We chat to Derek Piotr about his Fieldwork Archive, featuring over 2,000 field recordings. The New England-based folklorist, performer and composer discusses recording total strangers, many of whom have never sung into a microphone before — to elevate someone for a minute to the status of a musician and record a clip of them… and have them celebrated in discussion and reflection… is a huge triumph to me. 

Hana Stretton has shared “Before This”, an AA single pairing “As It Was Before This” with “Seagull Theory II”, from her second album “tiarn”, out August 7th. Lima Limo and Inpartmaint have announced a joint vinyl edition for Europe and Japan. Self-recorded in a small Australian beach town, the album came out of blue-hour swims and whale migrations.

Oren Ambarchi has shared “Hidden Tableau (excerpt)”, the first taste of “Cooked”, out September 25th via Drag City. Eiko Ishibashi’s piano ripples give way to a groaning synthetic voice from Konrad Sprenger, then swarms of guitar and synth arpeggios. Two side-long pieces, an international cast, and the wayward streak that runs under Ambarchi’s minimalism brought right to the front.