instrumental

MONO Bring the Heaviness on Stunning Live Set ‘Beyond the Past’

MONO Bring the Heaviness on Stunning Live Set ‘Beyond the Past’

A live album commemorating the 20th anniversary of Japanese post-rock’s MONO shows this deservedly acclaimed band at the height of their powers.

Adeline Hotel’s ‘Good Timing’ Is Therapeutic, Revelatory, and Uniquely Beautiful

Adeline Hotel’s ‘Good Timing’ Is Therapeutic, Revelatory, and Uniquely Beautiful

Dan Knishkowy's alt-folk collective Adeline Hotel is whittled down to a party of one, with improvised acoustic guitar taking center stage on Good Timing.

Caroline Shaw Dissects Shape-Note Hymns, Water, and Heaven on ‘Narrow Sea’

Caroline Shaw Dissects Shape-Note Hymns, Water, and Heaven on ‘Narrow Sea’

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw enlists Sō Percussion, Dawn Upshaw, and Gilbert Kalish to perform her stunning new song cycle, Narrow Sea.

J Dilla’s ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’ Pointed the Way to 21st Century Hop-Hop

J Dilla’s ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’ Pointed the Way to 21st Century Hop-Hop

J Dilla's Welcome 2 Detroit announced where hip-hop could go in the 21st century. This reissue, expanded and spread over 12 seven-inch records, with a book that tells the whole story, reveals just how crucial an album it remains.

Jazz? Soul? A Bit of Both and Lots of Good Vibes on ‘I Told You So’

Jazz? Soul? A Bit of Both and Lots of Good Vibes on ‘I Told You So’

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio channel the organ soul-jazz of Jimmy Smith and Booker T. on their second LP, I Told You So.

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2020

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2020

In a year that felt lonelier than ever, some expected ambient music to be a soothing balm. Yet ambient artists capture the sadness, the bliss, the hurt, and the healing of this wild year better than most.

Post-rock’s Coastlands Meditate on Loss, Growth, Change on ‘Death’ (album stream)

Post-rock’s Coastlands Meditate on Loss, Growth, Change on ‘Death’ (album stream)

Guitarist Jason Sissoyev speaks about Coastlands' emotionally-charged new LP, a meditation that is heavy in more ways that one. "It pummels you, then there's this release and then it keeps going," he says.

Peals Create Soundscapes Both Ambient and Edgy on ‘Honey’

Peals Create Soundscapes Both Ambient and Edgy on ‘Honey’

Peals' Honey, originally released in 2016, has found a new home on a different label, and an opportunity for reexamination.

Numün’s ‘voyage au soleil’ Is a Trippy, Ambient Ride and Ambitious Debut

Numün’s ‘voyage au soleil’ Is a Trippy, Ambient Ride and Ambitious Debut

Eclectic instrumental trio numün combine a wealth of influences to create a vibe that's both spacey and earthy on voyage au soleil.

Ed Harcourt Paints From ‘Monochrome to Colour’

Ed Harcourt Paints From ‘Monochrome to Colour’

British musician Ed Harcourt's instrumental music is full of turbulent swells and swirls that somehow maintain a dignified beauty on Monochrome to Colour.

Brian Bromberg Pays Tribute to Hendrix With “Jimi” (premiere + interview)

Brian Bromberg Pays Tribute to Hendrix With “Jimi” (premiere + interview)

Bass giant Brian Bromberg revisits his 2012 tribute to Jimi Hendrix 50 years after his passing, and reflects on the impact Hendrix's music has had on generations.

Ambient Producer Joshua van Tassel Believes We Need More Beautiful Things

Ambient Producer Joshua van Tassel Believes We Need More Beautiful Things

Joshua van Tassel plays a modern version of one of the earliest electronic instruments: the Ondes Martenot. He discusses the calm, beautiful album he's written for it, Dance Music Volume II: More Songs for Slow Motion.