Peter Thomas
The soundtracks of the 60s German TV series Space Patrol and Jerry Cotton are astonishing a new generation of musicianly lounge lizards, among them, Pulp. Ken Hollings meets their creator

Invisible Jukebox: Alec Empire
The doyen of digital hardcore tries to identify tracks by Underground Resistance, Caetano Veloso, Merzbow, Slayer, Sleazy D, Dead Kennedys, Stockhausen and more. Tested by Peter Shapiro

Mark E Smith
One year ago it looked like curtain’s for Britain’s longest running underground group. But the Post-Nearly Man has pulled The Fall back from the brink with a new album. By Tony Herrington

A Certain Frank
Emerging from the ranks of Germany’s wittiest ur-electronica trio Der Plan, the duo of Frank Fenstermacher and Pyrolator now create computer fusions of House, Techno and exotica. By Biba Kopf

Undercurrents #5: Music Of Chance
In our series tracking the hidden wiring of 20th century music, Andy Hamilton rolls the dice with the chance operators who’ve disrupted traditional musical hierarchies, among them, Cage, Cardew, Zorn and Eno