Crucial Listening

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 right here.

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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 / Merciless Destiny. Kush is on Twitter and Facebook.

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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 over at kmru.info. Also be sure check out Black Bandcamp – a crowd-sourced database of black artists and producers on Bandcamp.

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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 Facebook.

Lorena also put together a list of choice records from the Mexican underground:

Black Forest – Kentu Brixtu (2001 – 2011)
Penetración Cósmica – Penetración Cósmica Vol. 1
XYX – Sistema de Terminación Sexual
White Ninja – Guácala los modernos y su electro
Mamá Burger – Pastillitas y Licor
Ratas del Vaticano – Tiempos de Austeridad
Selma Oxor – Selma Oxor

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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, and Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems And Collected Lyrics. His website is here.

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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's on Twitter as @clairerousay.

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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 Instagram at @lilbertucci.

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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 @okkyunglee.

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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 Fail is out now on Rare Bird.

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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.

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