Negative criticism is frequently considered the reason music journalism sucks, but it's really the opposite! - Danielle Chelosky on The Vitality of Negative Criticism - music journalism sucks, and mostly because of too much positive criticism!

"It's unmanageable": How the vinyl industry reached breaking point Increased demand, plus the rising prices of raw materials, have led to huge delays at record pressing plants. When will the vinyl bubble burst? - article New Statesman

Bespoke Synth - a modular DAW for Mac, Windows, and Linux

Are Three-Minute Songs Bad For Music?

Hat tip: Music Journalism Insider

Carsten Jost - /fɔːl/

Hat tip: @mnmlssgs

Variations w/KMRU : PITA

New and recent releases worth investigating: the exquisite HTRK album Rhinstones, the third installment of Martyn-mentored compilations It Was Always There Vol 3 (also Vol 1 and Vol 2), Antiphonals by Sarah Davachi, Ambient and acoustic compilation from New York label RVNG Intl. called Salutations and a massive 100-track Ambient selection from Thet Liturgiske Owäsendet called Sleep Studies (prj. Theta Prism) (name your price too).

The Chic Effect - Simon Reynolds casts a LED light over the ongoing legacy of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards

Digital Blues: The Day-to-Day Challenges of Music Sharing - Part I - Metadata - Shawn Reynaldo on the importance of labelling and tagging digital music files. First in a three-part series with further investigation coming on music storage and music sharing.

Drug harm minimisation is more important for UK clubs than ever. The policies around it need to change - DJ Mag long-read by Ed Gillett

Great writers on the power of music - including wise words from Vonnegut, Huxley and Nietzsche, among others

Global Communication’s Tom Middleton has announced GCOM, a new solo project on !K7, with the inaugural release, E2-XO, due out on 29th October. Ten years in the making, it's one of the most complex pieces of work he's produced (technically and conceptually). I've had a quick listen through and it sounds extremely lush and well-produced, with a mix of Ambient, orchestral and upbeat tracks.

Rohs! Records are giving away eleven Dub Techno releases (both albums and EPs) for 1€ each. The list includes:

• Warmth - Ash
• Fabio Scalabroni - Roots EP
• Desove - Tier One (Remastered Version)
• Various Artists #1
• Aura Fresh - Beyond The Five Senses
• Kuba Sojka - Inside The Soundscape
• Obsolete Technology - Radiant
• Desove - Cruising
• Xoki & Hieronymus - Magnetic
• Tears Of Change + Hatti Vatti + B. Moeller + Merv - FIGURE
• Beat Pharmacy - Tides

The deal lasts for a week, so if this label is new to you, get in there right away!

"A disastrous rave in a refugee squat sends shockwaves through Paris. Left to clean up the mess, refugees now face eviction"

From pipecock's post on the Short Attention mix series, I've discovered a bunch of new mixes to check out.

Also: Short Attention Soundcloud

Slam launch a new series on Friday this week called Louder Than Chaos. The first of five volumes features collaborations with 999999999, Hector Oaks and Optic Nerve (aka Keith Tucker). Future releases will see the Glaswegian duo work with Amelie Lens, Rebekah, AnD and Perc.

I've been drawn to the shimmering synth work on Marcel Sletten's debut album Vicious Kisses regularly in the last few weeks. The US artist makes blissful Ambient music, like sinking into a luxurious bed and contemplating only pleasant thoughts. Out now on sound as language.

Lovely downbeat vibes on this "Sunday Mix" by Claudio PRC for Crack Magazine

The 10 Best Autechre tracks, according to Nite Jewel - Oversteps is her fav Autechre album

#PHANTASYMIX 40: Nadia Struiwigh

Inside Don Letts' record collection - in preparation for his new Late Night Tales compilation, Version Excursion the Rebel Dread takes us through the inspiration behind the selection

Ocoeur presents the 300th podcast mix from Headphone Commute - an hour of Ambient and Electronica

North West Rising: Greater Manchester's underground music scene checks in - featuring Blackhaine from Space Afrika's new album

Here's another gorgeous Six Tracks #9 for you with:

1. Japanese new age Ambient from Motohiko Hamase, taken from his Intaglio album
2. On Dutch label Nous'klaer Audio, a taster from the upcoming Kems Kriol EP Equanimity - tablas with a middle eastern vibe and Wantee Teelapa on vocals
3. From new album Grassroots by The Untouchables, time for some deep Drum and Bass (via Samurai Music)
4. Danish artist Anastasia Kristensen with a seriously good Drum and Bass and Electronica hybrid, from her upcoming Volshebno EP (on Houndstooth)
5. Son Lux gets a weird and wonky remix from Black Taffy of their track Unbind... and it's simply superb! Taken from the first of two reworks EPs
6. Lastly, in gritty Ambient fashion, this is Matrixxman's contribution to the Stone Techno series. Sounds for Rocks is the lead track on the second EP (which also includes RØDHÅD, Yan Cook and VNNN.)

Alda - a text-based programming language for music composition

If Electronica is your thing Submersion Therapy by Negative Response is the first new material from the eighties post-Punk band since 2017's Oblique Angles.

Joe Muggs has been Celebrating 10 Years of Iconoclastic Dance Label 100% SILK