Crucial Listening

#190: Able Noise

ATTN:Magazine — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The CEO in cellophane, what the hands choose to do, turning to bone. The experimental duo discuss their important albums.

Able Noise's picks:

This Heat – Deceit
U.S. Maple – Talker
Cindy Lee – What's Tonight To Eternity
Palm – Nicks And Grazes

Head over to the Able Noise Bandcamp to find their full-length record High Tide, released on World Of Echo. They're also on Instagram and Linktree.

This is the last Crucial Listening for a little while, but I'll be back in 2026. Thank you so much for your support!

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#189: Maurice Louca

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

"Play more Beefheart", broken Elvis, a background to life. The composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Maurice's picks:

Captain Beefheart – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)
Annette Peacock – I'm The One
Umm Kulthum – Al Awela Fel Gharam

Maurice's new solo album is titled Barĩy (Fera) برٌِي and is released on Simsara Records. Check it out on Bandcamp. The new Dwarfs Of East Agouza album, titled Sasquatch Landslide, will be released in October on Constellation. Preview it here.

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#188 knifedoutofexistence

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Freaks are drawn to freaks, hauntological boombox, wobbly drum solos. Dean Lloyd Robinson discusses three important albums.

Dean's picks:

Cult Ritual – LP1
Oscillating Innards – Nadir Emergence
Songs: Ohia – The Ghost

The latest knifedoutofexistence EP is called Objects That Once Breathed. You can check that out on the knifed Bandcamp and buy it on BigCartel. Here's a Linktree with links to Dean's music, everything Outsider Art and more.

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#187: Zosha Warpeha + Mariel Terán

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000

The brittle and the velvet, instrument elevation, motific deconstruction, exhibiting the romantic. Collaborators Zosha Warpeha + Mariel Terán discuss their important albums.

Zosha's picks:
Georg Buljo + Nils Økland – Neve
Anne Hytta – Draumsyn

Mariel's picks:
Kaija Saariaho – Notes On Light, Orion, Mirage
Pedestrian Deposit – Dyer's Hands

Zosha and Mariel's new album, Orbweaver, is out now on Outside Time. Check it out here. Zosha's website is here, and you can find Mariel on Instagram and Soundcloud.

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#186: Lucia H Chung (en creux, Falling Cat Problem)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Scared-fish drones, a reckoning with low frequencies, damp cardboard noise wall, cinematic conjurings. The Taiwanese experimental artist discusses important noise/drone albums with host Jack Chuter.

Lucia's picks:
Emptyset – Medium
Pedestrian Deposit – Dyer's Hands

Jack's picks:
Aleksandra Słyż – A Vibrant Touch
unless – unless

Lucia and Jack play together in the band Falling Cat Problem. Their debut release "Inclination" was released on Hard Return. Lucia's latest solo record as en creux is circumference, released on Brachliegen Tapes. Lucia's website is here, and she's also on Bandcamp.

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#185: Qur'an Shaheed

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Bach in the club, big idea music, slow sensual states of being. The LA-based pianist and composer discusses three important albums.

Qur'an's picks:

Bach – Glenn Gould – The Goldberg Variations (both 1955 and 1981)
Esperanza Spalding – Emily’s D+Evolution
The Internet – Ego Death

Qur'an's new album is called Pulse, and it's out now on Leaving Records. Check it out on Bandcamp. Qur'an is also on Instagram.

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#184: Divide and Dissolve

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Low every night, channelling relaxation, meeting musical geniuses. Takiaya Reed discusses three important albums.

Takiaya's picks:

Low – HEY WHAT
Alina Baraz + Galimatias – Urban Flora
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food

The new Divide & Dissolve album is called Insatiable, and it's out now on Bella Union. Check it out here. The Divide And Dissolve website is here, and they're also on Instagram.

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#183: Hüma Utku

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Wine and cigarettes, heart and spirit, the cranky and the problematic. The sound artist and musician from Istanbul discusses three important albums.

Hüma's picks:

Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Piano Nights
Huun-Huur-Tu – Ancestors Call
Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

Hüma's latest album is titled Dracones, and it's out now on Editions Mego. Check it out here. Hüma's website is here.

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#182: Dustin Wong

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 31 May 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Shooting a shotgun at a water tower, textural amalgams on the Silk Road, kindness in music. The LA-based musician discusses three important albums.

Dustin's picks:

Motohiko Hamase – Reminiscence
Steve Shehan – Arrows
goo age – Open Zone

Dustin's recent pleasures:

Co La – Moody Coup
Lucy Liyou – Every Video Without Your Face, Every Sound Without Your Name

Dustin's new album, Gloria, is out now on Hausu Mountain. Check it out on Bandcamp. Dustin is on Instagram.

Here's that fabulous track-by-track run-through of Gloria on Flood Magazine.

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#181: Jako Maron

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 17 May 2025 06:00:00 +0000

The flesh and bone of synthesis, all the power in one drum, great songs with shit mixes. The Réunion island-based electronic maloya producer discusses three important albums.

Jako's picks:

Danyel Waro – Batarsité
Patrick Manent – Kozmann ker
EPROM – Halflife

Jako's new album is called Mahavélouz and it's out on Nyege Nyege Tapes. Check it out here. Jako's website is here and he's also on Instagram.

I'd also like to flag the fabulous interview with Jako by Navel Gazers, which was a helpful reference point while preparing for this interview. You can read that here.

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#180: Jeremy Young

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 03 May 2025 06:00:00 +0000

One-take to tape, eternal red-lining, escaping the concert hall. The Tiohtià:ke/Montréal-based maker of concrète electronic tape music discusses three important albums.

Jeremy's picks:

Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine
Baby Huey – The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
Luc Ferrari – Presque Rien

A record Jeremy's been recently enjoying:

iPhupho L'ka Biko – Azania

Jeremy has two new solo records: MASSES on We Here And Now, and Cablcar on Halocline Trance. His Bandcamp is here, and you can also find him on Cargo Collective.

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#179: Rich Loren Balling (Pyramids)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Tascam masterpieces, deadly post-show oil slick, the cult of personality. The member of black metal/shoegaze band Pyramids discusses three important albums.

Rich's picks:

Lifelover – Pulver
Elliott Smith – XO
Ink & Dagger – The Fine Art Of Original Sin

The new Pyramids album is called Pythagoras and it's out now on The Flenser. Check it out on Bandcamp. You can also find Pyramids on Instagram.

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#178: Left Hand Cuts Off The Right

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Methodical and playful, the Radigue over your shoulder, one riff played well. Sound artist and musician Robbie Judkins discusses three important albums.

Robbie's picks:

Black To Comm – Alphabet 1968
Èliane Radigue – Jetsun Mila
Lungfish – Artificial Horizon

Robbie's latest album, Every Movement, is out now on Brachliegen Tapes. Find Robbie on Cargo Collective, Bandcamp and Instagram.

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#177: T. Gowdy

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Sound through helium, medieval flute on a hill, puncturing the tension. The Berlin-based producer and musician discusses three important albums.

Tim's picks:

Second Woman – S/W
Kara-Lis Coverdale – A 480
The Hilliard Ensemble – Perotin

Tim's new album, Trill Scan, is out now on Constellation. You can also check it out on Tim's bandcamp. His website is here.

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#176: Nina Garcia

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Pieces of life, countryside backpack diffusions, noisy-distorted-no-wave-crazy-guitar. The Paris-based guitarist discusses three important albums.

Nina's picks:

Gastr Del Sol – Upgrade & Afterlife
Géométries – Nebuloasa
Officine – S/T (2E)

Nina's new album, Bye Bye Bird, is out now on Ideologic Organ. Check it out on Bandcamp. Nina is also on Instagram.

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#175: Liew Niyomkarn

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Elegant and effusive, timeless eternities, bulky sounds. The Brussels-based sound artist and composer discusses three important albums.

Liew's picks:

Susan Alcorn – Soledad
David Behrman – Leapday Night
Portishead – Third

Liew's latest album is titled In All Possible Places At Once, released on Chinabot. Check it out here. Liew's website is here.

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#174: Simon Grab + David Meier

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Hunting for errors, the lesson in Queens, massive dub sound systems, peripheral vibes. Simon Grab and David Meier discuss four important albums.

Simon's picks:
Dhangsha – Broadcast Signal Intrusion
DJ K – PANICO NO SUBMUNDO

David's picks:
Tyshawn Sorey – that / not
Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda

Simon and David's collaborative album is titled Porœs, and it's out now on -OUS. Check out out on Bandcamp. Here's Simon's website, and here's David's website.

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#173: Jack Chuter pt.2

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

3am Vegas haze, inappropriate wedding songs, coffee shop intensity vortex. The host of Crucial Listening discusses three important albums.

Jack's picks:

R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
Baby Dee – Love's Small Song
JUNKO / SACHIKO – Vasilisa The Beautiful

I'll be back with a guest next time. Thank you so much for all your support, I'm grateful!

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#172: Daniela Huerta

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Sound as living entity, eating your greens, divinity and dedication. The Berlin-based, Mexican multimedia artist and DJ discusses three important albums.

Daniela's picks:

Éliane Radigue – Trilogie de la Mort
Coil – Musick To Play In The Dark Vol 1 / Vol 2
Alice Coltrane – Eternity

Daniela Huerta's solo debut album, Soplo, is out now on Elevator Bath. Check it out here. Her website is here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#171: Félicia Atkinson

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Rothko croissants, records like old trees, cave-age slowcore. The French musician and artist discusses three important albums.

Félicia's picks:

Morton Feldman – Rothko Chapel | Why Patterns?
Robert Ashley – Private Parts
Low – I Could Live In Hope

Félicia's latest album, Space As An Instrument, is out now on Shelter Press. Check it out here. Her website is here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#170: AGF

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Socialist pop music, the control of the clock, the beautiful digital. The Hailuoto, Finland-based artist and poemproducer discusses three important albums.

Antye's picks:

Silly – Mont Klamott
BLACK QUANTUM FUTURISM – Waiting Time/Weighting/Wading Time: On Juneteenth, Watch Night, Freedom’s Eve, and Emancipation Day
Helena Gough – With What Remains

Here's a trove of links through which to explore AGF's work and more:

Curation: https://rec-on.org
Organum: https://hailuotoorganum.tumblr.com/
Music: https://agf-poemproducer.bandcamp.com
Works: https://antyegreie.com/
Locality: https://haiart.org/
Gigs: https://poemproducer.com/dates.php
Mstdn: https://systerserver.town/@poemproducer

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#169: Pat Thomas

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Mad standards, worst planet ever, fire in a pet shop. The improvising pianist discusses three important albums.

Pat's picks:

Ahmed Abdul-Malik – Nights On Saturn
The Music Improvisation Company – S/T
Sun Ra – The Magic City

Pat has a new solo electronics record out now on 577 Records, titled This Is Trick Step. Check that out here. Pat is also on Instagram, and his page on 557 Records is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#168: Miguel Prado (Nzʉmbe)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Clarity and self-indulgence, the end of history, awakening the ear. The philosopher and artist discusses three important albums.

Miguel's picks:

Nico – Nico's Last Concert "Fata Morgana"
Scott Walker – Tilt
Maryanne Amacher – Sound Characters (Making The Third Ear)

The new Nzʉmbe album, "Ardor or Entropy", is out now on Drowned By Locals. Check it out here. Miguel is on Instagram here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#167: Eugene S. Robinson (Buñuel, Oxbow)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Nothing but blancmange, beautiful death-adjacency, laughing through the discomfort. The vocalist of Buñuel and the late Oxbow discusses three important albums.

Eugene's picks:

Johnny Hartman – The Voice That Is!
Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin
Arthur Prysock – Compact Jazz

The new Buñuel album, Mansuetude, is out now on Overdrive/Skingraft. Check it out here. Eugene has a Substack, an Instagram and is on X. Buñuel's Instagram is here.

#166: Miki Yui

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Small music, the lazy way of listening, the motor of collaboration. The Tokyo-born, Düsseldorf-based musician discusses three important albums.

Miki's picks:

Rolf Julius – Music For A Distance
Eliane Radigue – Vice Versa, etc.
Jean-Yves Bosseur – Musique Vertes

Miki's new album, As If, is out now on Hallow Ground. Check it out on Bandcamp. Miki's website is here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#165: Gábor Lázár

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

No kick drum, three sounds and humour, the power of multidirectional expression. The Hungarian electronic producer discusses three important albums.

Gábor's picks:

Nicron – Transfer Completed (Youtube link)
Errorsmith – 2
AGF – Westernization Completed

Gábor's new album is called Reflex, and it's out now on Raster. Check it out on Bandcamp or over on the Raster site. Gábor's website is here and he's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#164: Wendy Eisenberg

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Perfect trumpet voice, music as prayer, Ben Monder's right hand. The improviser and songwriter discusses three important albums.

Wendy's picks:

Mary Lou Williams – Black Christ Of The Andes
Robert Wyatt – Old Rottenhat
Theo Bleckmann And Ben Monder – No Boat

Wendy's new album, Viewfinder, is out now on American Dreams. Check it out on Wendy's Bandcamp. They're also on Instagram and X, and their website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#163: Annie Aries

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Noisy artefact discovery, spilling soft toys at the parade, heartbroken AI minds. The Swiss-Philippine composer and musician discusses three important albums.

Annie's picks:

Eliane Radigue – Trilogie de la Mort
Charlemagne Palestine – Jamaica Heinekens In Brooklyn
Holly Herndon – PROTO

Annie's debut solo album, It's Not Quiet In The Void, is out now on Everest Records. Check it out on Bandcamp. Annie's website is here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#162: Carlos Giffoni

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

IBM 7090 hypnosis, black jeans on the beach, music for crying and driving. The Venezuelan experimental musician and writer discusses three important albums.

Carlos' picks:

Horacio Vaggione – La Maquina De Cantar
Pita – Get Out
Low – Double Negative

Carlos' new album, Dream Walker, is out now on Ideologic Organ. Check it out on the Ideologic website or on Bandcamp. Carlos is on Instagram, where you can also find his upcoming European tour dates (September - October 2024).

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#161: Mattin

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Isolation and electroacoustics, listening and openness, putting rock into the coffin. The artist, musician and theorist discusses three important albums.

Mattin's picks:

Roberta Settels – Isolation! Meinhof In Memoriam
AMM – The Crypt
Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu

Mattin's new album, Expanding Concert (Lisboa 2019-2023), is out now. Check it out here. Mattin's website is here and he's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#160: Brian Cook (Sumac, Russian Circles, Botch)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Proto-disco black hole disintegration, leaving in the flubs, "Shake Your Hips" at number 3. The American bassist discusses three important albums.

Brian's picks:

Can – Soon Over Babaluma
His Hero Is Gone – Fifteen Counts Of Arson
The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main St.

The new Sumac album is called The Healer, and it's out now on Thrill Jockey. Check it out here or on Bandcamp. Find Brian on X and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#159: Tashi Wada

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Life partner collaborations, Alice Coltrane signature bends, nomadic explorations in tuning. The Los Angeles-based musician discusses three important albums.

Tashi's picks:

Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show – Revenge: The Bigger The Love The Greater The Hate
Alice Coltrane – Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972
Laurie Spiegel – Obsolete Systems

Tashi's new album, What Is Not Strange?, is out now on RVNG Intl. Check it out here. Tashi is also on Instagram and X.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#158: Jennifer Walshe

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Making work out of bones, Bach in intergalactic excess, pre-admin ABC karaoke. The composer and improviser discusses three important albums.

Jennifer's picks:

Meredith Monk – Our Lady Of Late
Voyager – The Golden Record
ABC – The Lexicon Of Love

Jennifer's collaboration with Tony Conrad, In The Merry Month Of May, is out now on Drag City affiliate label Blue Chopsticks. Check it out on Bandcamp. Jennifer's website is here and she's on X as @JenniferWalshe.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#157: Nicole Rampersaud

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Fountains of ideas, mind blown in Rap City, candy wrapper responses. The New Brunswick-based trumpet player, improviser and composer discusses three important albums.

Nicole's picks:

Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil
A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory
Steve Lacy – Snips: Live at Environ

Nicole's album Saudade is out on Ansible Editions. Check it out on Bandcamp. Find all of Nicole's other links (socials, website) right here.

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#156: Michelle Moeller

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Dizzy rhythms, slippery transitions, sincerity and playfulness. The Oakland-based composer and performer discusses three important albums.

Michelle's picks:

Zeena Parkins – Zeena Parkins and The Adorables
Duke Ellington – The Best Of Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra
Caetano Veloso – Transa

Michelle's new record, Late Morning, is out now on AKP Recordings. Check it out on Bandcamp. Her website is here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#155: Adam Wiltzie

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 18 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Obstetric ambient, sullen atmospheres, episodic engulfment. The classical ambient composer discusses three important albums.

Adam's picks:

Environments (Irv Teibel) – Environments 2
Talk Talk – Spirit Of Eden
Main – Hz

Adam's new album, Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal, is out now on Kranky. Check it out on his Bandcamp. Adam's website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#154: Kenneth Kirschner

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 04 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Train breakdown Feldman epiphanies, radical flatness in the primeval forest, the Gary Numan barracks theft. The New York-based composer discusses three important albums.

Kenneth's picks:

Gary Numan – The Pleasure Principle
Morton Feldman (Kronos Quartet with Aki Takahashi) – Piano And String Quartet
Glenn Gould – Bach: The Goldberg Variations (1955)

Kenneth's new album, Three Cellos, is the first instalment in Greyfade's FOLIO series: a hardcover book and a high resolution download. Check it out here or over on Bandcamp. Kenneth's website is over here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#153: Madeleine Cocolas

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Aggressive pianos, bursting arpeggios, music for the cool kids. The Australian composer and producer discusses three important albums.

Madeleine's picks:

Philip Glass – Glassworks
Dirty Three – Whatever You Love, You Are
Tim Hecker – Virgins

Madeleine's new album, Bodies, is out now on Room40. Check it out on her Bandcamp. Her website is here and she's also Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#152: Black Brunswicker

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Black metal for midwest drives, post-apocalyptic collage, ragas for John. The Manchester, UK-based ambient folk artist discusses three important albums.

Ethan's picks:

Wolves In The Throne Room – Two Hunters
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – F# A# ∞
Pelt – Ayahuasca

The new Black Brunswicker EP, A Moment Of Clarity, is out April 26th on Nettwerk. You can hear several tracks over on the Black Brunswicker bandcamp, and also see a couple of official videos over on Youtube. Ethan is also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#151: Sara Bigdeli Shamloo (9T Antiope)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Cathartic tragedies, dog-eating opera, guitar improviser spirit animals. The vocalist, lyricist and composer from 9T Antiope discusses three important albums.

Sara and Nima's picks:

Scott Walker & Sunn O))) – Soused
Ben Frost – The Wasp Factory
Sidsel Endresen & Stian Westerhus – Bonita

The new 9T Antiope album, Horror Vacui, is out 12th April on American Dreams. Check it out here. 9T Antiope is on Twitter. Sara is on Twitter and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#150: Dis Fig

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Voice drips like milk, rays of soprano sunlight, filthy metal bass face. Producer, vocalist and DJ Felicia Chen discusses three important albums.

Felicia's picks:

Arvo Pärt – Te Deum
Portishead – Dummy
Goth-Trad – Psionics

The collaborative record between Dis Fig and The Body is out now via Thrill Jockey. Check it out here. Dis Fig is on Instagram and Soundcloud.

The Body and Dis Fig will debut the collaboration at this year's Supersonic Festival in Birmingham UK, which runs 30th August – 1st September. More info here.

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#149: Mark Sanders

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Driving in fury, letting the endings be real, slow and lonely. The free improvisation percussionist discusses three important albums.

Mark's picks:

Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell – Old And New Dreams (1979)
Evan Parker – Monoceros
Rebecca Saunders – Fury II

As always, Mark has a bunch of upcoming live dates. These include Evan Parker's 80th birthday residency at Cafe Oto, for which Mark has prepared a four-part percussion group. Mark's website is here.

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#148: Rosa Anschütz

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Caught by howling, three people at the 2pm concert, vivid colour changes. The Berlin-based singer and artist discusses three important albums.

Rosa's picks:

Julia Shortreed – Violet Sun
Low – Double Negative
Tear Garden – To Be An Angel Blind, The Cripple Soul Divide

Rosa's new album Interior is out 23rd February on KLANGBAD. Check out her music on Bandcamp. Rosa's website is here. She's also on Instagram.

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#147: francisco lópez

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Post-apocalyptic industrial environments, pseudo-music, twisted proto-typicalities. The sound artist and experimental musician discusses three important albums.

Francisco's picks:

David Lynch + Alan Splet – Eraserhead (OST)
Mnemonists – Horde
Meshuggah – Chaosphere

Francisco's work is available on Bandcamp, including the recent Conveyor Belts [USA]. His website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#146: Dhangsha

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The dirt aesthetic, non-relinquishable frequencies, opening up that filter. The London-based sound artist and "mutant dancehall" practitioner discusses three important albums.

Aniruddha's picks:

Miles Davies – Dark Magus
Robert Hood – Minimal Nation
Hallucinator – Landlocked

Check out Dhangsha's music on Bandcamp here. His Hard Return EP "Aberrant" is over here. Dhangsha plays London's Cafe Oto on 24th January, and Electric Spring festival in Huddersfield on 17th February.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#145: hyacinth.

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Slowing everything down, emotionally devastating lines, the snare on Faucet. The Portland-based producer discusses three important albums.

hyacinth.'s picks:

DJ Screw – Bigtyme Vol II All Screwed Up
Earl Sweatshirt – I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
MIKE – War In My Pen

Check out hyacinth.'s music over on the peradam tapes. label. They're on Twitter – @hyacinthindecay.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#144: Fortresses

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Mellow ingenuity, drowned in reverb, London at its most gloomy and miserable. London-based multidisciplinary artist Sam Ashton discusses three important albums.

Sam's picks:

Explosions In The Sky – The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
Grouper – Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
Burial – S/T

You can check out Sam's music over at the Fortresses Bandcamp or over at Dragon's Eye Recordings. He's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#143: Jessica Pavone

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Weird symphony, no crazy vibrato, Terry Riley on the discman. The violist and composer discusses three important albums.

Jessica's picks:

Beethoven - André Cluytens, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Symphony No. 9
John Cage, Arditti String Quartet – String Quartet In Four Parts
Terry Riley – You're Nogood

Jessica's new album Clamor is out now via Out Of Your Head Records. Her website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#142: Dorian Wood

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

High-altitude Bryars, trash on the walls, desperate shamans. The Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Dorian's picks:

Gavin Bryars – The Sinking Of The Titanic / Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Nearly God – S/T
George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

Dorian's new album, Excesiva, is out now on Dragon's Eye Recordings. Check it out on Bandcamp. Dorian's website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#141: aircode

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Emotional rollercoasters, impossible Neo Tokyo, perfect snares. The London-based Swedish producer/sound designer discusses three important albums.

Julia's picks:

Esbjörn Svensson Trio – Leucocyte
Akira Yamaoka – Silent Hill 2 OST
Pinecone Moonshine (label) – [PCMS 2020.1] Vector Space

The new aircode album, titled Surface Tension, is out now via Gin&Platonic. Check it out on Bandcamp. Aircode is on Bandcamp and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#140: Lucie Vítková

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Architectural sound, understandings of freedom, and how do we end? The composer, improviser and performer discusses three important albums.

Lucie's picks:

Iannis Xenakis – La Légende d'Eer
Pauline Oliveros – The Tuning Meditation
Christian Wolff – Changing The System

Lucie's recent solo album, Cave Acoustics, is out now via the labels mappa and Skupina. Lucie's website is here. Follow them on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#139: Ava Rasti

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Light in the ocean depths, doors to other worlds, respiratory cycling. The Tehran-based composer discusses three important albums.

Ava's picks:

William Basinski – Watermusic
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Harold Budd / Akira Rabelais – As Long As I Can Hold My Breath (By Night)

Ava's new album Ginestra is out now on Flaming Pines. Check it out here. She's also on Instagram and X.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#138: Hyunhye Seo

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

(Almost) falling into the water, post-dumb-house-party-bike-rides, wildness and mastery. The musician and member of Xiu Xiu discusses three important albums.

Hyunhye's picks:

Chris Watson – El Tren Fantasma
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
Cecil Taylor – Solo (1973)

Hyunhye's new album, Eel, is out now on Room40. Check out her website and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#137: Babe, Terror

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The science of baffling unpredictability, nuclear plants leaking beauty, the moments before the apocalypse. The São Paulo-based artist discusses three important albums.

Claudio's picks:

KRAAN – Flyday
Hatfield And The North – The Rotters' Club
Guruh Gipsy – Guruh Gipsy

The new Babe, Terror album is titled Teghnojoyg and it's out now. Check it out on the Babe, Terror Bandcamp. Head over to the Babe, Terror Youtube to see videos for each track on the new record. Check out the Babe, Terror Tumblr and also the Patreon.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#136: Arnold Dreyblatt

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Digging in near the bridge, one old woman, acting like the Rolling Stones. The American media artist and composer discusses three important albums.

Arnold's picks:

Tony Conrad With Faust – Outside The Dream Syndicate
Sacred Guitar and Violin Music of the Modern Aztecs (Smithsonian Folkways)
Robert Ashley – Automatic Writing

The new album by Arnold Dreyblatt & The Orchestra of Excited Strings, titled Resolve, is out now on Drag City. Check it out here. Here's Arnold's website and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#135: Taylor Deupree

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Music for sleep, radical electronics, biospheric amorphous spaces. The sound artist and 12k label founder discusses three important albums.

Taylor's picks:

Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon
Ryoji Ikeda – +/-
Microstoria – Model 3, Step 2

Taylor's new EP, Eev, is out August 18th via Nettwerk. Preorder and preview it on Taylor's Bandcamp. Taylor is also on Instagram and X.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#134: Joni Void

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The joy of UK pirate radio, intoxicating production, Streets Of Rage DJ set. Montréal-based French-British producer Jean Néant discusses three important albums.

Jean's picks:

Death Is Not The End – The Letter Tape Series / Bristol Pirates
Yuka Honda – Memories Are My Only Witness / Eucademix
Yuzo Koshiro – Bare Knuckle II OST / Bare Knuckle I OST

The new Joni Void album, Everyday Is The Song, is out now on Constellation. Check it out here. Joni Void is on Instagram and Twitter.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#133: Bana Haffar

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Phytoplankton microsound, sketched-out dead ends, perfect warbles. The North Carolina-based electronic music producer discusses three important albums.

Bana's picks:

Jana Winderen – The Wanderer
Autechre – Amber
Boards Of Canada – Tomorrow's Harvest

Bana Haffar's new album, intimaa' إنتماء, is out now on Touch. You can also listen/buy via Bana's bandcamp here. Bana's website is actually a Google sheet, and you check that out here. She's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#132: Sabiwa

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Sunday puppet show routine, childhood anime memories, Brazilian cutlery jams. The electronic producer and performer from Taiwan discusses three important albums.

Sabiwa's picks:

Pili Puppet Drama – Soundtrack / Sound Design
Joe Hisaishi – Princess Mononoke OST
Hermeto Pascoal – Zabumbê-bum-á

Sabiwa's new album, Island no.16 – Memories Of Future Landscapes, is out now on Phantom Limb. Sabiwa is on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#131: Eluvium

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 06:46:56 +0000

Scared of the wolf, emotionally-resonant Eno, the 90s Louisville scene. Modern composer Matthew Cooper (aka Eluvium) discusses three important albums.

Matthew's picks:

Prokofiev (New Philharmonia Orchestra) – Peter And The Wolf (narrated by Richard Baker)
Eno – Another Green World / Brian Eno – Discreet Music
Rachel's – Music For Egon Schiele / Rachel's – The Sea And The Bells

The new Eluvium album, (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality, is available now. Eluvium also has a website and a Bandcamp. Matthew is on Instagram and Twitter.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#130: Rachel Lyn

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Oxfam treasures, panic-stricken falling, wordless stories. The multidisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Rachel's picks:

The Art Of Noise – In Visible Silence
Delia Derbyshire + Barry Bermange – Inventions For Radio No. 1: The Dreams
Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe

Rachel's new album, Stories Came to Us, is out now via My Own Imaginary World. Check it out here. Rachel is also on Instagram as @rachellynmademedoit.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#129: Mira Martin-Gray

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 20 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Very inviting thumbs, vanilla apologists, Monk's comeback. The Toronto-based experimental musician discusses three important albums.

Mira's picks:

Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane – At Carnegie Hall
Owen Pallett (released as Final Fantasy) – Has A Good Home
Koboku Senjû – Selektiv Hogst

Mira's new album, Hen's Teeth, is out now on Rat-drifting. It's also on Mira's bandcamp. Her website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#128: Liturgy

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 06 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

In love with a vampire, psychedelic songform subversion, composer visitations. Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix discusses three important albums.

Haela's picks:

pageninetynine – Document #8
Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom
Alice Coltrane – Lord Of Lords

Liturgy's new album, 93696, is out now on Thrill Jockey. Check it out on Bandcamp here. Liturgy is on Instagram and Twitter.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#127: Ibukun Sunday

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 22 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Sleepless Lagos, echoes of heaven, beastly synths. The sound artist and violist discusses three important albums.

Ibukun's picks:

Black Brunswicker – Wilder Paths
Ryan J Raffa – Ginkgo
KMRU – as it still is

Ibukun's new album Mantra is out via Phantom Limb's "Spirituals" imprint – check it out here. Head over to Ibukun's personal Bandcamp for more. He's also on Instagram and Twitter.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#126: Fire-Toolz

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Beauty in djent-adjacency, solo-Jeep-screamo-touring, "bad guy" music. The multi-genre multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Angel's picks:

The Contortionist – Language
Suis La Lune – Heir
Rush – Hold Your Fire

The new Fire-Toolz album, I am upset because I see something that is not there., is out now on Hausu Mountain. Check it out on Bandcamp. Fire-Toolz had a website and is also on Instagram and Twitter. Oh, and check this out – a video for "Above All Else I Want To See" by the guest of last episode, Babak Ahteshamipour.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#125: Babak Ahteshamipour

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Fishing the sound, math rock imposter syndrome, maximalist gratitude. The Athens-based sound and visual artist discusses three important albums.

Babak's picks:

Black Midi – Schlagenheim
Ryuichi Sakamoto – async
Machine Girl – U-Void Synthesizer

Babak's latest album, Mind Flaying Flavored Flails, is out now on Jollies. Check it out here. Go explore the accompanying virtual exhibition over on New Art City. Babak has a website and is on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#124: Kalia Vandever

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Nostalgia rushes, unhurried solo guitar, Pharoah jumps in. The American trombonist and composer discusses three important albums.

Kalia's picks:

Grouper – Dragging A Dead Deer
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Contemporary Orchestra – Promises
Jeff Parker – Forfolks

Kalia Vandever's new album, We Fell In Turn, is out 31st March on AKP Recordings. Kalia has a website here and is on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#123: Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Uncomfortable DJ sets, sacred ratio songs, the "best band in the UK right now". The primary member of The Brian Jonestown Massacre discusses three important albums.

Anton's picks:

The 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators
Alice Coltrane – Turiya Sings
The Soundcarriers – Entropicalia

The latest (and 20th!) BJM album, The Future Is Your Past, is out now. Their website is here. Follow Anton on Instagram and Twitter.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#122: Sham-e-Ali Nayeem

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Communal grief, tapes from the Halal Meat Shop, time-space departures. The Hyderabadi Muslim American poet, musician, interdisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Sham-e-Ali's picks:

Alice Coltrane – A Monastic Trio
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Live At The Royal Albert Hall
vhvl – myrrh

Sham-e-Ali's new album, Moti Ka Sheher, is out now. Check it out here. She's got a website and is on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#121: Colin Stetson

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Ruinous beauty, hauling a bass sax up the stairs, Hendrix's face, worlds of breath. The saxophonist and composer discusses his important albums.

Colin's picks:

Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys
Peter Brötzmann / Bill Laswell – Low Life
Enya – Shepherd Moons
Sam Cooke – Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963

Colin's new album Chimæra I is out now via ROOM40. You can also grab it on Colin's Bandcamp. Colin's website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#120: Xhosa Cole

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 14 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Intuitive resonance, cataclysmic dualities, bandleader grace. The UK-based saxophonist discusses three important albums.

Xhosa's picks:

Sonny Rollins – With The Modern Jazz Quartet
Shirley Horn Trio – Softly
Balimaya Project – Wolo So

Xhosa's latest album, Ibeji, is out now on Stoney Lane Records. Listen here. His website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#119: Yara Asmar

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Heart wrung like a towel, Skullcandy bass, the magic of music boxes. The Beirut-based multi-instrumentalist, video artist and puppeteer discusses three important albums.

Yara's picks:

Aphex Twin – Drukqs
Colleen – Et Les Boîtes À Musique
Daniel Johnston – Hi, How Are You

Yara's debut album, Home Recordings 2018 - 2021, is out now via Hive Mind Records – check it out here. She's on Instagram – @microwave.blues.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#118: More Eaze

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 17 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Visions of hell/paradise, two G's in eggs, bizarre lemonade. The composer/multi-instrumentalist from Austin, Texas discusses three important albums.

Mari's picks:

Jim O'Rourke – Eureka
Robert Ashley – Private Parts
SOPHIE – Product

The fabulous Strawberry Season by More Eaze is out now via Leaving Records. Check it out on Bandcamp or Boomkat. Mari is on Instagram and Twitter.

#117: Phillip Golub

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Vocal imitation games, aural cocktails, jazz-adjacent ingenuity. The New York-based composer and pianist discusses three important albums.

Phillip's picks:

Ensemble Organum & Marcel Peres – Guillaume de Machaut: Messe de Notre-Dame
Ran Blake – Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake Volume 1
The Claudia Quintet – I, Claudia

Phillip's debut solo album, Filters, is out now via Greyfade. His website is here and he's on Instagram @phillipgolub.

#116: Julian Sartorius + Feldermelder

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Too-short tracks, dying melodies, birds mimicking electronics, the highest organ note. The musicians and collaborators discuss their important albums.

Julian's picks:

J Dilla – Donuts
Jean C. Roché – Birds Of Venezuela

Feldermelder's picks:

Autechre – LP5
Pedro Santos – Krishnanda

Bonn Route is out now via -OUS. Check it out here. Also worth checking are Feldermelder's new solo album, Euphoric Attempts, and Julian Sartorius' recent record Mux.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#115: Elif Yalvaç

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Tim Hecker beneath the aurora borealis, nerdy icebreakers, blurs and beats. The Turkey-born, UK-based composer and guitarist discusses three important albums.

Elif's picks:

Tim Hecker – Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again
Tangerine Dream – Rubycon
Bowery Electric – Beat

Elif's new album, Green Drift, is out now on Expert Sleepers. Her website is over here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#114: Hatis Noit

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Harnessing ugliness, memories of Okinawa, Pärt in the snow. The Japanese vocal performer discusses three important albums.

Hatis' picks:

Meredith Monk – Mercy
Yasukatsu Oshima with Geoffrey Keezer – S/T
Arvo Pärt – Tabula Rasa

Hatis Noit's new album, Aura, is out now on Erased Tapes. Check it out on Bandcamp or on the Erased Tapes site.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#113: Greg Anderson (The Lord, Sunn O))), Goatsnake)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Hours of jazz in the city, matching Spiderland tattoos, vertiginous rabbit holes. The guitarist and label curator discusses three important albums.

Greg's picks:

Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
Slint – Spiderland
Bernard Herrmann – Vertigo OST

Head over to The Lord Bandcamp to hear/buy the first album Forest Nocturne, and to preview/preorder the upcoming record Devotional with Petra Haden. Both are released on Southern Lord.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#112: Ami Dang

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Sad tween car journeys, dismantled pop, pioneers of Baltimore Club. The South Asian-American vocalist, sitarist, composer and producer discusses three important albums.

Ami's picks:

Sardari Begum – OST
Portishead – Third
K-Swift – Club Queen Vol. 3

Ami's new album, The Living World's Demands, is out on November 4th via Phantom Limb and Leaving Records. Preview/pre-order on Bandcamp. Follow Ami on Instagram and check out her website.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#111: Laurie Tompkins

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Brazen electronic keys, odes to the rig, ripping everything out. The UK composer and performer discusses three important albums.

Laurie's picks:

"Blue" Gene Tyranny – Out Of The Blue
Improved Sound Limited – Road Trax
Mica Levi – Blue Alibi

Laurie released three new albums this Spring: Years Went By with Eliza McCarthy via Entr'acte, Fatty via 33-33 and Sharp Love Slow Faint on Hyperdelia. They're all on Laurie's Bandcamp too. His Instagram is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#110: Rocio Zavala

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Raga of the spine, stretched like honey dripping, body-recalibration drones. The Mexico-born, Chicago-based visual and sound artist discusses three important albums.

Rocio's picks:

Weyes Bluhd – Strange Chalices Of Seeing
Carl Stone – Mom's
David First – Privacy Issues (droneworks 1996 – 2009)

Rocio's debut album, Invisible Miracles, is out now on Monastral. Check it out over here. Rocio has a website and is also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#109: Jenny Berger Myhre

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Haunting organs, sitting inside tape loops, endless questions. The Oslo-based multidisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Jenny's picks:

Henning Christiansen – Op. 50 Requiem Of Art (Aus "Celtic") Fluxorum Organum II
Robert Ashley – Private Parts
Lost Girls – Menneskekollektivet

Jenny's new album, Here Is Always Somewhere Else, is out now via Breton Cassette. Check it out on Bandcamp. Jenny's website is here, and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#108: Chloe Alexandra Thompson

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Feedback as praxis, weird fragments, the first true drone show. The Cree, Canadian, interdisciplinary artist and sound designer discusses three important albums.

Chloe's picks:

Les Rallizes Denudes – Mizutani
Coil – Backwards (Demos)
Phill Niblock – Music

Chloe's new album, They Can Never Burn The Stars, is out now on SIGE. Follow her on Instagram here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#107: Cremation Lily

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Black metal vs Aphex Twin, sad tape loops, the best screamo of all time. The UK-based artist and multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Zen's picks:

The Appleseed Cast – Low Level Owl, Vol. 1
Welcome The Plague Year – S/T
Everyday Loneliness – Appropriation

Cremation Lily's new album, Dreams Drenched In Static, is out now on The Flenser. Check it out here. Follow Cremation Lily on Twitter and Instagram. Their Linktree is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#106: MC Dälek

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Earth-shifting philosophies, wordless shoegaze treasures, cinematic heartache. The MC and producer discusses three important albums.

Will's picks:

Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded / By All Means Necessary
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – Turning Into Small
Tom Petty – Wildflowers

Check out Dälek's new album, Precipice, over on Bandcamp (along with all their other incredible records). Follow Dälek on Facebook and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#105: Avola

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Septic-tank-prog roadtrips, poop jokes written backwards, a literal anvil. The Oregon-based composer, multimedia artist, instructor and champion of friendship discusses three important albums.

Vern's picks:

Yes – Fragile
Pamelia Kurstin – Thinking Out Loud
Harvey Milk – My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment Of What My Love Could Be

Go have your mind whirled by Vern's website. The Avola bandcamp is here, and the Instagram is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#104: Maria Moles

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 06:00:00 +0000

A weaving of voices, moments of pure connection, sibling influences. The Narrm/Melbourne-based drummer and composer discusses three important albums.

Maria's picks:

The Necks – Open
Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda
Tyondai Braxton – HIVE1

Maria's new album For Leolanda is out now on ROOM40. Check it out here, along with her other works. Maria's website is over here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#103: Hinako Omori

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 21 May 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Myspace discoveries, kaleidoscopic sonics, the beam shining through. The Yokohama-born, London-based producer discusses three important albums.

Hinako's picks:

The Knife – Silent Shout
Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms
Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Keyboard Fantasies

Hinako Omori's new album, a journey... is out now on Houndstooth. Check it out on Bandcamp. Hinako's website is here, and her Instagram is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#102: Biliana Voutchkova

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 07 May 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Reaching beyond our world, the thing in all its magnificence, the butterfly on your hand. The violinist, composer, improviser and interdisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Biliana's picks:

Sofia Gubaidulina – Offertorium
Frances-Marie Uitti – Utopian Spaces
Rhodri Davies, David Sylvian, Mark Wastell – There Is No Love

Read about Biliana’s DUOS series here, and check out the releases on her Bandcamp – including the most recent instalment with Leila Bordreuil. She's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

Relevant to this episode is this documentation of Uitti and Voutchkova performing at DARA String Festival in 2020.

#101: Stefano Pilia

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Divine possession, accessing a communal psyche, opening quantum windows. The guitar player and electroacoustic composer discusses three important albums.

Stefano's picks:

Franco Battiato – La voce del Padrone
Loren Connors – Sails
Bernard Parmegiani – De Natura Sonorum

Stefano's new album is out now on Die Schachtel, complete with some seriously gorgeous artwork. Get the vinyl/CD here, or digital via Stefano's own Bandcamp.

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#100: Yiorgis Sakellariou

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Mum meets the Beatles, live environment failures, waves of transformative energy. The composer of experimental and electroacoustic music discusses three important albums.

Yiorgis' picks:

The Beatles – 20 Greatest Hits
Iannis Xenakis – La Légende d'Eer
Swans – The Glowing Man

Yiorgis' latest album, Fons et Origo, is out now via miclithuania. Check it out here. His website is over here.

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#99: OHYUNG

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Stretched instruments, drudging through the mud, Kanye on the space highway. The Brooklyn-based Asian American musician and composer discusses three important albums.

OHYUNG's picks:

Mica Levi – Under The Skin OST
Dean Blunt – Black Metal
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

imagine naked! is out 22nd April on NNA Tapes. Check it out on the OHYUNG Bandcamp.

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#98: Eric Chenaux

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Sulphur and molasses, museums and ice cream, reverence for the beautiful. The avant garde ballard-purveyor discusses three important albums.

Eric's picks:

Betty Carter – Inside Betty Carter
Richard Dawson – The Glass Trunk
Martin Arnold – 'Stain Ballads'

Eric's new album, Say Laura, is out now via Constellation and Murailles Music. Check it out on Bandcamp. Eric's label with Martin Arnold, Rat Drifting, is on Bandcamp too.

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#97: Obay Alsharani

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Wombic alien mechanics, circuit-bent FIFA, worldbuilding soundtrack serendipity. The Syrian-born, Sweden-based artist discusses three important albums.

Obay's picks:

Boards Of Canada – Music Has The Right To Children
C418 – Minecraft: Volume Alpha / Volume Beta
Celer – Discourses Of The Withered

Check out Obay's splendid record Sandbox right here. He's also on Instagram and Facebook.

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#96: Jack's Important Albums

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Gargling fire, empty samplers, ruined picture discs. Crucial Listening host Jack Chuter shares his three important albums.

Jack's picks:
Meshuggah – Nothing (2002 version)
Jesu – S/T
Sachiko M – Bar Sachiko

Many thanks for allowing me this bout of self-indulgent podcast host catharsis.

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#95: Victoria Shen (evicshen)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Totality in music, lyrical homicide, destroyed Barbie dolls. The experimental music performer and instrument-maker discusses three important albums.

Ramsey Lewis – Mother Nature's Son
T. Rex – Electric Warrior
Violent Onsen Geisha – Excrete Music

evicshen tours the US with Machine Girl in February 2022 – check out the dates here. She'll also be playing to mark the end of here Audium residency in San Francisco – details here. Check out her Linktree and Bandcamp.

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#94: Martin J Thompson

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 15 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

VHS basslines, definitive ambient, record shopping in Woolworths. The London-based musician and anarchist discusses three important albums.

Martin's picks:

LFO – Frequencies
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Pete Namlook – The Definitive Ambient Collection Vol. 1

Head over to sm-ll.com and partner label Tapes For Mates. For mastering/support for the electronic music community, check out causeandcondition.com.

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#93: Yan Jun

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Everybody against everybody, the left hand of the Qin master, tin can Beatles. The Beijing-based musician and poet talks about three important albums.

Yan Jun's picks:

Ævangelist – Enthrall To The Void Of Bliss
Various – Sound Spaces: 9 Sound Installations
The Qin Repertoire Of LIU Shao-Chun

Check out the websites for Yan Jun's own work and Sub Jam. Both are on Bandcamp too (Yan Jun, Sub Jam). We talked about the work twice, produced in collaboration with Zhu Wenbo, which you can check out here.

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#92: Olivia Block

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 18 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Liturgical lullaby, canine concrète, a chess game that never ends. The Chicago-based media artist and composer talks about three important albums.

Olivia's picks:

Alèmu Aga – Éthiopiques 11: The Harp Of King David
Beatriz Ferreyra – Huellas Entreveradas
Morton Feldman – For Samuel Beckett

Honourable mention: Kim Jung Mi – Now

Olivia also mentioned another record in the Éthiopiques series: Piano Solo by Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou.

Olivia's new album, Innocent Passage In The Territorial Sea, is out now on Room40. Check it out on Bandcamp here. Her website is here.

PLUS: Head over to ATTN for a premiere of the video for "Laika", directed by Deborah Stratman.

Crucial Listening is taking donations on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#91: Emma Ruth Rundle

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Spontaneous trips to Genoa, bloop speakers, big Tori energy. The LA-based musician and visual artist discusses three important albums.

Emma's picks:

Sibylle Baier – Colour Green
Shape Of Despair – Monotony Fields
Tori Amos – Boys For Pele

Emma's new album Engine Of Hell is out now via Sargent House. Head over to her site for three beautiful music videos, merch and links to buy the record. It's on Bandcamp too.

Crucial Listening is taking donations on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#90: Byron Westbrook

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Perceptual geographies, Dylan's near misses, Coltrane's unresolved places. The LA-based artist and composer discusses three important albums.

Byron's picks:

Maryanne Amacher – Sound Characters (Making The Third Ear)
Bob Dylan – Planet Waves
John Coltrane – Sun Ship

Byron's fabulous new record, Mirror Views, is out now via Ash International. His website is here, and he's on Twitter as @byronwestbrook.

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#89: BACKXWASH

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Weird industrial synths, rapping over alarm clocks, Kubrick with 2 bricks. The Zambian-Canadian rapper and producer discusses three important albums.

Ashanti's picks:

Janet Jackson – The Velvet Rope
Death Grips – The Money Store
Danny Brown – The Atrocity Exhibition

Check out the BACKXWASH website here. She's also on Twitter and Bandcamp.

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#88: Raven Chacon

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Ever-heavier tape trades, music for twenty radio stations, new urgencies. The composer, artist and improviser discusses three important albums.

Raven's picks:

Mr Bungle – Disco Volante
José Maceda – Ugnayan
Moor Mother – Fetish Bones

The latest record by Endlings – Raven's band with John Dieterich – is out now on Whited Sepulchre. Head over to Raven's website for more on his current and past projects. Be sure to check out Radio Coyote too, which Raven initiated along with the CCA Wattis Institute.

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#87: Cecilia Lopez

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 06:00:00 +0000

More mayonnaise, electrified tango, unapologetic folk. The musician, composer and multimedia artist discusses three important albums.

Cecilia's picks:

Charly Garcia – Clics Modernos
Violeta Parra – Composiciones Para Guitarra
Eduardo Rovira – Sonico

The audio documentation of RED(DB) is out now via Relative Pitch Records. Head over to Cecilia's website for the score and performance video too. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

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#86: Domingæ (Föllakzoid)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Record warehouse paradise, lullabies finished in hell, destroying synchronicity. The musician and filmmaker discusses three important albums.

Domingæ's picks:

Jackson C. Frank – Blues Run The Game
Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
Ryuichi Sakamoto – async

Domingæ's new album Æ is out now via Sacred Bones. Her Linktree is here and you follow her on Instagram here. Donate to her Transition and Survival Fund over at Gofundme.

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#85: Nyokabi Kariũki

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Lost souls in a fishbowl, lushness and harmony, sanza psychedelia. The Kenyan composer and performer discusses three important albums.

Nyokabi's picks:

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Kelsey Lu – Blood
Francis Bebey – Psychedelic Sanza 1982-1984

Nyokabi's new single, Galu, is out now via SA Recordings. It's part of a forthcoming EP project called peace places: kenyan memories, also due on SA. Her website is here and here Instagram is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#84: Robert Curgenven

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Cannonball of musicians being shot at a staircase, flying across the top of the mosh, sunlight in the white room. The Ireland-based, Australian-born artist discusses three important albums.

Robert's picks:

Naked City – Grand Guignol
Ministry – In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up
Folke Rabe – What??

Robert's brand new three-album set, Beyond Enclosures, is out September 17th and available via Recorded Fields. Tailte Cré-Umha (Bronze Lands) is out now. Robert is also on Bandcamp and Twitter.

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#83: crys cole

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Resonating glass, the arsehole of Western music, shopping mall avant garde. The nomadic sound maker discusses three important albums.

crys' picks:

Annea Lockwood – The Glass World Of Anna Lockwood
Walter Marchetti – Antibarbarus
Bernhard Günter – Univers Temporel Espoir

crys' contribution to Boomkat's Documenting Sound series is called Other Meetings and it's wonderful. Check that out here. Also great is the new Ora Clementi record, Sylva Sylvarum – out now on Black Truffle. Head over here for crys' website, and follow her on Twitter here.

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#82: Lauren Sarah Hayes

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Out-of-time ska, home alone raves, smashing together American music. The live electronics improviser discusses three important albums.

Lauren's picks:

Lunachicks – Jerk Of All Trades
Andy C – Nightlife
Van Dyke Parks – Song Cycle

Give yourself a treat and listen to Lauren's record Embrace, released on SUPERPANG. There's also the equally fabulous Mini Savior Opt. put out via Unsilent Desert Press. Be sure to check out an excellent suite of articles about Lauren's work put out via HCMF. Her website is here, and she's also on Twitter and Instagram.

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#81: Geneva Skeen

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Top string of the harp, transcendent worldbuilding, catharsis in composing. The LA-based artist and composer discusses three important albums.

Geneva's picks:

Ursula K. Le Guin + Todd Barton – Music And Poetry Of The Kesh
Grouper + Roy Montgomery – Split
Swans – The Great Annihilator

Geneva's new longform work, Turning Of The Day, is out now on LINE – check it out here. Her website is here and her Bandcamp is here. She's also on Twitter and Instagram.

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#80: Jen Kutler

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 06:00:00 +0000

XXX alcohol, forgone resolutions, avalanches of brutality. The multidisciplinary artist and performer discusses three important albums.

Jen's picks:

Joseph Spence – Good Morning Mr. Walker
Stephen Layton – Whitacre: Cloudburst And Other Choral Works
Opeth – Blackwater Park

Go spend a bunch of time on Jen's website and Instagram. Sonified Physiological Indicators Of Empathy is out on Cacophonous Revival Recordings.

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#79: Dalibor Cruz

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 05:57:26 +0000

Slipping into the bloodstream, navigating hell, addictive polyrhythms. The Honduran-American producer discusses three important albums.

Pablo's picks:

Muslimgauze – Hussein Mahmood Jeeb Tehar Gass
Paul Schütze – New Maps Of Hell
Los Roland's – Solo Exitos Vol. 2

The new Dalibor Cruz album, Riddled With Absence, is out now via Natural Sciences – check it out here. Follow Dalibor Cruz on Instagram.

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#78: Kevin Martin (The Bug)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Jaw on the floor, zoning into spirituality, bastardised reggae basslines. The multidirectional musician and producer discusses three important albums.

Kevin's picks:

Gil Mellé – The Andromeda Strain OST
The Necks – Sex
Public Image Limited – Metal Box

Kevin's soundtrack to Tarkovsky's Solaris comes out June 25th on Phantom Limb. Elsewhere, there's a Bandcamp for his music as Kevin Richard Martin and another for The Bug. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

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#77: Marshall Trammell

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 22 May 2021 05:42:56 +0000

Going beyond the bandstand, simultaneous multidimensionality, searching for fire. The music research strategist and insurgent learning workshop co-ordinator discusses three important albums.

Marshall's picks:

Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf (Disney animated version and accompanying reading)
Earth Wind & Fire – All 'n All
Ornette Coleman – The Shape Of Jazz To Come

Marshall's record as MUSIC RESEARCH STRATEGIES, titled Eleven Postures, is out now on SIGE, who will also be releasing his collaborative album with John Dieterich and Raven Chacon titled White People Killed Them. Follow him on Instagram here.

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#76: Charmaine Lee

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 08 May 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Toilets on heads, high frequency feedback devastation, hot pink harsh noise. The New York-based vocalist from Sydney, Australia discusses three important albums.

Charmaine's picks:

Derek Bailey / George Lewis / John Zorn – Yankees
Yan Jun + Hsia Yu – 7 Poems And Some Tinnitus
Masonna – Noskl In Ana - Rare Tracks Collection

Charmaine's incredible new record, KNVF, is out now via Erratum Musical and is available on Bandcamp. Her website is here. During the conversation we talk about her article over on Wet Ink Archive, titled Reflections On Building A Personal Language.

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#75: Mathieu Ball (BIG|BRAVE)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Drumsticks into sawdust, ripping off Harvey Milk, going crazy for the Blind Owl. The BIG|BRAVE guitarist discusses three important albums.

Mathieu's picks:

Rockets Red Glare – S/T
Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness
Blind Owl Wilson – S/T

The latest BIG|BRAVE album, Vital is out now on Southern Lord. Check it out on Bandcamp here. BIG|BRAVE are on Facebook over here.

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#74: Yuko Araki

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 10 Apr 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Thrash at the rehearsal room, transcending cheap music, collapsing nature and artifice. The analog noise artist discusses three important albums.

Yuko's picks:

Slayer – Reign In Blood
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon
Monolake – Gobi. The Desert

Yuko's new record, End Of Trilogy, is out now on Room40. Follow Yuko on Instagram over here, and Tumblr over here.

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#73: Chris Corsano + Bill Orcutt

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

The opposite of politeness, sucky sucky bloodsuckers, ego destruction on the subway. The two improvisatory collaborators discuss their important albums.

Chris' picks:

Caroline Kraabel – Now We Are One Two
Art Ensemble Of Chicago – Chi-Congo

Bill's picks:

Jaynez Cortez And The Firespitters – There It Is
Ronald Shannon Jackson – Pulse

The duo's new album, Made Out Of Sound, is out right now on Bill's own label, Palilalia. Both have their own respective pages on Bandcamp too – here's Chris, and here's Bill (and Bill again).

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#72: Ka Baird

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Snot-caked pants, wild banshee shit, the cadence and emphasis of Robert Ashley. The New York-based composer and multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Ka's picks:

Love – Forever Changes
Sonny Sharrock – Black Woman
Eliane Radigue – Songs Of Milarepa

Ka's new album, Vivification Exercises I, is out now on RVNG Intl. Check out Ka's website here.

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#71: Sarah Feldman

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

12 seconds of Stockhausen, high-altitude Frank Ocean, the power of SOPHIE. The Vancouver-based composer and music educator discusses three important albums.

Sarah's picks:

Karlheinz Stockhausen – Kontakte
Frank Ocean – Blonde
SOPHIE – Oil Of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

Sarah's YouTube channel is called Sounds Good – find that here – while her music is up on Bandcamp. Check out her band Watering too.

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#70: Paul Nataraj

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Sitting in a room, Hip Hop Connections, looking for a breadfruit tree. The Blackburn-based artist, radio DJ, podcast producer and lecturer discusses three important albums.

Paul's picks:

De La Soul – 3 Feet High And Rising
The Congos – Heart Of The Congos
Alvin Lucier – I Am Sitting In A Room

Paul's latest solo record, Cobblestones & Kitchari, is out now on Fractal Meat Cuts. His personal Bandcamp page is here, while Gripe is over here. Check out his radio show Out To Lunch over at Back2BackFM, and be sure to check out the podcasts Hooked On Hope and Kick Down The Barriers too.

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#69: Pisitakun

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Releasing your giant, rural music in the city, stealing the cat from the temple. The Bangkok-based artist discusses three important albums.

Pisitakun's picks:

Pornsak Songsaeng – สาวจันทร์กั้งโกบ
Jing.com – มันส์ ม่วน คัก
Buddhist chants – Malai chant / Giant chant

Check out Absolute C.O.U.P. on the Chinabot Bandcamp. Hear more Pisitakun over at Soundcloud and follow him on Facebook.

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#68: Senyawa

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Invocations for judgement and destruction, sons of nature, reimagining the music of Indonesia. Wukir Suryadi and Rully Shabara discuss three important albums.

Senyawa's picks:

Gugus Gema – S/T
Sawung Jabo/Iwan Fals – Dalbo
Church Universal And Triumphant, Inc. Featuring Elizabeth Clare Prophet ‎– The Sounds Of American Doomsday Cults

Alkisah is out next month from 39 record labels around the world. Find a full list of participating labels right here. Special thanks to Phantom Limb for co-ordinating this conversation. Rully also mentions this incredible video of Lab'art Ferrum during our conversation, which is well worth checking out.

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#67: Daniel Menche

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Battling the beast of boredom, choosing the bloodstream over the live stream, being cooler than Santa Claus. The Portland-based abstract sound musician discusses three important albums.

Daniel's picks:

Alvin Lucier – Music On A Long Thin Wire
Die Kreuzen – S/T
Diamanda Galás – Litanies Of Satan

Daniel's wonderful new record The Soaring is available now over on SIGE. Find more of his releases on his own Bandcamp.

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#66: Laura Luna Castillo

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 18:10:44 +0000

Ethereal spatiality, appropriated memories of home, millennial mythos. The multimedia artist from Mexico discusses three important albums.

Laura's picks:

Golden Living Room – Welcome Home
Core Of The Coalman – Mystery Odes
Bath Consolidated – Narryer Gneiss Terrane

Laura's latest record, Tuberose, is out now on Whited Sepulchre. Listen/buy on Bandcamp. Check out the Remembrance Species 2020 compilation here.

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#65: Ashley Paul

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Lockdown dance parties, loosening the Nutcracker's limbs, finding space to breathe. The songwriter and saxophonist discusses three important albums.

Ashley's picks:

Jonathan Richman – I, Jonathan
Duke Ellington – The Nutcracker Suite
Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Mandatory Reality

Ashley's excellent new record, Ray, is out now on Slip. Check it out on Bandcamp. A few tracks are previewing on The Wire too.

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#64: Camila Fuchs

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Consolidations of love, breaking fourth walls, strength with machines. Camila de Laborde and Daniel Hermann-Collini discuss their important albums.

Camila Fuchs' picks:

Jenny Berger Myhre – Lint
Leila – Like Weather
Flying Lizards – Fourth Wall
The KLF – The White Room
Spacemen 3 – Recurring

The duo's new record, Kids Talk Sun, is out now via Felte. Check it out on Bandcamp here, and you can follow the band on Twitter or Facebook.

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#63: Forest Management

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 14:29:46 +0000

Resonances in empty libraries, unseen Mingus vibing, high school post-rock discoveries. John Daniel discusses three important albums.

John's picks:

Charles Mingus – Ken Burns Jazz
Do Make Say Think – Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead
Stars Of The Lid – Avec Laudenum

Check out the Forest Management website here, and head over to the Reserve Matinee Bandcamp to hear that phenomenal Kevin Drumm split. John is on Twitter as @cascadecrash.

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#62: FRKTL

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Beautiful choreography, explorations of cinematic spaces, cassette collections in the back of the photograph. Sarah Badr discusses three important albums.

Sarah's picks:

Fairuz – Maarifti Feek
Roly Porter – Aftertime
Toumani Diabaté + Ballaké Sissoko – New Ancient Strings

The latest FRKTL album, Excision After Love Collapses, is available over at Bandcamp. You can also check out FRKTL over at Soundcloud and on her website.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#61: MJ Guider

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 10:38:00 +0000

Banning all cymbals, post-hardcore road trips, low frequency earworms. The New Orleans musician discusses three important albums.

Melissa's picks:

Peter Gabriel – 3 (Melt)
Unwound – Fake Train
Björk – Post

The new MJ Guider record, Sour Cherry Bell, is out now via Kranky. Check it out on Bandcamp, and be sure to watch the two beautiful videos for FM Secure and Simulus. Melissa's website is here. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#60: Tavishi

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The omnipresence of data, Bandcamp soul/sound-searching, goofy classical. The scientist, artist and community organiser discusses three important albums.

Sarmistha's picks:

Moor Mother – Analog Fluids Of Sonic Black Holes
R. D. Burman – Padosan OST
Maria Chavez – Plays
Pan Daijing – Lack

Check out Tavishi's music on their Bandcamp or over on the CHINABOT label. Their film H O M E is on YouTube right here.

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#59: Only Now (Kush Arora)

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Dub reggae masterclasses, cacophonous veganism, ambient treasure troves. The musician and producer discusses three important albums (and an honourable mention).

Kush's picks:

Skinny Puppy – Too Dark Park
Various – Jah Warrior Showcase
Volahn – Aq'Ab'Al

Honourable mention:

Pete Namlook + Jonah Sharp – Alien Community Part 1 + 2

Find Only Now on Bandcamp, including the brand new EP Black Wind / Merciless Destiny. Kush is on Twitter and Facebook.

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#58: KMRU

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 08:05:03 +0000

Waves of timelessness, electromagnetic chandelier recordings, Minilogue improvisations. The Nairobi-based sound artist discusses three (well, four) important albums.

Joseph's picks:

Ana Roxanne – ~~~
Chris Watson – El Tren Fantasma
Rival Consoles – Persona

Honourable mention:
Idrissa Soumaoro – Djitoumou

The new KMRU record Peel is out now on Editions Mego. KMRU is on Bandcamp and has a website over at kmru.info. Also be sure check out Black Bandcamp – a crowd-sourced database of black artists and producers on Bandcamp.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#57: J. Zunz

ATTN:Magazine — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 13:13:36 +0000

Fearless four-track improvisations, spiritual jazz recurrence, manipulations of passing time. Lorena Quintanilla discusses three important albums.

Lorena's picks:

Los Llamarada – Gone Gone Cold
Phil Cohran & Legacy – African Skies
Éliane Radigue – Trilogie De La Mort

The new J. Zunz record, Hibiscus, is out 21st August via Rocket Recordings. Check out her music on Bandcamp and follow her on Facebook.

Lorena also put together a list of choice records from the Mexican underground:

Black Forest – Kentu Brixtu (2001 – 2011)
Penetración Cósmica – Penetración Cósmica Vol. 1
XYX – Sistema de Terminación Sexual
White Ninja – Guácala los modernos y su electro
Mamá Burger – Pastillitas y Licor
Ratas del Vaticano – Tiempos de Austeridad
Selma Oxor – Selma Oxor

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#56: Steve Von Till

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 15:57:08 +0000

Volcanic psychedelia, flanger sweep obsessions, monuments in the mountains. The musician, poet and teacher discusses three important albums.

Steve's picks:

Pink Floyd – Live At Pompeii
African Head Charge – Off The Beaten Track
Jóhann Jóhannsson + Yair Elazar Glotman + Tilda Swinton – Last And First Men

Head over to Neurot Recordings to pre-order Steve's new solo record, No Wilderness Deep Enough, and Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems And Collected Lyrics. His website is here.

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#55: Claire Rousay

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Listening to assholes, inner/outer presentations of self, power chords over trap beats. The Texas-based artist discusses three important albums.

Claire's picks:

Lil Peep – Come Over When You're Sober Pt. 1
Sun Kil Moon – Among The Leaves
OIivia Block – Karren

Head over to Claire's website for information on her releases, including her incredible records on Already Dead and Anahuac Editions. She's on Twitter as @clairerousay.

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#54: Lea Bertucci

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 17:00:00 +0000

Excursions into outer jazz, marbles against metal, empty Tokyo streets. The New York composer, performer and sound designer discusses three important albums.

Lea's picks:

Charles Mingus – The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Bernard Parmegiani – De Natura Sonorum
Keiji Haino – Black Blues

Lea's latest album Acoustic Shadows is out now on SA Recordings. Check out her website here and follow her on Instagram at @lilbertucci.

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#53: Okkyung Lee

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 30 May 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The case for BTS, a complicated relationship to jazz, drunken birthday improvisations. The cellist, composer and improviser discusses three important albums.

Okkyung's picks:

Kim Hyun Chul – Vol. 1
Duke Jordan Trio – Flight To Denmark
Pieter Wispelwey – Ligeti's Sonata For Violoncello Solo

Okkyung's latest album Yeo-Neun is out now on Shelter Press. Her website is here and she's on Twitter as @okkyunglee.

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#52: J.J. Anselmi

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 16 May 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Black Sabbath backseat boombox, clearing the room with Melvins, 100 miles of Neurosis. The author of Doomed To Fail: The Incredibly Loud History Of Doom, Sludge And Post-Metal discusses three important albums.

J.J.'s picks:

Black Sabbath – S/T
Melvins – Gluey Porch Treatments
Neurosis – Through Silver In Blood

J.J.'s website is over here, and you can follow him on Twitter @JJ_Anselmi. Doomed To Fail is out now on Rare Bird.

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#51: Aho Ssan

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Lost and hopeless, Gaspar Noé colour palettes, ghosts in the city. The Paris-based musician discusses three important albums.

Désiré's picks:

Earl Sweatshirt – I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
Roly Porter – The Third Law
Burial – Untrue

Stream/download Aho Ssan's Simulacrum over on Bandcamp. He's also on Facebook and Twitter.

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#50: Ingrid Plum

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Choral jet engines, childhood dictaphones, not giving a fuck. The vocalist, composer and improviser discusses three important albums.

Ingrid's picks:

Ruby – Salt Peter
Roomful Of Teeth – S/T
Tanya Tagaq – Animism

You can check out Ingrid's ongoing project Dulme on her website or over at Bandcamp. Her improvisatory trio with Graham Dunning and Anton Mobin, titled Ancient Lights, is available over at Fort Evil Fruit.

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#49: Siavash Amini

ATTN:Magazine — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Monolithian matter, melting Arvo Pärt in a pan, finding the hidden trumpets. The Tehran-based composer discusses three important albums.

Siavash's picks:

Keith Jarrett (with Jan Garbarek) – Luminessence
Alfred Schnittke – Requiem
Kevin Drumm – Sheer Hellish Miasma

Keep pace with Siavash's activities on Twitter. His collaboration with Saåad, titled All Lanes Of Lilac Evening, is out now on Opal Tapes.

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#48: Cory Allen

ATTN:Magazine — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Finding the source, German vocoder waltzes, memorising every sprinkle. The musician, author and podcaster discusses three important albums.

Cory's picks:

Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda
Atom™ – Liedgut
J Dilla – Donuts

Cory's new book is called Now Is The Way: An Unconventional Approach To Modern Mindfulness. You can get it here, where you'll also find links to his music, podcast, binaural beats and more.

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#47: Jessica Ekomane

ATTN:Magazine — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 20:00:00 +0000

Reaching for trance states, peer-to-peer discoveries, the myth of technological neutrality. The Berlin-based artist discusses three important albums.

Jessica's picks:

György Ligeti / Pierre-Laurent Aimard – Works For Piano
Missy Elliott – Miss E...So Addictive
Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 2

Jessica's album Multivocal is out on Important Records. Check out her news and tour dates over at her website or listen to her music on SoundCloud. Tickets for her show at London's IKLEKTIK on November 28th are available here.

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#46: Kyoka

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Vocal frequency doppelgängers, selling souls to the devil, kick roll anthems. The Berlin-based producer discusses three important albums.

Kyoka's picks:

Frank Bretschneider – EXP
Tricky – Maxinquaye
Eomac – Bedouin Trax

Listen to the fabulous new Lena Andersson record over at the Raster Bandcamp, where you can also find solo releases by Kyoka. The official Kyoka website is here. For the pictorally inclined, her Instagram is @kyoka.sound.

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#45: Pharmakon

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Margaret's picks:

The Stooges – Fun House
SPK – Auto Da Fe
Whitehouse – Bird Seed

The new Pharmakon album is titled Devour. Head over to Sacred Bones or the Pharmakon Bandcamp to check it out.

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#44: Emil Amos (Holy Sons, Grails, Om)

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Emils picks:

Joni Mitchell – Court And Spark
Bread – The Best Of Bread
Pavement – Watery, Domestic

Check out the Holy Sons website and Bandcamp to keep in the know on Emil's various happenings, and dive into the Drifter's Sympathy podcast here (start from the beginning!).

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#43: Oren Ambarchi

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Pigs in shit, breezy French vibes, humorous absurdity. The Australian composer and multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Oren's picks:

Pat Metheny – Offramp
Annette Peacock – X-Dreams
Godley & Creme – Freeze Frame

Oren's latest solo record, titled Simian Angel, is out now via Editions Mego. His website is over here and you can follow him on Twitter right here.

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#42: Derek Piotr

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Derek's picks:

St Vincent – Actor
Björk – Medúlla
AGF – Head Slash Bauch

Derek Piotr's new album, titled Avia, is released on August 2nd. Find out more information on his website or over at Bandcamp.

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#41: Sly & The Family Drone

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Matt's picks:

This Heat – Deceit
Mindflayer – Take Your Skin Off
Ultralyd – Chromosome Gun

The excellent new album by Sly & The Family Drone, titled Gentle Persuaders, is out now. Head over to Bandcamp to buy it, and have a peek at what the band are up to on Facebook.

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#40: Helm

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Luke's picks:

Pet Shop Boys – Discography: The Complete Singles Collection
Napalm Death – Scum
Adam Bohman – Music And Words

The magnificent new Helm record, titled Chemical Flowers, is out now on PAN. Check it out on the official Helm Bandcamp, and find news/upcoming tour dates on Facebook.

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#39: Faith Coloccia (Mamiffer, Māra, Barnett+Coloccia)

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Faith's picks:

Swans – Soundtracks For The Blind
Einstürzende Neubauten – Zeichnungen Des Patienten O.T.
Earth – Hibernaculum

Head over the Faith's blog for updates on her work, along with links to her various projects (all of them great). Mamiffer and Barnett+Coloccia both have a Bandcamp, as does SIGE. Her collaboration with Jon Mueller and Aidan Baker, titled See Through, is out now on Gizeh.

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#38: Graham Dunning

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Graham's picks:

Milan Knizak – Broken Music
A Guy Called Gerald – Attic Attack [1986 - 1988]
Helena Celle – If I Can't Handle Me At My Best, Then You Don't Deserve You At Your Worst

Graham's new mechanical techno record is called Music For Climbing Walls. Check it out on Bandcamp, and keep pace with the latest happenings on his website.

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#37: Earth

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 20 May 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Dylan's pick: King Crimson – Starless And Bible Black
Adrienne's pick: Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus
Dylan's pick: Jimi Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys

Earth's new album, Full Upon Her Burning Lips, is out May 24th 2019 on Sargent House. Order it over at their website, which also contains their full list of US tour dates. They're also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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#36: Chaines

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 06 May 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Fez spoilers, triphop Americana, musings on completionism. The composer and multi-instrumentalist talks about three important albums.

Cee's picks:

Darren Korb – Bastion OST
Disasterpeace – Fez OST
Tomáš Dvořák – Machinarium OST

Connect with Cee via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and support their work on Patreon. Be sure to check out their wonderful album The King over on Slip. Read a mammoth ATTN interview with Cee right here.

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#35: Sarah Hennies

ATTN:Magazine — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Discovering secret treasure, making 183 of something, songs of gender transition. The percussionist and composer discusses three important albums.

Sarah's picks:

1) Baudouin Oosterlynck – 1975-1978

2) Maher Shalal Hash Baz – Return Visit To Rock Mass

3) Antony And The Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now

Head over to Sarah's website for more info on her releases, shows, scores and film work. She's on Bandcamp too.

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#34: Patrick Shiroishi

Jack Chuter — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 07:43:00 +0000

Coltrane 'n' whisky, Magma in real time, pure multiphonics. The LA-based composer/saxophonist discusses three important albums.

Patrick's picks:

1) John Coltrane – Interstellar Space

2) Magma – K.A.

3) Little Women – Throat

You can keep up to speed with Patrick over on his official website or on Bandcamp.

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#33: Jeff Emtman

Jack Chuter — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Fluffernutters, theremins on the chase, absent plus-ones. The Providence-based artist and podcaster discusses three important albums.

Jeff's picks:

1) Malibu Ken – S/T

2) The Knife – Shaken-Up Versions

3) Noname – Telefone

Check out Jeff's incredible podcast, Here Be Monsters, over here (or subscribe via your podcast app). His personal website is here.

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#32: Khyam Allami

Jack Chuter — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Unprecedented Oud, the phenomenal character of the Čahārgāh, blending tradition and technology. The Iraqi multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Khyam's picks:

1) Jamil Bashir – Ud traditionelle en Iraq - évocations modales - Arabesques 4

2) Mohammad Reza Shajarian – Dastan

3) Wendy Carlos – Beauty In The Beast

Keep up to speed with all of Khyam's latest activities over at his official website.

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#31: Monika Khot (Nordra, Zen Mother)

Jack Chuter — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Dried up drones, wounded song, psycho experimentation. The Seattle-based musician discusses three important albums.

Monika's picks:

1) Jocelyn Pook – Flood

2) Swans – The Great Annihilator

3) Igor Wakhevitch – Docteur Faust

Be sure to check out Nordra on Bandcamp or via her official website. Same with Zen Mother – Bandcamp or website.

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#30: Kate Carr

Jack Chuter — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Damaged format, barcode translations, exploring the Fens. The London-based sound artist talks about three important albums.

Kate's picks:

1) Oval – 94diskont.

2) Ryoji Ikeda – Dataplex

3) Simon Scott – Below Sea Level

You can check out Kate's music over at Bandcamp or find out more on her website.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#29: Alan Courtis

Jack Chuter — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Pre-hispanic traditions, classical guitar genius, major label rebellion. The Argentinean musician discusses three important albums.

Alan's picks:

1) V/A – Musica de los Aborigenes (music by Native Indegenous Tribes from Argentina)

2) Agustín Barrios– The Complete Guitar Recordings

3) Luis Alberto Spinetta – Spinettalandia y sus amigos

You can check out Alan's new Buchla Gtr record on Firework Edition, while the Reynols boxset is available via Pica Disk.

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#28: Bjarni Gunnarsson

Jack Chuter — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 07:55:00 +0000

Energetic phenomena, Romanian spectral music, hidden pulsations. The Icelandic composer talks about three important albums.

Bjarni's picks:

1) Seefeel – Succour

2) Ana-Maria Avram + Iancu Dumitrescu ‎– Soleil Explosant

3) Helena Gough – Mikroklimata

Bjarni's official website is here. Lueur is out now on Tartaruga.

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#27: Christina Vantzou

Jack Chuter — Thu, 31 May 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Sneaking into the galaxy bar, bubbles in the park, 69 occurrences of time. The Brussels-based composer talks about three important albums.

Christina's picks:

1) Laurie Spiegel – The Expanding Universe

2) Vangelis – Opéra Sauvage

3) Hiroshi Yoshimura – Green

Read more about Christina and her music over on her website and on Bandcamp, and keep up to date with her latest happenings on Facebook.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#26: Ziúr

Jack Chuter — Wed, 16 May 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Raw character, true divas, emergency dentistry. The Berlin-based producer and DJ discusses three important albums.

Ziúr's picks:

1) Still – I

2) Grace Jones – Nightclubbing

3) TV On The Radio – Young Liars

Keep up with Ziúr on Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter, Soundcloud and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#25: Kelly Jayne Jones

Jack Chuter — Thu, 03 May 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Electroacoustic viscera, recurrent symbolism, crying through synthesis. The Manchester-based artist discusses three important albums.

Kelly's picks:

1) Tigran Mansuryan – The Color Of Pomegranates OST

2) Luciano Berio + Cathy Berberian – Visage

3) Arca – S/T

Check out the dates for Kelly's collaboration with Matana Roberts over at Outlands, and keep up to date with her other happenings over on her website.

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#24: Matana Roberts

Jack Chuter — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 08:48:00 +0000

Vitamins for the brain, learning from the masters, hypersensitive curiosity. The composer and saxophonist discusses three important albums.

Matana's picks:

1) Hannah Marcus – Desert Farmers

2) Karlheinz Stockhausen – Momente

3) Derek Bailey + Joëlle Léandre - No Waiting

Find out more about the Outlands tour over here, and keep up to date with Matana over on her website.

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#23: Massimo Pupillo (Zu, URUK)

Jack Chuter — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:14:00 +0000

Coconut hooves, grotesque distorted shapes, the healing force of the universe. The bass player and composer discusses his important albums.

Massimo's picks:

1) Arvo Pärt – Tabula Rasa

2) Coil – Horse Rotorvator

3) Current 93 – Imperium

4) Einstürzende Neubauten – Halber Mensch

Massimo Pupillo is on Facebook, while URUK can be found over at Consouling Sounds. You can keep up to date with Zu on their website or on Facebook.

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#22: Six Organs Of Admittance

Jack Chuter — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Lobster spaceships, unleashing the beast, flying capos. Ben Chasny talks about three albums that informed his Hexadic System.

Ben's picks:

1) Khanate – Things Viral

2) Fushitsusha – The Caution Appears

3) Morton Feldman – Triadic Memories

For more on Six Organs On Admittance, head over to the official website or the Six Organs Bandcamp. Be sure to dive deep into the Hexadic section on his site too.

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#21: Mark Fell

Jack Chuter — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Synth jams in the coal shed, collective escape, drum machine rebellion. The Sheffield-based artist discusses three important albums.

Mark's picks:

1) African Head Charge – Off The Beaten Track

2) Alternative TV – Vibing Up The Senile Man (Part One)

3) Unique 3 – Jus' Unique

Keep up to speed with Mark's exhibitions and performances over at his website.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#20: Julia Wolfe

Jack Chuter — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Glacial orchestras, floaty head voices, critique among friends. The New York composer discusses three important albums.

Julia's picks:

1) John Luther Adams – Become Ocean

2) Caroline Shaw – Partita For 8 Voices

3) David Lang – Little Match Girl Passion

Keep up to date with Julia Wolfe on her website. Tones, Drones & Arpeggios: The Magic Of Minimalism airs on BBC4 on Friday 2nd March 2018 at 9pm GMT.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#19: Norman Westberg

Jack Chuter — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Laughing coats, booing the Blockheads, roller-skate disco. The New York guitarist discusses three important albums.

Norman's picks:

1) Nico – Chelsea Girl

2) Black Box – Dreamland

3) Lou Reed – Berlin

Norman Westberg's website is here, and be sure to check out those beautiful limited editions on his Etsy store. Keep updated with his latest happenings on Facebook.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#18: Yann Novak

Jack Chuter — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Post-rave drives, bunk bed fevers, making a happening. The LA-based sound artist discusses three important albums.

Yann's picks:

1) Allan Kaprow – How To Make A Happening

2) F.U.S.E. – Dimension Intrusion

3) The Weeknd – Echoes Of Silence

Check out Yann Novak's website here, and read more about his beautiful new album on Touch right here.

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#17: We Will Fail

Jack Chuter — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Stolen travel, beautiful noise, trips to Planet Autechre. The Warsaw-based artist discusses three important albums.

Aleksandra's picks:

1) Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 1

2) Autechre – Tri Repetae

3) Thomas Köner – La Barca

You can check out We Will Fail on her website and over on SoundCloud. The Refined Productions website is over here.

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#16: Richard Chartier / Pinkcourtesyphone

Jack Chuter — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Computer matrimony, floating outside of time, lounge music for fluorescent light tubes. The Los Angeles-based artist talks about three important albums.

Richard's picks:

1) Kraftwerk – Computer World

2) :zoviet*france: – Shadow, Thief Of The Sun

3) Pan Sonic – Vakio / Philus – Tetra

The wonderful new Pinkcourtesyphone album "Indelicate Slices" is now out on Room40. Stream and purchase it here. Be sure to also check out both Richard Chartier's Bandcamp and the LINE label website.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#15: Zachary James Watkins

Jack Chuter — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 06:00:00 +0000

High vibration resonance, nostalgia in dub, ecstatic dancing. The Oakland-based composer discusses three important albums.

Zachary's picks:

1) Linton Kwesi Johnson – LKJ In Dub

2) Sun Ra – Atlantis

3) Éliane Radigue – Naldjorlak I II III

You can find Zachary's music over on Bandcamp. For more on Black Spirituals, head over to their website or to the SIGE Records Bandcamp.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#14: Shiva Feshareki

Jack Chuter — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Ever-ascending love, walls of bass, deep listening on the Northern line. The London-based composer/experimental turntablist discusses three important compositions.

Shiva's picks:

1) James Tenney – For Ann (Rising)

2) Pauline Oliveros – Rattlesnake Mountain Proving Grounds

3) Photek – Ni Ten Ichi Ryu

You can check out Shiva's work on Soundcloud, and keep up to date with her latest happenings on Facebook. Be sure to tune into her excellent New Forms radio show on NTS too.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#13: Audrey Chen

Jack Chuter — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Blockhead rainbow afghan, improvisational philosophy, biological instruments. The Berlin-based improviser talks about three important albums.

Audrey's picks:

1) i'd m thfft able - Endless Blooper

2) Lê Quan Ninh – Ustensiles

3) Susan Alcorn – And I Await The Resurrection Of The Pedal Steel Guitar

You can discover Audrey's work over on her website, and check out the excellent Hiss and Viscera project (her collaboration with Richard Scott) over on Bandcamp.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#12: Hanne Hukkelberg

Jack Chuter — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Creation in solitude, human connection, rhythms in collision. The Norwegian composer / singer discusses three important albums.

Hanne's picks:

1) Moses Sumney – Aromanticism

2) Kelela – Take Me Apart

3) Espen Reinertsen – Nattsyntese

Hanne is currently on tour for her new album Trust, which you can buy over at Musicglue. Check out her website here, her tour dates on Songkick here, and stream tracks from the new album via SoundCloud right here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#11: Aidan Baker

Jack Chuter — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 08:31:00 +0000

Unrecognised chaos, underwater grunge, deceptive ambient movements. The Berlin-based musician discusses three important albums.

Aidan's picks:

1) Big Black – Songs About Fucking

2) James Plotkin & Mark Spybey – A Peripheral Blur

3) Stina Nordenstam – Dynamite

You can find Aidan Baker over on Tumblr and on Bandcamp. There are also separate Bandcamp sites for Adoran, Caudal, Whisper Room, Werl, B/B/S and Nadja. Check out the upcoming Noplace album over on the Gizeh Bandcamp too.

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#10: Aaron Turner (Sumac, Old Man Gloom)

Jack Chuter — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Playing with earthlings, disrupting linear time, the St Anger challenge. The Washington-based musician discusses three important albums.

Aaron's picks:

1) The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland

2) Metallica – ...And Justice For All

3) Caspar Brötzmann Massaker – Home

Honourable mention:

Neil Young – Dead Man OST

Aaron is @aaronbturner on Instagram, Twitter and Blogspot.

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#9: Pete Simonelli (Enablers)

Jack Chuter — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Dispatches from space, tuning downward, chasing Coltrane. The Enablers vocalist talks about three important albums.

Pete's picks:

1) Pere Ubu – Dub Housing

2) Mississippi Fred McDowell – Live At The Gaslight, November 1971

3) John Coltrane – Interstellar Space

You can check out Enablers over on Bandcamp.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#8: Jessica Moss

Jack Chuter — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Concerto storytelling, iso-polyphony, ensembles of weirdos. The Montreal-based violinist selects three important albums.

Jessica's picks:

1) Gil Shaham – Sibelius / Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos

2) Various – Cry You Mountains, Cry You Fields (Traditional Songs & Folk Music From S.E. Albania)

3) PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Check out Jessica's website and Facebook for her music, live dates etc.

Oh, and I asked Jessica to point me in the direction of more Albanian vocal music after enjoying "Cry You Mountains..." so much. She sent me this, which is beautiful.

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#7: Sarah Davachi

Jack Chuter — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Psychedelic breakfast, compositional commentary, just intonation autopilot. The Montreal-based composer discusses three important albums.

Sarah's picks:

1) Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother

2) Alastair Galbraith – Cry

3) Terry Riley – Shri Camel

You can check out Sarah's music/updates via her website, on Facebook and over at Bandcamp.

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#6: David Grubbs

Jack Chuter — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Post-punk hurled at a wall, intellectual slapstick, the loops of life. The Brooklyn-based composer and author discusses three important albums.

David's picks:

1) Circle X – EP

2) Tony Conrad – Ten Years Alive On The Infinite Plain

3) Luc Ferrari – Presque Rien No. 1 'Le Lever du jour au bord de la mer'

You can find David over at Drag City and on Bandcamp. Also, be sure to go here to check out David and others sporting an array of Tony Conrad's wonderful jackets.

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#5: Jon Mueller

Jack Chuter — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Year-long fixations, psychedelic culture and dramatic minor keys. The Wisconsin-based composer/percussionist discusses three important albums.

Jon's picks:

1) Uriah Heep – The Magician's Birthday

2) Faun Fables – Family Album

3) Psychic TV – Dreams Less Sweet

You can find out more about Jon's work over at Rhythmplex and on Bandcamp.

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#4: Richard Youngs

Jack Chuter — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Cold War paranoia, modular rock, Bieber vs The Stones. The ever-prolific, ever-eclectic English musician discusses his three important albums.

Richard's picks:

1) Pink Floyd – Meddle (again!)

2) Cabaret Voltaire – The Voice Of America

3) Justin Bieber – Purpose

You can find Richard Youngs online and over at Bandcamp. The first track from his upcoming double album This Is Not A Lament, featuring Alasdair Roberts and Donald WG Lindsay, can be heard here.

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#3: Lasse Marhaug

Jack Chuter — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 03:00:00 +0000

Running up stairs, understated drumming, pushing beyond the boundaries of metal music. The Norwegian noise musician / fervent collaborator / record producer discusses three important albums.

Lasse's picks:

1) Pink Floyd – Meddle

2) Ground Zero – Revolutionary Pekinese Orchestra Ver.1.28

3) Tony Conrad With Faust – Outside The Dream Syndicate

You can check out Lasse online or over at BandCamp (or, as per Lasse's wishes, go listen to Tony Conrad instead).

Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#2: Lawrence English

Jack Chuter — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Bodily listening, manipulated time and the voice of David Toop. The Australian sound artist / Room40 label-founder shares his three most important albums.

Lawrence English's picks:

1) Swans – Filth

2) David Toop – Black Chamber

3) The Necks – Aether

You can check out Lawrence English online and over at Bandcamp. The Room40 website is here.

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#1: France Jobin

Jack Chuter — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Strange chord progressions, the theory of the jar, falling in love in Japan. The Montreal sound artist / minimalist composer shares her three important albums.

France Jobin's picks:

1) Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue

2) Joni Mitchell – Hejira

3) Morelenbaum² + Sakamoto – A Day In New York

Honourable mention:

Atom™ – Hd

France Jobin's current installations:

Inter/sperse: May 27 - June 17 2017 - Museolaboratorio, Ex Manifattura Tabacchi, Città Sant'Angelo, Italy

Entre/temps: June 4 - September 30 2017 - Eremo Celestiniano di Madonna Dell’Altare, Palena (CH) Italy

France Jobin is on SoundCloud and on Bandcamp.

Revisit ATTN's interview with France from 2014 right here.

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