KAU unveil new single ‘dive_deep’

23 May 2025

Following last year’s Kaugummi / Mad Kau 7-inch single release, and 2023’s The Cycle Repeats, which was one of our Album Picks of the Year, Brussels trio KAU return today with a new single, ‘dive_deep’. Stripping back the high-energy urgency of previous releases in favour of a more more introspective and spacious approach and refined production, the new track signals a striking evolution in their sound and songwriting. “We wanted to challenge ourselves to explore what lies beneath the surface — in music, in relationships, in life,” the trio explain. “It’s about digging past the noise of everyday life and holding on to what truly matters.”

The track also hints at what’s to come, with more music expected later this year, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on what comes next. Now listen to ‘dive_deep’.

‘dive_deep’ is out now through Sdban Ultra

Le Guess Who? unveils initial line-up and guest curators for its 2025 edition

22 May 2025

Le Guess Who? is back this November 6 – 9th for its 18th edition, and the first major announcement for 2025 has just landed. The revered Dutch festival affirms once again its unparalleled commitment to sonic exploration, inclusivity, and radical artistic vision, uniting artists and audiences from around the world through the transformative power of music. The festival has always championed a groundbreaking and genre-defying programme, and 2025 will be no different, offering a platform for both emerging and established artists.

One of the standout features of Le Guess Who? is its curated programs, where incredible artists handpick their favorite musicians and collaborators to showcase their musical influences and vision, in addition to also performing themselves. This year’s constellation of guest curators is as daring as it is eclectic, with eight singular voices from across disciplines and continents shaping bespoke programmes. Among them is visionary and virtuosic South African drummer, composer, writer and activist Asher Gamedze whose work navigates jazz, Afro-futurism, and experimental sounds. Digging into the musical language of resistance and liberation, his curation promises a powerful mix of experimental and political sounds. Highlights from his selection include a performance by himself, alongside his new jazz ensemble A Semblance, DEAD SYMBOLS, and Dirar Kalash’s Sonic Front. Also on his bill is Usta/Olgun/Ekincioglu, a collaborative project who explore Turkish and electronic music, creating a dynamic space for new ideas to emerge through sound.

Another exciting guest curator who will help enrich the festival is drummer, composer and experimentalist Valentina Magaletti, who invited a mix of avant-garde, electronic, and noise artists. Magaletti’s curation will be a thrilling exploration of rhythm, sound, and the unexpected. Among her selections are Al Wootton & Youmna Saba, Klein, and Ancient Indigenous Africans. Her programme also includes Able Noise, Voice Actor and Alpha Maid, as well as Kat Válastur – Dive Into You, and PRAM. She will also perform in collaboration with PHEW and in a duo with upsammy.

Singer, composer, bandleader and community organizer Amirtha Kidambi conjures a borderless sonic world under her Outernational banner, an exploration of global soundscapes and cross-cultural experimentation, combining influences from jazz, noise, Middle Eastern music, and beyond. Kidambi’s curated programme brings together an international roster of performers, including her own band, Elder Ones, along with the experimental group Ghadr غدر, who explore themes of resistance and identity, and One Leg One Eye. Saint Abdullah & Jason Nazary will also be part of this exciting lineup, pushing boundaries in the world of contemporary avant-garde and improvisation.

Celebrated improvisational artist Lonnie Holley brings a fascinating curation to Le Guess Who? 2025, drawing on a rich blend of soul, improvisation, storytelling and spiritual exploration. Artists on his bill include ingenious and thought-provoking spoken word artist, bandleader, composer, saxophonist and activist Alabaster DePlume, Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff, and Kankawa Nagarra, as well as a powerful collaboration from Lonnie Holley & Friends. Holley is also bringing Saul Williams & Carlos Niño, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore and the deeply moving The Space Lady.

Berlin-based Colombian DJ, producer, and curator Edna Martinez, known for her deep ties to Caribbean sound systems, brings the rhythms and soul of PICÓ, a genre deeply rooted in Caribbean music traditions, to the festival. Martinez has invited a vibrant range of artists like electronic music producer BCLIP and Wilfred Guerrero, who will undoubtedly bring the dancefloor to life with intoxicating rhythms and sounds that cross borders and genres. Her curated bill will also feature the infectious La Saramuya Soundsystem, and Nayi Lokura.

Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-based artist gyrofield curates an immersive, electronic-driven programme that combines deep techno, dub, and bass-driven atmospheres. Their curated bill will include performances from heavyweights like Calibre, Ciel, and Objekt.

Chinese contemporary artist Tianzhuo Chen, known for his multidisciplinary works that blend performance art, electronics, and immersive visuals, brings an adventurous programme to the festival. Highlights include the collaborations of 333EMYBW & Joey Holder, DIEMAJIN present 陰陽 (Yin and Yang), and performances by GOTH-TRAD, ZAÄAR, and Moyang 先祖 & Seaman 漁師. With this curation, lucky attendees will be immersed in mind-bending, visually stunning, and sonically experimental performances.

Experimental producer/musician Ziúr will bring a curatorial programme steeped in experimental sounds, hyperreal aesthetics, and boundary-pushing sonic ideas. With artists like Attila Csihar & Iggor Cavalera, Luisa Almaguer, Lady Lykez, and DJ Marcelle, her curation promises to delve into the darker, more experimental side of electronic music and sound art, showcasing a variety of genres from industrial to avant-garde and everything in between.

Beyond the curated programs, the general lineup is stacked with a stunning array of artists. Returning to the festival is the monumental drone outfit SUNN O))), legendary Jamaican reggae group The Congos, Columbian-Canadian musician and Polaris Prize-winning artist Lido Pimienta and the heavy and beautiful music of drone metal band Divide and Dissolve performing their new album Insatiable. Also newly announced is composer and producer Adrian Younge, known for his work in soul and hip-hop, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, the Pakistani qawwali ensemble led by Rizwan and Muazzam, nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who will perform across three nights, Nicolás Jaar & Ali Sethi, Attila Csihar & Iggor Cavalera, KeiyaA, mighty Montreal trio BIG|BRAVE, Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force, the project of techno pioneer Mark Ernestus with a revolving cast of Senegalese sabar musicians, and the cosmic rhythms of Gary Bartz and NTU Troop. Other standout performances will come from performer, teacher and researcher of traditional Galician oral music Carme López, DJ Haram & Aquiles Navarro, electronic music duo emptyset, the fast, quirky, driving, and catchy synth punk sounds of Goblin Daycare, young Kurdish Iranian tanbur player Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian, Katokye, known as the master of Banyankole traditional songs from Western Uganda, and Dublin based post-punk feminist four-piece M(h)aol. The collaborative project of Peruvian artist and researcher Alejandra Cárdenas aka Ale Hop & Congolese guitarist Titi Bakorta, are also added to the bill today, as is Índio da Cuíca, the Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and dancer active for more than 50 years, award-winning Native American composer and artist Raven Chacon, Oakland-based experimental electronic folk artist Kathryn Moh, legendary Peruvian cumbia band Los Wembler’s de Iquitos, Tanzanian music ensemble The Zawose Queens, whose music incorporates traditional Wagogo styles and electronic production, and Palestinian musician and composer Maya Al Khaldi & Palestinian qanun player Sarouna featuring visual artist and filmmaker Dina Mimi. Kikagaku Moyo frontman Tomo Katsurada, multi-instrumentalist, producer and artist Tomoki Sanders, child of the late saxophone legend Pharoah Sanders, and South African drummer and composer Tumi Mogorosi are also amongst some of the thrilling additions unveiled today.

Le Guess Who? remains an invitation to listen deeply to art, to each other and to the world. This year’s edition builds on the festival’s mission to centre voices from the margins and create transformative collective experiences. The COSMOS platform returns too, continuing to spotlight global music communities, this time with contributions from Istanbul’s IDGK, Iceland’s Seyðisfjörður Community Radio, Malaysia’s Align.Online, Panama City’s River Down Records, and Berlin’s Refuge Worldwide.

As we’ve come to expect, Le Guess Who? is setting the bar for festivals around the world with its ambitious and diverse programming. A gathering where borders blur and traditions reshape, Le Guess Who? continues to offer one of the most compelling global stages for unclassifiable music. The full list of names and curated programmes already announced is vast and essential reading and listening, so head over to leguesswho.com for more details, including ticket information and full lineup so far. A very limited number of 4-Day festival passes and individual day tickets will go on sale Tuesday May 27th, so stay tuned.

Grandbrothers announce new album Elsewhere, out in September

21 May 2025

Photo: Dan Medhurst

Following 2023’s stunning Late Reflections, Grandbrothers have announced their new album Elsewhere, set for release on September 26th through __and__others. The German-Swiss duo of pianist Erol Sarp and engineer/software designer Lukas Vogel are striking out in a bold new direction, stepping beyond the sound they’ve so meticulously built over the course of four albums. “The concept had become our identity,” explains Vogel. “Letting go of it brought questions: are we losing something – or discovering something new?”

On Elsewhere, and for the first time, Grandbrothers have introduced drum samples, analogue synths, and fresh rhythmic structures into their palette, allowing sound to become a more immersive and physical experience. Collected sounds from over the years now form the backbone of their compositions, rather than sitting as layered additions. This evolution extends beyond the studio, as their upcoming live tour will see them leave behind the traditional seated format in favour of venues where the audience can connect more viscerally with the performance, all accompanied by a newly developed light and stage show. “The music is physical,” says Sarp. “It’s meant to be heard loud.”

The album is introduced by first single ‘We Collide’, a beautifully dense piece. Listen to it now.

Ben LaMar Gay shares new single, ‘John, John Henry’, from upcoming album Yowzers

16 May 2025

Photo: Shannon Marks

With his much anticipated new album Yowzers arriving in three weeks, and following the powerful and poignant title track, the inimitable Ben LaMar Gay has unveiled a second stirring track, offering another glimpse into what might be one of our favourite albums of the year. Titled ‘John, John Henry’, the new track finds the Chicago-born composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and storyteller reimagining a cornerstone of American folklore with profound emotional and political resonance. ‘John, John Henry’ is his interpretation of the American folk myth ‘The Ballad of John Henry’, a late 1800s song previously performed by the likes of Lead Belly, Dave Van Ronk, Songs: Ohia, and Rhiannon Giddens. Speaking about it, Gay shares:

“The intriguing thing about folklore is how it allows you to experience the depth of time, and the beauty of spreading information by word of mouth… The fact that only certain folk songs survive the test of time makes me wonder about the coded gems that live inside this information and the necessity of the eternal whisper in which it travels. I was young the first time I heard the name, “John Henry.” It was blasting from a cartoon on T.V. “JJJJohnnn Henryyyy!” echoed through the house and stayed. My experience with the legend up to now has been similar to playing telephone, the game where people form a circle to relay a quiet whisper of a message sent from another side of the circle. My version of the John Henry legend is me dealing with the moment when that eternal whisper finally finds my ear, inside the circle. “John, John Henry” can be heard as an extension of the perpetual theme “Man vs Machine” or “Man vs System”. One American moment. One American crossfire. It’s also an ode to the big cousin we all have who somehow believes in us and vows to protect us.”

If these first two singles are anything to go by, we’re in for an absolute treat. Take a listen to ‘John, John Henry’ now.

Yowzers is out on June 6th through International Anthem

Tropos preview upcoming album, Switches, with new single ‘Aerator Debris’

15 May 2025

Photo: Tarishi Gupta

Last month, we shared news of the release of Switches, the upcoming new album from Brooklyn-based composer-improviser collective Tropos, and were immediately taken by its first playful and wild single, ‘The Best Donuts in Pennsylvania‘, composed by violinist Ledah Finck. Today, Tropos give us another exciting taster from the album with ‘Aerator Debris’, a new piece composed by drummer Aaron Edgcomb. The track further showcases the group’s truly collaborative spirit, with the album featuring compositions from all four members.

Listen to ‘Aerator Debris’ below and grab Switches when it drops on June 27th through Endectomorph Music.

Taz Modi’s second album, Involuntary Memories, out tomorrow

15 May 2025

The new solo album from Taz Modi, Involuntary Memories, is out tomorrow May 16th through Sehnsucht. Best known as a founder member of Submotion Orchestra, as well as Matthew Halsall’s pianist for many years and keyboardist for Portico Quartet, Modi has also worked with the likes of DJ Shadow and Mr. Scruff. Marking his second solo outing, following 2019’s Reclaimed Goods, the upcoming Involuntary Memories is a personal and reflective collection of piano-based compositions, shaped by spontaneous recollections and their emotional impact. Recorded across various locations on different pianos, the album was written during a period marked by meaningful life changes like the ageing of his parents, the lockdown, and the birth of his child. “As I reached my forties, I started wondering why these involuntary memories were increasing in frequency, and events around me seemed to trigger more and more recollections of my past,” Modi explains. “I was writing this album around the same time and all of the tracks are inspired by these spontaneous recollections and the range of emotions they seemed to provoke in me.”

Involuntary Memories opens with ‘Involuntary Memories Pt. 1 & 2’ and Modi has recently shared Pt.2. Speaking about it, he says:

“When I came across the pattern that starts this tune off, there was something in the way these two major chords next to each other created a sadness and melancholy that seemed to encapsulate something in how nostalgia works—happiness and sadness coexisting side by side, something that should be joyous actually being sad, and vice versa.”

‘Involuntary Memories (Pt. 2)’ is paired with a live performance video. Watch it below and listen to ‘Involuntary Memories (Pt. 1)’ straight after.