Alan Ranta

Professional ranter since 2004. Words in PopMatters, Bandcamp and Exclaim!, among other outlets. Longtime Polaris Prize juror.
The 15 Best Electronic Albums of 2014

The 15 Best Electronic Albums of 2014

The best electronic music of 2014 could be found in thoughtful experimentation and dancefloor-ready fun. But the ones who led the way were the pioneers.

Will Gregory Moog Ensemble Goes to the Symphony

Will Gregory Moog Ensemble Goes to the Symphony

Sent back through a wormhole from the distant future by mad synth scientists, the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble, this Heat Ray is a weapon of unknowable power.

The 12 Best Library Music Albums of 2023

The 12 Best Library Music Albums of 2023

When it comes to library music, human generosity and creativity have no bounds. There’s always more to discover. This “background music” demands closer attention.

The 10 Best Library Music Albums of 2022

The 10 Best Library Music Albums of 2022

The following ten best library music albums are bursting with largely instrumental, deeply cinematic tunes that’ll suit a gamut of possible occasions.

POP Montreal International Music Festival 2022

POP Montreal International Music Festival 2022

For POP Montreal 2022 over 400 artists and 60,000 fans spread out across five days and dozens of venues across Quebec’s most storied city.

The Advisory Circle Seem Less Haunted on ‘Full Circle’

The Advisory Circle Seem Less Haunted on ‘Full Circle’

The Advisory Circle’s Full Circle tunes in, drones on, and drops out. It’s less evocative of the hauntology aesthetic and more of a contemporary ambient electronic album.

Perera Elsewhere Goes Elsewhere on ‘Home’

Perera Elsewhere Goes Elsewhere on ‘Home’

Toning down the doom-folk, Perera Elsewhere grounds Home‘s sound closer in line with the vibe of her DJ sets, aiming for more rise than fall in the mix.

Kainalu Looks on the Bright Side with “Intuitions / Inhibitions” (premiere)

Kainalu Looks on the Bright Side with “Intuitions / Inhibitions” (premiere)

Kainalu’s warm style of simmering psychedelic yacht-funk powers “Intuitions / Inhibitions” with its nourishing blend of style and substance.

Sly5thAve and Roberto Verástegui’s Refreshing “Agua de Jamaica” (PREMIERE)

Sly5thAve and Roberto Verástegui’s Refreshing “Agua de Jamaica” (PREMIERE)

Sly5thAve and Roberto Verástegui capture something improbable, the ineffable essence of an afternoon that speaks beyond time, place, language, and culture.

Meridian Brothers Protest “La Policia” Live (premiere)

Meridian Brothers Protest “La Policia” Live (premiere)

Meridian Brothers crush “La Policia” live at Bogotá’s Matik Matik, a funky little venue that serves homemade flavored rums and experimental music.

The 10 Best Electronic Albums of 2011

The 10 Best Electronic Albums of 2011

Our electronic music experts pick the best albums from 2011 when the genre ranged widely and wildly from ADD dance music to the last great pure dubstep record.

Darlene Shrugg – “Inherit the Wind” (video) (premiere)

Darlene Shrugg – “Inherit the Wind” (video) (premiere)

Canadian supergroup Darlene Shrugg's chemistry is lysergic, organic, and electric. They don't take drugs; they are drugs.