2003 Rewind
The Wire's crack writing squad select the year's best records; plus critics', singers' and players' pros and cons

Arthur Russell
David Toop unravels the enigma of the NYC Bhuddist cellist who created the 80s' most seductive dance tracks

Jerome Noetinger
Metamkine and Quintet Avant's noise agitato tells Dan Warburton about his desire to keep musique concréte alive

Paal Nilssen-Love
Norway's finest utility drummer is at home with Scorch Trio's Improv and The Thing's garage rock. By Mike Barnes

Invisible Jukebox: Damon & Naomi
The US acid folk duo try to identify music by Yoko Ono, Robert Wyatt, Dredd Foole and more. Tested by Alan Licht

Basil Kirchin
Alan Licht talks to the neglected composer of Dr Phibes scores about his pioneering eco-Ambient free jazz work

Matt Rogalsky
Canada's sound artist makes silence an integral part of the sound. Julian Cowley reports.

Matthew Bourne
Multi-tasking British musician fuses a bit of theatre and other equally unexpected influences with a love for the Rhodes. By Brian Morton

Global Ear
Biba Kopf finds Akio Suzuki's space in the sun in Tango before wintering in Sapporo, Japan

Epiphanies
An Industrial culture hand-me-down Martin Denny LP turns Ken Hollings onto exotica

Print Run
Joe Harriott: Fire in His Soul, by Alan Robertson; Honky Tonk by Henry Horenstein; Improvised Music From Japan Extra 2003, edited by Yoshiyuki Suzuki

Cross Platform
Film maker Cameron Jamie tells Edwin Pouncey about his obsession with monsters and why The Melvins' drone rock makes the perfect soundtrack
Plus: Reviews of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, London Tate Modern; Matmos, San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; No Title Performance and Sparkling Water, Oslo Henie Onstad Kunstsenter; DVDs by Nat Pwe: Burma's Carnival of Spirit Soul; Jemaa El Fna: Morocco's Rendezvous of the Dead, Night Music of Marrakech. And Terre Themlitz's Inner Sleeve featuring Styx

On Location
Marke B Festival, Berlin Cafe Moskau; Termite Club 2003 20th Anniversary Festival, Leeds UK; Sounding Beijing 2003, Beijing Loft Space; Terraplane Plus, London Spitz; Instal 03, Glasgow The Arches; All Tomorrow's Parties (Day 2), Los Angeles Long Beach; Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Huddersfield various venues