News
Acclaimed Welsh composer Cerys Hafana unveils their third album, Angel, a deep exploration of minimalism and avant-folk centred on the Welsh triple harp. Joined by a trio of exploratory musicians, Hafana blends traditional Welsh song with contemporary Breton rhythms on the spellbinding first single, “Helynt Ryfeddol,” confirming their place as a vital innovator.
Sound artist BJ Nilsen returns with True than Nature, out August 29 via Ideologic Organ. Drawing inspiration from Jean-Paul Sartre, the album uses field recordings to craft immersive, unstable soundscapes that challenge our perception of reality. Nilsen invites listeners on a disorienting journey, questioning the nature of what we hear and the worlds we imagine.
Renowned for her formidable and boundary-pushing cello improvisations, South Korean artist Okkyung Lee is taking a surprising turn with her newly announced album, Just Like Any Other Day (어느날): Background Music For Your Mundane Activities. The lead single, the charmingly titled “good morning, harrison, it’s time to go,” offers a first glimpse into this new, intentionally understated sound world.
Irish composer Caimin Gilmore (Crash Ensemble) unveils “MVE I,” the latest single from his forthcoming debut album, BlackGate, an instrumental, genre-fluid journey featuring renowned cellist Kate Ellis and harpist Lavinia Meijer. The track highlights Gilmore’s flowing orchestration, weaving a pulsing harp melody with arpeggiated strings and the unique colouring of a vintage Yamaha DX7 synthesiser, offering a captivating glimpse into the record.
Recorded during last year’s 4-night residency at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, Bill Callahan has released ‘What a Night!’, a live digital 12-track album. Accompanied by Jim White on drums, watch the live video for Cowboy, which is completely unlike the studio version on 2020’s ‘Gold Record’. Bill Callahan’s UK/EU Tour kicks off today.
Rival Consoles has released “Soft Gradient Beckons” from his new album, Landscape from Memory. The single features a breathtaking stop-motion video by Anthony Dickenson, who spent several months painstakingly hand-painting every frame to create a fluid visual piece that offers a quietly pulsing rhythm.
Eiko Ishibashi and Jim O’Rourke have announced their fifth collaborative album, Pareidolia (August 29th, Drag City). Alongside the announcement, they have shared the title track and an accompanying video, directed by Mark Focus. The human tendency to perceive meaningful images in random patterns is known as pareidolia. It’s a concept that perfectly captures the essence of this new release.
After an 11-year hiatus, the pioneering Chicago Underground Duo—Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor—return with their new album, Hyperglyph, out August 15th via International Anthem. Lead single “Click Song” offers a potent taste of their evolved sound, blending blown-out horn chants, muscular polyrhythms, and deep synthesised bass.
Sally Anne Morgan is the latest guest on Thrill Jockey’s Deep Digs series, in which artists share their favourite Thrill Jockey releases. Sally’s choices include Jimmy Martin, Jack Rose & D. Charles Speer & The Helix, Elena Setien, and Sidi Toure. We recently reviewed Sally’s new album, Second Circle the Horizon, which was released on June 20th.