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Inside this issue:

2022 Rewind: the year in underground music

Releases Of The Year: We asked our contributors to nominate their top ten records, CDs, downloads and streams of the year, then we added up the votes

Critics’ Reflections: Wire writers discuss their cultural highs and lows for 2022

The New Vaudeville: Funny games. By Stewart Smith

Turntablists: Spin cycles. By Rob Turner

Columnists’ Charts: Our specialist critics excavate all crevices of the culture for this year’s most exciting music, from hiphop to modern composition

Books, Films & Events: Emily Bick surveys the year in print, cinema, audiovisual arts and live performance

Climate: Burning issues. By Phil England

Healing Sounds: Good vibrations. By Emily Pothast

Archive Releases Of The Year: Our contributors voted for their top ten archival records, CDs, downloads and streams, and we counted them all up

Invisible Jukebox: Kali Malone: Our mystery record selection pulls out all the stops for the composer and organist. Tested by Derek Walmsley

Unlimited Editions: REC-on

Unofficial Channels: Xenwiki

Heith: The Milanese producer looks to magickal traditions. By Miloš Hroch

Venus Ex Machina: Cybernetics meet mythology for the researcher and composer. By Meg Woof

Kraus: New Zealand psych wizard goes for a float. By Kiran Dass

Daniel Bachman: The American Primitive guitarist chronicles climate crisis. By Louis Pattison

Global Ear: Kadıköy: The Istanbul neighbourhood is the home for metal and underground music. By Robert Rigney

The Inner Sleeve: Gaye Su Akyol on Morphine’s Good

Epiphanies: Meg Baird on Sheila Kay Adams and John Cohen

Soundcheck: Christine Abdelnour & Andy Moor, Theophilus Oluwafifehami Ajayi, Amefrican Grunges, Daniel Bachman, Big Joanie, Blood Rhythms, The Brother Moves On, Christeene, Circuit Des Yeux & Claire Rousay, Alvin Curran, The Dowling Poole, FaUSt featuring Keiji Haino, Ben Frost, Satoko Fujii, Ghoëst, Melvin Gibbs, Hieroglyphic Being, Ryoji Ikeda, I Know I’m An Alien, Philip Jeck, Leslie Keffer, Leslie Keffer & R Stevie Moore, Kitten Pyramid, Klein, Low Res, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, MoE/Bruxa Maria, MoE Y Escalantes, Anthony Moore, Mthunzi Mvubu, Jérôme Noetinger, No Home, Rascali Klepitoire, Julia Reidy & Morten, Joh Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn, Vanessa Rossetto, Claire Rousay, Claire Rousay & E Fishpool, Rubbish Music, Slumberland featuring Sainkho Namtchylak, Akai Solo, Tyshawn Sorey Trio + 1, Sourdure, Stabbing, Twinkle3 featuring David Sylvian & Kazuko Hohki, Urban Eden, Marc Urselli’s SteppenDoom, Venus Ex Machina, Beau Wanzer & Hieroglyphic Being, Weyes Blood, billy woods x Messiah Musik, Yungmorpheus, Various Black Metal Rainbows Various Clap. An Anatomy Of Applause Various Dark Side Of The Sacred Star Various Fragility Of Sounds, Various Imaginary Landscapes Various Paroxysm: A Benefit Compilation For Leslie Keffer, Various Xtended Vox

The Boomerang: Alterations, Celtic Frost, Deicide, The Ex, The Fall, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Joyce with Mauricio Maestro, Meredith Monk, Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, Les Rallizes Dénudés, Sidney Sager & The Ambrosian Singers, Topdown Dialectic, Markos Vamvakaris, Venom, Denis Wize