Terry Riley
The pioneer of 1960s American minimalism reveals the range of his interests, from his Irish and Italian roots to Indian ragas and space music for NASA. By Richard Henderson

Maja Ratkje
The Norwegian singer moves freely between noise, electronics and Improv with her solo projects and as a member of SPUNK and Fe-Mail. By Keith Moliné

Invisible Jukebox: The Dead C
The New Zealand noise rock trio identify tracks by AMM, The Fall, This Heat, Sun City Girls and more. Tested by Nick Cain

Eyeless In Gaza
With his Industrial pop/folk duo and projects with Mick Harris, Max Eastley and Lol Coxhill, Martyn Bates has ploughed a deep, dark furrow through English roots music. By Rob Young

Aufgehoben
The English free rock unit disclose the studio processes behind their improvised sonic barrage. By Joseph Stannard

Islaja
The songs of Finnish multi-instrumentalist Merja Kokkonen are imbued with spiritual longing. By Derek Walmsley

Michio Kurihara
Alan Cummings talks to the Tokyo psychedelic underground's most in-demand guitarist about his first solo album

Cross Platform: Hal Rammel
The American instrument builder's inventions reflect his deep interest in comic utopias and surrealism. By Jon Dale

Global Ear
Martin Longley finds art galleries cultivating an indigenous electronic scene in São Paulo, Brazil

Epiphanies
A booty of pirated mixtapes opens a window on the world of dancehall and bashment reggae for Dave Stelfox

Soundcheck
This month’s selected CDs and vinyl, including Throbbing Gristle, Boredoms, Laub and more. Plus specialist columns on avant rock, critical beats, dub, electronica, hiphop, jazz & Improv, modern composition, outer limits, reissues, compilations and unusual formats

The Inner Sleeve
The Quay Brothers on 1950s Romanian singer Maria Tanase’s IV

Print Run
New music books, including studies of dub, hiphop and Lee Konitz

On Screen
New music DVDs and film, including Fuckhead, Einstürzende Neubauten and the Adelaide Film Festival

On Site
Gallery and mixed media events, including New Humans with Vito Acconci and [Silence] in New York

On Location
Concert and festival reviews, including Sotto Voce and The Flower-Corsano Duo in London, plus Olga Neuwirth’s opera Lost Highway in New York