Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Clipse, Tyler the Creator, Addison Rae, and many more round out this year's list of Grammys performers

Tune in for Music's Biggest Night, as Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Clipse, Addison Rae, and more compete for gold-plated trophies

The origins of hip hop may be indelibly associated with New York's Five Boroughs - and the South Bronx, in particular. But in the 1980s, Long Island's De La Soul - and near contemporaries like Biz Markie, Public Enemy and Rakim - brought a new suburban sensibility to the genre. In an exclusive extract from his new book, Living in a D.A.I.S.Y Age, West Virginia University Professor Austin McCoy recounts the group's early years

Although Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo found each other while living on Long Island, none of them, including DJ Prince Paul, were born there. Their families, like many, migrated from New York City's boroughs in the 1970s and 1980s. Kelvin Mercer was born in the Bronx, while David...

The post Ain't Hip To Be Labelled A Hippie: The Suburban Origins of De La Soul appeared first on The Quietus.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today, we revisit the 1984 debut from the Scottish trio who built towers of emotion from moody, minimalist parts.

Greek artist Argy announces 'NEWORLD II', the second full-length release in his ongoing 'NEWORLD' project. Positioned as a continuation rather than a standalone production, the album follows the first 'NEWORLD' release and extends his existing framework. The inaugural album in the series touched a wide audience and marked a shift toward a project-based approach which […]

Argy releases second edition in 'NEWORLD' album series

Here are the results of our latest newsletter competition…

Last week, we had 3 copies of Jack Davison's A is for Ant - newspaper edition from our Bandcamp shop to give away. We asked:

Spanning over 3,700 miles along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Southern Europe, and containing billions of cooperative ants in millions of nests, the world's largest known ant supercolony is populated by which specific species of ant?

And the answer is: The Argentine ant - Linepithema humile. The winners are Mark Clark, John Gray and Catherine Parker. Your prizes will be with you very soon!

Thanks for all the entires. To be in with the chance of winning our next prize, make sure you're signed up to the mailing list. The sign-up box can be found on the right-hand side of this page.

Arthur Russell and Ernie Brooks' late-'70s rock group has been rendered a historical footnote, but a new anthology captures the nervy brilliance of its guitar-driven new wave.

Every Saturday, we're going deep on one song we've never reviewed before. This week, we remember the late Jamaican percussion icon Sly Dunbar and one of the biggest riddims ever.

The US artist's score for Julian Charrière's film is coming out through her own Awe label

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Laurel Halo is set to release her soundtrack for Julian Charrière's film Midnight Zone.

Spanning nine tracks, the US artist's original score was produced especially for the film, which follows the path of a lighthouse lens as it passes deep down into the Pacific Ocean. The visual itself formed part of a video installation that featured in 2025 exhibitions in cities such as Basel, Mexico City and Toyko, and will soon be presented at Wolfsburg's Kunstmuseum.

Halo previously produced a film score in 2018, in the form of Possessed. In 2023, she released the album Atlas.

Listen to Midnight Zone lead track 'Sunlight Zone', which opens the...

The post Laurel Halo to Release Soundtrack for Film 'Midnight Zone' appeared first on The Quietus.

Still In A Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers And The Reinvention Of Rock, 1984-1994 acts as a sequel of sorts to the writer's 2005 book on post punk

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Simon Reynolds is releasing a new book.

Set to arrive via publishing house White Rabbit Books in June, Still In A Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers And The Reinvention Of Rock, 1984-1994 follows emerging underground guitar music sounds across the titular decade, looking into the rise of shoegaze, slacker rock, grunge and dream pop. It serves as a sequel of sorts to Reynolds' 2005 book Rip It Up And Start Again, which was a history of post punk.

Drawing on Reynolds' own writing and memories of the time - he first started working at Melody Maker covering these sounds...

The post Simon Reynolds Documents the Rise of Shoegaze and Slacker Rock in New Book appeared first on The Quietus.

He joins a lineup that includes Lady Gaga, Lauryn Hill, and his "Apt." duet partner Rosé

Cortese deliver MIX410 on our mix series, presenting an exclusive 60-minute set from the Manchester-based duo. The mix follows past releases on Southpoint, Hotflush Recordings, and Constant Circles, as well as a recent collaboration with UK-heavyweight Sasha on his Last Night On Earth label. The tracklist draws from artists such as Baltra, Two Shell, AceMo, […]

MIX410: Cortese

The singer has teamed up with Daniel James, the producer of her last album, Ego Death At a Bachelorette Party

Georgia Gets By returns with "Faded Rose", the gorgeous lead single from her forthcoming debut LP Heavy Meadow, and a poignant and glowingly romantic ode to the power of commitment... Continue reading…

The Ben Feldman-directed doc will focus on the band's early years and the death of original guitarist Hillel Slovak

Alphonse Pierre's Off the Dome column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, scenes, snippets, movies, Meek Mill tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches his attention. This week, Al heads to the big show with the underground New York rapper who's bubbling up to the surface. Plus: Pz' starts to care, Marci's still got it, and a low-budget dancehall noir from 1995.

Stream new releases from xaviersobased, Shackleton, and Joyce Manor

Find out who's nominated for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Album, Best Rock Song, and more

The singer gamely plays herself in an A24 reality-dramedy satirizing the enshittification of the modern pop star.

Andrew Holter praises Paul Weller for throwing down a gauntlet to fans via cosmopolitan eclecticism and for ceding a large amount of creative control to new collaborators

Imagine it's Friday 16 March 1984. The National Union of Mineworkers declared a nationwide strike on Monday and you are ringing in the weekend with Café Bleu, the new LP released today by The Style Council. Something's off, though: by the start of the tenth song on this record, you have heard Paul Weller sing lead vocals on only two tracks. This is, presumably, confounding.

Instead you have heard four instrumentals of varying genre, from a jaunty piano boogie led by Mick Talbot ('Mick's Blessing'), to whimsical bossa nova ('Me Ship Came In!'), melodramatic guitar...

The post Reissue of the Week: The Style Council's Café Bleu appeared first on The Quietus.

With 2026 off to a flyer (musically at least), tQ's staffers select the albums and tracks that stood out in January

There was a time when compiling a best-of list for January felt like scraping the barrel, artists and labels holding fire on their best music until the blossoming of snowdrops and the renewal of post-festive energy. Not so in 2026, as already we've been treated to several records that will be best of the year contenders come next winter, as you can find below.

Everything you'll find below, as well as all the other excellent music we've covered at tQ this month, will be compiled into an hours-long playlist exclusive to our subscribers. In addition, subscribers can enjoy exclusive music from...

The post Music of the Month: The Best Albums and Tracks of January 2026 appeared first on The Quietus.

Even within a genre increasingly filled with aberrations, Qasu's debut represents an odd yet scintillating proposition

Photo: Mark Vella

A Bleak King Cometh is like a molotov cocktail casually tossed into the stave church of black metal orthodoxy. There might be tremolo-picked riffs, gnashed teeth and blastbeats aplenty, but the trio explode, expand and fragment their grainy, frost-patterned palette in order to incorporate a delirious mix of noise, electronica, ambient and industrial influences.

The band self-describe as "ancient future black metal" which is as helpful as it is not. It certainly gives a surface-level sense of how they blend gnarled primitivism with programmed electronics, synths and beats, but, as with Agriculture's "ecstatic black metal" or Cryptic Shift's "phenomenal technological astrodeath" it also pre-loads...

The post Black to the Future: A Bleak King Cometh by Qasu appeared first on The Quietus.

The Soft Pink Truth

Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever?

Matmos's Drew Daniel takes its furthest step yet from its roots in the club; still sounds absolutely joyous

Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever? by The Soft Pink Truth

A common theme through The Soft Pink Truth's records of the 2020s is music's ability to build sanctuaries. As the world's got harsher, SPT's albums have got lusher. 2020's Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?, recorded during the first Trump presidency, saw the project, led by Matmos's Drew Daniel, blur propulsive deep house into velvety minimal composition. 2022's Is It Going To Get Any Deeper Than This?, made during pandemic lockdown, is a glimmering electro-orchestral record played by a...

The post The Soft Pink Truth - Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever? appeared first on The Quietus.

The Los Angeles pop-punk trio spends its seventh album wrestling with nostalgia, finding nuance and emotional complexity in their everyday grievances.

Backed by his ad hoc band The Muggers, the prolific songwriter blasts through a five-song set that feels like a pure distillation of his psychedelic chaos.

The Animal Collective member's first solo album is a personal, psychedelic trip indulging his fascination with the hurdy-gurdy.

The singer's debut channels Roy Orbison, David Bowie, and erstwhile California greats—but even his tremendous voice can't make it feel like more than homage.

The trumpeter, bandleader, and composer has worked with the organization since 1987

The Japanese producer also shared a lead single, "Rain 1"

All four films are currently set for release on April 7, 2028

The New York festival dedicated to Black electronic music returns after a one-year hiatus

  Excited to announce the publication this summer of  Still In A Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-94. On White Rabbit Books. It's a love letter to the music of my youth - and a flashback to the most exciting time of my writing life, when week by week I was on the frontline of covering a cascade of thrilling developments in underground rock. It's

The record features A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala and more

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Thundercat has shared details of his first album in six years, titled Distracted.

The US artist's fifth studio LP comprises 15 tracks and includes contributions from A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala, Mac Miller, Willow, Channel Tres and Lil Yachty. Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats and The Lemon Twigs also provide additional production touches across the record.

Speaking about what he wanted listeners to take from Distracted, Thundercat said in a statement: "Just enjoy it and have fun and just know that the struggle is real and changes shape, but just to keep pushing forward."

To mark the announcement of the album, he's shared lead track 'I Did This To Myself', which features Lil Yachty and co-production from Flying Lotus....

The post Thundercat Details First Album in Six Years, 'Distracted' appeared first on The Quietus.

Prostitute, Milkweed and more will play the Birmingham event this April

Photo by Robert Barrett

Supersonic has shared details of its stripped-back 2026 edition.

The Digbeth, Birmingham festival will take place earlier in the year, moving away from its usual late August date to two days in late April. Among the first acts confirmed to play are Prostitute, Milweed and Microplastics, a new live band comprised of aya, Jennifer Walton and 96 Back.

The festival will also welcome ØXN, Bong II, DJ Haram, Ameretat, GREET, MMM and Traidora. Further artists will be announced in the coming weeks, alongside a full programme of workshops, talks and guest DJ sets.

In a statement, Supersonic co-founder Lisa Meyer said: "When we first began, Digbeth was our wild frontier,...

The post Supersonic Announces Scaled-Back 2026 Edition appeared first on The Quietus.

She joins a lineup that includes Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Clipse, and Lauryn Hill

The follow-up to That! Feels Good! arrives on April 10

The nicest indie rock band in Chicago has finally uncorked its true sound—it only took 16 years. We catch up with the humble, hard-working Ratboys and talk about swinging for the fences with their new album, Singin' to an Empty Chair.

Listen to lead single "I Did This To Myself" featuring Lil Yachty now

Julien Baker, Jeremy Bolm and Evan Weiss feature on Alone With Heaven

Emi Galvan releases his new 'Everlong / Lies' EP on Mango Alley this week. The four-track release continues the Argentinian producer's run of melodic and progressive-leaning club material, following previous work on Warung, The Soundgarden, and Balance Music. The release is led by two original tracks, which sit firmly within a deep and hypnotic house […]

Premiere: Emi Galvan - Lies

Marie Vaunt curates our latest Fresh Picks feature, selecting a line up of recent club-focused releases that reflect her current set list rotation. The Japanese-American artist, who is based in Los Angeles, draws on her background across techno and peak-time formats, following releases on record labels such as Drumcode, Set About, and Arcane Music. The […]

Fresh Picks: Marie Vaunt

MARIA Die RUHE moves between roles as a vocalist, DJ, and live performer, with a creative practice that draws on multiple levers of electronic and club music, releasing on record labels such as her own Exoframe imprint. Her latest release, 'Silence and Secrets', sees her collaborate with Tooker on a reworking of WhoMadeWho's original track […]

Interview: MARIA Die RUHE releases 'Silence and Secrets' on SONARA

JESUSLOVESACID will release his latest production 'Verbal' on Rhythm Cult, which features vocals from Red Pig Flower. The release pairs an original version with an excellent remix from Mathew Jonson, marking a new collaboration within the label's catalogue. Jonson's remix takes our focus, drawing from the rhythmic components of the original and extending them into […]

Premiere: JESUSLOVESACID ft. Red Pig Flower - Verbal (Mathew Jonson Remix)

Paris-based DJ and producer Ams releases 'Born Out There', a new EP that also marks the launch of her very own record label, soft earth. The project follows earlier releases from her on Shall Not Fade, Nervous Records, and Friendsome Records. soft earth is framed around the use of organic sound sources and field recordings. […]

Premiere: Ams - Born Out There

High-impact techno, acid, garage, and house shape our Best New Music 007 selection, featuring club-focused releases from Deetron, Sol Ortega, THELMA, and Engle, alongside a broader mix of peak-time and groove-driven tracks. Deetron - FlowLabel: Mutual Rytm Raw Pulsing, stripped-back techno forms the basis of the arrangement, with detailed sound design emerging during the breakdown […]

Best New Music: 007

SJUSH delivers a new mix as part of our series, continuing the Irish artist's recorded output alongside recent releases. Now based in Berlin, SJUSH has been steadily active across labels including DORCHA, Intrepid Skin, and most recently SKUXX. His mix brings together selections from artists such as Randomer, Hertz, Céilí, and Andrew Cairns, and reflects […]

MIX409: SJUSH

Our first Best New Music feature of 2026 brings industrial textures, acid-leaning club tools, and melodic, peak-time productions from across Europe, featuring new cuts from Hannah Laing, BAUGRUPPE90, and Will Silver. Morbe - DefeatLabel: PTRL WRX Built around a weighty kick drum and pulsing low-end movement, the track leans into deep techno structures with detailed […]

Best New Music: 006

Mladen Tomic ends 2025 with a welcomed return to his Night Light Records imprint, for the release of his two-track 'Consequences' EP. The title track is built around a steady techno framework, combining looping rhythms with layered atmospheric sounds and a sustained sense of movement. The second track 'Take It' shifts toward a tech house […]

Premiere: Mladen Tomic - Consequences