Kronos Quartet Create a Haunting Interpretation of War and Loss
Legendary music ensemble Kronos Quartet team up with an acclaimed documentarian and composer to chronicle the horrors of violent conflict.
minimalism
Hour’s ‘Subminiature’ Takes Gentle Ambience Into a Live Setting
Hour temper their unusual style with deep emotion and contemplation. There’s nothing conventional about them, but they always find new ways to provide comfort and joy.
Phillip Golub Experiments with Loops on Mesmerizing LP
Loop 7 is yet another in a series of ambitious experimental projects from Phillip Golub and another stunning home run for Joseph Branciforte.
12 Compositions to Introduce You to Classical Music Post-1950
Classical and compositional music have continued to thrive in the 20th and 21st centuries, reaching new heights of dissonance and beauty.
Max Richter’s ‘In a Landscape’ Connects Nature and Humanity
In a Landscape reconciles nature with humanity through lush soundscapes, and it feels like a revelation for newcomers to composer Max Richter’s oeuvre.
Luke Wyland Creates Deep, Dreamy Soundscapes on ‘Kuma Cove’
Luke Wyland’s performances provide the usual Zen moments from this type of ambient minimalism, but there’s a hint of darkness within the notes.
Cocteau Twins and Harold Budd Visit ‘The Moon and the Melodies’
The collaboration between ethereal pop trio Cocteau Twins and avant-gardist Harold Budd, The Moon and the Melodies, hits vinyl for the first time since 1986.
Arooj Aftab Unleashes Moody, Nocturnal Bliss on ‘Night Reign’
Arooj Aftab’s Night Reign is filled with dark, mysterious corners and an intoxicating blend of jazz and her Pakistani roots with stunning results.
Explosions in the Sky’s ‘The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place’ at 20
The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place is Explosions in the Sky’s most acclaimed album, establishing themselves as figureheads of epic, instrumental post-rock.
Books/Culture/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/History/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/Reviews
NYC’s Underground Scene: ‘This Must Be the Place’
Music may be the glue of every NYC underground scene This Must Be the Place covers, but Jesse Rifkin’s primary interest is in the community held together by that glue.
The Nuanced History Eluvium’s Many Clockwork Fables
Ambient maestro Matthew Robert Cooper (Eluvium) is two decades into his career, and on his latest LP, overcomes surprising obstacles physical and geographical.
Erik Hall Creates Minimalist Compositions with Warm Beauty on ‘Canto Ostinato’
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Erik Hall shares his second installment of a trilogy with a tribute to Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt on Canto Ostinato.