I enjoy the improvisational guitar playing of George Christian, but this release takes a different direction. It feels less like a complete improvisational album and more like demo tapes from a band inspired by the Velvet Underground. There are psychedelic elements throughout, giving it a primal quality.
Music
Alio Die – The Fairy Tale Theater
Alio Die, Italy’s renowned creator of ambient music, presents his latest album. This release is far more lush and vibrant than expected.
The Secret Society of the Sonic Six – Pickup EP
The Secret Society of the Sonic Six was one of Los Angeles’ greatest bands. They were something like a jitter-funk version of Tuxedomoon and early Yello with the foundation of a hip B-movie soundtrack vibe. They were stunning onstage, and I really do hope that they start playing again.
Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu Plays Mulatu
Today is a joyful day because I finally get to listen to an album I’ve been eagerly anticipating for months. The Ethiopian musical genius Mulatu Astatke has released a new album featuring 11 tracks, showcasing the distinctive instrumentation that defines his unique sound. From his Bandcamp site: “Mulatu Plays Mulatu realises Continue Reading
Antonio Russek, Raúl Pavón, Roberto Morales, Vicente Rojo Cama – Música Electroacústica Mexicana
Although the price for the download is somewhat steep at around $40, the single track by Antonio Russek included in this compilation, released by Aurora Central Records, is an excellent example of Mexican electroacoustic music—a genre that often flies under the radar and doesn’t receive much attention.
BlindººCoyote – Improv in Minor/Major 7th Clusters
Our dear friend Drem Bruinsma, currently performing under the name BlindººCoyote, has released a single track of improvisations. This piece features abstract music infused with glitch-hop influences. It evokes the nostalgic feel of the Made To Measure albums from the 1980s, bringing back some fond memories.
Various Artists – Petroglyph Music: The September Equinox 2025
Petroglyph Records is a microlabel from Norway, run by musician and composer Øystein Q. Jørgensen. This compilation celebrates the summer equinox and features some of my old favorites, including Ilir Lluka, Wilfried Hanrath, Michael Brueckner, Ian Craig, and Mimmo D’Ippolito, among other outstanding artists.
Mirocaw – Phytophthora Ramorum
This release is undoubtedly one of the spookiest of the year. Mirocaw hails from Moscow, Russia, and their music can be best described as eerie and unsettling. It evokes that feeling you get when walking through a dark swamp, sensing that something is watching you, intent on your destruction. It’s Continue Reading
American Football – American Football (25th Anniversary Edition)
From the band’s Bandcamp site: “American Football cut its first—and, for a long time, only—LP in four days, as the spring of 1999 slid into summer. Steve Holmes, Steve Lamos, and Mike Kinsella were college kids who knew that as soon as their album of spacious and tenderly sad songs Continue Reading
Slava Lobanov & Peter Shalamov – Garden of Flowing Streams
From the Slawic Group’s Bandcamp site: “The debut jazz recording by the duo of Slava Lobanov (of Fuzziliers, Juice Oh Yeah, Pereuchyot, the Flash Fever) and young pianist Peter Shalamov, who met in Istanbul where they relocated to after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is inspired predominantly by iconic recordings Continue Reading