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.
avant-garde
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.
Gary Lucas and Nona Hendryx on the World of Captain Beefheart
Guitarist and band leader Gary Lucas and veteran vocalist Nona Hendryx pay tribute to one of rock's originals, Captain Beefheart, in this interview with PopMatters.
Coil’s ‘Musick to Play in the Dark’ Gets a 20th Anniversary Re-Issue
This phase of Coil, explained by them as more "feminine", "lunar consciousness musick" in contrast to their previous "solar" phase, featured extensive use of organs, electric viola, and other synthesizers, a greater range of vocal experimentation.
What Once Sounded Like the Future Still Sounds Fresh on Craig Taborn’s ‘Junk Magic’
Compass Confusion is the long-awaited sequel to Craig Taborn's groundbreaking 2004 recording that mixed jazz, electronica, and new music composition. What once sounded like the future still sounds fresh.
Experimentalist David Grubbs Documents a Live Set with ‘October 19, 2017’
David Grubbs' October 19, 2017 is a live LP released online that showcases a 32-minute solo set to mark the release of that year's Creep Mission LP. It's nothing short of magical.