Music

Three recently released mix albums and the purist’s fear of digital bastardization

From retro-futurism to the iPod generation, the best music of 2010

A screwed song urges the listener to internalize its dampened tempo, to stretch the existential qualities of the moment to match the music

The evolution of an artist and musician

A recent crop of new publications exlpore the lives and histories of people and communities through music 

From The Bees Gees to Justin Timberlake, the male falsetto is transgressive, both angelic and diabolical, depending on who is singing, and to what purpose

A handful of recent DJ mixes and online experiments point the way to a more communal form of listening

Composer Nico Muhly talks to Dan Fox about his relationship to music, cooking and collaboration

Recent releases demonstrate that dubstep is finally lightening up

XXX Macarena (From the Nursery/Primary Information, 2010)

Various artists (Stones Throw, 2010)

Richard Skelton (Type, 2010)

Spacemen 3 (Fire Records, 1987/2009)

Pantha du Prince (Rough Trade, 2010)

The highs and lows of 2009, including nostalgia, Alarm Will Sound and Terry Riley; Throbbing Gristle, Luke Fowler, and ‘Lust for Life’ 

Jim O’Rourke (Drag City, 2009)

Evangelista (Constellation, 2009)

David Sylvian (Samadhisound, 2009)

Bernard Szajner (LTM Recordings, 2009)

Susan Stenger (Forma Productions, 2009)