As a tribute to writer Neil Kulkarni, who died on 22 January aged 51, we have made a selection of the many articles he wrote for The Wire free to read in our online library for one month
This chapter from the book about the Swedish psych rock band provides an oral history of the realisation of Gärdesfesten – the free music festival that took place in Stockholm, 1970
Petr Kotik, Susan Stenger, Ulrich Krieger, Arnold Dreyblatt, Robert Poss, Ellen Fullman, Oren Ambarchi, Thomas Ankersmit, and Loré Lixenberg share memories of composer and film maker Phill Niblock, who died on 8 January aged 90
To coincide with his interview with the British composer, improvisor and multi-instrumentalist in The Wire 479/480, Clive Bell compiles a primer of works from Fred Frith’s vast discography
The Wire is deeply saddened to hear of the death of writer Neil Kulkarni. Neil was one of the UK’s most original and distinctive music critics. He had been writing for The Wire since the early 2000s, and just last week filed this online essay, in which he picks his favourite writing from The Wire’s back pages. We publish it now as a tribute to Neil. RIP.
Editor-compiler Richard Johnson shares an excerpt from his book-length Q+A with musician, Alternative TV founder and Sniffin' Glue editor Mark Perry. Chapter eight recalls 1979, when Perry joined musicians Nag and Bendle in the British art punk band The Door And The Window.
Phill Niblock died on 8 January, aged 90. As a tribute to the American composer and film maker we have made Dan Warburton’s 2006 cover feature from The Wire 265 free to read online for one month
Rachel's exploration into Jerry Dammers's 2 Tone label explains how punk reggae evolved to become the “soundtrack of a generation”
Tony Oxley died on Boxing Day aged 85. As a tribute we have made Ben Watson’s 1999 interview with the drummer and live electronics improvisor and composer free to read in our online library.
Why are there so few Jamaican versions of jazz standards, asks Chris Lane in the latest instalment of his guide to reggae versions
Wolke Verlag share an excerpt from the new English language edition of Guillaume Belhomme’s Eric Dolphy biography, originally published by Lenka Lente. In this chapter Belhomme details how an article entitled “John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy Answer the Jazz Critics” appeared in an issue of DownBeat magazine in 1962.
Catherine Christer Hennix died on 19 November 2023. As a tribute we have made Marcus Boon’s 2010 interview with the Swedish musician, artist and mathematician free to read in our online magazine library.
Contributor John Morrison selects pieces of writing from The Wire’s back pages featuring hiphop mixtapes, Can, Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore, Steinski, and more. All selected articles are available to read in The Wire’s digital library with a print or digital subscription
As a tribute to hiphop producer Mark James aka 45 King who has died aged 62 we have made Peter Shapiro’s 1997 interview with James free to read in our online library.
One of free music’s most prolific pianists on the ideas and influences behind his playing
Una MacGlone details a new project that unites improvising musicians, machine learning, and the organic world in a dynamic sonic ecosystem.
Sound artist Steve Roden died on 6 September aged 59. Read Christoph Cox’s interview with him in The Wire 229 and Roden’s Epiphanies essay in The Wire 196 for free in our online library.
Free jazz saxophonist and pianist Charles Gayle has died aged 84. We have made two interviews with the musician also known as Streets The Clown free to read in our online library, from 1994 and 2012.
Contributor Frances Morgan compiles an annotated list of some of The Wire's Once Upon A Time In... special features that tell the stories of significant and localised scenes in underground music history. All selected articles are available to read in The Wire’s digital library with a print or digital subscription.