Crucial Listening

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 ar...

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 foll...

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 D...

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 Sou...

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...

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 rig...

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 / Mer...

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...

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 F...

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...

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'...

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 I...

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 @ok...

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...

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

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 a...

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 T...

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, binau...

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...

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 pictoral...

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

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

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. Donate to Cruci...

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

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