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Opinionated and informative criticism of all the music that counts
The second album by a young master of the tanbur reminds Kamyar Salavati of a special trip to the mountains of Kermanshah in Iran
A new audiophile vinyl version of the controversial 1974 live set offers unprecedented clarity on an inspirational if oft-misunderstood moment, Angus Batey argues
If you’ve read something you love on our site today, please consider becoming a monthly or annual tQ subscriber – our journalism is mostly funded this way. We’ve got some bonus perks waiting for you too.
Subscribe NowHaving failed to secure tickets for the big Black Sabbath farewell this summer, Kez Whelan wonders whether missing out might be for the best. He also reviews the latest from Intensive Care x The Body, The Overmold, Abduction and many more
Kez Whelan kicks off another year in metal, rounding up a host of scorching new records to see you through the winter chill
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
In his latest column, Kez Whelan salutes the brilliance that occurs at the intersection of black metal and hardcore punk, the ongoing boom in death metal, and reviews new releases from Scarcity, Harvestman, Krallice and many more
Metal
Having failed to secure tickets for the big Black Sabbath farewell this summer, Kez Whelan wonders whether missing out might be for the best. He also reviews the latest from Intensive Care x The Body, The Overmold, Abduction and many more
Metal
In his latest column, Kez Whelan salutes the brilliance that occurs at the intersection of black metal and hardcore punk, the ongoing boom in death metal, and reviews new releases from Scarcity, Harvestman, Krallice and many more
Freshly dressed for Comic Con, JR Moores gets stuck into the latest psych and noise rock releases
Noel Gardner delivers his latest roundup from the punk and hardcore underground, from gleaming Polish goth to motorik intensity from Leeds, plus two big scoops of noisy American d-beat
From the upbeat and uncouth to the blaringly sullen, via Oslo, Tokyo, Newcastle and Denver, Noel Gardner brings you his latest guide to the very best in brand new punk and hardcore
Noel Gardner delivers ten more frowning bales of intemperate earslaughter, including the perfectly executed anarcho punk of Subdued, the oppressively fucked sound of rising Leeds teenagers Narkotyk, and the feral, bare-brick recordings of Vancouver's Bootlicker
Punk
Noel Gardner delivers ten more frowning bales of intemperate earslaughter, including the perfectly executed anarcho punk of Subdued, the oppressively fucked sound of rising Leeds teenagers Narkotyk, and the feral, bare-brick recordings of Vancouver's Bootlicker
Jennifer Lucy Allan returns from this month's trip around the Rum Music universe with a 7CD boxset of sonic enlightenment, live solo drum tapes from one of the year's greatest gigs, and more
Daryl Worthington speaks to Turmeric Acid about telepathic collaborations, and reviews tapes of free-wheeling hardanger and Andean flute improvisations, sat nav fall outs, ecstatic noise and more in March’s dive into the cassette scene
A new year finds the tape scene as vibrant, weird and wonderful as ever. Daryl Worthington dives into water tapestries, time-folding folk and hip-hop, vibrant electronic noise and an album of online product reviews
A mixtape of Indonesian horror movie sounds, a doom metal supergroup from Beijing, the return of Felinto and a pair of artists embracing the sounds of insects. Daryl Worthington reports from the ever vibrant tape underground
In September’s report from the cassette fringes, Daryl Worthington explores Beirut-founded label Ruptured, and reviews tapes of blistering noise, slinky punk-funk, library music and the self-proclaimed best producer in the Middle East
Cassettes
Daryl Worthington speaks to Turmeric Acid about telepathic collaborations, and reviews tapes of free-wheeling hardanger and Andean flute improvisations, sat nav fall outs, ecstatic noise and more in March’s dive into the cassette scene
Cassettes
In September’s report from the cassette fringes, Daryl Worthington explores Beirut-founded label Ruptured, and reviews tapes of blistering noise, slinky punk-funk, library music and the self-proclaimed best producer in the Middle East
Noel Gardner kicks off another year in the undergrowth of New Weird Britain with an eclectic selection of thick psychedelia, inchoate delirium, dreamy folksong and sesh gremlin techno
Jaša Bužinel reflects the death of three beloved artists, and presents 10 outstanding electronic music releases, from world-building IDM excursions and top notch tech-house to funky jazztronica and avant-garde easy listening
Jaša Bužinel addresses the "panopticonisation" of dance music culture, and reviews exciting new releases from various electronic realms, among them new albums by CS + Kreme, Lechuga Zafiro, Mala Herba, Rrose x Polygonia and more
This month, Bužinel salutes the anonymous YouTubers uploading the rarities from their personal vinyl collections, and presents his top ten picks from July and August, including new releases from Pavel Milyakov, Hassan Abou Alam, and CCL & Ciel
Your latest electronic music roundup brings an eclectic list of top-shelf singles, albums and EPs, from innovative UK techno and eco-charged electronica to deep crate reissues, maximalist new age vibes, and club acrobatics from Miami.
Electronic
Jaša Bužinel reflects the death of three beloved artists, and presents 10 outstanding electronic music releases, from world-building IDM excursions and top notch tech-house to funky jazztronica and avant-garde easy listening
Electronic
Jaša Bužinel addresses the "panopticonisation" of dance music culture, and reviews exciting new releases from various electronic realms, among them new albums by CS + Kreme, Lechuga Zafiro, Mala Herba, Rrose x Polygonia and more
Electronic
This month, Bužinel salutes the anonymous YouTubers uploading the rarities from their personal vinyl collections, and presents his top ten picks from July and August, including new releases from Pavel Milyakov, Hassan Abou Alam, and CCL & Ciel
Electronic
Your latest electronic music roundup brings an eclectic list of top-shelf singles, albums and EPs, from innovative UK techno and eco-charged electronica to deep crate reissues, maximalist new age vibes, and club acrobatics from Miami.
Hannah Uguru reports back from this year's Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda, explores its role as a sanctuary for unconventional culture, and profiles five key acts from this year's event,
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
The Quietus International
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
The Quietus International
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
As the US reels from the re-election of Donald Trump, Jesse Dorris finds solace and inspiration in a fine weekend of concerts curated by Polish festival Unsound, from hunkering down to basement techno to riding the drone of Kali Malone and Sunn O))). Photos by Lawrence Sumulong.
Live Reviews
As the US reels from the re-election of Donald Trump, Jesse Dorris finds solace and inspiration in a fine weekend of concerts curated by Polish festival Unsound, from hunkering down to basement techno to riding the drone of Kali Malone and Sunn O))). Photos by Lawrence Sumulong.
Anna Wood delves into Arcade Fire's fifth long player in order to bring us a track by track breakdown. But is Everything Now something or nothing
Ahead of a show this Saturday at London's Southbank Centre, Catherine Anne Davies takes us through the 13 albums that have defined her life and work as The Anchoress, from childhood memories soundtracked by The Carpenters and lifechanging encounters with the Manics and PJ Harvey as a teen, to newfound infatuations with SZA and The 1975,
In this month's essay, Jeanette Leech seeks to reclaim the legacy of Elastica's vastly underrated second album from prurient mutterings about drug addiction and the collapse of Britpop, celebrating Mark E. Smith collaborations and the birth of M.I.A.
In this month’s antidote to the algorithm Puja Nandi celebrates five pioneering artists, from Asian Dub Foundation (pictured) to Osmani Soundz, who enriched the soundtrack of the pre-millennial UK by mixing drum & bass and electronica with the sounds of the Bengali diaspora
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