Issue 456
February 2022

Inside this issue:

On the cover: Mdou Moctar: The Nigerien kings of the almighty riff talk touring, rock, suffering and the invaluable discipline of the wedding circuit. By Clive Bell.

Mazen Kerbaj: The Lebanese musician, artist and film maker establishes global relationships via an idiosyncratic musical language. By Mariam Rezaei

Éliane Radigue: A user’s guide to the swelling discography of the French composer. By Julian Cowley

Invisible Jukebox: Jeff Parker × Ben LaMar Gay: The Chicago master musicians put each other to the test with a mystery record selection.

Unlimited Editions: Dub Store

Unofficial Channels: Original Jungle Samples

Hedvig Mollestad: The Norwegian guitarist reaps the whirlwind. By Mike Barnes

Duma: Metal meets gabber for the Kenyan doom duo. By Miloš Hroch

Robbie Lee: New York improvisor reimagines the saxophone. By Andy Hamilton

Matthew J Rolin & Jen Powers: The Ohio guitarist and hammered dulcimer player keep the underground thriving. By Bill Meyer

Global Ear: Inventive linguistic play in Lisbon’s hiphop scene challenges injustice. By April Clare Welsh

The Inner Sleeve: Tim Hecker on Fugazi’s In On The Kill Taker

Epiphanies: Zeitkratzer’s Reinhold Friedl finds liberation in the thundering noise bursts of Iannis Xenakis

Print Run: New music books: Hiphop photography, alien listening, wild vinyl, Swell Maps, and more

On Screen: New films and DVDs: Paul Duane’s While You Live, Shine

On Site: Recent art shows: Spazio Per Azioni Luminescenti; Sweet Harmony: Radio, Rave & Waltham Forest 1989–1994

On Location: Recent live events and streams: faUSt, GLOR1A, EFG Jazz festival, Archie Shepp, Björk, and more

Soundcheck: 75 Dollar Bill, Liz Allbee, Oren Ambarchi, Animal Collective, BLOODMONEYMIMZ, City & io, Mike Cooper, Kelli Frances Corrado, Dlina Volny, Earthless, farmersmanual, Josephine Foster, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Akiko Haruna, Hen Ogledd, Ilgenfritz/Chase/Lee, Kramer, Kuang Program, Lambda Sond, Robbie Lee, Love Object, Lungs, Matilde Meireles, Ava Mendoza, Chantal Michelle, Maria Moles, Matthias Muche, Mothermary, Shane Parish, Jeff Parker, phiik x S!LENCE, Michael Pisaro-Liu, Éliane Radigue, Rangers, Allen Ravenstine, Marcelo Dos Reis, Sawyer/Coates/Zoby/Renteria/Dwyer, Sea Oleena, Semiratruth, Sally Shapiro, Sara Serpa & Emmanuel Iduma, Shortie No Mass, Spermchurch, Luke Stewart, Luke Stewart & Jarvis Earnshaw Quartet, Luke Stewart’s Silt Trio, Robert Storey, Tanya Tagaq, Telefís, Brian Thummler, Travis Duo, Valery Vermeulen, Salomé Voegelin, Yeong Die, Various Keyboard Fantasies Reimagined

The Boomerang: William S Burroughs, Can, Don Cherry, El Trío, William S Fischer, Freestyle Fellowship, Roland Kayn, Movietone, OKI, Hermeto Pascoal E Grupo, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Nate Scheible, Splinters, Yukihiro Takahashi, Cecil Taylor, Larry Wish, Pamela Z, Frank Zappa