experimental

best albums of 2020 Hilary Woods

Hilary Woods finds serenity in violence on “Tongues of Wild Boar”

A gently destructive dirge from the Irish singer/songwriter.

Pharmakon Bestial Burden Blood on the Tracks

Pharmakon’s “Bestial Burden” is a harrowing dirge of survival

The sound of a struggle for survival against one’s own body.

Crowhurst Gavin Bryars stream

Stream the new Crowhurst and Gavin Bryars collaboration, Incoherent American Narrative

Hear the new full-length collaboration between the legendary minimalist composer and the L.A. noise rock/metal artist.

best The Flenser albums - Mamaleek

Mamaleek’s “Eating Unblessed Meat” offers more strange, artful twists on metal

An artful, technologically enhanced and unpredictable direction for metal from the Bay Area band.

Benoit Pioulard Sylva review

Benoit Pioulard : Sylva

A conceptually interesting album that creates space for noise and imagination.

The Body interview

20 Years of Darkness: A conversation with The Body

Lee Buford looks back at the band’s history, their new remix album and exploring mental health through music.

Liturgy new album H.A.Q.Q.

Liturgy releases new album, H.A.Q.Q.

Hear the surprise-released album in full.

Pharmakon self-regulating system

Pharmakon announces European tour dates

The industrial noise artists heads across the Atlantic.

Moor Mother Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes review

Moor Mother – Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes

A dark, powerful triumph that harbors hope and joy amid its intense sonic landscape.

Sufjan Stevens The Decalogues review

Sufjan Stevens & Timo Andres : The Decalogue

A good if minor art music piece that should have us taking an overdue reexamination of Stevens as an artist.

Fires Were Shot Forter Starter premiere

FiRES WERE SHOT craft kaleidoscopic acoustic sounds on “Forter Starter”

Hear a stunning new track from the Austin duo’s new EP.

Sunn O))) Pyroclasts review

Sunn O))) : Pyroclasts

The robed drone duo turn a warm-up session into transcendence.

Alarm Will Sound The Hunger review

Alarm Will Sound/Donnacha Dennehy : The Hunger

A heartbreaking opera that needs no formal training to appreciate.

Nous II track stream

Experimental collective Nous (feat. members of Swans, Liturgy) share climactic new track “Look Again At That Dot”

Hear the new track from the band’s upcoming album (the first of three they have planned).

dry cleaning stumpwork review

Kim Gordon : No Home Record

The former Sonic Youth bassist and vocalist appears to be searching for something new, though it’s not clear that she’s found it.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Ghosteen review Album of the Week

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen

A double-album meditation on grief that’s the prettiest and most devastating album of Cave’s career.

Prurient Halloween album

Prurient and Steve Moore release new Halloween albums via Amazon Music

Hear three spooky new sets from the experimental producers.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds new album Ghosteen announced

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ “Hollywood” is a masterful meditation on loss

The longest and most ominous track from Cave’s latest is one of his most stunning compositions to date.

diamanda galas broken gargoyles review

Mike Patton & Jean-Claude Vannier : Corpse Flower

A record that’s far too safe on one side and too far from perfect on the other.