Interview
Little Machines for Singing: David Rothenberg takes on the swarm
April 2013
Mark Pilkington speaks to the man behind a book exploring the crossovers between insect noises and synthesized sounds.
Mark Pilkington speaks to the man behind a book exploring the crossovers between insect noises and synthesized sounds.
Dennis Johnson's newly recorded piece November, which inspired La Monte Young's The Well Tuned Piano, rewrites the history of minimalism. Clive Bell talks to the elusive mathematician.
The historian and radio broadcaster talks about the power of eavesdropping and the roar of the crowd, as heard in Noise: A Human History, his new 30 part series for BBC Radio 4. By Nathan Budzinski.
As musicians at the forefront of the Athenian music scene, Coti K, Ilios and Nikos Veliotis triangulate drones, strings and oscillations. Sophia Ignatidou interviews the trio.
Mark Fisher's unedited transcript of his interview with underground dubstep artist Burial
In the 1960s, John Tchicai was one of the undersung heroes revolutionising black music. Now he's back with his own take on 90s world fusion. This article originally appeared in The Wire 142 (December 1995).
A long-distance duo with the saxophonist-composer who's still squaring the circles and running rings around the squares. This article originally appeared in The Wire 65 (July 1989).
There is an air of mystery about this much loved man who is one of the British jazz community's most familiar figures. Dave Ilic tries to get to the bottom of the cosmic comic of the free-form fraternity in an interview with Lol Coxhill. This article originally appeared in The Wire 5 (Autumn 1983).
Zeitkratzer (Time Scraper) operate at the extremes of Germany's New Music scene: an experimental chamber ensemble with sensibilities derived as much from Noise and improvisation as the contemporary music repertoire. Leader/pianist Reinhold Friedl's adventurous desire to extend the frontiers of his group's work has led to collaborations with Lou Reed, Terre Thaemlitz and Bernhard Gunter as well as choreographers and fashion designers. By Julian Cowley. This article originally appeared in The Wire 251 (January 2005).
Via their releases on Sheffield's Warp label, the Autechre duo of Sean Booth and Rob Brown are searching out new dimensions in electronic sound. Meanwhile, their Disengage radio show has become a community news bulletin for fellow digital denizens. Interview by Rob Young. This article originally appeared in The Wire 156 (February 1997).
The robots are coming! Cyberpopmen Kraftwerk are back with a new disc and a new UK tour. We sent Wire's talking typewriter Hopey Glass to ask the almost lifelike Ralf, do androids dream of electric bleeps? This article was originally published in The Wire 89, July 1991.
A very English voice combines with wholly un-English sentiments in the idiosyncratic songs of Robert Wyatt, who is about to break a six year silence with a brilliant new album. This article was originally published in The Wire 163 (September 1997).
Check out this exclusive (and extended) two part interview with Jeff Mills...
After running away to Europe from Argentina in 1957, composer Mauricio Kagel found a role as the imp poking fun at the dogmatic approach of the New Music establishment characterised by Stockhausen and Boulez. In a rare interview, classical music's black sheep tells Philip Clark about a lifetime of subversion, and how he foresaw the last year's hostage siege in a Moscow theatre. This article originally appeared in The Wire 232.
Elliott Sharp's music is a rich fusion of guitar noise, angular electronics, blues and acoustic balladry. Interview by Steve Holtje. This article originally appeared in The Wire 136 (June 1995).
Playful eclecticism merging cultures and shifting identities are the lifeblood of the first solo album by Natacha Atlas. Peter Shapiro meets one of music's rootless cosmopolitans. This article originally appeared in The Wire 136 (June 1995).
Drawing on esoteric notions of alchemy and magick, the music of Coil maps a hidden world of altered perspectives and arcane practices. This article originally appeared in The Wire 134 (April 1995).
The musicians behind Germany's mysterious Basic Channel label are Techno-archaeologists, anonymous electricians inhabiting the wired-up cities of Berlin and Detroit. Biba Kopf tracks down the invisible men of electronic music. This article originally appeared in The Wire 150 (August 1996).
Two years after the release of his epochal "In/Flux" single, DJ Shadow's abstract beat collage is still a mutant strain in the hiphop nation. This article originally appeared in The Wire 151 (September 1996).
In the world of live electronics, Hugh Davies is a pioneering figure, forging strange, new sounds from home-made musical instruments and working with collaborators as diverse as Stockhausen and Talk Talk. This article originally appeared in The Wire 168 (February 1998).
Thanks to the esoteric interests of frontman Jack Dangers, Meat Beat Manifesto's post-Industrial Electro-collages are reaching a new currency in the 90s. Interview by Chris Sharp. This article originally appeared in The Wire 148 (June 1996).
Once upon a time, Andrew Weatherall was the out-of-control speedfreak of UK club culture. Now following a long cooling off period, he's reinventing himself with Two Lone Swordsmen as a purveyor of primal underground Electronica. Interview by Rob Young. This article originally appeared in The Wire 148 (June 1996).
At 65, pianist Cecil Taylor is a lion in early winter, writes Howard Mandel. In this exclusive New York interview, one of the pioneers of black freedom expands on his ideas of music sonic architecture, spiritual intake and bodily transcendence. this article originally appeared in The Wire 124 (June 1994).
For three decades, Evan Parker's mission has been to boldly go where no other musician has gone before. Now he's exploring music's outer limits with a new generation of musicians half his age. Interview by Rob Young. This article originally appeared in The Wire 144 (February 1996).