The Quietus International

Inner Ear: Ukrainian Music For March Reviewed By Jakub Knera

In his latest report from the contemporary music scenes of eastern and central Europe, Jakub Knera looks at Ukraine’s powerful electronic underground

Showing Solidarity With The Ukrainian Underground

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

Complete Communion: Jazz For January Reviewed By Peter Margasak

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

Inner Ear: Polish Music For January Reviewed By Jakub Knera

Jakub Knera looks at contemporary electronic sounds, alternative rock and improvised music from Poland in this new column focusing on central and eastern Europe, including the weird electronica of Piotr Kurek and Wojciech Rusin, the new guitar perspectives of Kurws and Trupa Trupa and analyses how the pandemic inspired Resina and Martyna Basta’s latest albums

Complete Communion: Jazz For November Reviewed By Peter Margasak

As 2021 stumbles towards the finishing line, Peter Margasak is back with more jazz and improvised music, not the least of which is Jeff Parker's lockdown LP

Rockfort! French Music For November Reviewed By David McKenna

In the final look at the French scene in 2021, David McKenna reviews releases from L’Ocelle Mare, Aquaserge and the new star of French drill Ziak, and rounds up a few overlooked gems. Home page photograph: Soporific

Certified Gold: Joshua Minsoo Kim Reviews International Pop Music For November

Joshua Minsoo Kim rounds up the best in avant-garde pop excursions, Chilean art-pop, intergenerational coupé-décalé, and more vital international sounds

Anois, Os Ard: October In Irish Underground Music By Eoin Murray

In our latest transmission from the Irish undergrowth, Eoin Murray considers reclaiming space and Eimear Walshe’s The Land For The People, plus coverage of new shoegaze, "experimental trad" and Autotuned punk

Complete Communion: Jazz For September Reviewed By Peter Margasak

Peter Margasak reviews this month's most notable jazz releases while noting that many of this music's finest practitioners are increasingly rejecting this genre tag as a racist mechanism designed to keep them in a fixed place

Rockfort! French Music For September Reviewed By David McKenna

In his latest look at French releases, David McKenna surveys the effervescent rap scene and reviews a terror-stricken but cathartic album by Rien Virgule, Stranded Horse’s kora-laced folk and a couple of tasty tapes. Home page photo: Ateyaba

New Weird Ukraine Part One: Bringing Home The Bacon

In the first of our reports from the Ukrainian underground, journalist Yaryna Denysyuk reports on punk and post-industrial scenes while drawing attention to feminist and LGTBQI issues as well as drawing some links between smoky bacon and gabber

Certified Gold: Joshua Minsoo Kim Reviews International Pop Music For August

Virginal Korean R&B from pH-1 & Jamie, a Jamaican paypig anthem from Konshens and Spice, hyperpop from Spain and Russia, and more of 2021’s vital international pop music thus far, according to new columnist Joshua Minsoo Kim

Complete Communion: Jazz For July Reviewed By Peter Margasak

While there are great 'pandemic albums' being released now, it’s hard not to gravitate toward records where the charged, spontaneous interplay of musicians feels palpable. Complete Communion has both polarities covered, says Peter Margasak, with some gripping stops in between

Rockfort! French Music For July Reviewed By David McKenna

In his latest French music column, David McKenna gets reacquainted with nouvelle nouvelle chanson singer Mathieu Boogaerts, visits producer NSDOS’s Micro Club and finds energy in the young French jazz scene to rival that in the UK. Home page photograph: Edredon Sensible

Anois, Os Ard: July In Irish Underground Music Reviewed By Eoin Murray

In the tenth edition of our column on the sounds emanating from the Irish undergrowth, Eoin Murray finds arboreal sound art and speaks to Lankum’s Ian Lynch about his Fire Draw Near podcast

Complete Communion: Jazz For May Reviewed By Peter Margasak

Jazz may just be returning to the live stage, says Peter Margasak, but the musicians never stopped producing great music, and this month we cover new work from Maria Grand, Milford Graves & Jason Moran, and the new quartet Hearth

Rockfort! French Music For May Reviewed By David McKenna

David McKenna ponders the influence of Paris’ Seine-Saint-Denis suburb and samples Marseille rap, mongrel folk and prepared pianos. Home page photograph: Sourdure by Eloïse Decazes

Anois, Os Ard: May In Irish Underground Music By Eoin Murray

In the ninth edition of our column on the sounds of Irish undergrowth, Eoin Murray finds culchie surrealism, rural kosmische, acerbic punk, improvised psychedelia, lo-fi hip hop and much more

Complete Communion: Jazz For March Reviewed By Peter Margasak

Complete Communion is back with more jazz releases new and archival from Peter Margasak

Rockfort! French Music For March Reviewed By David McKenna

David McKenna celebrates ten years of the Rockfort column and tackles folk, rap, the dark arts - and classic French Europop

Anois Os Ard: Irish Underground Music For March Reviewed By Eoin Murray

In the eighth edition of our column on the sounds of Irish undergrowth, Eoin Murray finds feverish noise rock, “intelligent frog music”, fictional audio tours, field recordings, folk songs and much more

Complete Communion: Jazz For January Reviewed By Peter Margasak

2021 isn’t exactly off to a promising start after last year’s endless dumpster fire, but jazz and improvised music continues to cope with limitations in creative ways, says Peter Margasak

Complete Communion: The Best Of 2020 In Jazz

Despite a raging pandemic that silenced the stages that jazz requires to thrive and develop, 2020 still produced loads of remarkable music, including albums from Nate Wooley, Susan Alcorn, and Ambrose Akinmusire

Rockfort! The Best Of 2020 In French Music

David McKenna casts his eyes over the year in French music and talks about how culture can't help but interact with current events

Anois, Os Ard: Autumn In Irish Underground Music

In the seventh edition of our column on the sounds of Irish undergrowth, Eoin Murray finds explosive noise rock, field recordings, psychedelic electronics, R&B and much more

Complete Communion: Jazz For November Reviewed By Peter Margasak

Strong new albums from Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl, Nate Wooley’s Seven Storey Mountain, and New Hermitage nonchalantly reach beyond the language of jazz without abandoning its fundamental improvisational core, says Peter Margasak

Rockfort! French Music For October By David McKenna

David McKenna delves into new French folk sounds, cosmic synths, rising French-Algerian producer Sabrina Bellaouel – and an actual bunch of kids

Complete Communion: Jazz For September Reviewed By Peter Margasak

Peter Margasak is back once again with a view of all that is righteous in the world of jazz, including reviews of new releases by Emma-Jean Thackray and Bill Frisell

When You Look Out Of The Void: The New Wave Of Czech Noise

Rockfort! French Music For August Reviewed By David McKenna

David McKenna rounds up the cream of the latest electronic, jazz and indie rock releases from France, taking in Maghrebi sounds from Lyon, farty drum machines and oceanic musique concrete. Homepage image of TripleGo

Genre Is Obsolete: Adam Lehrer On Noise, Industrial & Drone For July

In this month’s Genre is Obsolete, Adam Lehrer dives into new records by artists like GRIM, Crazy Doberman, Dial and more, while discussing noise music’s enduring status as an unusually independent and DIY economy and culture

Anois, Os Ard: Irish Underground Music For July Reviewed By Eoin Murray

In the sixth edition of our column on the sounds emanating from the Irish undergrowth, Eoin Murray finds blazing hip hop, abstract electronics, futuristic R&B and much more