ON THE COVER: Lightning Bolt

FEATURES: Ken Hyder, Vashti Bunyan, Invisible Jukebox: Ray Russell, Primer: Jamaican Deejays, Tujiko Noriko, Susanne Brokesch, Kang Tae Hwan

PLUS: Wire Tapper 14: All copies of this month's issue come with a free 16 track CD, the latest volume in our ongoing series of new music compilations. The CD features tracks by Oren Marshall, Dirty Projectors, Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid, This Heat, Nels Cline/Wally Shoup/Chris Corsano and more

ON THE COVER: Remake Remodel - 60 cover versions that rattle the state of song

FEATURES: Invisible Jukebox: Steve Reich, Earth, The Birth of Japanese Free Music, Oren Marshall, Mazen Kerbaj, Jackson And His Computer Band

ON THE COVER: Boards Of Canada - In a rare interview on home turf, the Scottish gnarly electronica duo share campfire stories with Rob Young

FEATURES: Eliane Radigue, The new London silence: Mark Wastell and Sound 323, Invisible Jukebox: The Dirty Three, Jarboe, Alexander Tucker, Birchville Cat Motel

ON THE COVER: Richard Youngs - The naive shaman's rapturous DIY minimalism is re-energising the UK's free rock underground. By David Keenan

FEATURES: Hugh Hopper, Ralf Wehowsky, The Primer: Xenakis, Invisible Jukebox: Broadcast, Alexander Hacke, Okkyung Lee, Tracy + The Plastics, Tony Oursler

ON THE COVER: The Red Krayola

FEATURES: Invisible Jukebox: Carla Bozulich, Pierre Schaeffer, This Heat, Wolf Eyes vs Anthony Braxton, Björk, Marissa Nadler, The Skaters, Ikuro Takahashi

ON THE COVER: Jamie Lidell - How Super Collider's former singer discovered a deeper voice to become the godson of soul. By Rob Young

FEATURES: Ornette Coleman, Animal Collective, Invisible Jukebox: Keiji Haino, Primer: Lone Horns Improv, Magik Markers, Monolake, Tony Bevan

ON THE COVER: Laugh Till It Hurts - The best music is as serious as your life, which is why laughter is one of its most important components. In a 14 page special, our squad of correspondents get their laughing gear around a century of sonic wit and musical jesters from Aphex to Zappa. Plus: David Stubbs explains how humour and music make for unlikely bedfellows, and David Toop muses on the comedy of the grand piano and the misery of Max Wall

FEATURES: Tod Dockstader, Mark Stewart, The Books, Cooper-Moore, Clemens Gadenstätter

PLUS: The Wire Tapper 13 - This month's free cover-mounted 20 track double CD is available in shops worldwide and features tracks by Matt Elliott, Kid 606, Nick Castro, Junkboy, Juana Molina, Alexander Hacke, Akinori, Pajo, Tu'M and more

ON THE COVER: Electrelane - How Steve Albini, The Ex and a passing US military train helped shape their formidable rock noise. By David Stubbs

FEATURES: Invisible Jukebox: Steve Beresford, Kali Z Fasteau, Foetus, Alex Von Schlippenbach, Boris, Josephine Foster, The Complainer, Annie Gosfield

ON THE COVER: Mike Patton - Phil Freeman meets the voice of unreason behind Fantômas, Tomahawk, various John Zorn collaborations and Ipecac

FEATURES: Invisible Jukebox: Ira Cohen, Antony & The Johnsons, Elliott Sharp, Primer: Grime, Richard Barrett, Venetian Snares, MIA

ON THE COVER: MF Doom - Hua Hsu investigates the many personae of one of HipHop's most mysterious figures.

FEATURES: Bill Fay, Hijokaidan, James Tenney, Invisible Jukebox: Ken Vandermark, M Ward, Colin Potter, Wally Shoup, Hugh Metcalfe

ON THE COVER: Anthony Braxton. The grandmaster's apocalyptic new music is informed by a panoramic take on ancient civilisations.

FEATURES: The Soft Pink Truth's Invisible Jukebox, Mike Ladd, A User's Guide to Subterranean Metal, Gang Gang Dance, Hugh Davies, Dylan Nyoukis, Oki

ON THE COVER: LCD Soundsystem. LCD frontman and DFA co-producer James Murphy brings meta-disco back to NYC.

FEATURES: 2004 Rewind: The Wire looks back at a year in music, Invisible Jukebox: Glenn Jones, Zeitkratzer, Joanna Newsom, Nils Okland, My Cat Is An Alien, Dälek, Afrirampo