Crucial Listening

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 L​é​gende 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 I...

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 Listen...

(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...

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...

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,...

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 o...

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...

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' إ​ن​ت​م​ا​ء, is out now on Touch. You can also listen/buy via Bana's bandcamp here. Bana's website is actually a Goo...

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...

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 albu...

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 Ins...

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...

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 K...

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 Cru...

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 a...

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 A...

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...

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 w...

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 I...

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 w...

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/crucialli...

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 – @mi...

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.

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 web...

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 At...