A Closer Listen with their Ambient Spring Music Preview

You're keeping up with Dr Sean Albiez's Substack Song of the Atom: Electronic Music before 1945, in which he explores early pioneering work in the field of electronic music. In Toward a New Music he looks at the work (and book) of Carlos Chavez.

Human After All: City of Clowns by Marie Davidson - a superbly written review by Will Salmon

Sketching Venus is Mat Smith from Mortality Tables and An Impermanence is an experimental 54 minute track he made in 2001 for an art event called Turf, in Luton. It now inaugurates a new series called The Impermanence Project.

This is a large-scale collaborative project across different disciplines, where designers, artists, musicians, sound artists, writers, poets and photographers will be invited to respond to the word 'impermanence'.

Although Smith's been challenging artists to respond to his own sound recordings in the long running Life Files series, this new project neatly aligns itself with the hugely successful Quiet Details series (where artists respond to the term 'quiet details') but widens the format of artistic responce. The project will run until December this year and the results will be revealed in an exhibition in 2026.

Emika's Kickstarter campaign How To Make Music Immersive runs until the end of the month. Check out this video where she explains what it's all about

As he prepares for the release of his new album Nebula, Jens Berents Christiansen, aka Danish composer Rumpistol, has created a delightful mix called Stargazer Mixtape, packed with space-themed music. Beautiful stuff.

"When Folk Meets Dub and Reggae" - great selection from Andy Thomas, bringing to light an unexpected musical hybrid you didn't realise you needed in your life. Almost all his recommendations are worth checking out but I particularly liked the sound of Perpetual Musket by Elijah Minnelli, Guanyin by Jah Wobble & Family and Air An Turas by An Dannsa Dub

‪All the Darkroom Dubs compilations are free to download atm, all compiled and mixed by Silicone Soul:

1. Darkroom Dubs Volume One (2005)
2. Darkroom Dubs Vol​​.​​ 2 (2010)
3. Darkroom Dubs Vol​.​ 3 (2013)
4. Darkroom Dubs Vol. IV (2017)
5. Darkroom Dubs Vol. V (2022)

New mix from Christine Ott with a selection of compositions and interpretations from her various collaborations and ensembles.

"Pitchfork Launches Quarterly Print Zine" - costs $25, with the inaugural issue featuring an article on Bladee written by Meaghan Garvey (via)

Over a thousand musicians, including artists like Kate Bush and Damon Albarn, are releasing a silent album (called Is This What We Want?) in protest against proposed UK copyright changes related to artificial intelligence, a change which would leave artist's work open to be used (and abused) without their permission. All profits from the album will go to the charity Help Musicians.

EX.755 Dennis Bovell - the Reggae legend on the Resident Advisor Exchange

An energetic Six Tracks #64 for you, with pure Pop power from Marie Davidson, Ambient Babestation Meltdown & Borai, The Hacker, Ela Minus, Das Beat and Hologram Teen.

1. Marie Davidson - Contrarian
2. Ambient Babestation Meltdown & Borai - Hindsight
3. The Hacker - Turborave
4. Ela Minus - IDOLS
5. Das Beat - Endstation Liebe
6. Hologram Teen - Connection transpacifique

Get 25% of everything from Shall Not Fade... today only. Use code BANDCAMP25

Pumping mix from Too Many Cars on the Feel My Bicep mix series

New monthly podcast called Moor Thoughts Podcast dedicated to exploring Ambient music. Hosted by James Osland and Thomas Hoey, the first episode has guests Harry Towell and Andrew Heath

Tickets for Fyre Festival went on sale this week, but... authorities don't seem to know about it

"Lost Masterpiece Found: Ella Fitzgerald’s 1967 Oakland Coliseum Concert Emerges After Decades in a Vault"

In Notes on Free Jazz (Part 1), Stephan Kunze provides an entry point into the vast world of free improvisation. Using
Ekkehard Jost's 1974 book Free Jazz as his guide he highlights essential listening

Chapter 21: You Have One Doubt, They Call It Treason - in which @wrongtom looks at the revolutionary early years of Roberta Flack's career

Emotional mix from Sandwell District (Regis and Function) honouring Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) featuring contributions from the trio and their close allies, showcasing a blend of new material and favourite songs.

Crisis in Grassroots Music: BRITS winners call for action

I'm absolutely loving this album Oasis of Peace by Tokyo-based artist Pallette - a meditation on Palestine

Still the Problem with Music - Stephan Kunze chimes in with his take on the current state of the music industry

New book: Dance Or Die: A History of Hardcore - the first chronological study of hardcore as a music, a subculture and a way of life, evolving from niche scenes in the UK, the US and Europe to permeate the nightlife industry worldwide

Six Tracks #63 featuring quality Downtempo work from Sa Pa (lead track take from EP The Fool on new label Short Span, run by Matthew Kent from Blowing Up The Workshop), Elori Saxl (a taster from her new original score for the film Texada), Kevin Richard Martin & Dis Fig (a gloriously dark Valentines day gift - pay what you want too), Throbbing Gristle (taken from their upcoming album Live at the Volksbühne, Berlin, New Year's Eve, 2005), DJ Python & Isabella Lovestory (languid beats and Spanish singing/rapping to match) and finally, a nostalgic sounding remix of Om Unit & James Bangura by Amal (taken from the final remixes of the pair's Rushing 1621 series).

1. Sa Pa - Captigon
2. Elori Saxl - It Will Be Gone
3. Kevin Richard Martin / Dis Fig - Silent
4. Throbbing Gristle - Almost a Kiss
5. DJ Python & Isabella Lovestory - Besos Robados
6. Om Unit & James Bangura - Angles (Amal Remix)

Is this the solution to extortionate vinyl production costs? Cut your own records at home

Joe Muggs with a tribute to grime producer Terror Danjah who died recently after a long illness.

Stick with the Weirdos: Marie Davidson’s chooses her favourite books for The Quietus' Baker's Dozen

The Music Business Is Broken, and Everybody Knows It - Shawn Reynaldo

In Jazz: Being Here, Now George Grella claims Jazz represents the cultural strength of America and highlights the contributions of Black Americans to the nation; embodying diversity and creativity. Embracing Jazz means rejecting monoculture and celebrating the rich flavours of American life.

Andrew Ryce interviews Andreo Khedoori about Longform Editions

Wrongtom goes deep on the Sleng Teng riddim backstory. The song "Under Mi Sleng Teng" transformed Reggae and dance music when it debuted, but its origin story is often misunderstood. It was created by Wayne Smith and keyboardist Noel Davey, who accidentally discovered a catchy rhythm on a Casio keyboard. Despite its chaotic beginnings, Sleng Teng paved the way for a new wave of music in Jamaica and beyond.