Support The Quietus
Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.
Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.
Our favourite music, country-by-country
In his latest survey of the French music scene, David McKenna takes stock of a tumultuous few months in French politics, picks some recent cultural highlights and reviews culture-straddling music from Marseille as well as new folk, occult rock and an adventurous gamelan ensemble
In the latest edition of our journey through the global underground, Álvaro Molina examines the steadily-diversifying sounds of Chilean DIY, from abstract hip hop to ambient deep listening, and picks out five crucial new releases
In the second instalment of our journey through the global underground, Pedro João Santos delivers a guide to the bold musicians, daring festivals and crucial grassroots collectives that are defining DIY music in Portugal in an era of increasing gentrification, and picks out five key releases
In the first of a new monthly series delving into DIY music scenes across the globe, Patrick St. Michel offers a guide to the experimental pranksters, sonic mish-mashes and technical innovations shaping the Japanese underground, and picks out five key releases
In his latest survey of French releases, David McKenna looks at one of the first great rap releases of the year from Lala &ce, tackles imposing composers and dives into a delightful debut from Franco-Moroccan Hanaa Ouassim. Homepage photo: Hanaa Ouassim by Clara Casero
In his latest dispatch from the French fringes, David McKenna looks at Irish and British labels providing great homes for Gallic experimentalists, cosmopolitan pop, abstract rap and the latest avant-folk releases. Homepage photo: Audrey Carmes by Julia Henderson
In his latest report on the contemporary music scenes of Eastern and Central Europe, Jakub Knera compiles his highlights from Hungary, and talks with artists about the scene, the meaning of ‘underground’, and how they operate under the country’s political situation
In his latest report on contemporary Eastern and Central European music, Jakub Knera explores Lithuania. From extensive archives to the experimental programming of Braille Satellite, he finds a fresh and Dadaist approach to music created with tape loops, hand-made instruments, and even a skateboard
In his latest survey of the French fringes, David McKenna celebrates polyvalent drummer and composer Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, a thrilling Franco-Japanese collaboration, a fusion of folk and reggaeton and French-Algerian R&B. Homepage photo, PoiL Ueda by Paul Bourdrel
In his latest report on the contemporary music scenes of Eastern and Central Europe, Jakub Knera looks at the music scene of Belarus and talks with band Soyuz and the hosts of online station Radio Plato about keeping independent culture alive under governmental oppression
A stunning mid-70s discovery of metamusician Don Cherry found in the GRM vaults, a victory lap for the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and a furious live session from Connecticut are featured in Peter Margasak’s latest round up of jazz and improvised music
Newly unearthed archival recordings of live dates from the 1960s, a profound homage to the swing-and-drag aesthetic of drummer Paul Motian from former collaborators, a new quintet from the veteran Swedish drummer Sven-Åke Johansson, and a thrumming quintet session from drummer Tom Skinner of The Smile are featured in Peter Margasak’s latest round up of jazz and improvised music
Surveying more music from the French fringes, David McKenna looks forward to two shows at Cafe OTO this month and delivers your essential guide to an array of new rap, folk and experimental releases. Homepage photo, Erwan Keravec by Atelier Marge Design
In the fourth part of his report on the contemporary music of Eastern and Central Europe, Jakub Knera digs into the Czech Republic's experimental and avant garde music scene and finds a creative community alive with psychedelic sounds
Recently discovered free jazz gems from Los Angeles and Berlin, orchestral free jazz spiked by West African grooves, folk-jazz tracing the history of indigenous North American Wabanaki people, and dynamic dice-and-splice free jazz assemblages from LA are featured in Peter Margasak’s latest round up of jazz and improvised music.
Reissues of historic free jazz from South African legends the Blue Notes, increasingly sophisticated compositional gambits from virtuoso guitarist Mary Halvorson, finely-tuned intuition from a quartet led by drummer Ches Smith, and solo saxophone evocations of Maria Faust’s childhood memories of an Estonian castle are featured in Peter Margasak’s latest round up of jazz and improvised music
In our new column a number of Ukrainian writers consider their country's music scene during a time of war. To start the series Yaryna Denysyuk, the editor-in-chief of the biggest Ukrainian alternative music website
Furious noise jazz from iconic Japanese guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi, soothing tones from vibraphonist Joel Ross, and language-leaking lyricism from pianist Kaja Draksler highlight Peter Margasak’s latest round-up of improvised sounds
Ukrainian writer Alex Bondarenko writes about 14 "new weird" bands you can discover in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, and Kyiv's underground, plus a resource of humanitarian organisations and charities directly helping those most affected by the conflict
Peter Margasak hopes the music covered here doesn’t just suggest a high bar qualitatively for the year ahead, but that it also signals the worst is behind us, as many of these recordings are imbued with the sort of driving, triumphant spirit that we need to help us get back on our feet
Sign up for a weekly delve into the tQ archives.
