Fishing the sound, math rock imposter syndrome, maximalist gratitude. The Athens-based sound and visual artist discusses three important albums. Babak's picks: Black Midi – Schlagenheim Ryuichi Sakamoto – async Machine Girl – U-Void Synthesizer Babak's latest album, Mind Flaying Flavored Flails, is out now on Jollies. Check it out here. Go explore the accompanying virtual exhibition over on New Art City. Babak has a website and is on Instagram. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Nostalgia rushes, unhurried solo guitar, Pharoah jumps in. The American trombonist and composer discusses three important albums. Kalia's picks: Grouper – Dragging A Dead Deer Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Contemporary Orchestra – Promises Jeff Parker – Forfolks Kalia Vandever's new album, We Fell In Turn, is out 31st March on AKP Recordings. Kalia has a website here and is on Instagram. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Uncomfortable DJ sets, sacred ratio songs, the "best band in the UK right now". The primary member of The Brian Jonestown Massacre discusses three important albums. Anton's picks: The 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators Alice Coltrane – Turiya Sings The Soundcarriers – Entropicalia The latest (and 20th!) BJM album, The Future Is Your Past, is out now. Their website is here. Follow Anton on Instagram and Twitter. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Communal grief, tapes from the Halal Meat Shop, time-space departures. The Hyderabadi Muslim American poet, musician, interdisciplinary artist discusses three important albums. Sham-e-Ali's picks: Alice Coltrane – A Monastic Trio Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Live At The Royal Albert Hall vhvl – myrrh Sham-e-Ali's new album, Moti Ka Sheher, is out now. Check it out here. She's got a website and is on Instagram. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Ruinous beauty, hauling a bass sax up the stairs, Hendrix's face, worlds of breath. The saxophonist and composer discusses his important albums. Colin's picks: Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys Peter Brötzmann / Bill Laswell – Low Life Enya – Shepherd Moons Sam Cooke – Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 Colin's new album Chimæra I is out now via ROOM40. You can also grab it on Colin's Bandcamp. Colin's website is here. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Intuitive resonance, cataclysmic dualities, bandleader grace. The UK-based saxophonist discusses three important albums. Xhosa's picks: Sonny Rollins – With The Modern Jazz Quartet Shirley Horn Trio – Softly Balimaya Project – Wolo So Xhosa's latest album, Ibeji, is out now on Stoney Lane Records. Listen here. His website is here. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Heart wrung like a towel, Skullcandy bass, the magic of music boxes. The Beirut-based multi-instrumentalist, video artist and puppeteer discusses three important albums. Yara's picks: Aphex Twin – Drukqs Colleen – Et Les Boîtes À Musique Daniel Johnston – Hi, How Are You Yara's debut album, Home Rcordings 2018 - 2021, is out now via Hive Mind Records – check it out here. She's on Instagram – @microwave.blues. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Vocal imitation games, aural cocktails, jazz-adjacent ingenuity. The New York-based composer and pianist discusses three important albums. Phillip's picks: Ensemble Organum & Marcel Peres – Guillaume de Machaut: Messe de Notre-Dame Ran Blake – Painted Rhythms: The Compleat Ran Blake Volume 1 The Claudia Quintet – I, Claudia Phillip's debut solo album, Filters, is out now via Greyfade. His website is here and he's on Instagram @phillipgolub ..read more

Too-short tracks, dying melodies, birds mimicking electronics, the highest organ note. The musicians and collaborators discuss their important albums. Julian's picks: J Dilla – Donuts Jean C. Roché – Birds Of Venezuela Feldermelder's picks: Autechre – LP5 Pedro Santos – Krishnanda Bonn Route is out now via -OUS. Check it out here. Also worth checking are Feldermelder's new solo album, Euphoric Attempts, and Julian Sartorius' recent record Mux. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more

Tim Hecker beneath the aurora borealis, nerdy icebreakers, blurs and beats. The Turkey-born, UK-based composer and guitarist discusses three important albums. Elif's picks: Tim Hecker – Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again Tangerine Dream – Rubycon Bowery Electric – Beat Elif's new album, Green Drift, is out now on Expert Sleepers. Her website is over here and she's also on Instagram. Donate to Crucial Listening on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cruciallistening ..read more