Jenny Hval: The confrontational Norwegian singer, songwriter and composer reclaims the abject with her new album Blood Bitch. By Maya Kalev

The Primer: Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Between 1966 and 1994 John Stevens’s ever-changing ensemble helped shape the aesthetic and sound of UK improv. By Daniel Spicer

Rudy Van Gelder: A tribute to the engineer who redefined the sound of modern jazz. By Kirk Degiorgio

Moor Mother: The Afrofuturist collages of Camae Ayewa draw science fiction, radical politics and stinging social critique into a grand narrative of struggle and endurance. By Rob Turner

Frak: The Swedish synthesizer superheroes turned acid house renegades show no signs of hanging up their masks after almost 30 years of making psychic music. By Meg Woof

Norberto Lobo: The freewheeling Portuguese guitarist finds music between the lines of language and culture. By Paulo Cecilio

Bites:

Stefan Fraunberger: The Austrian composer locates beauty in desolation. By Tristan Bath

Xylouris White: Greek lutenist Gioros Xylouris and Dirty Three drummer Jim White on brotherhood and harmony. By Abi Bliss

Fis: The New Zealand born electronic musician explores the continuum of vibration. By Rory Gibb

Carla dal Forno: The Berlin based Australian singer and songwriter unloads her memory cache. By Emily Bick

Global Ear: Tehrah, Iran: The Iranian capital harbours a new generation of electronic musicians. By Fari Bradley

Invisible Jukebox: Fenriz: The Darkthrone frontman feels the arctic thunder of The Wire’s mystery record selection. Tested by Anne Hilde Neset

The Inner Sleeve: patten on The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Epiphanies: Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings takes a dance class with drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo

Print Run: New music books: Rock Against Racism, Flying Nun, Pet Shop Boys, Simon Reynolds's glam rock opus, and more

On Screen: New films and DVDs: Tim & Barry’s Sons Du Gueto, Syros International Film Festival

On Site: Recent exhibitions: Mark Leckey in Liverpool, The Great Animal Orchestra in Paris

On Location: Recent festivals, gigs and clubs: Deep Minimalism, AMM All-Stars, Terraforma, Gaika and more

Soundcheck: Neurosis by Laina Dawes, Danny Brown by Richard Stacey, Fort Evil Fruit by Tristan Bath, Julius Eastman by Geeta Dayal, William S Burroughs by Richard Thomas, Jack Rose by Stewart Smith

Plus: Masami Akita, Biosphere, Nat Birchall, Mykki Blanco, Boobs Of Doom, Chris Brown, Laura Cannell, Convextion, The Cube Of Unknowing, Roland Dahinden & Hildegard Kleeb, Sarah Davachi, DVA [Hi:Emotions], Ectoplasm Girls, El Perro Del Mar, The Gaslamp Killer, Grumbling Fur, Bobby Kapp & Matthew Shipp, Lesbian, Leverton Fox, Littlebow, Moor Mother, Takahiro Mukai, Negură Bunget, Neurosis, North Of North, Áine O'Dwyer, Okishima Island Tourist Association, Pauline Oliveros & Musiques Nouvelles, Opeth, Bill Orcutt, Bill Orcutt & Okkyung Lee, Ovis Aurum, Anthony Pateras & Anthony Burr, Richard Pinhas, Richard Pinhas & Tatsuya Yoshida, Pinhas/Yoshida/Ono, Powell, Gavin Prior, Psychic TV, Tom Recchion, Noura Mint Seymali, Shabaka & The Ancestors, Spooky Ruben, Supersilent, Various Mopomoso Tour: Making Rooms, WIFE, Wilco, Wrangler

The Columns: Noel Gardner, Joe Muggs, Steve Barker, Dan Barrow, Francis Gooding, Haley Potiker, Phil Freeman, Lottie Brazier

Size Matters: Byron Coley

The Boomerang: Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch, Boris, Steve Buscemi & Elliot Sharp, Camberwell Now, Cluster, Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, Guus Janssen, Mike & Rich, Bruce Naumann, Sun Ra, Pete Shelley, Pat Thomas