Just published a huge interview with Orphx, two of the best to ever do it, on three decades of industrial and techno history. There’s some incredible archive photos in here plus some deep lore on the Canadian techno and experimental music scene.

Can’t shake the feeling that ‘newsletterization’ is a disempowering, disenfranchising, and atomizing condition for writers to work in—effectively analogous to what streaming has done to musicians (and record labels).

Music is good

Fell off my writing schedule a bit because it’s been a weird and unsettling summer, but here are five new records you should listen to right now: Davis Galvin ex_libris sachi’s mirror Roomer schuttle + Jorg Kuning

Picking tracks to play in the club has me remembering Oh Holy Shit Techno Is Good (Sometimes)

here is an event i am organizing Friday August 8 Gray Area, SF Purelink live (SF debut) Daria Lourd (Bored Lord) live (ambient/dub set) myself and Matt DJing tickets: ra.co/events/2211385

I wrote about Dripping, a multivalent music and performing arts festival in the woods of New Jersey. “Events like these remind me … that music is a communal and participatory artform … [& that] the musical experience—live and direct—still has the power to shock, delight, and unravel me.”

Read about (and listen) to new records by: Mineral Stunting @lighghtmusic.bsky.social Plumes of Enceladus @stringbot.com Lara Sarkissian @larasarkissian.bsky.social Yetsuby Cahl Sel certainsound.net/now-listenin...

successful morning tuneage guaranteed :)

Recorded a proper mixtape for the first time in a long time. Thanks to my friend Pressing and Noods Radio for hosting the mix. on.soundcloud.com/bkqD6Rjxg41Y...

it seems no matter what i cannot pull myself away from putting on music gatherings here’s stratus, a new series dedicated to soundsystem music outside of club spaces. our first up features special guest CZ Wang (two CZs for the price of one) Saturday May 24, 4-10pm

‘The reduction of [the creative] impulse to at-will text prompts and online gadgetry, whose outputs recycle and remake without consent the work of human artists, symbolizes the fundamentally anti-humanist triumph of technology over creativity.’ certainsound.net/silicon-vall...

Yeah I support LGBT L ong reverb tails G uitar pedals B asslines T ransgender

met a guy at the wine bar last night and Tetsu Inoue came up in conversation and we both quickly agreed that Organic Cloud is probably the greatest album of all time youtu.be/2v6pmM1KWl4

It’s weird how the leaps of faith required to produce my own work, believe in my own work, and publish my own work (three leaps, each successively longer) get trickier to navigate no matter how long I’ve been at it or how confident I am in my ability or maybe i just wish i had an editor idk

This is a cool post and I agree with it. I write about new left-field-ish music here: certainsound.net

Not sure if anyone here is obsessed with both video games and weird experimental music like I am, but if so: besides being an S-tier game, the soundtrack to BLUE PRINCE reminds me so much of Civilistjävel’s records. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOft...

my local grocery store’s flyer for their easter egg hunt looks like a noise/hardcore show flyer to such a degree it’s kind of stunning

I just published an interview with legendary musician Jefre Cantu-Ledesma. If you are obsessed with ‘ambient’ music (or San Francisco) like I am, this is a must-read. We dive into the history of Root Strata, his label that built up a particular West Coast scene. certainsound.net/words-with-j...

Can’t stop thinking about something I read (maybe here?) to the effect of: ‘Anyone publishing original writing on the web MUST paywall their work otherwise it serves no purpose other than being hoovered as slop training data.’ Shawn Reynaldo’s new essay feels timely in this regard.

We’re barely one quarter into 2025 and I have already heard so many amazingly good records. Here is some writing about five of them. New music from: Grand River Civilistjävel! Rivet Torn Hawk Enxin/Onyx certainsound.net/now-listenin...

Organizing one more group buy of the No Tags book for American buyers who would like to avoid UK shipping costs: $30 shipped anywhere in US. In-depth interviews plus four original essays by myself, Eris Drew, Ray Philp, Henry Bruce-Jones. DM if you’d like a copy!

Just published an interview with TRJJ aka TRii aka TRjj Group, a mysterious German artist with no social media presence whatsoever. It’s dense, but also surprisingly funny. Recommended if you like weird music. If you’re inclined, share with your own networks! certainsound.net/words-with-t...

I’m listening to the ML Buch album for the first time and I cannot believe how good it is or that I waited this long to listen to it

@wonja.bsky.social listen to this because Wonja Ronja (the songwriter’s name) roomer.bandcamp.com/album/leavin...

Autechre are playing San Francisco 10 years and one week after their last gig, so I’ll take this opportunity to share the interview I conducted with them in advance of that performance. I think it’s one of the most thorough and in-depth interviews they’ve done. certainsound.net/words-with-a...

Lots of really exciting interviews coming soon on Thoughts of a Certain Sound. Currently editing an interview with “TRjj” aka TRii Group, a mysterious Berlin artist whose music I discovered last year and floored me with its beautiful weirdness. As far as I know this will be their debut interview.

I wrote about some records I’ve been listening to: Reed Michaels (self-released) Freivogel / Sinclaire (Midnight Shift) DOVS (Balmat) ASC (quiet details) Raven (Incienso) certainsound.net/now-listenin...

Oh no I am once again daydreaming about doing lots of unpaid labor to facilitate local music culture again

my music taste in a nutshell

San Francisco excellence. Tap in >>

i am throwing a party again

Last year, I saw ‘The Last Year of Darkness’, a brilliant documentary (sort of) about queer club culture in Chengdu, China. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, so I wrote about it—and given the past month, my thoughts turned geopolitical (sort of). certainsound.net/techno-and-t...

extremely good

For SF Gate, I wrote an obituary for legendary Bay Area musician Dax Pierson. Sincere gratitude to all of Dax’s family and loved ones that spoke with me and shared his story with me. www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/a...

one of the many reasons I publish with Ghost and not Substack 👇

It’s been ages since I recorded a proper studio DJ mix, but I’m resharing an old favorite for The Bunker NY. Tap in if you like: Half-time, uptempo, left-field liquid bass, techno that definitely isn’t techno. on.soundcloud.com/J1be8bJ5icii...

relatable

Dan’s curation (and design skills) go so crazy. If you’re interested in books you’ll find nowhere else tap in 👇

Just published an interview with James Whipple, aka Hesaitix and formerly M.E.S.H., around the occasion of his fantastic new record on PAN. If you haven’t already listened, check it out while you read this. certainsound.net/words-with-j...

In case you’re in San Francisco and you want to hear trip-hop, bass-heavy ambient, downtempo, weird percussive beats, and Aleksi Peräla on what is probably the best-sounding room in the city, come to Bar Part Time this Thursday at 8pm 🆒

This book is coming out in April and I’m thrilled to have an essay included in it called “A San Francisco Ravedream.” It’s the longest piece in the book and probably one of the pieces of writing I’m most proud of. More to come once the publish date looms closer.

i love the bit where i finish editing an interview (for a typical hour-long conversation, that’s usually about 15-20 hours of editing) and i read the whole thing back and i’m like “damn this shit is good”

No Tags books have arrived 🔊 It’s a compendium of contemporary underground music culture organized by UK music people Chal Ravens + Tom Lea, featuring interviews and original essays. First printing is now sold out—I have a small number of copies for US folks interested. DM if you’d like one.

I wrote about nine of my favorite records in 2024. Perhaps you’ll find something new to enjoy: Hesaitix Thomas Bush Daria Lourd V/Z Shackleton & Six Organs of Admittance Young Echo TRii Group Danny Daze Dregs certainsound.net/nine-records...

Turns out Autechre played not one but two tracks we released on our little San Francisco DIY label, Left Hand Path, on their BBC6 resident mixes. Kinda wild. Mix 3: ‘Scanner Dirge’ by Forests. Mix 4: ‘Denizen Friend’ by E L O N aka Elon Katz. links to the records👇

Autechre played ‘Denizen Friend’ from the E L O N / Elon Katz LP we put out on Left Hand Path… cool! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Just (re)published: a remembrance of Icee Hot, a Bay Area club night responsible for pushing a lot of the after-dubstep UKG-influenced Detroit/Chicago-flavored dance music that has since become big business in America. Their SF debuts: Ben UFO, Objekt, Bicep, more. certainsound.net/look-back-ic...

Years ago, I put together a “Weird Christmas” mixtape. I return to it every winter. Artists included: Vince Guaraldi Trio, Low, Mark van Hoen, Sun City Girls, Ulver, Current 93, Coil, Matt Elliott, Sufjan Stevens, James Ginzburg, Jonathan Kane, GN+LP, Locust. on.soundcloud.com/kK5AH9YPT5W5...