Publication date: 06.08.2026

Issue 511
September 2026

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Inside our brand new issue:

Space Afrika: The Manchester-Berlin duo remap connections between club culture and 1970s underground radio networks on their latest album. By Lucy Thraves

Jad Atoui: The Lebanese electronic composer and improvisor tunes into the inner workings of plants and hard drives. By Daryl Worthington

Nuno Canavarro: The Portuguese composer reflects on the making of his 1988 cult album Plux Quba. By Robert Barry

Lucy Liyou: The Korean American musician uses pansori inspired theatrical elements and text-to-speech technology to explore identity. By Hugh Morris

Rump State: Ex-Sightings guitarist Mark Morgan and Gaute Granli’s experiments in lo-fi. By Erick Bradshaw

Mark S Williamson: The Primitive Percussion Youth Orchestra founder on making improvised music with kids. By Abi Bliss

Darla Quintana: Astronomy meets audio in the Chilean composer’s second album. By Juan San Cristóbal Lizama

Invisible Jukebox: Jennifer Herrema: Will the Royal Trux and RTX founder reign supreme with The Wire’s mystery record selection? Tested by Claire Biddles

Global Ear: Blackpool’s grassroots music culture is generous and resilient. By Yewande Adeniran

Unlimited Editions: Lovers & Lollypops sweetens Porto’s underground scene. By April Clare Welsh

The Inner Sleeve: Ivan Seal on The Caretaker’s Everywhere At The End Of Time – Stage 6

Against The Grain: Are collective listening events really all about the music? By Derek Walmsley

Epiphanies: Performing in wartime bunkers leads Alan Courtis to reflect on the purpose of music today.

Soundcheck: Ellen Allien; Another Planet & Steel Tipped Dove; Felicia Atkinson; Attorneys General with Tetuzi Akiyama & Elico Suzuki; Attorneys General with Mike O’Malley, Alex McKenzie & Tara Cunningham; Attorneys General with Mark Sanders & Mark Hanslip; Bach Artillerie; Paul Beaudoin; Josh Berman Trio; BIG|BRAVE; Black Meteoric Star; Christer Bothén / Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin; Tyondai Braxton; The Breedling; Cargo Cults; Conflux Coldwell; Deerhoof & The Sound Sanctuary; Defcee & Steel Tipped Dove; Dinosaur Jr; Brian Ennals & Blockhead; Foodman; Le Grand Sbam; Luke Haines; Highsigh; Alex Zhang Hungtai; Kassel Jaeger; Kelela; David Maranha & Rodrigo Amado; Nick Mazzarella; Nate Mercereau; Jeff Mills; Neptunian Maximalism; Nu Jazz; The Odyssey Cult; Ivo Perelman / Elliott Sharp / Cyro Baptista; Ivo Perelman / Matthew Shipp / William Parker / Bobby Kapp; Ivo Perelman & Damon Smith; Physic; Pye Corner Audio; Terry Riley / Claire Chase / JACK Quartet / Samuel Clay Birmaher; Fatboi Sharif & Elucid; Shawescape Renegade; Los Shawis De Iquitos, Recorded By Pablo Picco; Six Sex; Tyshawn Sorey; Tyshawn Sorey & Pat Thomas; Speaker Music; Marvin Tate; Thorn Wych; Henry Threadgill Zooid; Henry Threadgill / Vijay Iyer / Dafnis Prieto; David Thrussell & Shinjuku Thief; Tricky; Hanna Tuulikki & Tommy Perman; Ken Ueno & Wukir Suryadi; Various Jutna

Columns: Avant Rock by Noel Gardner; Critical Beats by Misha Farrant; Dub & Reggae by Steve Barker; Electronics by Steph Kretowicz; Jazz & Improv by Phil Freeman; Modern Composition by Julian Cowley; Noise, Industrial & Beyond by Raymond Cummings; Size Matters by Byron Coley

Boomerang: Absolute Grey; Neil Ardley; Albert Ayler; Dollar Brand / Don Cherry / Carlos Ward; Marion Brown; Master Wilburn Burchette; Miles Davis; Death By Milkfloat; Eleh; F/i; Pigface with Genesis P-Orridge; Plug; Quiet Sun; Rudimentary Peni; Tony Williams Lifetime

Print Run: [Ahmed] – Writing edited by Antonin Gerbal, Joel Grip, Pat Thomas & Seymour Wright; Death Trip: Iggy And The Stooges 1972–74 by Michael S Begnal; Dub Revolution: Jamaica’s Sonic Innovators And The Birth Of Remix Culture by David Katz; Aftershock: The Seismic Impact Of Dubstep by Lauren Martin; Scene Within A Scene: Scottish Independent Music 1992–2001 by Grant McPhee; Transmission Of Japanese Jiuta Sōkyoku For Shamisen And Koto: Negotiating Musical Identity by Shino Arisawa

On Screen: Sue Carpenter 40 Watts From Nowhere; Alystyre Julian Outrider

On Location: Focus #7: Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh + Atte Elias Kantonen + Miłosz Kędra + BJ Nilsen, Paris, France; Stop Over 4: Perspectives, Berlin, Germany; Nine Days Of Green, Copenhagen, Denmark; Déjâ Vu & Wukir Suryadi, Faenza, Italy; Motvind, Rollag, Norway; INDEX, Braga, Portugal; Tyshawn Sorey, London, UK; FUJI|||||||||||TA, London, UK; Sound Stories, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Glenn Branca Symphony No 13 (Hallucination City) For 100 Guitars, New York, US; Whitney Johnson / Lia Kohl / Macie Stewart, Chicago, US; The Black Lights, Blackpool, UK

On Site: FLARE-UP, London, UK; Jasper Marsalis Still Life, London, UK; Sounding Towards & From-To, London, UK