London 13 November 2019 Lightning Bolt, once hilariously described to me as “a really talented drummer and bass player showing off” are back in London following the release of their ridiculously enjoyable album Sonic Citadel. Playing two sold out nights in The Underworld, it’s extremely comforting to see upon entering […]
Stuart Low
10 posts
London 8 November 2019 Berlin-based avant-garde guitarist Caspar Brötzmann is back in London, touring as Caspar Brötzmann Massaker, his cult power-trio featuring bassist Eduardo Delgado-Lopez and drummer Saskia Von Klitzing. Always a favourite of the experimental guitar crowd, he arrives after having supported SunnO))) in Europe and is having a […]
London 28 October 2019 The SunnO))) juggernaut rolls into London for the first time since their triumphant show at The Barbican in 2017. A quick glance at the stage after arriving confirms that Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson — the core members of SunnO))) since forming in 1998 — have not mellowed […]
London 30 June 2015 Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the once-elusive collective from Montréal, are now becoming an almost regular fixture on the live circuit since reforming in 2010. In addition to live activities, we’ve seen them almost double their late ’90s / early ’00s recorded output with the dual whammy […]
Thrill Jockey The two Brians from Rhode Island are back with Lightning Bolt‘s first album since 2009’s Earthly Delights and their first for new label Thrill Jockey. Lightning Bolt are a classic example of an underground noise band who have had some success in the mainstream without compromising their sound […]
London-based duo Kontakte‘s 2014 release These Machines brought a blissfully blistering end to their silence of two years between albums. Here, Ian Griffiths and Stuart Low give a detailed breakdown of how and why each of the album’s tracks came into being. * “Shut Your Eyes And You’ll Burst Into […]
Southern Lord Opening with a kick drum that could loosen the fillings in your teeth, Pelican‘s fifth full length gets off to a brooding, ominous start with “Terminal,” a dark slab of menacing noise, its first half filled with an almighty bass and wailing feedbacking guitars. The dust then settles […]
Corsica Studios, London 24 June 2013 The last time I saw Black Dice was in 2009 at the Tufnell Park Dome when they were joined by fellow uplifting souls Experimental Dental School amongst others. The evening had been a reasonably enjoyable listen of eclectic sounds and rhythms up until the […]
Important Mysterious Seattle collective Master Musicians Of Bukkake return to the fold after the conclusion of their highly regarded Totem trilogy. Comprising of largely Eastern-tinged soundscapes and ‘ritualised’ music, Totems One, Two and Three are albums that I repeatedly return to, such is the quality and diversity of sounds and […]
Ipecac A lot has been written and said about the importance of Isis, that rare breed of heavy band who not only garnered widespread critical acclaim in the metal world but also succeeded as a crossover act, appealing to fans of shoegaze, post-rock, avant-garde and beyond. This crossover appeal, combined […]