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These are the albums of 2023 that have meant the most to us, alongside our compilations & archives of the year
American minimalist Arnold Dreyblatt discusses his new Drag City album, opening the archives for Black Truffle and the impact of Jim O’Rourke
Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore discusses underground culture shaping his life and how he translated that into a magical music memoir
Live in Brooklyn 2011 documents the last days of Sonic Youth in life-affirming fashion with a deep cuts setlist to kill for
Jim O’Rourke’s eerily captivating motion picture soundtrack for Hands That Bind is a vital addition to his Drag City catalogue
A summer sampling of new and old from Tomorrow Syndicate, Hawksmoor, Lorelle Meets the Obsolete, Special Friend, Black Duck, Come and more
An in-depth conversation with Sonic Youth co-founder Lee Ranaldo on European touring, new collaborations and what’s next from the archives
JD Twitch and Chris Low document anarcho punk with an inspiring compilation of radical music to raise funds for Faslane Peace Camp
David Rowe of prog-rock outfit Plank! talks to Gareth Thompson about new album Future of the Sea on Todmorden label Golden Lion Sounds
These are the fifty albums of 2022 that have meant the most to us, alongside our compilations & archives of the year
CLAIR talks music-making, microdosing and the magic of Glasgow to mark the release of her Body Blossom – Revelations EP
Oli Savill and Leon Stenning of London underground jazz outfit S.O.L.L. talk about their meditative and minimal debut album Mind Reader
A cluster of new and archival musical content from Kayla Painter, Camp of Wolves, Douglas Andrew McCombs, Cosmic Ground, Heavenly and more
Could the origin story of Twin Peaks’ favourite FBI agent be found beyond the picket fences of David Lynch’s 1986 film?
Glasgow based producer Isa Gordon sculpts sound and beats into distinct universes on her mind bending debut LP for Optimo Music
Glasgow new wave of avant-garde artist CLAIR builds on the promise of her debut album with a submersive and ecstatic digital single
A sonically adventurous compilation of underground sounds from 1980s Japan curated by Optimo’s JD Twitch on his Cease & Desist imprint
Australian duo Deyell and Pike soundtrack a pulsating world on the verge of eco-collapse with their new album Isola
A round-up of wild vital sounds, featuring Mr Bongo, Brian Jackson, International Anthem, Analog Africa, Ben Marc, The Trilogy Tapes and more
An all-you-can-eat round-up of sonic dishes from Whin, E, 50 Foot Wave, bdrmm, Hannah Peel & Paraorchestra, Jilk, Bernard Grancher and more
A selection of invigorating and inventive wares from Andy Bell, Modern Studies and Stealing Sheep & The Radiophonic Workshop
A restless seeker and musician, Matchess finds deep aural pathways on Sonescent, her new album of visceral meditations for Drag City
These are the seventy-five albums of 2021 that have meant the most to us, alongside our compilations & archives of the year
Our literature correspondent Chris Bateman goes down the rabbit hole to report back on his ten favourite books of the year
Bristol’s Tara Clerkin Trio further recombine outsider downtempo pop, soundsystems and forward-thinking jazz on In Spring for World of Echo
A spread of sounds from the Second Language and Gare du Nord label families, Marisa Anderson and William Tyler, Blyth and Ghostwriter
Ishmael Ensemble’s new LP Visions of Light is a bold expression of UK jazz without borders, shaped by the sounds and aesthetics of Bristol