Peter Brotzmann / Heather Leigh:
Ears Are Filled With Wonder (Not Two)
Brotzmann continued to surprise in eclectic pairings, here pitting his tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, tarogato, and clarinet against Heather Leigh's pedal steel guitar, recorded during a tour of Poland where the two paused from big bands, trios, quartets, and duos to record this gem. ... Click to View
Joe Fonda Quartet (w/ Wadda Leo Smith / Satoko Fujii / Tizano Tononi):
Eyes On The Horizon (Long Song Records)
NY Bassist-composer Joe Fonda leads an exceptional quartet featuring trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Tiziano Tononi in a profound tribute to his mentor Smith, skillfully blending compositional clarity with collective improvisation in a deeply resonant and lyrically intricate musical conversation that reflects inspiration, respect, and artistic integrity. ... Click to View
Giovanni Maier / Alexander Hawkins:
Two For Keith (Long Song Records)
Recorded live in the studio in Trieste, Italy, bassist Giovanni Maier and pianist Alexander Hawkins deliver a deeply expressive and adventurous duo session dedicated to the late, great Keith Tippett, weaving spontaneous improvisations and dynamic interplay in a heartfelt homage that reflects Tippett's profound influence and creative spirit. ... Click to View
Ernesto Rodrigues / Carlos Santos / Miguel Mira:
The Knowledge That Our Time Is Limited Can Inspire Us (Creative Sources)
Recorded live during the 2024 Creative Sources Cycle, violist Ernesto Rodrigues, cellist Miguel Mira, and analog synthesist Carlos Santos deliver a nuanced and exploratory collective improvisation, drawing on Rodrigues's delicate textural approach, Mira's lyrical sensitivity, and Santos's ethereal synth interactions, evoking an urgent reflection on the fleeting nature of time. ... Click to View
Der Vierte Zustand:
Layers (Creative Sources)
The Cologne-based free improvising trio Der Vierte Zustand — vocalist Hanna Schörken, guitarist Christina Zurhausen, and drummer Ramon Keck — om a compelling blend of experimental soundscapes, noise rock influences, and free jazz energy, driven by Schörken's acrobatic wordless vocals, Zurhausen's effects-laden guitar textures, and Keck's dynamic rhythms. ... Click to View
Udo Schindler / Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith:
Munich Sound Studies Vols. 4, 5 & 6 [3 CDs] (Balance Point Acoustics)
An expansive 3-CD document recorded live across three Munich venues in May 2023, featuring Udo Schindler (clarinets, saxophones, brass), Sandy Ewen (electric guitar), and Damon Smith (double bass), each session enhanced by collaborators Karina Erhard, Jaap Blonk, and Sebastiano Tramontana, in an inventive series of improvisations of dynamic interplay and innovative sonic experiments. ... Click to View
Thanos Chrysakis :
Psyche (Eternal Music Projects)
Exploring the depths and boundaries of the psyche through seven compelling electroacoustic compositions, Greek composer Thanos Chrysakis delivers a deeply psychedelic, mysterious, and immersive sonic journey, masterfully blending electronic textures and acousmatic elements that resonate within the listener's consciousness, psyche, and imagination — a vivid reflection on complex inner landscapes. ... Click to View
Luke Martin:
To Be Worthy of Pessoa (Editions Verde)
Drawing inspiration from Fernando Pessoa's "The Book of Disquiet," composer Luke Martin leads the ensemble Ordinary Affects — Morgan Evans-Weiler & Francesca Caruso (violin), Jordan Dykstra (viola), Laura Cetilia (cello), J.P.A. Falzone (vibes) and Luke Damrosch (farfisa organ) — through two introspective, quietly evolving compositions of minimalistic beauty creating thoughtful sonic dialogues. ... Click to View
Turbulence Orchestra & Sub-Units:
Smear Out the Difficulties (Double Live) [2 CDs] (Evil Clown)
Bringing together a powerful 20-member ensemble, Turbulence Orchestra — led by David Peck and featuring Bonnie Kane, John Loggia, Glynis Lomon, and a diverse array of improvisers — unleashes an expansive and dynamic improvisational journey, combining dense textures, radical instrumentation, and structured spontaneity through novel conducting techniques for a set of unique sonic narratives. ... Click to View
God Pussy:
Rudimentar Desejo De Liberdade (Love Earth Music)
Brazilian noise artist Jhones Silva, aka God Pussy, delivers a brutal, uncompromising conglomerate of harsh electronic textures, abstract noise, and aggressive sonic distortion, employing pedals, synths, radios & noise generators in an intense DIY exploration of social chaos, urban corruption, and humanity's unfulfilled desire for freedom through confrontational electroacoustic compositions. ... Click to View
Simon Nabatov / Mark Helias / Tom Rainey:
Assamblage (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A far-ranging transatlantic trio session from pianist Simon Nabatov, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Tom Rainey, capturing a dynamic fusion of composed and collective free jazz, as Nabatov's intricate compositions burst with frenetic energy, shifting between exuberant rhythmic interplay, explosive improvisation, and richly textured sonic landscapes in an electrifying set of performances. ... Click to View
Harri Sjostrom:
SoundScapes #4 Festival Berlin 2023 [3 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A remarkable live document of Finnish saxophonist Harri Sjöström's SoundScapes #4 festival in Berlin, bringing together 19 extraordinary musicians from across Europe, Australia, and the U.S. for a series of improvised performances from intimate duos to expansive octets, highlighting spontaneous collaborations all driven by creative risk-taking, deep listening, and a profound sense of musical trust. ... Click to View
Ivo Perelman / Tyshawn Sorey:
Paralell Aesthetics [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A fearless and fluid exchange between saxophonist Ivo Perelman and drummer/pianist Tyshawn Sorey, this double album captures the duo's extraordinary chemistry, shifting between blistering intensity and spacious, exploratory passages as Sorey alternates between drums and piano, forging intricate dialogues with Perelman's masterful phrasing in a boundless and deeply expressive sonic journey. ... Click to View
Remedy (Thomas Heberer / Joe Fonda / Joe Hertenstein):
Hipp Hooray - Celbrating Centenial of Yutta Hipp (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Trumpeter Thomas Heberer, bassist Joe Fonda, and drummer Joe Hertenstein celebrate the centennial of pioneering German pianist Jutta Hipp with Hipp Hooray, a set of nine compositions inspired by her life and legacy, not as a recreation of her sound but as a vibrant and personal tribute, capturing the resilience, innovation, and artistic spirit of a musician whose influence transcended generations and borders. ... Click to View
Musicworks Magazine:
#150 Winter 2024/25 [MAGAZINE + CD] (Musicworks)
Canada's premiere music magazine dedicated to experimental music, improvisation, and sound art, featuring interviews with Maylee Todd, Joshua Van Tassel, Kaïa Kater, and Alexis Baro, alongside coverage of Chuck Copenace, Kalaisan Kalaichelvan, and The Burning Hell, with an accompanying CD of tracks from the issue's featured musicians, offering great inside into the contemporary creative music scene. ... Click to View
Threes And Will & Huerequeque:
Blood River Poort (Love Earth Music)
A relentless and immersive sonic experience from Estonian experimental guitarist Threes And Will and noise artist Huerequeque, through two unrelenting compositions of heavy, pulsating guitar noise, evoking a throbbing, menacing atmosphere with an almost meditative intensity, channeling the South African Boer War into a raw and uncompromising exploration of texture, density, and sound. ... Click to View
Tristan Honsinger & The House Of Wasps:
Noisy Sadness (Creative Sources)
A personal and evocative suite written during the isolation of the COVID-19 period, bringing together the legendary Tristan Honsinger (cello, vocal, narration) with his long-standing Tokyo-based ensemble, The House of Wasps — Yuriko Mukojima (violin, voice), Takashi Seo (double bass), and Shuichi Chino (piano) — in a performance that seamlessly blends chamber improvisation, storytelling, and emotional intensity. ... Click to View
Chris Jonas / David Forlano / Gregg Koyle:
Trio (Creative Sources)
A focused and sonically adventurous trio recording from Santa Fe, New Mexico, bringing together saxophonist Chris Jonas, live-sampling artist and electronic musician David Forlano, and percussionist Gregg Koyle in a contemporary yet organic exploration of space, form, and texture through sharp saxophone lines, intricate sampling manipulations, and dynamic metallic percussion. ... Click to View
Fred Loisel / Philippe Lenglet / Christian Vasseur:
Priced And Cheap (Two Graphic Scores) (Creative Sources)
Interpreting Cornelius Cardew's elaborate 193-page Treatise and Earle Brown's minimalist Cheap Imitation, Fred Loisel (gong, electronics), Philippe Lenglet (prepared guitar), and Christian Vasseur (prepared ten-string Weissenborn) assign specific musical parameters to each graphic symbol, creating open compositions that balance individual expression with collective coherence. ... Click to View
Ernesto Rodrigues / Helena Espvall / Tracy Lisk :
Illuminations (Creative Sources)
A fluid and energetic improvisation recorded live at COSMOS in Lisbon, as Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), Helena Espvall (cello), and Tracy Lisk (drums) engage in a texturally rich performance of scattered, bouncing string interplay, with percussion subtly framing the dialogue, resulting in a dynamic and layered exploration of sound. ... Click to View
Heule / Leguia / Rivero / Escalante:
An Inscrutable Bodily Discomforting Thing (Kettle Hole Records)
A ferocious collision of free improvisation and noise, this blistering live session unites Jacob Felix Heule (drums), Teté Leguía (bass), Danishta Rivero (voice, electronics), and Martín Escalante (saxophone) in a 40-minute maelstrom of distortion, guttural textures, and fractured intensity, balancing moments of collective abstraction with sheer sonic intensity. ... Click to View
Howard Stelzer:
The Flemish Giants (Suburban Observances Vol. 5) (Love Earth Music)
A large-scale and meticulously deconstructed sonic exploration from Howard Stelzer, weaving layers of manipulated cassette tapes, tape players, and speakers with extensive processing from sonic luminaries Ralf Wehowsky, Brendan Murray, Linda Aubry Bullock, Bruno Duplant, Fani Konstantidou, and Andrew Zukerman — for a dense and unpredictable landscape where textures dissolve and reform in shifting abstractions. ... Click to View
Turbulence:
Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Streams (Evil Clown)
A sprawling improvisational storm from Evil Clown's Turbulence ensemble blending an expansive arsenal of woodwinds, brass, percussion, electronics, and custom instruments in a dynamic, shape-shifting performance where dense waves of sonority, shifting textures, and extended techniques collide, creating a jazz-inflected yet genre-defying exploration of sound from the Boston's ever-evolving collective. ... Click to View
Jordan Glenn:
Flustered [CASSETTE] (Full Spectrum)
A rare solo outing from percussionist Jordan Glenn, weaving an adventurous and dynamic series of improvised drum and percussion explorations, shifting between deep grooves, cymbal rushes, and near-musique concrète textures, with playful yet tenacious pacing that balances free-jazz intensity, experimental soundscaping, and custom-instrument innovation in a cohesive and captivating sonic journey. ... Click to View
Metal Chaos Ensemble:
A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (Evil Clown)
A relentless and electrifying improv performance from the sextet Metal Chaos Ensemble blending the raw energy of electric bass and drums with an expansive arsenal of metallic percussion, electronics, and winds as the group takes listeners on a dynamic and unpredictable sonic journey, pushing the boundaries of structured free improvisation with "chaotic" precision. ... Click to View
Dennis Egberth:
The Dennis Egberth Dynasty (577 Records)
Blending the cosmic textures of electronic experimentation with the raw energy of free improv, drummer and composer Dennis Egberth leads a handpicked sextet through hypnotic soundscapes of modal grooves, ambient flourishes, and dynamic interplay, channeling the spirit of late-'60s and '70s jazz while forging a forward-thinking approach to contemporary creative music. ... Click to View
Dennis Egberth:
The Dennis Egberth Dynasty [VINYL] (577 Records)
Blending the cosmic textures of electronic experimentation with the raw energy of free improv, drummer and composer Dennis Egberth leads a handpicked sextet through hypnotic soundscapes of modal grooves, ambient flourishes, and dynamic interplay, channeling the spirit of late-'60s and '70s jazz while forging a forward-thinking approach to contemporary creative music. ... Click to View
Udo Schindler / Werner Dafeldecker / Gunnar Geisse:
Travelling Sound Images - Cognitive Transfers [Trio] (Creative Sources)
In this live recording from Munich's Schnitzer& Studio, Udo Schindler's "Low Tone Studies" series expands through a collaboration with Werner Dafeldecker on double bass and Gunnar Geisse on laptop guitar, blending deep-register improvisations across double bass clarinet, cornet, saxophones, and electronic manipulations, exploring the convergence of acoustic resonance and digital textures. ... Click to View
Udo Schindler / Rieko Okuda / Eric Zwang Eriksson:
Disturbed Terrains [2 CDs] (Creative Sources)
Recorded over two days — first in the studio, then live at Freies Musikzentrum in Munich — Udo Schindler on clarinets, saxophones, & cornet joins pianist Rieko Okuda and drummer Eric Zwang Eriksson in a dynamic exploration of texture and interplay, beginning with clarinet-piano duos before expanding into a full-throttle trio improvisation, for an intricate and energetic free jazz performance. ... Click to View
Isotope Ensemble:
Caesium (Creative Sources)
Recorded live at CreativeFest #18 in Lisbon, the Isotope Ensemble channels the volatile and fluid nature of caesium through spontaneous improvisation, blending strings, brass, woodwinds, piano, electric guitars, modular synthesizer, electronics, and objects into a dynamic sonic reaction that reflects the element's unique liquid properties that make the isotope pivotal role in atomic timekeeping. ... Click to View