instrumental Archive
26 Aug 2026
System 7’s Second Summer of Love (Part 3 of 3)
Continued from Part Two… Bill Kopp: What kind of synthesizer gear did you use on Flower of Life? Steve Hillage: Well, there’s quite a bit of our antique EMS. And […]
25 Aug 2026
System 7’s Second Summer of Love (Part 2 of 3)
Continued from Part One… Bill Kopp: From my perspective, your guitar work seems to be more integrated into what System 7 does on Flower of Life than it perhaps was […]
24 Aug 2026
System 7’s Second Summer of Love (Part 1 of 3)
A shorter edit of this feature was first published on The Tonearm. Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy embarked on their fascinating musical journey several decades ago. They began working together […]
20 Aug 2026
Hundred-word Reviews, August 2026 #3: Jazz
For this installment of my Hundred-word Reviews, I take a quick look at five archival jazz releases. Four of them are sourced from newly-discovered private tapes documenting performances at Chicago’s […]
17 Aug 2026
A Chat with Roedelius
An edited version of this feature was first published in The Tonearm. Hans-Joachim Roedelius is a towering figure in music. A founding member of groundbreaking bands Kluster/Cluster and Harmonia, Berlin-born […]
03 Aug 2026
Album Review: Midge Ure – Man of Two Worlds
Midge Ure is quite a character in the musical world. With a CV that includes important work in Thin Lizzy, Ultravox and Visage, he also co-wrote “Do They Know It’s […]
18 Jul 2026
Album Review: Alf Jetzer – Unfolding
Based in Switzerland, Alf Jetzer makes atmospheric music with elements of worldbeat, ambient and trance, all informed by classical and pop textures. His sound paintings are more impressionistic than melodic, […]
27 Feb 2026
Album Review: Miles Davis – The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel
While serious and exclusively-jazz fans might bristle at the notion, Miles Davis is jazz’s Beatles. While their musical careers and work are vastly different, both Miles and the Fab Four […]
29 Jan 2026
Album Review: Charles Mingus – Mingus at Monterey
This record would be remarkable if only for the fact that it’s a superbly-recorded live document of the acclaimed jazz bassist at his creative peak. But it’s also noteworthy as […]
19 Dec 2025
Album Review: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – Strasbourg 82
Hard bop heroes Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers are one of the most important acts in jazz. Their music navigated a path that creatively balanced adventurousness and accessibility. The […]