ACL 2023 ~ The Top 20 Albums of the Year

This year’s Top 20 list is noteworthy for its variety, a reflection of the wealth of music on the market.  For every 200 albums submitted to ACL, only one makes our final list.  This makes it all the more remarkable

ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape

Some field recording artists travel to the ends of the earth to capture sounds many of us will never hear in person.  This year’s selection includes magma, ice and hydrophone recordings.  But field recording can be as simple as recording

A Closer Look: AKOUSMA 2023

Joseph Sannicandro reviews the 19th edition of AKOUSMA in Montreal, including an interview with Aho Ssan, who closed out the festival. Shortly after the release of his stunning new collaborative album, Rhizomes, Aho Ssan presented a live diffusion of The

Marja Ahti ~ Tender Membranes

In a sign of what is to come, Marja Ahti’s album Tender Membranes begins with the striking of a bell, its decay manipulated and stretched to almost two minutes before it is abruptly cut off. The sound of rushing water