Global Ear: Mongolia
Michael Ormiston returns to Ulaanbataar to assess the condition of traditional Mongolian overtone singing, in a city were the number one song is about a peeping-tom celibate monk

Drexciya
'Mommy, what's an Esoterrorist?' Detroits most enigmatic underground techno duo uses the Black Atlantic's migratory routes as the grid for their subaquatic assaults on logic. By Kodwo Eshun

Secret History Of Film Music
The impact of HipHop on Hollywood sound design is as much about deep bass as a shared obsession with firepower. Back in New York, Spike Lee draws on more humanist musical traditions. By Philip Brophy

Ralf Wehowsky
Also known as RLW, this Franfurt based minimal noise composer constructs hermetic soundworlds from the most unforgiving of sources, with a little help from his friends. By Rahma Khazam

Mark Hollis
Breaking a seven year silence to discuss his first solo album, The UK's most idiosyncratic singer/composer reveals the pressures that destroyed Talk Talk at the peak of their powers. By Rob Young

Invisible Jukebox: Tortoise
Chicago's dub damaged post-rockers try to identify tracks by Tom & Jerry, Mouse On Mars, Augustus Pablo, Nucleus and more. Tested by Mike Barnes

1997 Rewind
Our fast track through the pro's and con's of the year: all the Charts that count in our Critic's Choice; commentaries from 1997's leading players; plus Wire writers reflect on the past 12 months of music activity

Marti Klarwein
From his Mediterranean home base, the painter of classic album artwork for Miles Davis, Santana and Jon Hassell reveals their meaning to Rob Young