Crucial Listening

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 SaturnThe Music Improvisation Company – S/TSun Ra – The Magic CityPat 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

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 – TiltMaryanne 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

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 SatinArthur Prysock – Compact JazzThe 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.

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 DistanceEliane Radigue – Vice Versa, etc.Jean-Yves Bosseur – Musique VertesMiki'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

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 – 2AGF – Westernization CompletedGábor'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

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 AndesRobert Wyatt – Old RottenhatTheo Bleckmann And Ben Monder – No BoatWendy'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

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 MortCharlemagne Palestine – Jamaica Heinekens In BrooklynHolly Herndon – PROTOAnnie'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

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 CantarPita – Get OutLow – Double NegativeCarlos' 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).Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

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 MemoriamAMM – The CryptLou Reed & Metallica – LuluMattin'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

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 BabalumaHis Hero Is Gone – Fifteen Counts Of ArsonThe 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

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 HateAlice Coltrane – Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972Laurie Spiegel – Obsolete SystemsTashi'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

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 LateVoyager – The Golden RecordABC – The Lexicon Of LoveJennifer'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

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 EvilA Tribe Called Quest – Low End TheorySteve Lacy – Snips: Live at EnvironNicole's album Saudade is out on Ansible Editions. Check it out on Bandcamp. Find all of Nicole's other links (socials, website) right here.Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

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 OrchestraCaetano Veloso – TransaMichelle'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

Obstetric ambient, sullen atmospheres, episodic engulfment. The classical ambient composer discusses three important albums.Adam's picks: Environments (Irv Teibel) – Environments 2Talk Talk – Spirit Of EdenMain – HzAdam'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

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 PrincipleMorton Feldman (Kronos Quartet with Aki Takahashi) – Piano And String QuartetGlenn 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

Aggressive pianos, bursting arpeggios, music for the cool kids. The Australian composer and producer discusses three important albums.Madeleine's picks:Philip Glass – GlassworksDirty Three – Whatever You Love, You AreTim Hecker – VirginsMadeleine'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

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 HuntersGodspeed You! Black Emperor – F# A# ∞Pelt – AyahuascaThe 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

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))) – SousedBen Frost – The Wasp FactorySidsel Endresen & Stian Westerhus – BonitaThe 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

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 DeumPortishead – DummyGoth-Trad – PsionicsThe 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.Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening