Inner Ear: Ukrainian Music
test report from the contemporary music scenes of eastern and central Europe in The Quietus, I look at Ukraine’s powerful electronic underground.
Read more
Inner Ear: Poland
New year brings my new column focusing on central and eastern Europe in The Quietus. In first episode I look looks at contemporary electronic sounds, alternative rock and improvised music from Poland.
Read more
Stars of Agadez
‘Agadez’ by Etran de L’Aïr is a perfect example of danceable guitar music with a social message related to nomadic culture and migration. Theoretically about North Africa, practically about the whole world today.
Read more
The best of 2021
Festival returns, remotely recorded albums, music highlighting local identity. My summary of 2021 in a few conclusions, 21 albums, 10 compilations and 10 songs.
Read more
The best (Patrick Shiroishi) records of 2021
From lyrical minimalism and soft melodies to black metal, free music and the landscape of everyday rituals. I have chosen five most interesting records released last year by Patrick Shiroishi – one of the most active musicians of 2021.
Read more
Sourdure: living tradition, not a museum
– A lot of stuff is melted together but in the music of La Nòvia, Cocanha, even in my music there’s this idea of doing actually traditional music, living traditional music. I think it’s because we are a generation that wasn’t cut off from traditional culture. It’s not about making a museum, it’s about putting a lot of yourself into it – says Ernest Bergez, composer, vocalist and creator of the Sourdure, Kaumwald, Tanz Mein Herz and Orgue Agnès.
Read more
Tell me your story. Le Guess Who? 2021
As one of the few festivals organised in a pandemic, Le Guess Who? ends up a winner in these troubled times. Organisationally efficient, with a varied programme, and it positively disenchants how a festival can be understood today.
Read more
9 greats: futurism, free, site-specific, minimalism and songs
Futuristic sounds, sound sculpture, songs for quartet, unobvious percussion performances or electronics played on the piano. Here are 9 albums on which jazz is theoretically the starting point, but which lead into original compositional areas.
Read more
Music from water tanks and an empty bridge
In finding spaces with unobvious acoustic properties, the Germans seem to have no equals. I write shortly about three albums, recorded in unusual circumstances.
Read more
10 reasons for Le Guess Who?
After many years of trying, I will finally be able to visit the Le Guess Who? festival, which will take place in Utrecht. Here are the 10 concerts I’m most looking forward to between 11 and 14 November.
Read more