Global Ear: New York
Robin Rimbaud scans the Brooklyn Bridge for Illbient traces

Roger Eno
The rich and evocative music of Brian's less famous brother, inspired by English pastoralism and coastal landscapes, is ripe for re-examination. By Paul Stump

DJ Shadow
The new album by California's illest mixologist recasts HipHop as a prime site for audio narrative, blunted collage and sonic mutation. By Chris Sharp

Keiji Haino
For over 20 years the fevered visions of this most charismatic of musicians have been a cohesive force on the Tokyo noise scene. Biba Kopf dives headfirst into the flames

Magical Power Mako
In a rare interview, a shadowy legend of the Japanese experimental underground reveals the mysteries of the channeling ritual. By Edwin Pouncey

The Fall
In a North Manchester pub, Tony Herrington hears strange tales of precognition and the demented city from the one and only Mark E Smith

Sheila Chandra
The English Indipop siren is discovering the magic of overtones and magnified harmonics, erasing cultural boundaries as she goes. Rob Young listens to the mother of a drone

David Cunningham
The Flying Lizards, Michael Nyman, Robert Fripp, Scanner and This Heat: just some of the artists who've benefitted from the lucid production of this East End studio wizard. By Clive Bell

Further Objects Of Musical Desire
More aural obscurities that fire and inspire The Wire: by popular demand we give you a list of addenda to last month's 150 sonic essentials

Invisible Jukebox: John Cale
Mike Barnes riffs on Lou Reed, Nick Drake, Jesus & Mary Chain, Tony Conrad, Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks and others with the cosmopolitan composer