Different Noises

This collection offers a rich exploration of contemporary jazz and improvised music, traversing a landscape of diverse textures and international influences. From cerebral, atmospheric openings and avant-garde energy to vibrant rhythmic inflections, the selection balances intricate composition with spontaneous dialogue. Whether revisiting classic themes through a modern lens or delving into expans...

The build up of exciting new music is relentless now we are in February. I’m featuring all of the new EP from the wonderful Neon Kittens. In addition a cross-section of exciting new music from a wide variety of genres plus further tracks from currently featured albums. PLAYLIST Neon Kittens - Living In A TM World The Mancinis - Take One Agent Starling - Automatic Writing Xenonaut -  Lost To Slow D...

A show in two parts. The first part examines some of the exciting new releases that have just been released or are due soon. The second part is a tribute to the legendary guitarist Ralph Towner. PLAYLIST Nicholas  Mycio “Siny” from Please Plant Flowers (Self Released) 00:00  Shai Maestro “The Time Bender” from The Guesthouse (Naive) 05:50  James Fernando “Potions” from Philly 3 (Spring Garden Reco...

This playlist is a descent into a shadowy, atmospheric landscape where raw energy meets experimental depth. Moving seamlessly between gritty garage rhythms, haunting post-punk echoes, and heavy, immersive soundscapes, the selection favors the unconventional and the evocative. From distorted industrial pulses to moments of ethereal folk and avant-garde exploration, it’s a collection designed for la...

On this edition there is music that traverses the vast landscape of contemporary jazz, avant-garde exploration, and orchestral fusion. In this session, we navigate a diverse range of creative visions—from the intimate flickers of "Blowing on Embers" to the massive, symphonic scale of a tribute to Bill Evans. Along the way, we’ll explore cinematic suites that capture frozen moments in time, vibrant...

This collection serves as a deep dive into the fringes of contemporary sound, where jagged post-punk energy meets the fluid complexity of experimental jazz. It is an intentional journey through diverse sonic landscapes—blending raw, lo-fi storytelling with cinematic, dub-infused atmospheres and expansive instrumental odysseys. Each track contributes to a restless, creative narrative that celebrate...

The breadth of content in the jazz world is captured in this selection of mostly new releases. From traditional post-bop workouts, through interpretations of popular songs, to full on invention and improvisation, this playlist demonstrates the variety of music which might be generally described as jazz but in reality covers a more complex set of variables. There is a focus on the January releases...

Mopping up a few of last years favourites and highlighting some of the early trickle of new music for 2026. The latter end of the show highlights some classic tracks from the archive. PLAYLIST Burner Phone - Sexy 70s Witch  Buddhadatta - Nine of Buddha Aspect No.2  Horseman - View  The Jack Rubies - Be Good Or Be Gone  Dubmatix - Liberation ft Longfingah (Mad Mix)  The Parasite - Britney  Dave Gra...

In this edition we have a selection of recent jazz and improvised music releases. The playlist moves through chamber‑oriented writing, rhythm‑centred ensemble pieces, contemporary treatments of standards, guitar‑driven abstraction, brass‑focused small‑group work, groove‑based compositions, textural duos, high‑energy electric material, bass‑led writing, reflective ballad forms and early‑1970s reiss...

These shows are put together around 2 to 3 weeks before they get released. So at the time of writing it’s that time of year when not a lot of new music comes in - a festive fortnight of reflection and review on what went before and anticipating what is to come. So we have a selection of current favourites, a few new things, and some memorable music extracted from the archive. PLAYLIST Wench! X Jod...

Tradition meets experimentation in this fascinating collection of new releases. Beginning with the eclectic endeavours of Brandon Seabrook, via a mix of latin jazz, European exploration , free improvisation from the UK, a musical statement about the climate crisis, and closing with Thelonious Monk in concert in 1965. PLAYLIST Brandon Seabrook “Name Dropping is the Lowest Form of Conversation (Walt...

The first show of a New Year of Different Noises is packed with exciting new releases as well as the featured albums from 2025 which I am still working my way through. Very excited to be able to feature an excerpt from the always wonderful Fucked Up who are back after a lengthy hiatus.   PLAYLIST Fucked Up - Long Ago Gardens (Excerpt)  Bleak Squad - Black & White  Larynx and Claw - Flies  Join...

This playlist of new music moves through a wide spectrum of contemporary and classic jazz, blending live recordings, ensemble explorations, and intimate duologues. It opens with blues-inflected improvisation and shifts into modern compositions marked by rhythmic drive and layered textures. Chamber-like interplay and orchestral arrangements sit alongside fiery solos and inventive group dialogues, w...

I thought about a year end retrospective but there has been so much new stuff that it would have been about six hours long. Instead more new things plus more selections from the recent albums that have risen to the top of the best of list….kicking things off with an exciting new single from TAB-D featuring the ever excellent Boz Hayward and the return of the wonderful Bikini Test Failure. Enjoy an...

This playlist delves deep into the vibrant landscape of contemporary independent jazz and improvised music, showcasing an eclectic mix of sounds that defy easy categorization. From the rhythmic sophistication of Latin fusion and the intricate melodies of modern piano trios to boundary-pushing avant-garde improvisations, the selections deliberately cross genre lines. The journey takes listeners thr...

For Christmas Eve an eclectic mix delivering the best in new Australian Music, tidbits from recent releases on Half Edge Records, tracks from some of the best releases of 2025 and a dip in the archive for some magic from The Cramps. We kick off with a new tune from the excellent Melbourne band The Silversound. PLAYLIST The Silversound - Rose City  The Cramps - Call of the Wighat  Adventures of Sal...

A raft of new releases is dominated by female pianists offering cutting edge music. In between two new discoveries of Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing live plus other exciting ground-breaking albums and to close something to reflect the season. PLAYLIST Yelena Eckemoff  “Strandvägen Pier” from Rosendals Garden (L&H Production) 00:00 Juan Bayon “Anti-Monitor” from Como Enfrentar al Mundo Entero (ear...

Starting and finishing in the Greater Manchester region this playlist provides and aural journey around the more obscure nooks and crannies of the world of music. Some familiar names are mixed in with new artists providing for a rich palate of unique offerings, some of them quite sonically unsettling. PLAYLIST Inca Babies - Buster’s On Fire Mellowdeath - 1772  Nuclear Dudes - The Octopus The Resid...

This set moves through solo sketches, trio interplay, and full ensemble fire, tracing acoustic and electric textures across studio, live, and archival formats. It opens with flowing piano, moves into exploratory trio improvisation, and shifts between guitar meditations, reworked soul and rock standards, and tightly arranged ensemble writing. Abstract textures and ambient passages emerge mid-set, f...

What is cool? What is trendy? Who decides these things? In the context of this show what constitutes “Different”? In simplistic terms people send me things, or I buy them, based on past listening experience. I listen to them, if they sound sufficiently interesting, or they tug at some emotional string somewhere in the brain or heart, then they get on the show. This music sounds good to me, not stu...

Another eclectic mix of Jazz from around the world includes a good portion of self-released material. Traditional jazz forms mingle with ambient, rock and fusion to create a fascinating playlist. The show concludes with two recent live albums from the formative years of British jazz. PLAYLIST ung Stratmann Quartet “Tree Huggers” from Confluence (Self Released) 00:00 Sam Pilnick’s Nonet Project “So...

An eclectic mix of mostly new material with more than average Antipodean content, lots of Mancunian elements, and a blend of styles and movements that on first examination might appear contradictory but when listened to in sequence there is an organic flow. PLAYLIST Bugg Music - Bugg Season Inca Babies - Two Rails To Nowhere Occult Character - Her Guts, My Graveyard Jodie Langford - Bowling (Off W...

On this edition a set of twelve pieces tracing rhythmic invention, ensemble interplay, and tonal contrast across multiple continents and decades. The selections move from suite-based composition and archival live recordings to contemporary quartet work, solo piano abstraction, and layered studio arrangements. Formats include trio, orchestra, and collaborative studio ensemble, with instrumentation...

Anticipating forthcoming concerts celebrating The Dream Syndicates Medicine Show album I begin a journey through a recently released massive collection of music from that part of the bands history. There’s also the current crop of featured albums plus some challenging new sounds that have recently arrived in my in-box. To close some Norwegian experimentation and jazz guitar mastery from John Aberc...

This episode includes recent studio releases, live recordings, and archival material spanning solo, trio, and large ensemble formats. The programme features work from Canada, the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and Israel, with contributions structured around ballad forms, extended improvisation, rhythmic studies, and ensemble arrangements. Albums range from self-released projects to material issued...