self-titled

03/12/2024

say 👋 to self-titled 2.0:
https://selftitledmag.substack.com

21/11/2024

"Meditation is the best gateway for humans to understand they’re more than just matter. It gives them hope." — Aisha Devi

"This invisible force empowers us to live in another dimension"

15/11/2024

Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve soft-launched self-titled 2.0 on Substack as a way to celebrate our first 16 years and publish new pieces that are a little more insightful than a seemingly endless death cycle of song premieres, hot takes, and half-baked reviews.

Phase one of our rollout focuses on stories you may have missed or forgotten. Case in point: 's thoughtful response to Pitchfork’s roundup of the 50 ‘best’ ambient records. More than a mere playlist, it finds the / / alum decoding the very definition of background music.

Or as one of our new Bluesky followers put it, “Find myself often recycling the same ambient LPs because I want ambient often, and because searching ‘best ambient’ usually reveals those same LPs or and/or cheese…. This is a very welcome find from RAI, should keep me busy for months .”

10/11/2024

The calm before the chaos at last night’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor show, which leaned heavily on the band’s lovely new LP but also managed to work in walloping sections from ‘Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven’, ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’, and ‘G_d’s P*e at State’s End!’. Nearly two hours long, it started with one of their signature “Hope Drone” sketches and ended with just two members onstage, teasing the last bit of lingering power out of the collective’s tightly wound set pieces.

What a way to end a rough week…. This is just the beginning of a long run that includes a second round of stateside dates, too, so 🏃‍♂️ don’t 🚶‍♂️if you’re interested in experiencing all of Godspeed’s extremes in person.

Doubly so if you’re lucky enough to have Alan Sparhawk of opening with his son Cyrus. Seeing his solo material split into two distinct halves — the paranoid android passages of ‘White Roses, My God’ and the stark poetry of a looming collab with — is like watching someone workshop the next stage of their life in realtime. And like Godspeed, it’s not just cathartic. It feels like a full-on, collective form of spiritual cleansing.

In other words, I’m not crying; YOU’RE crying!

09/11/2024

Heal yourself with hardcore on our new Substack

May the Reagan era revival begin

15/10/2024

We've seen a bunch of times, but nothing could have prepared us for the raw, peak-of-their-powers racket that reverberated through last week. To be honest, our ears are STILL ringing.

More than just a mere retread of their breakthrough record 'Amplifier Worship', the performance was a powerful reminder of the trio's roots and all the avant-garde shades of punk, metal, drone and psych they've dabbled in over the past three decades.

While she stood off to the side for most of the show, lead guitarist Wata was in command of the band's chaos the entire time. (The tour's called 'Amplifier Worship Service' for a reason.) Her longtime partner in life and creativity, Atsuo, was happy to seize the spotlight and trade lumbering drum lines with guest percussionist Muchio as bassist/singer Takeshi brought things home beautifully off to the right of the stage.

Quite possibly the best set we've ever seen Boris play, the night was a not-so-gentle reminder to wear protection at 💯 decibel shows like this and never underestimate a power trio named after a tune.

19/08/2024

Back from the 💀 with some prime elder millennial material: a look at Green Day's totally '90s tour with Rancid + The Smashing Pumpkins

A reminder of what made the MTV era so vital in the days before digital music

12/04/2024

In honor of Thursday releasing their first new song in 13 years tonight, here is a shot of the band opening for their old buddies My Chemical Romance at Xcel Energy Center.

Look out for our long overdue look at "Full Collapse" this fall, when s/t has a fresh coat of paint and Geoff Rickly and co. revisit their post-hardcore masterpiece at When We Were Young!

19/03/2024

Much like a manic comedian who slings poison-tipped punchlines with a sneer-tinged smile, 's own Andrew Falkous washes his wry sense of humor down with reality-biting razor blades.

Look past last Saturday's banter about everything from (an easy target, but we'll take it) to the self-sabotaging bridge ("our old singer is, a s*x criminal") of mclusky's most promising single, and goers found a slew of restless songs that felt like a shot in the arm and a slap to the face.

Welcome back, , and ; you've been missed.

30/11/2023

Caught the kickoff of 's latest tour leg, which doubled as a debut of 's new .acoustics.official system. The crisp and clear L2 setup is the first of its kind in North America, putting the iconic venue on par with past L Acoustics clients like Depeche Mode, Billie Eilish and Neil Young. And what better way to highlight its hi-fi sound than Olsen's haunting music, a staple for nearly a decade?

Want to hear the difference firsthand? Upcoming First Avenue shows include (January 30), (January 31), (February 14), and the almighty mclusky (March 16). 🤘

24/04/2023

Welcome back, Bikini Kill Records! Can we get a new album now?

We're all rebel girls now

23/03/2023

✨ Been saving a special M a n a & Pedro Vian mix for the lead up to their live set at arkaoda Berlin Thursday night, a Modern Obscure Music presentation that also features a performance from Pavel Milyakov / buttechno. ✨

Tap the link below to listen to a "constant flow of sensitiveness and melancholic hyperbole" starring Sofie Birch x Antonina Nowacka, Laila Sakini, Carmen Villain, Silvia Kastel, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Valentina Magaletti Drummer and more!

"One constant flow of sensitiveness and melancholic hyperbole"

27/02/2023

Oh my god, they're gorgeous.

Their new album is now available alongside a bottle of gin

06/02/2023

And we're back with a wild Rival Consoles featuring Randomer, MODESELEKTOR (OFFICIAL SITE), Blawan, Joy Orbison, Caterina Barbieri, Schwefelgelb and more. Stream it here along with the London producer's latest Erased Tapes LP!

A set that's "slightly industrial and stark, yet addictive and upbeat"

03/11/2022

💨 the pressure with a new Kasper Bjørke mix in the spirit of his new Kompakt Records LP, featuring Masayoshi Fujita, Ana Roxanne, Nailah Hunter, Sam Prekop, Elori Saxl, Carmen Villain, x.y.r. + Hoavi

60 minutes of soothing experimental sounds

20/10/2022

Ron Trent shares some killer footage of Quincy Jones, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, and NYC club culture in its absolute prime (Danceteria, Paradise Garage, et. al)!

Shades of everything from Quincy Jones to yacht rock

27/09/2022

"What they don't tell you when you're growing up is that the clock is already ticking. It's one thing to dream about being left behind, but it's another thing entirely to wake up and not even realize you've been asleep. Or maybe it was all a dream in the first place."

— Brandon Curtis on Secret Machines' sorely overlooked self-titled LP, which finally received a proper digital release last Friday

Read the stories behind each remastered song

07/09/2022

BON + Akiko Haruna break down their new EP, with nods to alva noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto 坂本龍一, Cliff Martinez, Angelo Badalamenti, Hieroglyphic Being, Steve Reich and more!

From Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto to Steve Reich