Crucial Listening

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#160: Brian Cook (Sumac, Russian Circles, Botch) Jul 27, 2024

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Proto-disco black hole disintegration, leaving in the flubs, "Shake Your Hips" at number 3. The American bassist discusses three important albums.

Brian's picks:

Can – Soon Over Babaluma
His Hero Is Gone – Fifteen Counts Of Arson
The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main St.

The new Sumac album is called The Healer, and it's out now on Thrill Jockey. Check it out here or on Bandcamp. Find Brian on X and Instagram.

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#159: Tashi Wada Jul 13, 2024

Show notes

Life partner collaborations, Alice Coltrane signature bends, nomadic explorations in tuning. The Los Angeles-based musician discusses three important albums.

Tashi's picks:

Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show – Revenge: The Bigger The Love The Greater The Hate
Alice Coltrane – Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972
Laurie Spiegel – Obsolete Systems

Tashi's new album, What Is Not Strange?, is out now on RVNG Intl. Check it out here. Tashi is also on Instagram and X.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#158: Jennifer Walshe Jun 29, 2024

Show notes

Making work out of bones, Bach in intergalactic excess, pre-admin ABC karaoke. The composer and improviser discusses three important albums.

Jennifer's picks:

Meredith Monk – Our Lady Of Late
Voyager – The Golden Record
ABC – The Lexicon Of Love

Jennifer's collaboration with Tony Conrad, In The Merry Month Of May, is out now on Drag City affiliate label Blue Chopsticks. Check it out on Bandcamp. Jennifer's website is here and she's on X as @JenniferWalshe.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#157: Nicole Rampersaud Jun 15, 2024

Show notes

Fountains of ideas, mind blown in Rap City, candy wrapper responses. The New Brunswick-based trumpet player, improviser and composer discusses three important albums.

Nicole's picks:

Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil
A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory
Steve Lacy – Snips: Live at Environ

Nicole's album Saudade is out on Ansible Editions. Check it out on Bandcamp. Find all of Nicole's other links (socials, website) right here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#156: Michelle Moeller Jun 01, 2024

Show notes

Dizzy rhythms, slippery transitions, sincerity and playfulness. The Oakland-based composer and performer discusses three important albums.

Michelle's picks:

Zeena Parkins – Zeena Parkins and The Adorables
Duke Ellington – The Best Of Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra
Caetano Veloso – Transa

Michelle's new record, Late Morning, is out now on AKP Recordings. Check it out on Bandcamp. Her website is here and she's also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#155: Adam Wiltzie May 18, 2024

Show notes

Obstetric ambient, sullen atmospheres, episodic engulfment. The classical ambient composer discusses three important albums.

Adam's picks:

Environments (Irv Teibel) – Environments 2
Talk Talk – Spirit Of Eden
Main – Hz

Adam's new album, Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal, is out now on Kranky. Check it out on his Bandcamp. Adam's website is here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#154: Kenneth Kirschner May 04, 2024

Show notes

Train breakdown Feldman epiphanies, radical flatness in the primeval forest, the Gary Numan barracks theft. The New York-based composer discusses three important albums.

Kenneth's picks:

Gary Numan – The Pleasure Principle
Morton Feldman (Kronos Quartet with Aki Takahashi) – Piano And String Quartet
Glenn Gould – Bach: The Goldberg Variations (1955)

Kenneth's new album, Three Cellos, is the first instalment in Greyfade's FOLIO series: a hardcover book and a high resolution download. Check it out here or over on Bandcamp. Kenneth's website is over here.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#153: Madeleine Cocolas Apr 20, 2024

Show notes

Aggressive pianos, bursting arpeggios, music for the cool kids. The Australian composer and producer discusses three important albums.

Madeleine's picks:

Philip Glass – Glassworks
Dirty Three – Whatever You Love, You Are
Tim Hecker – Virgins

Madeleine's new album, Bodies, is out now on Room40. Check it out on her Bandcamp. Her website is here and she's also Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#152: Black Brunswicker Apr 06, 2024

Show notes

Black metal for midwest drives, post-apocalyptic collage, ragas for John. The Manchester, UK-based ambient folk artist discusses three important albums.

Ethan's picks:

Wolves In The Throne Room – Two Hunters
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – F# A# ∞
Pelt – Ayahuasca

The new Black Brunswicker EP, A Moment Of Clarity, is out April 26th on Nettwerk. You can hear several tracks over on the Black Brunswicker bandcamp, and also see a couple of official videos over on Youtube. Ethan is also on Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

#151: Sara Bigdeli Shamloo (9T Antiope) Mar 23, 2024

Show notes

Cathartic tragedies, dog-eating opera, guitar improviser spirit animals. The vocalist, lyricist and composer from 9T Antiope discusses three important albums.

Sara and Nima's picks:

Scott Walker & Sunn O))) – Soused
Ben Frost – The Wasp Factory
Sidsel Endresen & Stian Westerhus – Bonita

The new 9T Antiope album, Horror Vacui, is out 12th April on American Dreams. Check it out here. 9T Antiope is on Twitter. Sara is on Twitter and Instagram.

Donate to Crucial Listening on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening

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