On A Transatlantic Collaboration, Silver Spring’s Daniel Barbiero Explores Thought Itself
Anybody who talks to bassist/composer Daniel Barbiero about his favorite intellectual pursuits is likely to come out of the conversation…
Tag: Experimental Music
Insect Factory Has A Hunch That Life Has Become Too Much Like Work
Guitarist Jeff Barsky of Insect Factory did some deep thinking about that little red dot on your Facebook page. It put his latest album in focus.
New Venue, Same Experimental Trip: D.C.’s Sonic Circuits Festival Returns
When the arts organization Pyramid Atlantic moved out of its Silver Spring home earlier this year, the disruption extended to…
Cosmic Unease And Strange Sensations From Maryland’s BADTHRVW
Have you ever had the sinking suspicion that perhaps we’re living in a computer simulation? That’s exactly the kind of unnerving existential reckoning Bethesda’s BADTHRVW (pronounced “bad throw”) is trying to induce.
Premiere: Experimental Composer James Wolf Gets Metaphysical In A Cryptic New Video
Composer/violinist James Wolf has no particular fondness for titles, which makes his new track, “Haa,” that much more cryptic. Taken…
Domingues & Kane Bring Viola Da Gamba Into The 21st Century
After many years in the D.C. rock scene, musicians Dennis Kane and Amy Domingues yearned for a new challenge. They…
What Does D.C. Sound Like? Listen To Kokayi’s Washington Soundscape
Take a walk through NoMa, the Southwest Waterfront or parts of Shaw, and you’ll hear a city in transition: the…
Exploring ‘The Great Outdoors,’ Andrew Bernstein’s Audio Vortex
Intense and disorienting, Andrew Bernstein’s The Great Outdoors feels like a vortex tunnel — except you can’t walk into it. To get inside,…
With Pyramid Atlantic Moving Out, Silver Spring Loses Some Of Its Edge
Montgomery County is about to get slightly less weird: This summer, Silver Spring arts center Pyramid Atlantic debuts its new home in…
Janel Leppin Prepares To Launch A Mystical Record Label
As a cellist, vocalist, composer and music teacher, Janel Leppin always seems to be working on a new creative endeavor. Now…
Premiere: New Robotic Psych Rock From Heavy Breathing
Warning: This post contains an NSFW album cover. D.C. space-rock band Heavy Breathing descended from The Apes. That is to…
Review: Various Artists, ‘Pop Ambient 2016’
The Kompakt label’s series showcases the gentler, more melodic side of ambient electronic music. It may make for a lushly soothing soundtrack, but richly varied and revelatory sounds abound.
Jason Mullinax Explores An Alien Groove On ‘Octopus Tree’
On “Octopus Tree,” a recent composition from Takoma Park musician Jason Mullinax, imagery and music come together in vivid harmony:…
Drone Duo Zomes On Making Music In The Least Stressful Way Possible
On its own, Zomes’ new album, Near Unison, is a thing of undeniable beauty, care and intelligence. Talk to band…
Premiere: Les Rhinocéros’ Heavy Take On Gnawa Music
If you find yourself in a trance after listening to Les Rhinocéros’ third album, well, that’s kind of what the…
Where Synthesizers Meet Cinnamon Rolls: It’s Drone Brunch
On a Sunday afternoon in May, Pat Walsh stands in the kitchen of Petworth house venue Paperhaus, cooking brunch. As…
Guitar Virtuoso Joel Harrison Returns To His D.C. Roots With Two Eclectic Shows This Weekend
No one could call the D.C. region’s music scene a monoculture — it’s been home to legends across dozens of…
Think Baltimore Music Is Weird? In The ’90s, Towson And Glen Arm Music Was Even Weirder.
Spurred by new, affordable technology, the home-recording boom of the 1980s and ’90s produced some of the most idiosyncratic music…