Crucial Listening

Raga of the spine, stretched like honey dripping, body-recalibration drones. The Mexico-born, Chicago-based visual and sound artist discusses three important albums.

Rocio's picks:

Weyes Bluhd – Strange Chalices Of Seeing
Carl Stone – Mom's
David First – Privacy Issues (droneworks 1996 – 2009)

Rocio's debut album, Invisible Miracles, is out now on Monastral. Check it out over here. Rocio has a website and is also on Instagram.

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Haunting organs, sitting inside tape loops, endless questions. The Oslo-based multidisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Jenny's picks:

Henning Christiansen –  Op. 50 Requiem Of Art (Aus "Celtic") Fluxorum Organum II
Robert Ashley – Private Parts
Lost Girls –  Menneskekollektivet

Jenny's new album, Here Is Always Somewhere Else, is out now via Breton Cassette. Check it out on Bandcamp. Jenny's website is here, and she's also on Instagram.

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Feedback as praxis, weird fragments, the first true drone show. The Cree, Canadian, interdisciplinary artist and sound designer discusses three important albums.

Chloe's picks:

Les Rallizes Denudes – Mizutani
Coil – Backwards (Demos)
Phill Niblock – Music

Chloe's new album, They Can Never Burn The Stars, is out now on SIGE. Follow her on Instagram here.

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Black metal vs Aphex Twin, sad tape loops, the best screamo of all time. The UK-based artist and multi-instrumentalist discusses three important albums.

Zen's picks:

The Appleseed Cast – Low Level Owl, Vol. 1
Welcome The Plague Year – S/T
Everyday Loneliness – Appropriation

Cremation Lily's new album, Dreams Drenched In Static, is out now on The Flenser. Check it out here. Follow Cremation Lily on Twitter and Instagram. Their Linktree is here.

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Earth-shifting philosophies, wordless shoegaze treasures, cinematic heartache. The MC and producer discusses three important albums.

Will's picks:

Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded / By All Means Necessary
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – Turning Into Small
Tom Petty – Wildflowers

Check out Dälek's new album, Precipice, over on Bandcamp (along with all their other incredible records). Follow Dälek on Facebook and Instagram.

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Septic-tank-prog roadtrips, poop jokes written backwards, a literal anvil. The Oregon-based composer, multimedia artist, instructor and champion of friendship discusses three important albums.

Vern's picks:

Yes – Fragile
Pamelia Kurstin – Thinking Out Loud
Harvey Milk – My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment Of What My Love Could Be

Go have your mind whirled by Vern's website. The Avola bandcamp is here, and the Instagram is here.

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A weaving of voices, moments of pure connection, sibling influences. The Narrm/Melbourne-based drummer and composer discusses three important albums.

Maria's picks:

The Necks – Open
Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda
Tyondai Braxton – HIVE1

Maria's new album For Leolanda is out now on ROOM40. Check it out here, along with her other works. Maria's website is over here.

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Myspace discoveries, kaleidoscopic sonics, the beam shining through. The Yokohama-born, London-based producer discusses three important albums.

Hinako's picks:

The Knife – Silent Shout
Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms
Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Keyboard Fantasies

Hinako Omori's new album, a journey... is out now on Houndstooth. Check it out on Bandcamp. Hinako's website is here, and her Instagram is here.

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Reaching beyond our world, the thing in all its magnificence, the butterfly on your hand. The violinist, composer, improviser and interdisciplinary artist discusses three important albums.

Biliana's picks:

Sofia Gubaidulina – Offertorium
Frances-Marie Uitti – Utopian Spaces
Rhodri Davies, David Sylvian, Mark Wastell – There Is No Love

Read about Biliana’s DUOS series here, and check out the releases on her Bandcamp – including the most recent instalment with Leila Bordreuil. She's also on Instagram.

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

Relevant to this episode is this documentation of Uitti and Voutchkova performing at DARA String Festival in 2020.

Divine possession, accessing a communal psyche, opening quantum windows. The guitar player and electroacoustic composer discusses three important albums.

Stefano's picks:

Franco Battiato – La voce del Padrone
Loren Connors – Sails
Bernard Parmegiani – De Natura Sonorum

Stefano's new album is out now on Die Schachtel, complete with some seriously gorgeous artwork. Get the vinyl/CD here, or digital via Stefano's own Bandcamp.

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