The Near-Death Inspiration Behind Yann Tiersen’s Life-Affirming New Work
“It’s really simple,” Yann Tiersen explains. “There is no inspiration out of [the location], there is no deeper meaning than to just juxtapose music and places.”
avant-garde
Yann Tiersen’s ‘Kerber’ Is a Sonic Tribute to His Home of Ushant
Yann Tiersen integrates synth elements, redefining his piano arrangements and giving each piece otherworldly layers on Kerber.
Dean Blunt Crafts Another Confounding Work of Avant-Indie Weirdness on ‘Black Metal 2’
Slight but rich in tonal complexities, Dean Blunt’s Black Metal 2 is another musical puzzle box from the enigmatic London musician.
Jessica Ackerley’s ‘Morning/mourning’ Is a Dazzling Journey Through the Grieving Process
The latest solo album from experimental guitarist Jessica Ackerley is an adventurous tribute to two recently departed mentors.
Trees Speak Conjure Up a Mysterious, Hypnotic Sound on ‘PostHuman’
Arizona’s Trees Speak offer up elements of sci-fi, prog rock, krautrock, and Italian film scores on PostHuman, and that’s a good thing.
Intersystems Unleash Their Fourth Album a Mere 53 Years After Their Third
Toronto experimental multimedia collective Intersystems return with a new album that’s just as adventurous and unsettling as the music they made decades ago.
Why Yoko Ono’s Music Matters
Yoko Ono’s story is of a passionate and powerful songwriter and artist. A creative and sensitive musician who worked doggedly to bring her avant-garde aesthetic to pop music and to use her voice to advocate for the rights of women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ people.
Claire Rousay Leans Into a Gentler, More Ambient Sound on ‘A Softer Focus’
Combining field recordings with quiet, droning musical touches, A Softer Focus from experimentalist Claire Rousay may be her strongest work yet.
Senyawa Subvert Industry Conventions on Apocalyptic ‘Alkisah’
Alkisah is DIY from top to bottom, from means of distribution to the homemade instruments Senyawa build and play.
The Urgent, Interdisciplinary Art of Muyassar Kurdi
Be it film, music, movement, or photography, Muyassar Kurdi is dedicated to creating multisensory, interactive experiences for her audiences. PopMatters recently spoke to her about recent projects, her artistic philosophies, and what’s on the horizon.
Steph Richards’ ‘Supersense’ Is Music So Wild You Can Smell It
With her experimental jazz album Supersense, trumpeter Steph Richards may have created the first-ever album that you can smell.
Joshua Chuquimia Crampton’s ‘4’ Is Powerful Landscape Music
Listening to Joshua Chuquimia Crampton is like watching a guitarist perform with a thought bubble over their head. 4 is landscape music, but in a way that draws power from the land rather than just evoking it.