Episodes
The first of a two-parter series on the wizards of the synthesizer. We hone in on the 70’s and 80’s and pluck out the troo nerds and flush them down the rabbit hole one by one. What are we after here? Easy. Just picture someone sitting down in front of a rack of analog synths and not emerging from that spot for three weeks. We get into everything from progressive electronic music to soundtrack composers to minimalists to krautrock to early breakbeat shit. All of these bleeps and bloops turned...
Published 12/12/20
For this episode, we hand over the reigns to Toronto-based experimental guitarist, improvisational artist, and DIY label owner, Chandan Narayan, of the musical project, Carrom, who released two excellent tapes and a corresponding compilation of those two releases ("Alter​-​destinies​/​Prehistories"). We discuss Chandan’s musical lineage leading up to Carrom, weird Arizona musical connections, the relevancy of cultural heritage in music, and then jump into a track-by-track playlist of sounds...
Published 10/27/20
Free yourself up for the next three or so hours; for the time hath arrived to worship the riff. Special guest, Phil of Phil’s Breakfast Metal Podcast, joins me as we tunnel into the mind-bending vaults of the best weirdo extreme metal label in the game right now, the uncompromising I, Voidhanger Records. Together, Phil and I compiled eight tracks that should serve as a solid primer into the cult. Get all of your physical and digital swag at I, Voidhanger on bandcamp. Subscribe to one of the...
Published 10/06/20
If beats that barely bump are what you’re looking for, I invite you to hop in the whip while we drive around the city and marinate in the quieter side of boom bap, rap, hip hop, whatever. In this rabbit hole, we’re tracking down rap music that is ignoring almost every trend in modern hip hop without devolving into pure abstraction. The early 90’s east coast influence is strong here but it’s treated as more of a launching off point than strict era worship. The most gorgeous beats are being...
Published 09/04/20
Part deux of our expedition into ecstatic music. This episode will make a lot more sense if you’ve listened to the previous episode, TSC07: Ecstatic Music (The Teachers).  Just sayin. Here, we look to the students to see if they paid attention in class. Less of a thru-line between generations and more of a continuation of ecstatic sounds into the modern era where culture, tech, and globalization have run amok. Ultimately, we’re looking for the same things: free-form expression, incantations...
Published 08/01/20
This episode is the first of a two-parter where we jump down a rabbit hole that’ll have you surrendering your feeble mind, arrhythmic bodily function, and normie spirit to ecstatic music. You are the cobra that is being charmed. The palm bending in the hurricane. The Teachers and their Teachers have preserved these rituals. From Balinese gamelan to guitar armies to Jbala Sufi trance, ecstatic music is all about locking you in and rejecting the daily grind. Forthcoming in part two, we will see...
Published 07/11/20
In our first guest episode, Dan Donnarumma of the fantastic Create & Destroy Podcast joined me as we worship at the altar of gloom powerhouse record label, The Flenser. We agonizingly compiled eight track selections to get you started on the best label in the game. Prepare to get bummed out, blissed out, freaked out, and thoroughly Flensed. and remember to throw all your cash at The Flenser’s webstore. Follow @thesoniccloth on Instagram to grab the tracklistHonorable Mentions:Create &...
Published 05/27/20
If cool cat jazz makes you cringe and you’re too dumb for free jazz then come on into the welcoming church of spiritual jazz. Albert Ayler once said ‘Trane was the Father, Pharaoh was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost’. I don’t know what that means exactly but we back it 100%. The old guard (Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sanders, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, Idris Muhammad, etc) faded out with their astral, consciousness-shifting music in the mid 1970’s but these sounds eventually got picked up by...
Published 05/15/20
This rabbit hole hits close to home. We’re heading eastward to the Levant, North Africa, and Central Asia to chase down independent artists who are drawing out both modern arabic and age-old oriental sounds in singular and badass ways. Kinda like “Desert Rose” by Sting but listenable. Follow @thesoniccloth on Instagram to grab the track listfacebook  |  instagram  | [email protected]
Published 04/30/20
Saddle up, ya chuds. In this one, we listen to the only type of drone you can let out a big ol’ yeeeehaw to. This rabbit hole leads us to the contemplative side of cowboyin’. Pour yourself some bourbon, strap on your facemask, and watch the empire decay. Let’s get errrrr dun.Follow @thesoniccloth on Instagram to grab the tracklist. facebook  | instagram  | [email protected]
Published 04/18/20
What's the most popular genre of music in the Czech Republic? In this episode, we take a huge steaming shit on prog rock only to give it a second chance by focusing on the weirdo prog bands who are the only thing preventing decent people from condemning the whole genre. Follow @thesoniccloth on Instagram to grab the tracklist. facebook  |  instagram  | [email protected]
Published 04/06/20
Six tracks of heartbroken, melancholic, deep soul music to compliment chainsmoking, crying into your beer, and eventually phantom slow dancing with your departed lover. Most of these gems culled from the inimitable Numero Group's "Eccentric Soul" compilation series. Follow @thesoniccloth on Instagram to grab the tracklist. Head on over to Numero Group to buy any record in their "Eccentric Soul" series.facebook  |  instagram  | [email protected]
Published 04/02/20