outdoors.
Tell Us Today — Steven Hall Remembers Arthur Russell
"The studio was like heaven for us." Decades after their collaboration, Steven Hall offers rare insights into Arthur Russell's creative process, his ban on vibrato, and their search for musical purity.
The Preparation Becomes Deliberate
Friendly ghosts, tone archaeology, the memories of musical instruments, and other grand topics join our usual round of heartfelt recommendations.
Noah Preminger and the Saxophone as a Vehicle for Life
The Boston-area tenor saxophonist refuses to let jazz orthodoxy dictate his artistic path. His latest album, 'Ballads,' reveals how moving through different musical territories deepens what happens within the song.