Coincidences are rampant. I recently started reading Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam’s data-driven account of how civic and social life in the United States has hollowed out over the latter half of the 20th century, eroded by a lack of meaningful relationships. Gabriella Smart’s thesis, as expressed in Parasymbiosis, is adjacent to Putnam’s. She pushes back […]

Our Pyroclastic Records overview page is now up and running, consolidating our reviews of that albums. Pyroclastic Records is an independent label founded and run by pianist and composer Kris Davis, dedicated to adventurous jazz and creative music. Its roster features a distinguished lineup of contemporary artists mainly from the New York City area, including […]

A roundup of reviews published at Freq over the last two weeks. Godspeed You! Black Emperor / One Leg One Eye (live at The Troxy) — reviewed by Dave Pettit Tangerine Dream – 50 Years of Phaedra: At The Barbican — reviewed by Gary Parsons Joe Harvey-Whyte and Geir Sundstøl – Langeleik — reviewed by […]

A roundup of reviews published at All About Jazz over the last week. Sylvie Courvoisier – Eclats: Live in Europe (Intakt Records) — reviewed by Glenn Astarita Rich Pelegrin with Neil Welch – Before After (Slow and Steady) — reviewed by Dan McClenaghan Cecil Taylor Unit – Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts (Elemental […]

Brooklyn drummer and composer Devin Gray hits the road for an extensive run of US dates beginning April 27, followed by a return to Europe in mid-May. Gray’s Bandcamp page documents a prolific discography ranging across contexts and configurations. Apr 27 — Freddy’s Backroom, Brooklyn, NY Apr 28 — Rubber Glove, Denton, TX Apr 29 […]

A roundup of reviews published at Fringes of Sound over the last week. Gaspar Serey – Cavernícola — reviewed by Fringes of Sound IEOGM – object misnomers (Molt Fluid) — reviewed by Fringes of Sound Dogs Versus Shadows & Nicholas Langley – 16mm (Strategic Tape Reserve) — reviewed by Fringes of Sound

Our Pat Thomas overview page is now up and running, and compiles our reviews of his material. Pat Thomas is one of the most distinctive and uncompromising figures in contemporary British improvised music. He is a pianist, composer, and electronic musician whose work bridges free jazz, avant-garde composition, electroacoustic experimentation, and the spiritual traditions of […]

Hedvig Mollestad does not seem like someone likely to fade into the background. Yet in her trio Weejuns, she makes a valiant effort at just that. Mollestad is best known as the guitar-hero frontwoman of the Hedvig Mollestad Trio, a guitar-bass-drums unit that serves up metal-tinged jazz. Weejuns, by contrast, tacks toward atmospherics and free […]

A roundup of reviews published at The Elite Extremophile over the last four weeks. Holotropic – Individual (Independent, 2026) — reviewed by TheEliteExtremophile, March 23, 2026 Plantoid – Flare (Bella Union, 2026) — reviewed by TheEliteExtremophile, March 30, 2026 END! Begin – The END! — reviewed by TheEliteExtremophile, April 6, 2026 Mellow Beast – Grimble, […]

A roundup of reviews published at A Closer Listen over the last week. Cole Pulice – Land’s End Eternal (LEAVING, 2026) — reviewed by Joseph Sannicandro, April 11, 2026 Ukrainian Field Notes – LIV — feature by Gianmarco Del Re, April 12, 2026 Meitei – AGATE (Kitchen, 2026) — reviewed by Richard Allen, April 13, […]

Source: Bandcamp Daily. Hesher pals from the suburbs of Seattle, Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley began their high-volume amplifier worship as something of a lark a quarter-century ago, improvising glacially paced riffs on rigs so big that the overtones filled whatever room they were in, a flash-flood of electric sound. Their earliest records had a […]

Three May 15 releases from the French label Cyclic Law. UNDIRHEIMAR – Utisetur I (CD / LP / DL, Cyclic Law, co-released with Zazen Sounds). Utisetur I unfolds as a six-part ritual chant rooted in the ancient meditative practice of Utiseta. Stripping away all instrumentation, Undirheimar constructs the entire album exclusively from layered overtone singing, […]