The Shovel Dance Collective The Shovel Dance Memento mori lurk everywhere in the London-based nonet’s sombre excavation of traditional songs from the British Isles The Shovel Dance by Shovel Dance Collective The Shovel Dance Collective’s raison d’être is to find hidden queer hist … | Continue reading
Tariq Goddard finds himself not just entertained but understood by Matt Johnson as he sees him perform new The The album Ensoulment in full before a run of greatest hits. But, in an era where music has ceded its centrality in everyday life, were he and 5000 others packed into an … | Continue reading
As Sonic Cathedral prepare for a run of birthday gigs and a box set release, founder Nat Cramp reflects on how shoegaze went from being a dirty word to darlings of Gen Z via a new generation of artists like Whitelands, pictured here. Have a listen to a specially-compiled Spotify … | Continue reading
Marking 50 years since Millie Jackson's Caught Up, Matthew Lindsay dives into a deep soul masterpiece, and explores the trope of the ‘other woman’ in soul, via Doris Duke, Irma Thomas and more “The women came to see me. The men hated me. On Saturday morning when the men done stay … | Continue reading
The word 'ambient' is a misdirection worthy of the greatest illusionist, says John Doran, SAW2 is the work of a modern electronic composer, intent on destroying the boundaries between himself and the material of Cornwall which inspired him Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expand … | Continue reading
In the latest edition of New Voices Ukraine, tQ's new collaboration with 20ft Radio, Neformat, the British Council and Ukrainian Institute, Yaryna Denysyuk and Kseniia Yanus examine the radio stations, small events and music schools that are forming the heart of Ukraine’s undergr … | Continue reading
Jennifer Walshe/Kurt Schwitters URSONATE%24 Jennifer Walshe tackles the notoriously difficult sound poetry of Kurt Schwitters – with a little help from some AI URSONATE%24 by Kurt Schwitters, Jennifer Walshe Kurt Schwitters’ sound poem Ursonate is a forty-minute stream of made-up … | Continue reading
Mark Templeton Two Verses The Edmonton-born electronic music artist may be sampling muzak, but he’s certainly not making muzak, finds Levi Dayan Two Verses by Mark Templeton Canadian sound artist Mark Templeton has always maintained a sense of dualism in his work. His usage of ta … | Continue reading
'Kingdom Of Discipline' spans performances by the legendary jazz artist from 1971 through to 1990 Live recordings by Sun Ra & His Arkestra have been collected on a new album, titled Kingdom Of Discipline. The seven-track record spans performances by the legendary jazz artist and … | Continue reading
Portuguese sound artist Ana Lua Caiano and Nordic experimental trio FIRE! are among those playing next year's event Screenshot Tremor, the five-day festival which takes place on the Azores island of São Miguel, has confirmed the first wave of acts playing its 2025 edition in Apri … | Continue reading
The group play gigs in Bristol, Todmorden and London next month The legendary hurdy-gurdy powered kraut/psych/folk/drone band France have announced three hugely anticipated English shows next month. Though they’ve been operational for two decades, these November shows will be the … | Continue reading
It's a re-recorded and rearranged version of 'Funeral For Justice' Mdou Moctar are releasing a new album, Tears Of Injustice. Spanning eight tracks, the new record sees the band produce an alternate version of their recently released LP, Funeral For Justice, re-recorded and rearr … | Continue reading
She said it had been a "real privilege to serve Londoners" but it was the right time to move on London's 'night czar' Amy Lamé is standing down from her role after eight years. Announcing her decision, she said the time was right for her to move on but added that it had been a "r … | Continue reading
We left musician Hayden Thorpe and the writer Robert Macfarlane alone to answer the kind of questions they wish they were always asked Music writers. Who needs ’em? We recently had the opportunity to get musician Hayden Thorpe and the acclaimed writer Robert Macfarlane together. … | Continue reading
In this month’s podcast, Luke Turner and John Doran sing the praises of this collection of songs both original and covers, from Grace Jones’ artistic imperial phase, recorded at Nassau's Compass Point Studios in the early 1980s The Quietus’ editors John Doran and Luke Turner head … | Continue reading
CS + Kreme The Butterfly Drinks the Tears of the Tortoise Melbourne two-piece take a drift through pastoral worlds of sound The Butterfly Drinks The Tears Of The Tortoise by CS + Kreme In 1958 Guy Debord defined the dérive as an exploration where participants “let themselves be d … | Continue reading
Following soundtracks for Louise Bourgeois, Sonia Gonzalez, and Kevin Hegge, members of Wire and Electrelane unite for a new project that has Will Salmon under its strange spell Photo credit: Holly Whitaker For an apparently new band, Memorials have a surprisingly long history. V … | Continue reading
Hill has been accused of fraud and breach of contract in relation to the cancelled reunion tour Lauryn Hill is being sued by her Fugees co-member Pras Michél in relation to a cancelled reunion tour that had been due to take place through late 2023 into 2024. Michél's lawsuit clai … | Continue reading
From the intensity of working with Scott Walker, to the transformative thrill of seeing Joy Division live, via Mahler, Brel and Bowie, former Virgin Prunes frontman Gavin Friday takes Julian Marszalek through the 13 albums that shaped him Gavin Friday is very entertaining company … | Continue reading
Ahead of a show at this year’s Sensoria Festival in Sheffield Kirsten Norrie, aka MacGillivray, talks to John Doran about her elemental multi-disciplinary practice drawing together folklore, poetry, music and film making. Main portrait by Zanne Chaudhry Kristján Norge’s problems … | Continue reading
Stephen Malkmus and Emmett Kelly speak to Brian Coney about how how a Magma belt buckle helped form the genesis of their new band with Matt Sweeney and Jim White, and whether they're the 'anti-Them Crooked Vultures' Photo by Atiba Jefferson “The Travelling Wilburys just wanted to … | Continue reading
Sex Swing Golden Triangle Triumphant return for noise rock sextet – perhaps their fleshiest record so far, finds Alex Deller Golden Triangle by Sex Swing Sex Swing resurface much like a dubious stain that refuses to be scrubbed from your best pair of trousers. As with said stain, … | Continue reading
Alan Sparhawk White Roses, My God Low frontman tries to put the pieces back together White Roses, My God by Alan Sparhawk How do you make sense of the unanswered questions and all-engulfing sadness that comes with losing someone? What do you do when everything feels like it’s dis … | Continue reading
It's out on November 8 Claire Rousay is releasing a reimagined score for Slovakian animator Viktor Kubal's 1980 film The Bloody Lady. Spanning 11 tracks, the score was produced by Rousay at her home studio over much of 2023, with work on it beginning immediately after she relocat … | Continue reading
The seven-track 'From Behind' features music recorded by the late artist during his most productive period of 1980-82 US label Dark Entries is lining up another release of archival material by the late producer Patrick Cowley. From Behind, which spans seven tracks, explores cover … | Continue reading
The three-track release marks the German artist's first full record for the Berlin techno institution Helena Hauff is releasing an EP through Berlin label Tresor. Marking the Hamburg-born DJ and producer's first full outing for the imprint, Multiply Your Absurdities takes in thre … | Continue reading
Here's everything we've covered at The Quietus this month, compiled for the listening pleasure of tQ's subscribers As one of your many, many perks for becoming a Quietus subscriber, we're compiling a specially-curated, playlist for our readers every month. Across almost more than … | Continue reading
Forty years on from its release – and with the band’s popularity in question more than ever – Wyndham Wallace returns to The Unforgettable Fire, U2’s incendiary denial of expectations and their first encounter with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. (This feature was original … | Continue reading
Rubber Oh SOIL Of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Sam Grant gets his hands dirty (and his embroidery) SOIL by Rubber Oh “Another damn’d, thick, square book! Always scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh, Mr Gibbon?” Thus spoke William Henry, Duke of Gloucester to the historian Edwa … | Continue reading
Recorded at King Crimson’s nadir, Red looked destined to be just another forgotten final album, its release playing second fiddle to Robert Fripp’s idiosyncratic “retirement”. 50 years later, its influence is immeasurable, the perfect distillation of what’s possible from a rock t … | Continue reading
In his latest round-up of all things heavy, Kez Whelan salutes the return of Wormrot's original line-up, and reviews brutal new LPs from Black Curse, Trelldom and more Immortal Bird, photo by Vanessa Valadez I know you’re probably sick of music writers harping on endlessly about … | Continue reading
In summer 2023, death metallers Blood Incantation decamped to Berlin’s Hansa studios to record groundbreaking new album, Absolute Elsewhere. Isaac Faulk talks to Dan Franklin about how pushing at the boundaries of what a band can be and a near-disaster with an untied shoelace wen … | Continue reading
Ahead of a 30th anniversary reissue, Darran Anderson casts a caustic eye over feverish cash-driven nostalgia for the big-hitters of 1994, reserving praise for Suede, who, despite the odds being stacked against them, got it exactly right with their second album It’s the late 1650s … | Continue reading
Geordie Greep The New Sound Ex-Black Midi frontman shuffles of his band and let's loose, but has he has lost his way in the process, asks Zara Hedderman The New Sound by Geordie Greep I can’t imagine many people had Geordie Greep, frontman of experimental London four-piece black … | Continue reading
From algorithmic recommender systems to on-demand access, Spotify’s former Data Alchemist Glenn McDonald breaks down how streaming influences music discovery and listening behaviour The website Every Noise at Once is any music geek’s dream: an interactive map of Spotify’s music c … | Continue reading
tQ's staffers pick out their favourite albums and tracks of the last month, from glorious noise to tender melody As the intensity of festival season subsides, and as a dedicated hater of weather over 17 degrees, the coming of Autumn always feels like a time of refreshment and rep … | Continue reading
Distant Call is Broadcast’s most intimate and revelatory release, says Irina Shtreis, who delves into a new collection of the band’s demos Announced as Broadcast’s last release, Distant Call opens with appropriate poignancy, with a demo version of ‘Tears In The Typing Pool’ from … | Continue reading
The Waeve City Lights On their second album, Rose Elinor Dougall and Graham Coxon are operating with a significantly expanded palette, finds Hayley Scott City Lights by The WAEVE City Lights, the second album from Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougal’s The Waeve, opens with the to … | Continue reading
With a post punk pedigree that stretches back to the origins of 4AD, The Wolfgang Press have made their first album for nearly 30 years, and the only thing it has in common with its predecessors is that it sounds nothing like them, they tell Wesley Doyle When it comes to writing … | Continue reading
Plus further Songs Of A Lost World album details Photo via Wikimedia Commons After weeks of teasing with postcards, pub signs and cryptic web tasks, The Cure have unveiled new song 'Alone', which you can listen to via a multitude of platforms here or via the lyric video on tQ bel … | Continue reading
Vanessa Okoth-Obbo gets to grips with the divisive ‘trip hop’ label while celebrating Protection, Massive Attack’s second album, 30 years on In late August, Massive Attack attempted something ambitious: a large-scale, low carbon music festival. The Bristol band, long vocal about … | Continue reading
Top tips for independent label success plus details of big birthday gig Sex Swing photographed by Steve Gullick On 5 October 2024 the good people of God Unknown are taking over the fantastic Trades Hall venue in Walthamstow, London for a nearly-all-day gig in celebration of a dec … | Continue reading
Ibukun Sunday Harmony / Balance The Nigerian electronic musician’s new album for Phantom Limb uses texture to ponder humanity’s best and worst impulses, writes Skye Butchard Harmony / Balance by Ibukun Sunday In Harmony / Balance, we’re in the midst of a battle. The battle can ne … | Continue reading
It may be the duo's most accessible album in years, but it sacrifices none of their signature weird intensity, finds Claire Biddles A few months ago, a new friend asked me to make them a Xiu Xiu mix. They were understandably intimidated by the group’s output – an album every year … | Continue reading
As they release a blistering new EP exclusively to tQ subscribers, The None speak to Stephanie Phillips about band tattoos and making things ugly Photo by Vogon Laundromat Sitting in a dimly lit, gentrified bar in a formally industrial area of Birmingham, ex Bloc Party and Young … | Continue reading
More than 33,000 sound effects from the broadcaster's vast library can now be accessed online The BBC has expanded its free-to-use sound effects library. The extensive archive was initially opened to the public in 2018, with around 16,000 sounds initially made available online. I … | Continue reading
It presents a series of short stories focused on the major social changes that the Netherlands underwent in the mid-00s tQ contributor Richard Foster has penned a new book, titled The Punk Rock Birdwatching Club. Billed as a successor to his 2022 title Flower Factory, this new bo … | Continue reading
They've also released lead single 'Everybody Worldwide' Enigmatic electronic music duo Two Shell have shared details of their long-awaited debut album. As is customary with the pair, details of the record's tracklisting are light on the ground, but they've released lead single 'E … | Continue reading