Sigrid’s Debut ‘Sucker Punch’ Aims for a Knockout
With a punchy, often arena-ready set of songs on Sucker Punch, Sigrid struggles productively and wisely with the efforts life and love demand of us all.
Ian Mathers
Ian Mathers is a writer and editor who lives with his wife and cat in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His work has also appeared in the Village Voice, Stylus Magazine, Dusted, and various other places.
Robert Ashley’s ‘Private Parts’ Remains Hypnotically Inscrutable
The new reissue of American composer Robert Ashley's 1978 quasi-ambient prelude to his later operatic works balances gracefully between quotidian consciousness and graceful profundity in a way that's still not quite like anything else.
Nisennenmondai: #N/A
Japan’s masters of ‘organic techno’ team up with Adrian Sherwood, with results that show their sound can withstand just about anything.
Underworld: Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future
Legendary electronic music duo Underworld make a relaxed, confident, lovely album that's unabashedly themselves.
The Orb: Alpine
Ambient house merrymakers expand a recent compilation track into a brief but potent suite.
Pinkish Black: Bottom of the Morning
Fort Worth duo forges through tragedy to make their uniquely compelling heavy, dark music.
Underworld: Second Toughest in the Infants (Super Deluxe Edition)
Underworld's reissue project continues to do justice to their classic albums with a strong mix of material, unearthing fresh gems, and giving deeper insight into their creative process.
Regis: Manbait
One of techno's leading lights doesn't put out many albums, but compilations like this are, if anything, even better
Van Morrison: Astral Weeks / His Band and the Street Choir
These new re-releases of Morrison's mystical masterwork and its unheralded little brother are especially welcome.
JOBS: killer BOB sings
Agile, noisy experimentalists add a vocalist and get both more straightforward and more daring.
Aidan Baker: The Confessional Tapes
One of heavy music's most prolific and interesting artists makes a quiet, patient album that stands with his best work.
Glenn Branca: The Ascension
A pioneer of massed-guitar music still worth listening to.