avant-garde Archive
29 Dec 2017
The Magma Mega-interview, Part Four
Continued from Part Three… Who developed the Magma logo? I made a drawing of the kind of necklace I wanted to have around my neck, and from that I worked […]
28 Dec 2017
The Magma Mega-interview, Part Three
Continued from Part Two… Do you think of live performance as an extension of that which you create in the studio, or is studio work an attempt to capture the […]
27 Dec 2017
The Magma Mega-interview, Part Two
Continued from Part One… What do you seek to communicate in the Kobaïan lyrics of Magma’s music? The main purpose of the lyrics is to allow the music to be […]
26 Dec 2017
The Magma Mega-interview, Part One
There is almost no useful frame of reference to describe the music of Magma. Founded in 1969 by French pianist/drummer Christian Vander, Magma has never conformed to conventional ideas about […]
17 Nov 2017
Evil Note Lab: Pushing the Boundaries of Live Musical Improvisation
Ableton Live is computer software that allows musicians real-time interactivity with sequences of notes, sounds and textures. While the software is often used as a creative studio tool, in the […]
19 May 2017
Capsule Reviews for May 2017, Part Two
The Lancashire Hustlers – Adventures (Steep Hill Music) This London duo – Brent Thorley and Ian Pakes – has clearly come of age on a steady diet of Magical Mystery […]
18 Apr 2017
A Few Moments with Hans-Joachim Roedelius
German composer Hans-Joachim Roedelius is a synthesizer pioneer, and a leading light of ambient music. Yet acoustic piano is his instrument of choice, and he has little use for the […]
14 Mar 2017
Sxip Shirey’s Avant Groove
Note: An edited version of this feature appeared previously in Brooklyn Paper. — bk Described as an “electro-acoustic” artist, Brooklyn-based Sxip Shirey is tough to pin down musically. Read about […]
17 Jan 2017
Project/Object: Frank Zappa Fantasy Camp
“I started Project/Object around 1989 or ’90,” says guitarist André Cholmondeley, leader of the popular Frank Zappa tribute group. “I thought, ‘Yeah, we’ll do this for fun. We’ll do it […]
26 Dec 2016
Best Music of 2016: Reissue/archival Releases
I love new music, but I’m also attuned to keeping up with the latest in reissues and archival releases. Sometimes those feature some of my favorite artists; other times they […]